Boston, MA - March 1: Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe steals the ball from Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown in the third quarter. The Celtics played the 76ers at TD Garden on March 1, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
After a roller coaster regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers handled business in the Play-In Tournament against Orlando, earning the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round matchup against the rival Boston Celtics. In Game 1 this afternoon in Boston, the Celtics are 13-point favorites to take a 1-0 lead in the series, and are huge minus-900 favorites to advance to the second round. If those lopsided odds have you down as a Sixers fan, can I remind you of another big upset that started in Boston? It was a little thing called the American Revolution.
Unfortunately, the Sixers are without their George Washington in this clash between original colonial powers. Philadelphia only has one player listed on the injury report, but it’s a big one, with Joel Embiid out due to his post appendectomy surgery recovery. (Yes, Johni Broome is available to save the day.) There’s no realistic belief that Joel will be back soon to impact the series, but maybe Boston also has some injuries the Sixers could take advantage of today?
I guess not. Jayson Tatum has been back over a month now following Achilles surgery and appears to be fully ramped up. The All-NBA talent looking like himself is a big reason why the Celtics are now significant favorites to advance out of the East to the NBA Finals. Of course, that’s still a couple months away and the Sixers will hope to be more than a minor speed bump along the Celtics’ path.
The Sixers’ chances of making this a competitive series will start with their backcourt. We know Tyrese Maxey can shine on the biggest stage after seeing him average nearly 30 points per game in the series against New York two years ago. The year prior in the seven-game series loss to Boston was more of a mixed bag. Maxey scored 30 points in the Game 5 win to go up 3-2, but also had three games scoring 14 points or less. Of course, Tyrese has improved a ton over the past three seasons and his dropping 40 points in the regular season opener against Boston is more indicative of what we’re likely to see from him.
Philadelphia’s biggest X factor is rookie VJ Edgecombe, who didn’t look the least bit phased by the moment during the Play-In, recording 19 points and 11 rebounds and puffing his chest out at Jalen Suggs. Edgecombe found success against Boston this season, notably scoring 14 points in his first ever NBA quarter while facing the Celtics, a league record. His ability to create splash plays defensively and get out in transition will be vital for a Sixers’ offense that projects to struggle in the half court against Boston.
Aside from the whole having a deeper roster thing, the big advantage for Boston will be on the glass. The Sixers were a terrible defensive rebounding team this season and the Celtics were one of the better squads at creating second-chance opportunities. Andre Drummond played well against Orlando and had one or two solid performances this year against Boston. If he could channel 2020 Andre (only now with three-point shooting!), that would go a long way towards helping the Sixers stay within arms-length of Boston to pull off an upset.
If we’re going to do some straw grasping, it has been nine days since Boston’s regulars saw the court at all. Maybe there’s a bit of an adjustment period back to the intensity of live game action. The early afternoon start time could also play a factor. NBA players are largely very routine-oriented and have shifted their schedules to peak at nighttime. Today they’re playing at 1:00 pm Eastern when some of them might normally be taking naps. Obviously, it wouldn’t favor the Sixers more than the Celtics, but maybe things get wonky and that can only benefit the underdog.
The club who the Sixers share a building with was able to pull off a Game 1 win on the road yesterday. Time for the Sixers to get gritty and see if they can’t make Boston sweat here to start this first-round series.
Game Details
When: Sunday, April 19, 1:00 PM ET Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA Watch: ABC Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 13: Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons talks in the huddle before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 13, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA Playoffs are upon us, which means it’s time to diagnose the Detroit Pistons as they look to make a run to the NBA Finals. The crew at DBB looked at the first-round matchup, the difference makers and the likelihood of that championship run.
1. The Pistons will kick off the playoffs against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. What is your read on the series + who wins and in how many games?
Sean Corp: The Orlando Magic seem like a team at its breaking point, and the Detroit Pistons defense loves to break teams. They are also one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, and hot 3-point shooting is how a lot of teams stick around. Feels like a physical, short series. Pistons in 5.
Laz Jackson: Pistons in six. It should be Pistons in five, but there will be at least one game thats a smidge TOO rock fight-y and the Magic win at home, plus the “normal” playoff loss.
Brady Fredericksen: Orlando is the biggest disappointment in the NBA, yet they’re still fighting. Franz looks lost, and Paolo (sans the Charlotte game) has been more bad than god. The Magic are a poor man’s Pistons, and I can’t see them beating Detroit at its own game. Pistons win this in 5 games.
Justin Lambregtse: The Magic are a mess, but they at least have playoff experience and have played the Pistons well the last couple years. I think the Pistons beat them in 6 games.
Wes Davenport: The Magic are solid and will present some challenges for Detroit. However, in playoff basketball, defense and star power win the day. It’s nearly impossible to argue the Pistons are lacking for either compared to Orlando. Pistons in 5.
Robbie Bettelon: Pistons in 5. I’m ready for Round 2 already.
Brennan Sims: Orlando, one of the teams the Pistons have smoke with. Detroit would have handled Charlotte, and the’ll handle the Magic.
Max Sturm: I see the Pistons handling Orlando. The Magic are essentially a poor man’s version of Detroit. They’re finally healthy after being banged up all year, and at their best they are long, skilled, and can shut the water off on defense. Pistons in 6.
Austen Flores: Orlando is finally healthy, but Detroit is well-equipped to neutralize what they do best. The regular season games were close, but Orlando’s offensive inconsistency — too much drive-and-kick and stagnant possessions — shows up. Expect tight games, but Detroit pulls them out. Pistons in five.
2. Who are the 1-2 most important players for the Pistons to make a legitimate run?
Sean Corp: The boring answer is Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. They power the offense, and help define the defense. The swing answer might be Ausar Thompson. The ability to maximize his defense (be keeping him on the floor) and limit foul trouble is key.
Laz Jackson: Ausar. Can he neutralize Desmond Bane / Donovan Mitchell entirely and make offenses less efficient? What poor soul will he backcut to death in the half court? Even in a slowed down playoff environment, can he generate deflections, blocks, steals that turn into the easy offense the Pistons feast on? I think so. Caris LeVert. Quietly, VERY quietly, he has been less disruptive to good offense. He WILL get minutes, but can they be productive ones? Will we have a Caris LeVert Game, one that steals the Pistons a series? It’s on the table.
Brady Fredericksen: Daniss Jenkins and Jalen Duren stand out. Jenkins found a second wind, and if he can create, score and play under control in his minutes, the Pistons will be in good shape. Duren has leveled up. Now, it’s time to prove that the shot creation and defense is real against locked-in defenses. I think he’s ready.
Justin Lambregtse: Duren and Jenkins. I have faith in Cade’s ability to play in the playoffs and Ausar’s defense is going to be important, but getting offensive contributions from both Duren and Jenkins to help out Cade/hold down the fort when he is out is going to be very important for a long playoff run.
Wes Davenport: Cade is the soft ball. But I’ll go the rest of that core four group as well — Duren (for his scoring ability), Ausar and Stew (for their defensive ability). Famous last words, I know, but I’m not all that worried about the floor spacing.
Robbie Bettelon: Duren and Ausar. If they can still coexist in playoff basketball, the East is in trouble.
Brennan Sims: Cade Cunningham’s jump shot could swing a series either way. Duncan Robinson has to remain an elite shooter — channel that 2023 Finals run energy.
Max Sturm: Jenkins comes to mind here. It’s easy to forget that Dennis Shroder was essentially the team’s second best player against the Knicks during last year’s playoffs. Jenkins has the ability to play a similar role this spring. Ausar Thompson is the other. Can he stay on the floor offensively during crunch time? Can he stay out of foul trouble? Can he make his free throws consistently? If those answers are yes, then the Pistons will have a tremendous advantage on the defensive end at all times.
Austen Flores: Jenkins and Robinson, with Tobias Harris just missing the cut. Jenkins has been a revelation and now steps into a major playoff role after not playing in last year’s Knicks series — he’ll need to match the impact Dennis Schröder had. Robinson’s playoff experience is valuable despite his ups and downs, and Detroit’s success often hinges on his shooting. JB Bickerstaff should prioritize getting him clean looks early.
3. How far do you see the Pistons’ run going? What is their ceiling and what is going to make or break them in their chase for the Finals?
Sean Corp: The Pistons keep surprising against the best competition. I only NEED a first round series win. I am confident they can get to the Conference Finals. And from there, they dictate their own fate, and the date of their off-season priorities as they look to be NBA Finals winners (soon).
Laz Jackson: The Detroit Pistons ceiling is an NBA Finals appearance, full stop. What makes or breaks them will be health (in both directions) and turnovers.
Brady Fredericksen: I’ve got the Pistons falling in the ECF. I think they can beat the Knicks there, but I have concerns about how they match up against the Celtics with Jayson Tatum back. The offense has been a lot better, but a cold spell late in a big game in Boston could be the end of the line.
Justin Lambregtse: I’d love to say they make the Finals, but I don’t think that’s in the cards this year. I look at the OKC Thunder who were a 2nd round team a couple years ago before breaking through and going all the way and winning. The Pistons are still young and not playoff tested a ton, so I could see them going down in the 2nd round after a hard-fought series. It does depend on their 2nd round matchup, though.
Wes Davenport: I see this team as a lock for the conference semis. Anything beyond that is gravy to me. That said, I would predict they make the ECF. They’ll go as far as Cade and Duren will take them offensively.
Robbie Bettelon: I don’t fear any team outside of Boston. So, if they meet the Celtics in the ECF, I’d take Boston.
Brennan Sims: They could make the Finals. Hard to see them beating OKC, San Antonio, or Denver. Who steps up after the All-Stars offensively + how does the offense fare in general?
Max Sturm: Their ceiling is the Finals, though I don’t see them beating either of the West favorites. A fully healthy Boston will likely be the favorite to come out of the East, and the Cavs pose a sneaky tough potential matchup in round two. Can someone be a consistent secondary scorer? Jenkins, Caris Levert, Kevin Huerter all have shown flashes of being that guy. Beyond that, health is a major factor, as maintaining their defense.
Austen Flores: The ECF. The second round could take a toll, especially against a tough Cavs team that matches up well with Detroit and added another dimension with Harden. That goes at least six. A potential Boston matchup is intriguing — they’d have a chip on their shoulder — but with Tatum back, it may be a step too far.
Most likely top seed to lose early in the East?
Sean Corp: Cleveland Cavaliers
Laz Jackson: New York Knicks
Brady Fredericksen: New York Knicks
Robbie Bettelon: New York Knicks
Brennan Sims: New York Knicks
Max Sturm: New York Knicks
Austen Flores: New York Knicks
Most likely underdog to win a series in the East?
Sean Corp: Atlanta Hawks
Laz Jackson: Atlanta Hawks
Brady Fredericksen: Atlanta Hawks
Robbie Bettelon: Toronto Raptors
Brennan Sims: Toronto Raptors
Max Sturm: Philadelphia 76ers
Austen Flores: Atlanta Hawks
Who wins the East
Sean Corp: Boston Celtics
Laz Jackson: Detroit Pistons
Brady Fredericksen: Boston Celtics
Robbie Bettelon: Boston Celtics
Brennan Sims: Boston Celtics
Max Sturm: Detroit Pistons
Austen Flores: Boston Celtics
Most likely top seed to lose early in the West?
Sean Corp: Los Angeles Lakers
Laz Jackson: San Antonio Spurs
Brady Fredericksen: Denver Nuggets
Robbie Bettelon: Denver Nuggets
Brennan Sims: Denver Nuggets
Max Sturm: Los Angeles Lakers
Austen Flores: Los Angeles Lakers
Most likely underdog to win a series in the West?
Sean Corp: Minnesota Timberwolves
Laz Jackson: Houston Rockets
Brady Fredericksen: Minnesota Timberwolves
Robbie Bettelon: Minnesota Timberwolves
Brennan Sims: Minnesota Timberwolves
Max Sturm: Minnesota Timberwolves
Austen Flores: Houston Rockets
Who wins the West?
Sean Corp: San Antonio Spurs
Laz Jackson: Oklahoma City Thunder
Brady Fredericksen: Oklahoma City Thunder
Robbie Bettelon: San Antonio Spurs
Brennan Sims: Oklahoma City Thunder
Max Sturm: Oklahoma City Thunder
Austen Flores: Oklahoma City Thunder
Who wins the NBA title?
Sean Corp: Boston Celtics
Laz Jackson: Oklahoma City Thunder
Brady Fredericksen: Oklahoma City Thunder
Robbie Bettelon: San Antonio Spurs
Brennan Sims: Oklahoma City Thunder
Max Sturm: Oklahoma City Thunder
Austen Flores: Oklahoma City Thunder
—
As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov still has work to do before getting back to the NHL. But he took steps in the right direction this past week, playing in two rehab games down in Bridgeport.
He went 2-0-0, making 18 saves on 20 shots in a 5-2 win back on Wednesday before turning aside 28 of 29 in a 2-1 win over the Hershey Bears on Saturday.
These were his first two games since Nov. 29, 2024, before he underwent knee procedures on both knees.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that Varlamov, who has one season left on his contract at $2.75 million, is a realistic backup option for Ilya Sorokin in 2026-27.
If he keeps looking the way he's looked, Varlamov's dream to get back to the NHL after so much time away will become a reality.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could receive league MVP honors for the second year in a row.Photograph: Nate Billings/AP
The NBA has not seen a reigning champion take its title defense as far as the conference finals, let alone hoist a second consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy, since the Golden State Warriors were cut off at the ankle and calf by the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals. That’s seven straight seasons in which parity has ruled supreme, for better or for worse, and dynastic runs seem fated to be a thing of the past.
Not if one team in America’s heartland has anything to say about it. The Oklahoma City Thunder embark on these 2026 playoffs in search of historic greatness, trends be damned. And less than two weeks before the first game of the postseason tips off, you’d be hard pressed to find substantive evidence to believe their goal won’t be achieved.
Oklahoma City will be the No 1 seed in the bloodbath that is the NBA’s Western Conference for the third consecutive year this season. The last time a team has accomplished this particular feat, three straight years atop their conference? That aforementioned Warriors outfit (in 2017). And it’s rarefied air in NBA history in general: the only other teams to hold down the top spot that long, respectively, are the creme de la creme: the Celtics and Lakers’ top rosters in their storied histories, and the Jordan Bulls. Every team with this accomplishment finished with the ultimate accomplishment: an NBA championship.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP frontrunner for the second consecutive year, also exists in rarefied air at the moment. He has the potential to receive both league MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors in consecutive years. If he does, he’d be the first to do it since LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. A big part of Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case – and why he’s heavily favored to win the award again this season – comes down to his hyperreliable efficiency, something of which even James himself has taken note. Of the Thunder star on the most recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James said: “That’s one of the things I love about Shai – for him to play on the perimeter as much as he does, in the midrange as much as he does, and still be as super efficient as he is? It’s Jordan-esque, for sure.”
But there’s a reason, of course, that no team has successfully mounted a title defense since the 2017-18 Warriors. It’s really difficult to do, and increasingly so as the league has become more and more talented, and as the ability to weather the war of attrition nature of the playoffs has become paramount. The mental and physical toll of an 82-game regular-season grind certainly doesn’t get any easier to muddle through after a championship, and the only Thunder with experience in that particular arena, veteran guard Alex Caruso, knows that all too well. I ask him what advice he had, if any, for his younger compatriots this summer, heading into a title defense.
“Really just trying to stay present. Each year is a different team in the league,” he says. “I tried to tell them just stay present, enjoy the moment with the team we have now, because it’s not guaranteed that you get to try and play for a championship or play on a great team every single year.”
What about the natural lag in urgency that seems almost inevitable once you’ve submitted the mountaintop?
“You fight human nature a little bit through the regular season,” he tells me. “But once the postseason starts, it’s kind of do-or-die, and that mentality, that feeling, is pretty easy to chase again.”
It’s worth noting that another notch in the “Oklahoma City will repeat” column is that, by all accounts, the young bucks on the team didn’t even really need much cajoling when it came to maintaining their focus throughout a long, arduous season. I ask head coach Mark Daigneault about the unique challenge that a championship defense presents, and how he’s steered his troop through it.
“This team, to be honest with you – it is a long season and it is a grind, but this is a team that truly enjoys being around one another,” he says. “The minute they get together on the bus, it seems that their energy goes up. When they’re together in practice or shoot-around, their energy goes up. Even in games, they gain energy by being around each other, and they’ve kind of always been like that. So, that’s been a quality that’s existed independently of context.”
Daigneault also emphasizes that he encourages players not to even consider the season a “defense”, per se. “We’ve tried to look at it as a new season, that started from scratch,” he tells me in Los Angeles. “Last year was great, no one’s taken that away from us, but it’s also over. And we’ve tried to look at this season as a new blank canvas that we’ve had to paint on, or whatever you will. So, they’ve done a great job of that, and we’ve been able to play pretty consistent basketball throughout the season as a result.”
The Thunder aren’t repeat champions yet – that’s why you play the games, as they say. But between their level heads, stellar leadership, youth, athleticism and skill, they are as primed as any team in recent NBA history to get the job done.
This photograph of Rick Monday saving the American flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as "the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima." (Herald Examiner / Associated Press)
There are the great moments we saw, and then there are the great moments we feel we saw. We have heard about them, seen them, talked about them so often that we feel like we were there, even if we might not have been alive at the time.
For generations of Dodgers fans, Vin Scully was our historian, with words so memorable we feel as if we lived those experiences, so perfect fans repeat them to this day.
In 1965, for the Sandy Koufax perfect game: “There’s 29,000 people in the ballpark and a million butterflies.”
In 1988, for a walk-off home run by the hobbled Kirk Gibson in the World Series: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”
In 1990, for the Fernando Valenzuela no-hitter: “If you have a sombrero, throw it to the sky!”
On April 25, 1976, for perhaps the only time in the 67-year career of the best broadcaster in baseball history, Vin Scully didn’t know quite what to say.
“There’s two of them,” Scully said. “All right.”
Two people had run onto the field at Dodger Stadium, in the middle of the game. That was not entirely unusual in the disco era. A woman nicknamed “Morganna the Kissing Bandit” hopped fences and interrupted games to smooch players.
But this was something unfamiliar. Tension was in the air. Three seconds of silence, then Scully resumed his narration, his voice flat for the first sentence, rising with incredulity in the second and with exclamation in the third: “I’m not sure what he’s doing out there. It looks like he’s going to burn a flag.
“And Rick Monday runs in and takes it away from him!”
“It just happened in 10 seconds,” Dodgers historian Mark Langill said. “Fifty years later, we’re still talking about it.”
It was the play that defined an already distinguished career. On Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the day he rescued the American flag, the Dodgers will honor Monday before they play the Chicago Cubs — the team for which he played on that day in 1976.
The flag itself — presented to Monday two weeks later by Dodgers general manager Al Campanis — will be on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, as America celebrates its 250th birthday.
Monday, who served in the Marine Corps reserves during his major league career, has used the flag to raise money for veterans and their families, but he never has loaned it for a long-term exhibition.
Seldom does a day pass without someone coming up to Monday to say thank you, or to shake his hand.
“It is nothing that he seeks out,” said Charley Steiner, Monday’s partner on Dodgers broadcasts for 22 years. “Whether we’re at Dodger Stadium or on the road somewhere, people will just come up and say hi.
There was nothing flashy in the rescue. Monday leaned down, grabbed the flag without breaking stride, and delivered it to pitcher Doug Rau in the dugout. He returned to his position in center field, serenaded by a standing ovation.
Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ publicist at the time and later the general manager, sent word to the scoreboard operator to display a congratulatory message. When Monday came to bat in the next inning, the scoreboard read: “RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY.”
Said former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley: “It’s one of the great moments in Dodger history.”
That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.
“It all came together,” Steiner said. “The hometown kid, visiting from Chicago, doing what he did at that time in American history, it was just an unbelievable confluence of events.
“And then, lo and behold, he becomes a Dodger. And he has been a Dodger ever since.”
After the 1976 season, the Dodgers traded Bill Buckner to the Cubs for Monday, who played the final eight years of his career in Los Angeles. He was the first player drafted in the first-ever baseball draft in 1965, a two-time All-Star and 1981 World Series champion that might have been best remembered for hitting the home run that lifted the Dodgers past the Montreal Expos in the 1981 National League Championship Series.
Best remembered, that is, if not for the flag rescue that elevated him from a ballplayer to a hero.
“Whether you’re a casual fan or an avid fan, you know of that moment if you grew up as a fan in Los Angeles,” Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch said.
And beyond. Steiner, who was news director of a radio station in Hartford, Conn., that day, said Monday’s play instantly made headlines on the East Coast. President Ford called Monday after the game.
In 2006, the U.S. Senate formally presented him with a proclamation of appreciation. Two years later, President George W. Bush invited him to the White House.
Rick Monday stands near a flag he rescued from being burnt by protesters at Dodger Stadium during a news conference on Capitol Hill on June 14, 2006 in Washington. The news conference was held on Flag Day to support the proposed Flag Protection Amendment. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
The award-winning photograph of Monday swiping the flag, taken by James Roark of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was lauded by Times columnist Jim Murray as “the most famous picture of its kind since the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.”
“It about as unique a moment in U.S. baseball history as there’s been,” Rawitch said, “and I think that’s probably why people connect to it.”
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, but that game was on the schedule. History, yes, but no surprise. Same when Bush threw out the first pitch during a World Series game in New York after 9/11.
The father and son that invaded the field at Dodger Stadium that day never have spoken publicly about why they did. But all was not well in America in 1976, in the aftermath of the unpopular Vietnam War and the presidential scandal that was Watergate, and beset by soaring gasoline prices amid crisis in the Middle East.
We hear echoes of all three themes today. In an Ipsos poll released this month, a majority of Americans said the country’s best days are behind us and said we are “splitting apart” as a nation.
However, 80% said military veterans reflect “core America values,” including service and commitment to the greater good. And, among a list of icons that included the Statue of Liberty and the White House, respondents most often selected the U.S. flag as the one they associated most closely with America.
Perhaps Monday and his flag can help renew a sense of national unity, borrowing from the astonishment that pervaded Scully’s voice that day in 1976, once he finally figured out what was happening: “I think a guy was going to set fire to the American flag. Can you imagine that?”
It turned out to be a great call after all. In 2022, as soon as he learned Scully had died, Monday listened to Scully’s call one more time.
Lakers forward LeBron James wraps a pass around Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. as coach JJ Redick watches from the sideline during the second half of their first-round playoff series opener on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday night only to delightfully discover a miracle salve.
An opponent as mangled as they were.
Yes, the Lakers are beginning this tournament seriously hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
But — surprise, surprise — the Houston Rockets showed up with a bad leg of their own, a recently suffered knee contusion that sidelined leading scorer Kevin Durant for at least the first game of this first-round series.
The result? Check out the wide-mouthed scream unleashed by the Lakers' Luke Kennard midway through the fourth quarter.
No Durant meant no Laker problem, a potentially tough battle never appearing in doubt, the Lakers earning a 107-98 victory at Crypto.com Arena that represented the triumph of connection over confusion.
The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points.
The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.
At one end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest player to have 13 assists in a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only two of 10 shots inside, so much nifty passing, so many open looks.
On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, sprawled on the court, reaches for a loose ball in the paint during the first quarter. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers might be missing Doncic and Reaves but, man, the Rockets really, really, really missed Durant.
The Lakers were good enough to win despite being outrebounded 21-3 on the offensive glass. They were good enough to survive despite committing 20 turnovers.
They were so efficient despite their obvious deficiencies, one has to wonder … could this one game blend into several games? Say, as many as three more wins in this best-of-seven series?
Could the Lakers actually steal this first round?
At first glance, this result could mean nothing, just one fortunate win by an injured team against another injured team, the Lakers underdogs again in Game 2 if Durant returns as expected.
However, this result could also mean everything, the Lakers gaining the confidence they need to defeat the Rockets even with Durant, this being a game that could create the kind of rich belief that could result in a deeper spring run.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks between two Rocket defenders in Game 1. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Think about it. This game could be a springboard to a series win that would lead to a Western Conference semifinal series in two weeks. By that time, even though the odds are against it, let’s say Doncic and Reaves attempt to play and, even though the likely opponent would be the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder, who knows what happens?
It won’t happen. It can’t happen. It was recently written in this space that it should never happen, that the Lakers shouldn’t risk further injury by rushing back Doncic or Reaves, that they should forget about this season and focus on next October.
Then again … who knew Kevin Durant would bang his knee? And who knew the NBA would stretch out this first-round series long enough to give Doncic and Reaves more healing time?
Enough, enough. Let’s put a pause on all this speculation and just enjoy what Saturday’s playoff opener wrought.
For the first time since the two injuries, the Lakers were fun again. For the first time since they went 15-2 in one stretch this spring, they seemed actually really good again.
After they blew a distraction-filled, first-round series against Minnesota last season, coach JJ Redick has long preached to them about ignoring the noise and creating a singular playoff mentality. That mentality was in full effect Saturday as they played as if they were at full strength, and the Rockets were at full strength, and they were just the better team.
“You can’t worry about who is in or out of the lineup,” said Redick. “Its our game plan, our standards, it’s how we play, we’ve built toward that.”
And thus bulldozed the hapless Houstoners.
“Our guys … met the moment,” he said.
Coach JJ Redick and the Lakers executed a game plan to steal Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
So did Redick, who deserves credit for reacting to the late news of Durant’s absence, as he and his esteemed coaching staff drew up effective adjustments on the fly.
“There’s a lot that you have to do with Kevin,” Redick acknowledged. “You scrap that and move on to all the other stuff.”
Meanwhile, the Lakers showed some seriously good stuff early, coming out firing in the first quarter, scoring on their first three shots, eight of their first nine, and eventually 16 of their first 20.
James was everywhere, moving the ball, setting up his teammates, recording an amazing eight assists in the first quarter, his best single assist quarter among his 294 playoff games. All that, and during the quarter he flew into the baseline seats striving for a loose ball.
“He displayed great vision throughout,” Redick said of James, who scored 19 points in 38 minutes and was a team-high plus 11. “We talked all week about being connected offensively. He led us there.”
The tone had been set … and continued to be set after James made a flying pin-against-the-backboard block of Thompson in the second quarter … and then he really got loud after Houston took advantage of all those Lakers turnovers to take a brief lead early in the third.
James barked at Rui Hachimura, who screamed back, ‘What?'”
Lakers forwardLeBron James celebrates a basket over Rockets forward Tari Eason during Game 1 on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Play better, that’s what. And that’s exactly what they did, Hachimura hitting a three, Kennard hitting a three, James scoring twice on back-in layups and then making a great steal at midcourt. The ferocity of the Lakers answer rattled Houston such that the Rockets were hit with two technical fouls on unbridled anger from Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. Then they absorbed further insult on a soaring blocked shot by Jake LaRavia.
By the fourth quarter, this game was over, leaving it to Kennard to send the crowd howling into the night by supplying three fourth-quarter treys on three attempts and making a Game 1 MVP out of Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers embattled basketball boss smartly acquired renowned shooter Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in early February for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick and … are you kidding me? Kennard was making half of his three-point attempts at the time of the trade. How did Pelinka acquire him so relatively cheap?
“I liked that he was aggressive,” said Redick of Kennard’s Saturday showcase. “There’s a snowball effect to that.”
Before this series, the Lakers had a snowball in hell’s chance of winning it.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
There was a fun nugget in Elliotte Friedman’s recent 32 Thoughts
The Penguins are one of the league’s great stories and they are fun to watch. One scout said Anthony Mantha may be the most-watched player by other teams in Round 1
Mantha had a career-best season, exploding for 33 goals and 64 points, while appearing in 81 games. That’s the legwork to get a big contract this summer but now teams will be watching to see what happens when the spotlight gets the brightest. That’s been a problem for Mantha traditionally, he hasn’t scored a goal in 14 NHL playoff games while adding six assists. Mantha also got relegated to being a healthy scratch the previous time he was in the playoffs with Vegas in 2024.
So even for a guy who has proved a lot this year, there’s always more work to do and people to impress.
That started in Game 1, Mantha was credited with five hits and amped up the physicality in a major way. However, he also took two offensive zone stick penalties and came up empty in a last second chance near the net that ended up as his only shot on goal for the game.
It’s a long series and teams out there will have a close eye on what impact Mantha is able to have for the Penguins during this playoff stretch. It might just determine how aggressive his market will be on July 1.
Mar 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) defends the goal against Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Here are all the other games!
Game 1: Los Angeles vs. Colorado
Whoever showed up from the second wildcard spot for the West was getting fed into a woodchipper. Through a series of misadventures, it happened to be the LA Kings.
If you are wondering which of the first round series could be a sweep, this is your best bet; LA absolutely sucks at even strength and has fewer goals than even Seattle, who famously does not have talent to score. The only way I could actively see Colorado losing a game, let alone this series, is if they suddenly experienced a mass injury event or fell into the Springfield Mystery Spot. The only other realistic possibility is that Colorado’s power play is bizarrely terrible given the caliber of player they usually ice, so maybe LA could find a way to get back into games through short-handed chances…if only their own special teams weren’t apocalyptically terrible.
I dunno man. This is going to be a very short series unless the Avs just don’t show.
Game 2: Meteor Series
Montreal vs. Tampa Bay is a series designed to kill me specifically.
On one hand, the Tampa Bay Lightning are a uniquely obnoxious team; they win all the goddamn time and still have the temerity to try and juice the refs for calls, both on the ice and off of it. Even their best players are total nutcases who sometimes fly off the handle and cause grevious injury to players just because he’s feeling especially petty. And they don’t need to do that. That just brings my piss to a boil. They’re good enough that they just Do Not need to do any of that and still do it. Either because they’re petty or they’ve found the exact formula to dupe NHL refs into doing their bidding.
And on the other hand…the f!#king Habs. A team that isn’t much better than Boston at getting shots off but has the entire hockey world so happy that they’re good again. They aren’t even all that good! They just have an ok defense and a garden gnome who can score! Anybody can do that!
Here’s my answer: go as long as humanly possible. Double OT every game. Any endorsement of a team I’d like to see come out of this is just an endorsement for the next team they play to drop them unceremoniously.
Game 3: Bruins vs. Sabres
If you’re on this website, you’re probably already gonna watch that.
Game 4: Utah vs. Vegas
I don’t like Vegas. I don’t think anyone outside Nevada likes Vegas. That isn’t anything new.
I do respect the hell out of Vegas’ business ethos. I think more teams in the NHL could stand to be more like Vegas…but I draw the line exactly at Carter Hart. Even being ruthless in all things means you at least need to be able to generate positive buzz about yourself most of the time. That’s just asking for trouble. Oh, and Torts is here? Fantastic. Let’s get all the repugnant twerps in that glittering mustard sweater.
Meanwhile the Utah Mammoth have just been cruising, have been trying to find something that works to entertain their audience of largely bewildered but excited mormons, who likely have not had an outlet of violent competition in Salt Lake in a good long time. Making the playoffs in year two is a great sign; they should anyway given how young and talented they are, but what they have to do is establish a baseline in this series. Whether I like them or not, Vegas is pretty good. Great on some shifts, even. What Utah has to set is the tone for future years; can they adjust to the pressure? Can they find another gear? If not, where does the hesitation come from?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees crosses home plate following his two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees finally got some home cooking going on Saturday, putting a beatdown on the Royals to the tune of 13 runs while Will Warren made it a worry-free day tossing seven innings and striking out 11 batters. Cody Bellinger slugged two home runs on the day, Ben Rice made it three straight days with a bomb, and Amed Rosario continued to earn his starting time with another homer to round out the long balls. Now the team sits a win away from a sweep that would turn the homestand overall into a decent one when it started off incredibly rocky.
While we wait for the finale to start up, let’s run through what’s in store for the day. Scott profiled Dom Hamel before he went up against his old organization in Scranton’s doubleheader yesterday, and Andrew goes over the latest scores from around the AL in the Rivalry Roundup. Nick wishes Scott Kamieniecki a happy birthday and goes over his Yankees career in the early ‘90s, Estevão looks around the AL landscape and sees some expected contenders floundering leaving a path to the top for the Yanks, and after the game John will have the weekly social media spotlight featuring plenty from Jackie Robinson Day.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Royals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. What do you make of Will Warren’s gem? Was it just a nice surprise, or will he find his way into the sixth and seventh innings more frequently?
2. Can Ben Rice make it four straight games with a homer?
SNY | John Flanigan: Will Warren dominated the Royals Saturday, holding them off the board into the seventh inning to continue an encouraging start. “The four-seam was really playing well,” Aaron Boone said of his second-year starter. “He got a lot of swing-and-miss, the changeup was good today too, I just think it was the overall mix — it was good to see him take that lead and run with it, really good job.” Warren has pitched to a 2.49 ERA through five starts, building on a campaign in which he finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last year.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: The offense also played its part in making the win a rare comfortable victory. Cody Bellinger led the charge with two homers, as the lineup overall coasted to 13 runs. This outburst came against left-hander Noah Cameron, a particularly encouraging sign as the team had entered play with a .535 OPS against southpaws, second-worst in baseball.
ESPN | Jorge Castillo: Aaron Boone threw some cold water on anyone anticipating a rapid return from Gerrit Cole, who made his first rehab start on Friday against Double-A Somerset, indicating he will need “several more” rehab outings first, with a return expected by early June. “Nothing’s imminent here,” the Yankees manager noted. “We’ll be disciplined and make sure we take the right amount of time.” Cole threw 44 pitches across 4.1 innings, and his fastball was sitting around 95 mph. Carlos Rodón still appears ahead of Cole, even though he won’t begin his rehab until this week.
SNY | John Flanigan: Saturday’s rout was also a showcase for Ben Rice, who’s begun 2026 proving the predictive nature of analytics which indicated he was profoundly unlucky last season. Boone sat lefty-masher Paul Goldschmidt against the left-handed Cameron and the gambit paid off, with Rice crushing a 398-footer lefty-on-lefty to notch his third straight game with a home run. After the game, his OPS sat at 1.224, second-best in baseball.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: Day games at Yankee Stadium have been kicking off a little later than in years past this season. At the request of several veterans, including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees pushed their start times back from 1:05 to 1:35 with the goal of allowing more time for recuperation and preparation. The seemingly minor change has had a noticeable impact. “It’s a 100 percent improvement,” said Stanton. “For some guys, the extra sleep in their prep. For other guys, they use time here getting treatment. I like it. The extra half hour feels like an hour.”
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 28: A general view of the Boston Celtics 2024 World Champions banner hanging from the rafters seen during the women's free skate in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 on March 28, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At a certain point, you have to stop circling possibilities and just make a call. Nobody enjoys that part, because it means putting something on record and living with it for the next two months.
The Celtics enter the playoffs as one of the most difficult teams in the league to pin down. They’ve shown enough to believe in a deep run, but also come with questions that leave the door open for doubt. So we asked the CelticsBlog staff to do the thing everyone eventually has to do this time of year: make a prediction and stick with it.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JUNE 22: The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after winning Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
What is your Celtics playoff prediction?
Jeff Clark: C’s over Philly in 4, C’s over the Knicks in 5, C’s over Pistons in 6, C’s over Thunder in 7.
Bill Sy: Ultimately, I think the Celtics lose to the Spurs in six and there’s no shame in that. It’ll be a resounding endorsement of everything that Mazzulla and Stevens have built and the franchise will reload in July.
Rich Jensen: I hate predictions even more than I hate hot takes. I will, therefore, go the safe route. The Celtics are going to win another championship. I don’t think that we’ve seen all that this team is capable of. This is quite different from 2024, where the C’s showed the whole league what they were during the regular season.
Here, the Celtics have evolved before our very eyes into a team that is peaking at the right time. They are the great unknowns heading into the playoffs. None of the other contenders have played the Celtics at full strength, they are deep and multifaceted, and they present challenges to defenses at every position on the court.
Now if the C’s don’t win, that’s fine with me because this team is still very much a work in progress, and I think there’s every reason to expect that they’ll be even better next year.
The San Antonio Spurs were projected to win 44.5 games. They won 62
Ian Inangelo: My playoff prediction is that the Celtics have the talent to make it all the way to the finals and have a chance to beat any team out of the west once they get there. I’ll say Celtics beat the Thunder in 7.
Mark Aboyoun: Boston gets to the Finals. I’m not sure whether they’ll win it or not, and I don’t want to jinx the team, but I feel they have enough to get back. If Tatum can stay healthy and Brown continues to play at an MVP level, they’re a hard team to beat, especially at TD Garden.
Nirav Barman: This is incredibly tough, again because of my superstitious self. I see the Celtics in the Finals this year. I leave it up to fate from there.
Mike Dynon: In 2024, we expected the ultimate high, and the Celtics delivered. Dominant regular season, never threatened in the playoffs, cue the duck boats. This year’s team was the opposite because we expected little – but Celtics culture proved all the doubters wrong. No doubt, it will be very difficult to reach the pinnacle again.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 21: Derrick White #9, Al Horford #42, Jayson Tatum #0, Jaylen Brown #7, Kristaps Porzingis #8, and Jrue Holiday #4 of the Boston Celtics pose for a photograph with the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy before the 2024 Boston Celtics championship parade on June 21, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Despite their amazing season, the reality check was a 1-3 record versus both the East’s first and third seeds (Pistons and Knicks) and a combined 1-5 against the West’s top three (Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets). However, most of that was without Jayson Tatum. And after seeing the Celtics trample all expectations over the past 82 games, this is no time to be rational. The only possible prediction is: Banner 19.
Ryan Paice: I think the Celtics either lose to the Knicks or make a run to the Finals. The Knicks have been a thorn in the team’s side since last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals. I think the C’s have more than enough firepower to take NY down, but it will be a battle. New York has the wings to slow down the Jays and performs well in clutch time, something Boston has struggled with at times in the Jays era. If Boston can overcome that challenge, they’ll ride the high right through the Pistons and to the Finals.
Gio Rivera: The Celtics reach the NBA Finals and meet the Spurs (not OKC). Officiating won’t be nearly the nuisance it was for JB back in January, and by then, Garza will have delivered several key moments/performances up to that point to earn a player’s tunnel reception reminiscent of KP’s in Game 1 against Dallas two years ago.
Grant Burfeind: I’m going Celtics…losing in seven to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a full-on Brothers Grimm ending. OKC looks like the next machine, and as much as I trust this version of Boston, I’m not totally convinced Jayson Tatum has had enough runway to get all the way back to peak form after everything he’s been through.
And if they do win it all, you’re welcome, Celtics Nation, for the anti-hex I’m casting with this prediction.
Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, in the Metropolitan Division)
Pittsburgh; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Penguins -152, Flyers +127; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Flyers lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Flyers won 3-2 in the last matchup.
Pittsburgh is 41-25-16 overall and 13-5-9 against the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins have scored 290 total goals (3.5 per game) to rank third in NHL play.
Philadelphia has a 43-27-12 record overall and a 13-9-5 record in Metropolitan Division games. The Flyers have a +one scoring differential, with 240 total goals scored and 239 conceded.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Mantha has 33 goals and 31 assists for the Penguins. Rickard Rakell has seven goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
Owen Tippett has 28 goals and 23 assists for the Flyers. Porter Martone has scored five goals with six assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 5-5-0, averaging 4.5 goals, 7.6 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
Flyers: 7-3-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 6.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Penguins: Filip Hallander: out (leg), Caleb Jones: out for season (shoulder).
Flyers: Rodrigo Abols: out (ankle), Nikita Grebenkin: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Ottawa Senators (44-27-11, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -148, Senators +124; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes host the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the fifth time this season. The Hurricanes won the previous matchup 2-0.
Carolina has a 30-10-2 record at home and a 53-22-7 record overall. The Hurricanes are 19-4-3 in games decided by a single goal.
Ottawa is 44-27-11 overall and 21-16-5 on the road. The Senators have a 25-14-1 record in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has eight goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
Dylan Cozens has 29 goals and 30 assists for the Senators. Drake Batherson has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-1-1, averaging four goals, 6.8 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
Senators: 6-3-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.
Senators: Tyler Kleven: day to day (upper body), Nick Jensen: out for season (lower-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics guards Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game on November 11, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey may not be on the level of a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, or even Jalen Brunson, but in a first round series against Philadelphia, the Celtics will get an opportunity to test their top-5 defense. When going up against a great player, there are two schools of thought: let them get theirs and shut everybody else down, or cut off the head of the snake and the body will die.
For Boston, they might be able to do both.
When asked about defending Maxey, head coach Joe Mazzulla said, “He can score at all three levels. He can get layups. He can get pullup twos. He can get great separation on threes. We have to be disciplined on what we’re taking away and what we’re willing to live with and we gotta be great at the things we can control, and we need elite individual defense throughout games which our guys are capable (of).”
In four games against the Celtics, the 76ers’ All-Star averaged 30 points and nearly nine assists. He’s a shifty guard that can surprisingly score the ball in the restricted area at such high speeds. With a pullup trigger behind the arc and a float game against rim protectors, he represents the type of player that gives Boston the most difficulty and the largest threat to upset them in Round 1.
The Celtics and 76ers split the first two meetings of the regular season with Maxey going off in both, shooting 52.5% from the field (61.1% from three). However, he benefitted from Joel Embiid’s presence on the floor. After appendectomy surgery, the big man is unlikely to play in the series, so Maxey becomes the de facto engine of Philly’s offense.
In the final two regular season games, Mazzulla seemed to change tactics a bit. In what became a common theme throughout the year, he tasked one of his young wings — Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, or Ron Harper Jr. — to take on the opposing team’s best player. At times, that meant covering any of the topflight MVP candidates, including Victor Wembanyama.
Mind you, this is a team that fields Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White.
Maxey’s counting stats didn’t change much (26 points and seven assists per game), but his efficiency dropped dramatically. He made just a third of his shots and his free throw attempts dropped.
In that November showdown, Jordan Walsh had a breakout game defending Maxey. The Celtics would ultimately lose 102-100, but that would start a 19-game stretch with Walsh in the starting lineup. He’s had a late season renaissance in March and April, so don’t be surprised if he’s the first line of defense against the 76ers point guard.
What Walsh might give up in slight of frame, he makes up for in length and measured pursuit. Maxey hit just 5-of-17 — 1-for-9 with Walsh as the closest defender — in that November tilt with the Celtics playing predominantly in drop covering and Walsh recovering off screens and using his 7’2 wingspan to disrupt Maxey’s driving game.
In the most 76ers-Celtics regular season finale in March, Scheierman took the Maxey matchup in one of his final games as a starter before Tatum’s return. Again, Maxey shot an inefficient 12-of-34 and 3-of-10 with Scheierman as the primary defender.
Scheierman has undoubtedly improved as a one-on-one defender, but Maxey’s off night might be more a victory of team scheme over individual accomplishment. As CelticsBlog’s Nik Land pointed out earlier in the week, in Boston’s fourth meeting with Maxey, they opted to ice pick-and-rolls in order to maintain their defensive shape of protecting the rim and being ready to rebound:
While Philadelphia’s offensive identity is driven by rim pressure and isolation creation from Maxey, Boston’s defensive structure has consistently shown the ability to absorb that pressure, disrupt driving lanes, and tilt the possession battle in their favor. The Celtics’ emphasis on rebounding, physicality, and versatile perimeter defenders has repeatedly translated into control over both tempo and shot volume.
Neither Walsh or Scheierman are expected to start in Game 1 and undoubtedly, Boston will throw a myriad of coverages against Maxey to keep him on his toes. You have to imagine that Derrick White will get his healthy share of reps. With their size and strength, Brown and Tatum will also match up with Maxey from time to time.
As the perceived weakest link in the starting five, Sam Hauser will probably get targeted a few times during the series and he understands the difficulty in containing him.
“He’s a really good player obviously. He’s getting close to 30 a game. What makes him really good is that he’s super fast and he can stop on a dime. That’s hard to guard,” Hauser said. “He creates a lot for his team, but we’ll do our best to make it as difficult on him. It’s not going to be perfect every time — he’s definitely going to score some buckets — but if we’re making him work for it, that’s a win for us.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 10, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trailblazers took very different paths on their way back to the playoffs after prolonged droughts. San Antonio far exceeded expectations, a 62-20 season that no one saw coming, built on the talents of a young core that appears to have skipped a step or two in just Victor Wembanyama’s third season. Portland on the other hand had a challenging season, the most profound challenge being a head coaching change in just the 2nd game of the season following Chauncey Billups being put on indefinite suspension by the NBA following his arrest in a federal gambling investigation. Billups was replaced by none other than former Spur and 2014 NBA champion Tiago Splitter. The rookie Splitter, who had only joined Billup’s staff in June and had never been a head coach before this season. has been credited with holding down the fort in Portland, leading them to both a 6-game improvement from last season and their first playoff berth since 2021. That playoff trip was sealed with a clutch victory on the road in Phoenix in the Western Conference 7/8 seed game.
Which brings both teams to San Antonio tonight for the final game of the 2026 Playoff’s first weekend. While San Antonio won the season series 2-1 and come into this series as a heavy favorite, there are still some unknowns. Most notably, Victor Wembanyama missed all 3 regular season meetings between the two squads, with San Antonio winning both games at the Frost Bank Center. With Wemby in the fold for the first time all season against Portland, in San Antonio’s first home playoff game of the Victor Wembanyama era, the Blazers will really have their work cut out for them if they want to steal Game 1.
San Antonio Spurs (0-0) vs Portland Trailblazers (0-0) April 19 2026 | 8:00 PM CT Watch: NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Line: San Antonio -10.5
Spurs Injuries: None
Blazers Injuries: None
What to watch for
Tonight will feature plenty of players getting their first taste of the postseason, but Victor Wembanyama’s first ever playoff start is the main reason everyone is interested in this one. The French phenom has been everything fan’s hoped they were getting when he was drafted in 2023 and more, both as a franchise player and as a human being, so it’s not too surprising to see him leading San Antonio back to the playoffs so quickly into his career. He and Portland’s frontcourt have yet to see one another, but you can be sure that Wembanyama will make it a point to both get acquainted with fellow 7-footer Donovan Clingan early and that San Antonio’s defense is locked in from the jump.
Tonight’s game will feature 13 players making their playoff debuts, with 7 coming from the Spurs and 6 for the Blazers. That means there could be some chaos early on as both teams look to settle the butterflies that presumably come from playing in an NBA playoff game for the first time. Being at home for Game 1 should go a long way in making sure that San Antonio is the one who settles in first. Notably for the Spurs, tonight is current longest-tenured Spur Keldon Johnson’s first ever playoff game!
Deni Avdija has been a breakout player for Portland this season. The 6’8 small forward had a career year in his 6th season, averaging career-best marks in points (24.2), field goal attempts (16.1), assists (6.7), and both free throw attempts (9.2) and percentage (80%). It was his 41 point outburst during the Play-In game in Phoenix that kept Portland within striking distance in a tough environment. Avdija’s and-1 on a layup with 15 seconds left put the Blazers up for good.
2-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday might be on the back-9 of his NBA career, but the 16-year vet was a key contributor in steering the ship in Portland this season. He missed a stretch of 27 games in November and December with a calf injury, but has been on the court more or less consistently since making his return in January. Long known as one of the NBA’s premier wing defenders, Holiday’s influence on that end went a long way for the Blazers in the second half of the season, as they finished just outside the top 10 in defensive efficiency for the year. It’ll be a treat getting to see Spurs’ guard Stephon Castle face off with the experienced veteran and champion Holiday in his first postseason action.
If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!
