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DENVER – On Monday night at Ball Arena, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets added another thrilling chapter to one of the best rivalries in the NBA.

Game 2 started incredibly rough for the Timberwolves. Their defense got picked apart from beyond the arc, including an incredible four and-1 fouls on 3-pointers in just the first quarter. The offense was equally lifeless, with little to no purpose to their actions on the court.

“We came into the game trying to shoot dumb shots,” Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch explained. “They were a step ahead of us in everything. We were a little slow defensively, and things settled down. We just chipped into the lead slowly. I was particularly pleased with the way that we kind of just didn’t try to get it all back in one or two possessions. Sometimes we have a habit of doing that, but guys did a really good job.”

The Timberwolves fell down by as many as 19 points early in the second quarter. The series and the Timberwolves season seemed to be teetering on the brink of collapse as the weight of a long NBA schedule and a recent stretch of injuries to Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid, among others, appeared to be dragging them down.

The Wolves had a choice in that moment. They could have let go of the rope, played out the string the rest of the series, booked their flights to Cancun, and let go of a season that has largely been a disappointment.

A lesser group would have made that choice. Instead, the Wolves fought back.

“Just coming together, staying poised within those moments,” Edwards said. “I think they was up like, what, 15, 16 [points], just trying to make runs, get defensive stops. We was on one cord, I feel like on the defensive end tonight, especially once they went on those runs.”

The run started in the second quarter when Edwards, pushing through his nagging knee injury, scored 13 points in the frame, including a pair of 3-pointers and multiple drives to the rim for layups and free throws.

It was the first time in the series that the real Anthony Edwards showed up. With his right knee still hampering him, Edwards pushed through and led the Wolves on a 39-12 run that completely changed the tone of the game.

“Definitely uplifts me,” Julius Randle said with Edwards sitting next to him at the podium. “I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t get my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level. So it definitely energizes me. It makes me want to be on my best game.”

Randle himself, after an especially poor Game 1, gave the Wolves exactly what they needed in Game 2, giving Minnesota the proper mix of playmaking bully-ball game in the paint. He finished the game with 24 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and only a single turnover.

It wasn’t just Minnesota’s offense that rose to the occasion after a horrendous first quarter; it was the defense, too. Rudy Gobert was forced to sit much of the second and third quarters with foul trouble, but when he returned to the court in the fourth quarter, he dominated.

In the fourth quarter, Gobert held Nikola Jokić to just one make on seven shot attempts. Gobert took the one-on-one defensive assignment and shut down a three-time MVP.

The praise for Gobert poured in after the game, “He was phenomenal,” Finch said. “Surviving the foul trouble, just playing his defense before the catch, after the catch. Challenging everything. It’s hard as heck to guard those guys.”

Randle also spoke about Gobert’s impact on Game 2.

Gobert this week was not selected as a top-three finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, finishing in fourth place for the award. Gobert, with a smirk, referenced his DPOY when answering a question about shutting down Jokić; “I was lucky. A top-three defender cannot do that. So I was lucky.”

The dagger for the Timberwolves came from Donte DiVincenzo. With the Wolves up by one with just over a minute left, the Nuggets double-teamed Edwards, who found DiVincenzo just one pass away for the 3-pointer to put Minnesota up by four.

“I love Dante,” Edwards remarked. “I told him after the game he got gorilla nuts. He’s willing to take any kind of shot at any moment of the game, no matter how far it is.” DiVincenzo finished with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, while sporting a team high +20.

Donte explained what allowed him to be successful in his Game 2 minutes: “Kinda just focusing on the little things. Loose balls. Getting my hands on stuff. Disrupting their rhythm of plays. That half a second where you’re disrupting the play, Jaden gets back in front, Rudy gets back in front. And then they make or miss.”

Following a Jokić dunk and a split pair of free throws from Christian Braun, Randle knocked down a two free throws to put Minnesota up by three with 18 seconds left. Jamal Murray subsequently took a head-scratching long two that rimmed out, which led to a leak out dunk by DiVicenzo to salt the game away.

Jaden McDaniels, like Gobert with Jokić, did a fantastic job guarding Murray down the stretch of the game. Murray went 1-5 from the field in the fourth quarter. Combined, the usually deadly combo of Jokić and Murray shot 2-12 in the final frame.

The comments from McDaniels after the game were not focused on the Denver offense, but their defense, or the lack thereof.

Most NBA players would never say publicly what McDaniels did. They would care too much about what other people thought and not have the confidence to back it up when the opponent inevitably responds.

Not Jaden. He so clearly does not care what other people think of him or his team. He is willing to say when he thinks a defender is trash because he, in fact, believes it.

McDaniels scored 14 points in Game 2, all of which came in or around the paint. McDaniels clearly feels he has an advantage offensively near the rim and attacked that Monday night.

Game 2 was a perfect encapsulation of this era of Timberwolves basketball. Just when it feels like they are teetering on the edge of disaster, they play their best basketball. There could not have been many people who believed they could pull that game out, and just minutes later, they had taken the lead.

The unfortunate aspect of the Wolves is that the opposite is just as often true. Just when it feels like they are ready to get on a roll, they let go of the rope and go into a slump. Trying to predict when these ebbs and flows will take place has been impossible during this up-and-down but ultimately disappointing 49-win regular season.

The Wolves saved their season Monday night in Denver. There’s no doubt they are capable of that type of performance again, but now, it’s up to them to repeat that level of play at least three more times and potentially beyond.

We’ll see if they can do it Thursday night at Target Center for Game 3, where the crowd is sure to be rocking.

Jalen Brunson: C-

The 29 points and seven assists will be what people see, and the box score-watchers will say he had a solid game. But anybody watching the game can tell you that he did not. Not only did he shoot just 10-26 from the field and 5-7 from the free-throw line, he took his matchup against Dyson Daniels and the back-and-forth against CJ McCollum too personally and sabotaged the offense by trying to play hero ball. That led to most of his 26 shot attempts being contested and forced, which in turn took his teammates out of rhythm. And when he wasn’t overly focused on trying to get up another shot attempt, he also committed two live-ball turnovers down the stretch.

That alone might not have cost the game, but it came close. And he compounded those mistakes by getting absolutely torched by CJ McCollum on the other end. The veteran guard was very intentional in seeking Brunson out, and the Knicks captain put up little to no resistance. The game was still a team loss at the end of the day, but Brunson deserves the most individual blame for blowing what should’ve been a relatively easy win.

Josh Hart: B+

Josh Hart shot 1-5 from three, and that’s less than ideal. If he makes even one of those, the feelings around this series might be completely different. That being said, Hart was everywhere in that dominant first quarter. He continues to do a very commendable job defending a bigger and more athletic Jalen Johnson while also going right at him in transition. He also led the team in rebounds for the second straight game with 13. Hart could’ve played better, but as the team leader in plus-minus, he was far from the reason they lost.

Mikal Bridges: B-

Mikal Bridges came out of the gates aggressive, which is usually a very good sign for him and the Knicks. But the problem remains his ability, or lack thereof, to remain aggressive and engaged. Part of that is on the coaching staff and Brunson, but part of it also falls on him. Bridges faded into obscurity on the offensive end as the game went on and had a very tough stretch, going 0-3 in the final period. He missed two open threes that would’ve swung the momentum of the game and missed the game-winner.

The only thing saving Bridges from a lower grade is the defense he has played thus far. For the second straight game, Bridges has shut down Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is now averaging just 13 PPG and shooting just 9-29 from the field.

OG Anunoby: B+

This was a difficult one to grade. OG Anunoby started out the game playing very well. He was aggressive going to the basket when he needed to be, made two out of the four threes he took, and was great on the boards once again, all while playing his usual standout defense. But it’s hard not to penalize Anunoby’s grade for the free throws he missed in crunch time and for going four for eight on the night.

Karl-Anthony Towns: B+

18 points and eight rebounds doesn’t sound like an amazing game. And one can argue that he could’ve been more aggressive in demanding the ball in the fourth quarter. But I, as have others, have loved the way Karl-Anthony Towns is playing right now. He’s looked incredibly confident and comfortable when featured in the offense, doing a great job of being both decisive and patient. The three turnovers aren’t ideal, but him taking 14 fewer shots than Brunson is much more on the point guard and Mike Brown than it is on him.

On top of that, the big man is also playing some of the best defense we’ve seen him play. He followed up his three-block, one-steal Game One performance with another two blocks.

Mitchell Robinson: A-

Is there anything more we can say about Mitchell Robinson at this point? His plus-minus looks at a team-worst -10, but that is partly a product of him playing with some very questionable lineups. For most of the 18 minutes he was on the court, he looked great, grabbing seven rebounds and scoring 13 points on 6-6 from the field while also making one of his two free-throw attempts.

Deuce McBride: F

Not all of McBride’s F grade is on him. He seems to still be partially bothered by his sports hernia injury, and Brown did him no favors by inserting him as the point guard and the lone ball-handler and creator in some of the 13 minutes he played. But boy, did Deuce McBride look bad last night. It was maybe the worst he has looked since being a rotation mainstay. His shot, when he can even find one, looked off, and he did not handle the perimeter ball pressure well whatsoever. Regardless of the reason, he simply needs to be better if the Knicks want to get to the Finals, let alone beat this Hawks team.

Jordan Clarkson: B+

Jordan Clarkson continues his career-reinvention tour with another good game. I can’t say I remember any other bench microwave scorer turning himself into a player whose game is centered around hustle, ball pressure, and offensive rebounding. It’s safe to say Clarkson has gained the trust of Brown (rightfully so) and has also bought his career more time as well. Good on Clarkson. If the Knicks want to win this series, they’ll likely need him to continue being who he has become.

Landry Shamet: F

Landry Shamet may still be dealing with knee soreness, and Brown misused Shamet, like he did with McBride. But that doesn’t excuse Shamet either. Through two games, the veteran guard has looked like a shell of his regular season self. Maybe the veteran’s regular season performance tempered the fanbase’s expectations, but they can’t keep playing him this much if he can’t make, let alone find, shots out there. It’s hard to confidently say he should be benched without seeing him play with Brunson and/or Towns more, but I also can’t say his leash should be very long. The Knicks need at least one of him or McBride to show up. On Monday night, neither did.

Jose Alvarado: B

Jose Alvarado didn’t play in Game One, and nobody was questioning the decision. Such is the case when you win. Had they lost, that might’ve been a different scenario. But after the bench unit struggled with ball handling in the second quarter, the New York native got his first playoff minutes, and he did not disappoint. While his stats leave a lot to be desired, he was tied for the second-highest plus-minus with a plus five in just nine minutes. He provided the Knicks with some much-needed playmaking and energy. I’m still not certain just how much playing time he should get, but with Shamet and McBride struggling the way they have, there’s a case for him to play a little more.

Mike Brown: F

If grades could go below Fs, I think Mike Brown would deserve it. Players have a larger impact on the game than coaches do, and if they had made more shots, turned the ball over less, and defended better, they would’ve won the game. But some of those things aren’t always controllable. Do you know what is, though? Coaching decisions. Despite the starters coming into the game with the lead, Brown’s decision to go without his two best players for such a long stint was inexplicable. One, he hasn’t even used those lineups much, and two, they haven’t statistically been great. To experiment in what is the most important game up to this point in the season just makes no sense.

Brunson’s lackluster play, the missed free throws, and CJ McCollum’s heroics played a part in the loss, but Brown shot himself and the team in the foot and arguably coached his worst game of the season in the process.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are not worried about this first-round series. Nor should they be.

Frankly, the Phoenix Suns might not be worried, either. They can see the writing on the wall.

My Suns vs. Thunder predictions and NBA picks expect at least one piece of Phoenix’s rotation to go down swinging, hopefully more figuratively than literally, in Game 2 on Wednesday, April 22.

Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, with the game airing on ESPN. 

Suns vs Thunder prediction

Who will win Suns vs Thunder Game 2?

Thunder: Oklahoma City is poised to notch its third straight sweep in the first round of the playoffs.

This series may be only 1-0 right now, but anyone who watched Game 1 knows what more to expect: a one-sided rout that loses your attention at halftime if you're not sweating a player prop.

Suns vs Thunder best bet: Dillon Brooks Over 17.5 points (-110)

Here comes desperation. Not from the Oklahoma City Thunder, of course, but from the Phoenix Suns.

Losing Game 1 by 35 should make the Suns’ plight rather clear. A similar beatdown in Game 2 would create an absolutely deflated atmosphere in Phoenix for Game 3 on Saturday.

No one will embody that desperation more openly than Dillon Brooks. He has never been known for concealing his emotions.

Brooks already chucked plenty in Game 1, partly out of necessity. Phoenix knows it is out-gunned. It needs its backcourt of Brooks, Devin Booker, and Jalen Green to get hot and stay out, and even then, the Suns may not have enough.

Thus, Brooks went 6-for-22 from the field for 18 points. As inefficient as that may be, it is simply what Phoenix needs.

Counting Game 1, Brooks has cleared this modest prop in three of his last five games, averaging 18.2 points. Perhaps more pertinently, he has taken 14.8 shots per game. That latter number should stay elevated in this series, for better or for worse, thus elevating Brooks’s scoring output.

Suns vs Thunder same-game parlay

Oklahoma City knows the only way it loses this series is if Booker goes thermo-nuclear for four games. Getting the ball out of his hands should always be the Thunder’s priority, creating logic to back Brooks while fading Booker.

And if Oklahoma City can dictate those terms, it will stifle Phoenix’s offense to such an extent that this game cannot come near its total.

Suns vs Thunder SGP

• Dillon Brooks Over 17.5 points
• Devin Booker Under 23.5 points
• Under 215

Our "from downtown" SGP: SGA's Easy Living

Why should Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play extended minutes when Oklahoma City is likely to be up by two dozen points early in the third quarter? The Thunder led by 21 at halftime in Game 1 and by 31 after the third quarter, part of why the presumptive MVP played only 29 minutes and scored only 25 points.

Sure, his postseason free-throw shooting could push his points tallies higher. Gilgeous-Alexander took 18 field goals in Game 1 and 17 free throws. Judge that as you should. But even with that foul-baiting, SGA still came more than a bucket short of this prop, simply because he did not need to pour it on.

Suns vs Thunder SGP

• Thunder 1H -10
• Thunder -17
• Under 215
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 29.5 points

Suns vs Thunder odds for Game 2

• Spread: Suns +17 (-110) | Thunder -17 (-110)
• Moneyline: Suns +1100 | Thunder -2200
• Over/Under: Over 215 (-110) | Under 215 (-110)

Suns vs Thunder betting trend to know

Oklahoma City has gone 4-1 against the spread at home in the first round across the last three postseasons. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Thunder.

How to watch Suns vs Thunder Game 2

Suns vs Thunder latest injuries

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The Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs meet in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. The Spurs won the opener 111-98 thanks to 35 points from Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio enters as 11.5-point favorites in Game 2 with the total set at 220.5.

How to watch Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs

• Date: Tuesday, April 21

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas

• TV Channels: NBC, Peacock

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: San Antonio Spurs -11.5

• Moneyline: San Antonio Spurs -650 (83.3%) / Portland Trail Blazers +475 (16.7%)

• Over/Under: 220.5Series schedule

Game 1:Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
Game 2: Portland at San Antonio on Tuesday, April 21 (8 p.m., NBC)
Game 3: San Antonio at Portland on Friday, April 24 (10:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Game 4: San Antonio at Portland on Sunday, April 26 (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
*Game 5: Portland at San Antonio on Tuesday, April 28 (time and network TBD)
*Game 6: San Antonio at Portland on Thursday, April 30 (time and network TBD)
*Game 7: Portland at San Antonio on Saturday, May 2 (time and network TBD)

*if necessary

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA Clutch Player of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is officially clutch.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star was named the 2025-26 NBA Clutch Player of the Year on Tuesday, adding to his growing list of accolades.

The NBA defines clutch time as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime in close games, with the award starting in 2022-23. The 27-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 total clutch points and 6.5 points per game in that period this season.

He also made an NBA-leading 16 go-ahead field goals in clutch time.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards were the other two finalists for the honor.

Ninety-six first-place votes went Gilgeous-Alexander’s way, good for 484 total points. Murray finished second in the running, one total point above Edwards. Neither received a first-place vote, though.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who won the award last season, received two first-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander was at the heart of Oklahoma City’s 64-18 regular-season record, which landed the team the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed as it seeks a repeat championship.

The Toronto, Canada native won league MVP, Finals MVP and the scoring champion award last season. He’s also a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team recipient.

Gilgeous-Alexander is back in the mix for league MVP again this season, along with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who unanimously won Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA Clutch Player of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is officially clutch.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star was named the 2025-26 NBA Clutch Player of the Year on Tuesday, adding to his growing list of accolades.

The NBA defines clutch time as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime in close games, with the award starting in 2022-23. The 27-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 total clutch points and 6.5 points per game in that period this season.

He also made an NBA-leading 16 go-ahead field goals in clutch time.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards were the other two finalists for the honor.

Ninety-six first-place votes went Gilgeous-Alexander’s way, good for 484 total points. Murray finished second in the running, one total point above Edwards. Neither received a first-place vote, though.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who won the award last season, received two first-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander was at the heart of Oklahoma City’s 64-18 regular-season record, which landed the team the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed as it seeks a repeat championship.

The Toronto, Canada native won league MVP, Finals MVP and the scoring champion award last season. He’s also a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team recipient.

Gilgeous-Alexander is back in the mix for league MVP again this season, along with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who unanimously won Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

On Tuesday, it was announced by Shams Charania of ESPN that Billy Donovan would be stepping down as head coach of the Chicago Bulls after six seasons. The decision was surprising, as Bulls management reportedly wanted Donovan to return.

Before his time in Chicago, Donovan became the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder after spending 19 years leading the Florida Gators. In his final college season (2014–15), Florida went 16–17 before Donovan made the jump to the NBA.

Since 2024, Donovan has been mentioned as a candidate to return to the college ranks. After John Calipari left to become the head coach at Arkansas, there were rumors that Donovan could leave the Bulls to take over at Kentucky.

That did not happen, as Kentucky wasn’t willing to wait and hired Mark Pope instead.

More recently, after Hubert Davis was let go by North Carolina, the Tar Heels made a run at Donovan before settling on Mike Malone.

Now, after a disappointing season, Kentucky is entering a pivotal stretch under Pope. If things do not improve, the program could consider a change after his third season. Should Donovan remain available, he could once again emerge as a potential candidate to finally take over in Lexington after previous opportunities did not materialize.

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Our NBA player prop projections are locked in for tonight’s Game 2 showdown between the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs, with the model highlighting several high-value spots across the board.

By breaking down the data and comparing it to current market lines, we’ve pinpointed where the strongest edges appear.

These Trail Blazers vs. Spurs predictions aren’t based on narrative or intuition; they’re driven by the numbers.

If you’re building out your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Tuesday, April 21.

Trail Blazers vs Spurs computer picks for Game 2

Trail Blazers	Spurs
Avdija u23.5 points  -105	Wembanyama u28.5 points  -105
Holiday o5.5 assists  -140	Wembanyama o11.5 rebounds -115
Henderson o1.5 3-pointers +115	Fox o5.5 assists -120

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Trail Blazers Game 2 computer picks

Deni Avdija Under 23.5 points (-105)

Projection: 22.4 points

The Portland Trail Blazers have struggled offensively on the road, ranking as the fourth-lowest scoring team in the league over their last 25 away games.

Over their last five road contests, opposing starting power forwards have managed just 13.0 points per game against the San Antonio Spurs—the fourth-lowest mark in the NBA. That sets up as a difficult spot for Deni Avdija to replicate the offensive output he delivered in Game 1.

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Jrue Holiday Over 5.5 assists (-140)

Projection: 6.4 assists

Jrue Holiday has cleared the 5.5 assist line in five of his last ten games, and the path to doing it again in Game 2 against the Spurs is firmly in place.

A key factor is lineup synergy. Playing alongside high-efficiency scorers and floor spacers means Holiday doesn’t need high volume to rack up assists, just clean looks created within the flow of the offense. If those shots are falling at a reasonable rate, 6+ assists becomes a very reachable threshold.

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Scoot Henderson Over 1.5 3-pointers (+115)

Projection: 1.64 3-pointers

This season, opposing starting point guards have knocked down 40.4% of their 3-point attempts against the Spurs, the fifth-highest mark allowed in the league, setting up a favorable matchup for Scoot Henderson, who has cashed the Over in seven of his last 10 games on a 1.5 made threes line.

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Spurs Game 2 computer picks

Victor Wembanyama Under 28.5 points (-120)

Projection: 28.4 points

The Spurs are likely to see fewer scoring opportunities tonight, as they match up with the Trail Blazers, who have played at the sixth-slowest pace in the league over their last five games. That slower tempo could make it tougher for Victor Wembanyama to clear his points prop in Game 2.

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Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds (-115)

Projection: 12.01 rebounds

The Spurs have been one of the stronger offensive rebounding teams in the league, ranking sixth over their last 15 games, and Wemby has been a major contributor on the glass, clearing the Over in seven of his last 10 games on an 11.5 rebound line.

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De'Aaron Fox Over 5.5 assists (-120)

Projection: 6.4 assists

De'Aaron Fox has gone over the 5.5 assist mark in five of his last 10 games, and there’s a strong case for that trend continuing against the Trail Blazers.

Fox’s playmaking often scales with defensive attention, and Portland tends to collapse on dribble penetration, especially against high-speed guards. That’s where Fox thrives.

His ability to get downhill forces help defenders to rotate, creating clean passing lanes to shooters and bigs in favorable positions. Even if he’s aggressive as a scorer early, that pressure typically opens up assist opportunities as the game progresses.

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How to watch Trail Blazers vs Spurs Game 2

Location	Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date	Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Tip-off	8:00 p.m. ET
TV	NBC/Peacock

Not intended for use in MA.
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Following the first matchup of any playoff series, both teams, win or lose, return to the drawing board and strategize what they can take forward in future contests.

For the Lakers, missing their star shot creators in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves means the offense will be a journey every night. The regular season numbers and what created success are completely thrown out the window in their absence.  

What the team can lean on is its defense and it showed why its improvement in the second half of the season was no fluke in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, even it came against a Rockets side missing a superstar of its own in Kevin Durant.

LA jumped from 23rd to 14th in defensive rating post All-Star break. They headed into the playoffs with real synergy and cohesion on that end while following specific game plans specifically tethered to different superstars.

​The purple and gold held their opponent under 100 points for just the eighth time this season on Saturday. Without Durant, LA’s defensive focus shifted and keyed in on first-time All-Star Alperen Şengün.

​As with other star bigs across the league, LA switched and fronted the post while maintaining a high level of physicality throughout the game.

​It started early in the first quarter. Watch below as Deandre Ayton begins on Şengün. A screen comes from Amen Thompson with the Lakers switching the action. LeBron fronts the post while Marcus Smart gives textbook backside help.

The ball swings out to the perimeter while the Lakers close out and run them off the 3-point line. The play ends with a Houston turnover due to an offensive three-second violation.

As with most offensive bigs, the only player the Lakers allowed Şengün to get single coverage against was Ayton. Finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and one block does not do justice to the defensive night LA’s starting big man had, clearly winning his head-to-head matchup.

He collected the Şengün body bumps, moving his feet without going for fakes and contesting high, as shown in the clip below

Sengun missed eight straight shots at one point, finishing just 6-19 from the floor with three turnovers.

“We did a good job of contesting those six-to-eight-foot shots without fouling using our length,” head coach J.J. Redick said postgame. “I thought [Ayton], Jaxson, Bron, Rui, Vando, all those guys, Jake, just getting a contest is super important.”

The other player LA knew they needed to slow down was Thompson. A supreme athlete that can get to the paint at will, the First Team All-Defense guard shot up the scouting report without Durant.

LA made sure to create a wall anytime he drove, contesting his shots at the basket on his straight-line drives, picking him up early in transition and attempting to bait him into jump shots.

Watch below as Thompson runs a screen with Tari Eason, this time switching LeBron on to him. He drives to the basket and is met by 41-year-old LeBron recovering to pin it off the backboard with Hachimura right there to offer extra help at the rim.

Thompson missed all three of his shots outside the paint and finished just 3-8 in the restricted area over LA’s rim protection. LA ended up holding Houston to just 37.6% overall, 33% from the 3-point line and just 43% in the restricted area, per NBA stats.

“I felt like the second efforts on the defensive end, it really got us moving a little bit,” Ayton said. “We are taking pride with this new team having our superstars out creating on the defensive end to start our offense and get us moving and just get us an offensive rhythm and get the crowd in it a little bit.”

While everything hinges on Durant’s availability on Tuesday, the Rockets and head coach Ime Udoka will make adjustments to what the Lakers offered on defense. They will look to continue on their massive offensive rebound advantage and leverage Sengun as more of a ball handler in different spots on the floor.

Game 1’s are feel-outs, but Game 2 is where the tension of a series begins. The Lakers look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead and will have to do so by leading the way with their defense.

You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu