Worldwide Sports News
Here is a list of today’s NBA playoff games (April 20, 2026) and where to watch:
Enjoy the basketball everyone!
In his third year in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is finally reaching many milestones we all knew were coming when he entered the league. While he made his first All-Star appearance last season, it was ultimately cut short due to deep vein thrombosis, and he missed out on award and All-NBA eligibility due to only playing in 46 games. (Although he still received the blocks leader award thanks to an exception in which his total blocks divided 58 — the number of games required for stat leaders — still beat the next leader’s total blocks/58 games.)
This year, Wemby is eligible for awards — albeit just barely — after appearing in 65 regular season games, which included the NBA Cup Final (which you won’t see on official stat sheets because that game otherwise counts for nothing, but it does in this regard). The first of what should be several more recognitions has dropped, with Wemby winning his first of what should be many Defensive Player of the Year awards. He beat out fellow finalists Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson for the award and is the first unanimous winner in NBA history. He’s also the youngest to ever win it. He joins Alvin Robertson, David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard as the fourth Spur to ever win the award. (Somehow, Tim Duncan never did.)
Wemby led the NBA in blocks with 197 (just over three per game) while totaling 66 steals, and he finished second in the league in defensive rating (110.4) and defensive rebounds (9.5). He also became the unofficial inventor of the “nope”, i.e. when a player drives but decides to turnaround or not even attempt a shot that many would consider open or close to it due to his presence.
Wemby is also a finalist for Most Valuable Player, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, which will be announced in mid-May on an unspecified date. At this point, SGA seems like the odds-on favorite, and it wouldn’t at all surprise me if due to the relatively low number of minutes played this season and lack of playoff appearances when the votes were tallied, the voters just aren’t ready to give that award to Wemby. That being said, if he does win MVP this season or another time in which he also wins DPOY, he will join elite company with only Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo achieving the feat.
Other Spurs up for rewards that have scheduled announcement dates include Keldon Johnson for Sixth Man of the Year (announced on Wednesday on ESPN at 5:00 CT) and Harrison Barnes for the Sportsmanship award (announced on Thursday via the NBA). Also, Mitch Johnson is a finalist for Coach of the Year and De’Aaron Fox for Teammate of the Year, which like the MVP, has yet to be assigned announcement dates.
The Spurs will play Game 2 against the Trail Blazers tomorrow at 7:00 PM CT on NBC and Peacock.
Congrats, Wemby!
The Atlanta Braves are looking for their sixth straight win as the face off against the third best offense in MLB tonight. The Nationals are currently tied for second place in the NL East with the Marlins. Most people would have probably laughed at someone predicting the top three teams in the NL East being the Braves, Nats, and Marlins this far in to the season, but here we are.
Bryce Elder looks like a new pitcher this season, both with his on the field results and his underlying metrics. He may be the key to the success of this game because the Nats are scoring runs like crazy, but are also giving up runs like crazy with the second worst ERA in MLB. This game could come down to the pitching as this could be a shootout just looking at the teams on paper.
Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 6:45 EDT.
NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs wins NBA defensive player of the year award.
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year award Monday, April 20 in the first unanimous vote in league history.
Wembanyama, who turned 22 on Jan. 4, 2026, also became the first winner under 23 years old to win the award. The previous youngest winner of DPOY was Dwight Howard, who was 23 years, 128 days when he won the award for the 2008-09 season as a member of the Orlando Magic.
Now, the San Antonio Spurs star finally adds one of the biggest NBA awards to his trophy case.
That might sound a little impatient, given that 2025-26 was only his third year in the league. But Wemby's had a legitimate argument as one of, if not the best defender in the NBA ever since his rookie season when he averaged an unreal 3.6 blocks per game and finished second in voting behind his fellow countryman Rudy Gobert. He probably would've had a shot at the award in 2024-25 too, if it wasn't for blood clots that cut his season short after just 46 games.
Third time was indeed the charm for Wembanyama, who was announced as this year's DPOY after averaging a league-leading 3.1 blocks (he's led the NBA in blocks in all three of his NBA seasons) and 11.5 rebounds per game. While Wemby's 103.6 defensive rating is fourth-best in the NBA, his net defensive rating (17.0) led the league.
Wembanyama beat out finalists Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson for the award; he is also a finalist for NBA Most Valuable Player. He'll have to outdo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic in the polls but if he does, Wembanyama would be just the fourth player in NBA history to win both MVP and DPOY in the same year – a feat only Michael Jordan (1987-88), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20) have accomplished.
Award winners will be announced as the week goes on, with Clutch Player of the Year scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, April 22, the Sportsmanship Award on Thursday, April 23 and Most Improved Player on Friday, April 24.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year
CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world.
The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes the game, combined with his skill, has done that. This is most seen with his passing, which is on a level that Atkinson could only compare to one other superstar in the league.
“There might be another player like him, but him and LeBron are the only guys that I’ve seen in that category where the accuracy and the speed of the pass is just a whole other level,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. “I think that speaks to their skill level, IQ, but also the strength part. You got to be really strong to throw some of the passes they throw through traffic.”
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Harden displayed this during their Game 1 win on Saturday. He racked up 10 assists, with two of those leading to Max Strus triples. Both were delivered on time and on target.
“It obviously makes a difference,” Strus said when asked about how a good pass helps the ensuing shot. “He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to help guys be great, and I’ve experienced it. He’s a phenomenal basketball player, one of the best players in the world ever, for a reason. And we’re lucky to have him. He just makes the game easier for everyone else.”
There’s more to just passing than accuracy and velocity of passes. Harden is good at both of those things, but his ability to read the defense, manipulate where he wants the defenders to go, and then deliver the pass is what separates excellent passers from some of the greatest all-time.
“He’s just got a great, great feel,” Atkinson said. “Like I’ve said all year, since we’ve gotten him, he’s just a way better passer than I thought he was.”
After a couple of lackluster years by their standards, it sure seems like the big bad Braves are back. They are 15-7 and have a 5 game lead in the division already. The Nats will have to battle with this team for four games. It will be a tough test for the exciting but flawed Nats.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes in the lineup. Daylen Lile will be back in there in left field. The red hot Jose Tena will be back in the DH spot, while Luis Garcia Jr. goes to first base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Jake Irvin has had success against the Braves over the years, but this lineup has been firing on all cylinders so far.
Six of the Braves nine starters have an OPS of at least .799 and two of the players below that are Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who is heating up after a slow start. Old friend Dominic Smith has been a revelation for the Braves, hitting over .350 with a number of big moments. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson are red hot, while Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies look re-energized. This lineup is looking scary. Bryce Elder has also gotten off to an insane start and will be on the mound tonight.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
While it was nice to avoid the sweep, dropping that second game of the Giants series still looms large. The Nats could have been entering this series at .500. Facing the red hot Braves for four games is an uphill battle, but hopefully the Nats can come away with a split like they did against the Pirates. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Utah Jazz rejoice as a coin flip for the 4th-best lottery odds fell in their favor, securing the first-round pick away from Oklahoma City’s greedy clutches. At the fifth odds, there was a chance of slipping to the ninth pick and falling out of the top-8 protection bubble. At four, those odds are erased — the Jazz won’t slip below 8 on lottery night.
Have you ever felt so much dread over a 50/50 chance?
I’ve never been so confident that a coin flip was going to turn out one way. If the NBA truly were unfair, corrupt, or manipulated, it would be on full display with the tiebreaker between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings for the 4th and 5th positions in the lottery standings.
Win the 50/50 split, and Utah retains its first-round pick no matter what. Lose, however, and the chances of the pick dropping to 9th were almost zero. But almost zero and actually zero are fundamentally different, and Murphy’s Law can get off its couch and wrangle control if Utah’s .6% chance
I could envision the glint on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s glasses. The snyde smirk flashing across the left side of his face as a quarter rolls over his knuckles. Winding up and tossing the coin into the sky, we watch as the odds flip Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings over and over and over as the decider of fate falls to the earth.
The Utah Jazz have been Adam Silver’s scapegoat all season long. They are the flagbearers of the tanking movement. The most heinous and blatant example of basketball’s great shame. The league has fined Utah half a million dollars for their perceived crime — a number unmatched to any degree by any of basketball’s other 10 or so active tankers. It seemed inevitable; if Utah could be forced to part with their first-round pick, Utah would be stripped of their drafting rights. Murphy’s Law in motion, with a little help from the decision-makers atop the National Basketball Association.
Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I believe that the Utah Jazz just aren’t afforded the same joys as other, more notable organizations in the NBA. I sincerely believed the basketball governing powers intended to make an example of the lowly Jazz — one final kick before the team is ready to compete for the playoffs next season.
The chances of Utah losing the coin flip andthen slipping all the way to ninth were infinitesimal — I know that —but the relief of that number turning to zero is cause for celebration.
With the lottery order officially set, here’s how Utah’s odds stand.
[Pick, odds, big board projection]
*Players are listed as they appear on our Big Board, for reference.
Utah breathes a sigh of relief. Though Sacramento (the coin flip’s loser) may well jump Utah in the order on lottery night, the Jazz had one goal. That was to keep their pick out of OKC’s hands. Mission accomplished.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
Here is the Astros’ lineup:
Here is the Guardians’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Game one of a new series on deck. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.
For the Phillies:
For the Cubs:
It’s a three-city week for the Dodgers, who finish up their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver, then head to San Francisco to take on the Giants at Oracle Park for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have their best three starting pitchers going in their first salvo against their longtime division rivals, beginning with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday night. Yamamoto is coming off 7 2/3 innings against the Mets, and will be on six days rest in the series opener in San Francisco. He has a 2.10 ERA with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 25 2/3 innings in his four starts this season.
Right-hander Landen Roupp, 24 days younger than Yamamoto, starts the opener for the Giants. The right-hander has yet to allow a home run this season, posting a 2.38 ERA in four starts with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 2/3 innings.
Flyers rip off two road wins to open playoffs, put Penguins on their heels originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
PITTSBURGH — Rick Tocchet talked about the importance of the Flyers not feeling too comfortable with a series lead.
The head coach had liked his team’s businesslike approach after its Game 1 win. That sure seemed to pay off Monday night.
The Flyers blanked the Penguins, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Tocchet’s club stunned a lot of people by winning the first two games on the road.
“Coming in here, in a building like this and taking the first two games, it’s huge,” Owen Tippett said. “We’re really excited to get home, but we’re staying even-keeled.”
Dan Vladar was terrific again, providing his first shutout with the Flyers.
Porter Martone delivered another goal, giving him two in two career playoff games. He’s just 19 years old and not even a month out of college.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Travis Konecny said. “There are not a lot of guys that can come in and make the impact that he has. Especially in the games leading up to making the playoffs, how important those were, and for him to be able to jump in, I think it just speaks to not his hockey ability, but how he wants to learn.”
After Martone handed the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period, Garnet Hathaway struck a little over four minutes later at shorthanded. Tippett made a determined and skillful play to find Hathaway for the 2-0 lead.
The Flyers fended off Pittsburgh in the third period. Luke Glendening’s empty-net goal sent fans to the exits.
Tocchet’s club now comes home to what should be a raucous Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers won the opening two games of a playoff series for the first time since 2012. Ironically, they did it against the Penguins then, too. The Flyers won that first-round series in six games.
Going back to Feb. 26 of the regular season and including the start to these playoffs, the Flyers have won 20 of their last 27 games. In that span, they’ve allowed just 2.26 goals per game.
“It’s a series and it’s a war,” Noah Cates said before the game. “A little crack can go a long way, whether you see it on a team or kind of your body language and stuff like that. So you’ve just got to be strong mentally and physically, do all the right things and do it over and over to break them down little by little.”
• Vladar denied all 27 shots he faced.
The 28-year-old really closed the door in the third period when Pittsburgh made a concerted push. Vladar had a message for his team during a break in the period.
“They were coming in waves at us and he said, ‘We’re OK, guys don’t worry about it, relax,'” Tocchet said. “He says that, he’s the goalie, he’s getting peppered a little bit, it means a lot.”
With under seven and a half minutes to go, Vladar stopped a redirection by Evgeni Malkin when the Flyers lost the winger backdoor.
He had a massive save on Samuel Girard early in the third period.
“He has been like that all year for us,” Tocchet said. “Guys enjoy playing for him. He comes by the bench, he’s talking to the players. A lot of guys aren’t used to goalies talking that much, but that’s the way Vladdy is; I love his personality. He’s a fun guy to coach, I’ll tell you that.”
The Flyers played with fire a bit in the first period when they put the Penguins on the power play three times. They weren’t hurt, though, keeping the game scoreless going into intermission.
Travis Sanheim did a nice job to negate one of the power plays when he put pressure on Pittsburgh up ice and drew a tripping penalty on Erik Karlsson.
The Flyers’ penalty kill went a perfect 5 for 5.
“It was a goofy game for us, there were a lot of penalties, they had three or four power plays early, guys get out of the game,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’ve got to win those ugly games. It was an ugly game for us.”
Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 22 shots.
He denied Tippett on a penalty shot in the third period, but the Flyers got their insurance with Glendening’s empty-netter.
More: Flyers start playoffs with sweet new shirt that ‘says a lot’
• Martone just continues to open eyes.
“He fit in right away, he’s a confident kid,” Christian Dvorak said. “He has been huge for us. To show that confidence straight from college is very impressive.”
For Martone to be making this much of an impact already is super promising for the Flyers. Konecny and Dvorak made strong plays to assist his game-opening goal.
Tippett and Hathaway then took the air totally out of the building when they connected.
Hathaway’s style of play is built for the playoffs. The veteran winger finished with two points.
“We talk about it a lot as a group — how can you bring it each shift to help this team,” Hathaway said. “I love it. If you’re not jacked up out there, you’ve got to check your pulse or something.”
More: Dvorak ‘fits in everywhere’ with Flyers, a team he believed could make playoffs
• After holding Sidney Crosby scoreless in Game 1, the Flyers pulled it off again.
They’ve quieted No. 87 so far.
Crosby, of course, has been the ultimate Flyers killer. He owns 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 career regular-season games against the Flyers. In the playoffs, he has put up 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 25 career meetings with the Flyers.
• Noah Juulsen entered the lineup for Emil Andrae, who missed the game because of an upper-body.
Andrae didn’t practice Sunday. He has been considered day to day.
• The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
It’ll mark the Flyers’ first playoff action on home ice since 2018; the 2020 postseason was forced into the bubble because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Lakers will have the 25th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the league announced on Monday after ties among teams with identical regular-season records were broken through random drawings to determine the order selection.
The Lakers and Knicks finished the 2025-26 season with 53-29 records, resulting in the drawing taking place to determine which team would get the higher pick.
The Knicks won, and will have the No. 24 pick in the draft, which will take place in June.
The 2026 NBA draft will once again be split up across two days, with the first round taking being on June 23 and the second round taking place on June 24.
The Lakers traded their 2026 second-round pick in November 2020 when they sent JaVale McGee, along with the second-rounder, to the Cavaliers for Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie, so they could have room to sign Marc Gasol.
There were five other tiebreakers that were determined on Monday as a result the drawings:
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The order for picks Nos. 15-30 will be:
15. Trail Blazers (to the Bulls)
16. Suns (to the Grizzlies via the Magic)
17. 76ers (to the Thunder)
18. Magic (to the Hornets via the Suns)
19. Raptors
20. Hawks (to the Spurs)
21. Timberwolves (to the Pistons)
22. Rockets (to 76ers via the Thunder)
23. Cavaliers (to the Hawks)
24. Knicks
25. Lakers
26. Nuggets
27. Celtics
28. Pistons (to the Timberwolves)
29. Spurs (to the Cavaliers via the Hawks)
30. Thunder (to the Mavericks via the Wizards and 76ers).
Picks Nos. 1-14 will be determined after the draft lottery, which takes place on May 10.
The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn't expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.
The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.
Díaz gave up three runs and failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies in a non-save situation Sunday, in what was his first appearance in nine days.
Read more:Shaikin: Rick Monday saved an American flag in 1976. Why the moment resonates 50 years later
He entered the game and gave up a walk and three base hits, including a two-RBI single to Edouard Julien. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern about Díaz’s performance: “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
Before the Dodgers played their final game of the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Roberts said that the diagnosis provides some clarity, and that Díaz only began feeling discomfort in his elbow Sunday.
Before that Roberts said the plan was to “tread lightly” with the pitcher’s workload, unsure why the velocity of his pitches was down.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
Having experienced the same thing as a player, Roberts explained, “you have loose bodies and they're asymptomatic until they're not.”
A 10-year veteran, Díaz is a three-time All-Star. For his career, he has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
General manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers are “as confident as we can be” that Díaz will return to top form.
"Our understanding is that it's a pretty straightforward procedure,” Gomes said. “We're going to take our time with getting him back and being mindful of the buildup, and make sure he's in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.
“It's the benefit of having a deeper staff and a talented team that it's never easy to lose somebody like Edwin, but we'll get through it and it'll be a collective effort to keep winning baseball games."
Roberts said he doesn’t plan to name a substitute closer in Díaz’s place, and the manager acknowledged that the news will significantly alter how he’ll use the bullpen.
Read more:Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies
“It does change it. In a big way,” Roberts said. “I do think being able to deploy guys in their right lanes or pockets has been helpful. But with that, I do think that Alex [Vesia] has been throwing the baseball really well. Tanner [Scott has] been throwing the baseball really well, and outside of last night, Blake [Treinen] was throwing the baseball really well.
“But it does kind of not allow us to work from the back end, which is certainly a luxury."
The Dodgers have had unfortunate luck signing big-name relievers. In 2025 they signed left-hander Scott to a four-year $72-million deal. He then led the league with 10 blown saves last season and the Dodgers removed him from their postseason roster, replacing him with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was set to start Monday as the team played for a series split at Coors Field.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
For all the talk of a young team with little experience, the San Antonio Spurs did exactly what contenders should do in the first round of the playoffs: handle a lower seed in front of their home crowd. The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game One, 111-98.
The Spurs were led by their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, who scored a franchise-high 35 points in his playoff debut. The Blazers didn’t have an answer for the MVP candidate while raining threes from deep and dominating inside. He didn’t do it alone. The Spurs’ supporting cast showed up when it was needed. When Portland staged a comeback in the third quarter, Devin Vassell got hot and rebuilt the Spurs’ lead.
Vassell and Wembanyama will lead the player grades for Game One. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
33 minutes, 35 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 13-for-21 shooting, 5-for-6 threes, +4
Cold take here: Wembanyama is pretty good! The narrative that Portland’s bigs could slow him down was obviously overblown. Wembanyama creates an insane mismatch for the Spurs in this series. Not only does he neutralize most of their paint attack, but he has proven he can score against slower bigs like Donovan Clingan or over the top of smaller defenders like Toumani Camara. Oh, and he can casually go coast-to-coast for dunks and drain fadeaway corner threes.
It’s only Game One, but if Wembanyama plays like this in every game, San Antonio is going to be hard to beat. The Spurs are a -700 favorite to win Game Two on FanDuel.
Grade: A
34 minutes, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 7-for-15 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, +12
The Blazers struggled to stay in front of Fox in Game One. He had Portland defenders sliding as he pulled up for threes or got to the basket for twos. Most importantly, he was a steadying force with the ball in his hands. If inexperience is this team’s sickness, Fox is the cure. He had 8 assists and 0 turnovers in Game One. These are exactly the type of games the Spurs need from their veteran point guard.
Grade: A
33 minutes, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, –2
Despite his inefficient shooting, Castle still made an impact on the game. He was relentlessly attacking the basket, and then went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line when he got into the paint. The first interesting strategic move of the series was Portland’s decision to guard Castle with a big man and force him to shoot from deep. He hit one three-ball, but missed a few wide-open ones off the dribble. Castle is going to be forced to hit a few deep shots in this series. We’ve seen him knock down open catch-and-shoot shots this season. It’ll be interesting to see how San Antonio attacks this matchup moving forward.
Grade: B-
30 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2-for-3 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, +13
Champagnie did exactly what great role players should: take advantage of the opportunities that come to you and play strong defense. Champagnie only took three shots, but he hit two of them when he was wide open. He played strong defense on the wing, grabbing three steals and snatching 5 rebounds. The playoffs are all about being exceptional at your role. Champagnie’s is to hit open threes and play solid defense. He did both on Sunday night.
Grade: B
34 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-for-13 shooting, 4-for-9 threes, +8
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Vassell won the game for the Spurs. When Portland cut a ten-point lead to just two points, it was Vassell who got San Antonio going again. He hit big-time threes in transition, made an impactful block on defense, and secured a tough long defensive rebound that led to a runout score.
Vassell is a real X-factor in this series. When he’s hitting shots and creating turnovers on defense, the Spurs go up another level. That third-quarter run was the perfect example of the value he brings to the team.
Grade: A-
23 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-for-7 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, +18
Harper was on the floor when the Spurs were at their best, but he wasn’t as impactful as he typically is. Harper was sound defensively and didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes on the offensive end. He just didn’t pop like he typically does offensively. He had a nice stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs build a 20-point lead. Perhaps that stretch will build some confidence for the rookie heading into the rest of the series.
Grade: C
14 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5-for-6 shooting, +9
Kornet’s stellar play against Portland this season continued in the postseason. He thrived as a lob catcher and rim protector once again. The drop off from Wembanyama to Kornet, defensively at least, wasn’t all that noticeable. On the other end, it felt like he caught every lob that came his way, including a sick one-hander off a lob. Kornet’s best play was a tough offensive rebound and put-back in the second quarter. It’s the kind of winning play that swings playoff series.
Grade: B+
11 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, +/- 0
Barnes didn’t make much of an impact in his limited minutes. He grabbed one offensive rebound and went 2-2 from the free-throw line, but otherwise was held in check. As the rotation shrinks, Barnes’ minutes will likely decrease. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a big game at some point in the playoffs, especially if he’s hot from three.
Grade: C
20 minutes, 3 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-for-4 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, +2
Johnson’s one made shot on Sunday was a big one. He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the first quarter to give the Spurs a 9-point lead. He didn’t score the rest of the game. KJ lacked the aggression we typically see from him in big games. He was still able to power his way into the paint when he chose to, but couldn’t convert at the rim.
Grade: C+
4 minutes, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, +1
Bryant got limited minutes on Sunday. He was super aggressive while he was on the floor, picking up three fouls in his four minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
1 minute, no stats
Good for Biyombo for logging a playoff minute in his fourteenth NBA season.
Grade: Incomplete
1 minute, no stats
Do we think Olynyk was expecting to play on Sunday? He was wearing ankle socks for the game. The broadcast team even called it out. He did buy the team black suits for Game One, so he would get an A+ for that if he had played enough minutes.
Grade: Incomplete
1 minute, no stats
Waters got into the game but logged no stats, just like the rest of the Spurs’ depth players.
Grade: Incomplete
Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller