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The Boston Celtics haven’t learned their lesson. Instead of preparing for a second-round series against the New York Knicks, they’re boarding a flight back home to host the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7.

On Thursday night, the Celtics fell to the Sixers, 106-93, squandering their second chance to close out Philadelphia after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. With an offense that has lost its identity and a defense unable to contain Joel Embiid’s postseason resurgence, Boston is down to its third and final chance to avoid one of the most catastrophic collapses in its franchise’s history.

The demons that have tormented the Sixers for years — and haunted Joel Embiid — no longer linger in Philadelphia’s locker room. This is now on the Celtics. They lost home-court advantage, failed twice to close out the series, and find themselves in a familiar position Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown know all too well.

“A lot of us have been in this situation before, Game 7,” Tatum told reporters at Xfinity Mobile Arena, per CLNS Media. “So it should be a fun one.”

During the NBA’s pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Celtics found themselves pushed to seven games in the semifinals against the Toronto Raptors after taking a 2-0 series lead. In 2023, they allowed an inferior Atlanta Hawks team to take them to six games in the first round, then lost in seven to a 43-39 Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Last year, they twice squandered 20-point leads at home just before Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.

For the better part of nine years, Tatum and Brown have battled their track record as leaders of a team addicted to inviting chaos.

The fourth quarter of Game 5 and the third quarter of Game 6 don’t suggest Philadelphia was the better team. That overlooks the issue entirely. Those frames exposed Boston as a team once again, lacking the killer instinct that they had in the regular season. They held an 86-85 lead to start the fourth quarter in Game 5 and shot 3-of-22 from the field (13.6 percent), scoring just 11 points. In Game 6, they scored 14 points in the third quarter while shooting 6-of-22 from the field (26.1 percent).

That’s not the norm, as both quarters rank among their lowest-scoring stretches since Opening Night — first and third lowest, respectively.

“Our intentions are good,” Tatum said. “We want to go out there and play the right way and win. It’s just, we just got to be a little bit more together, a little bit tougher. Play with more pace, play faster. You know, how they have played majority of the season and since I’ve been back. It’s just kind of getting back to who we are.”

Tatum exited the game with 4:03 left in the third quarter. He rode a stationary bike before returning to Boston’s bench and did not return for the remainder of Game 6. After the loss, he clarified that leg stiffness was the reason for his exit and said he expects to be ready for Game 7.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to the team’s reserves, giving Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, and Ron Harper Jr. the entire fourth quarter. That group showed more life than the starters had since the second quarter of Game 5, outperforming Boston’s previous five frames. They shot 48 percent from the floor against Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe, and sparked an 11-0 run to cut Philadelphia’s lead down to 12 points with 7:40 left in regulation.

For a moment, it was an encouraging (yet temporary) shift. But ultimately, it still wasn’t enough.

Embiid and the Sixers never felt threatened because the Celtics hadn’t solved a single issue that kept them from advancing at home in Game 5. Derrick White missed two floaters six feet away from the rim, then argued with officials after a clear double dribble call, all in the first quarter. Neemias Queta again ran into foul trouble, picking up three with more than five minutes left before halftime, including two while Embiid was on the bench. Boston’s inefficiency even showed up at the charity stripe, as Tatum and Brown combined to miss six free throws, adding to a damaged offense that’s hanging by a thread.

Brown, who played over 28 minutes in Game 6, picked up his 10th offensive foul of the series. That accounts for nearly half of Boston’s 23 offensive fouls, the most of any team this postseason.

For the first time since opening the season 0-3 in October, the Celtics are staring at a potential second three-game losing streak. Only this one would end their championship aspirations for good if they come out as the same sloppy, uninspired group that’s allowed the Sixers to batter them around over the past two games.

“We can’t let that happen in the next game,” Brown admitted to reporters, per CLNS Media. “We gotta be the harder playing team.”

Saturday night will be the ninth Game 7 between Boston and Philadelphia, the most of any playoff rivalry in NBA history. Historically, the Celtics have won six of the previous eight. But it’ll take a massive turnaround on all fronts to prevent the Sixers from eliminating Boston from the postseason for the first time since 1982.

“All things considered, we’re in a great spot going home for a Game 7,” Brown said. “Expecting a great atmosphere. Expecting a great fight from our group. Last two games wasn’t the best, but you move on. So I’m looking forward to it, and I’m excited for Game 7.”

Through their own doing, the Celtics have brought themselves to a point they never should have reached. There’s a difference between a lesson and one that’s been nearly a decade in the making without much improvement. They keep putting themselves in this spot time and time again, all while expecting a different result. That’s not growth, nor does it fall in line with the process of learning. At some point, it’s simply an underachievement.

Boston’s bench brought more to the table than its starters, and that’s nearly impossible to overcome in the playoffs. The Sixers entered the series as the underdog, missing Embiid for the first three games. In response, the Celtics displayed the urgency of a team waiting for Philadelphia to slip up rather than a team determined to chase after the series clincher themselves. It’s nothing new, and in the past, it’s only led to their season’s end.

During their 2024 championship run, the Celtics suffered only three losses. After each one, they responded with urgency and a win. That’s the difference between a team ready for the next stage and one setting itself up for failure.

They could still very easily put the Sixers away in seven, but at what cost? Fatigue is a real factor in the playoffs, as is momentum. The Knicks just eliminated the Hawks by scoring 140 points while watching the Celtics grapple to compete. New York is a much greater challenge than Philadelphia, meaning the margin for error wouldn’t be what it’s been in the first round if Boston does make it out. The Knicks are stronger, healthier, and have bragging rights. They know what it takes to outplay the Celtics.

For Boston, there’s no safety net. That’s gone. The Celtics have to be at their best or at least very, very close to it on Saturday night. They can praise Embiid and Philadelphia all they want, but that’s not the deciding factor that has extended this series. It’s the result of falling into bad habits that have long left this team hanging their heads in disappointment, and facing the same postgame questions about decisions and improvements that should have been made.

They were the superior team throughout the regular season, and through no fault but their own, they have become a watered-down version of themselves.

That hasn’t been enough to get away with in Games 5 and 6, and it won’t work in Game 7.

The bottom line is the Celtics need to approach Saturday night determined to make a statement. Because through the first six games, it doesn’t seem like Tatum and Brown have graduated in ways their 2024 championship suggested. They were given a pass last year under extreme circumstances, and although a talent-depleted roster did make it harder at the start of the season, we’re 88 games deep with this group.

The Celtics weren’t lucky. They earned each of their 56 regular-season wins to lock the No. 2 seed in the East. Any leniency for integrating the offseason’s additions expired long ago, and it doesn’t excuse their fumbles at the goal line. This is completely on them.

“We have an opportunity for Game 7 at home, and there’s been great teams, great players that have played in Game 7s, and it’s part of the journey,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “We didn’t play well tonight. We’ll move on to the next game.”

In their 79 years of existence, the Celtics have never blown a 3-1 series lead. That possibility is now staring them in the face.

Not even 12 hours after the final buzzer sounded from Houston’s game five victory, Shams Charania of ESPN broek the unfortunate news that Kevin Durant will be missing Game 6 of the Rockets-Lakers with a bone bruise on his ankle that he sustained in Game 2. The usual return timeline for a bone bruise is two weeks, so it is very likely Durant will not return at all this series.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: @ShamsCharania reports that Kevin Durant will miss Game 6 in the Rockets-Lakers series ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3DsNOoGfTU

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 30, 2026

Thankfully, Houston has looked pretty good — and more like last year’s team — without Durant on the floor, and that should continue. In Durant’s absence, members of the young core like Jabari Smith jr, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard have stepped up in big ways. In fact, Kevin Durant’s injury has saved the Rockets in this series in various ways. This is not a jab at Durant, but rather a credit to Ime Udoka for finally making the necessary adjustments. The Rockets are really easy to defend because Ime Udoka is so obstinate about how he employs Durant.

In the one game he played, Durant committed NINE turnovers to a squad not known for its defense. With Sheppard, Thompson, Eason, Smith, and Sengun in the starting lineup, the Rockets are much different team to defend using the strategies the Lakers employed against Durant when he was the primary ball handler. The young Rockets put a different kind of defensive strain on individual Laker defenders due to their tenacity and athleticism.

There were just 11 total team turnovers for the Rockets in Game 5, and Durant nearly matched that himself in the one game he played due to Udoka’s strategy. Sheppard, Smith, Eason, and Holiday combined for 12 assists to 1 turnover, while Sengun and Thompson combined for the bulk of the team turnovers with 8 total between them.

In my opinon, Durant’s continued absence will allow the starting lineup of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith jr, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun to continue building chemistry, which will be beneficial, as this lineup has performed the best for the Rockets this series. Additionally, I feel that Durant’s injury really forced Ime Udoka to make adjustments, as now he does not have Kevin Durant to bail out his lack of offensive creativity.

The Kevin Durant-less Rockets will play Game 6 in Houston with a tip-off of 8:30 pm. As always, be sure to check back at the Dream Shake for pre- and post-game coverage.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson opened up about his mental health after he and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels were both ejected for fighting in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night.

“Knew something was gone happen,” Robinson wrote in a Facebook post after the Knicks’ 140-89 series-clinching win — and the largest win in a playoff game in franchise history.

“My mental just not the same I’m just lost in the world at the moment.”

The alternate angle of this Knicks-Hawks fight is WILD.

Read more: https://t.co/QMCkiKOwvepic.twitter.com/oeDy8fTZbY

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 1, 2026

Robinson also reshared his pregame post that said, “Trying so hard to be calm.”

That comes as new video footage, appearing to be from a fan emerged on social media.

Taking to his Instagram Story, Robinson posted a video that showed a cartoon animal singing the message: “Hey, I gotta question cus I really need to know, do you ever get tired of being bitch ass n—a, .p—- ass n—a.”

Warning: Graphic Language

Mitchell Robinson’s IG story to Dyson Daniels OMG (@MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/zKcVYSvoMX

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 1, 2026

Things got chippy when OG Anunoby made a pair of free throws to extend the Knicks’ lead to 50 points with 4:39 remaining in the first half.

During the second attempt Robinson boxed out Daniels, who hit him with an elbow, before they came face-to-face and exchanged words.

They got tangled up and things escalated from there, with players and coaches from both teams holding the players back.

Atlanta center Onyeka Okongwu and the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson held Robinson back as the melee nearly spilled into the fans sitting courtside.

Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and several coaches pulled Daniels away.

At one point, Knicks head coach Mike Brown ended up on the ground underneath the scuffle.

Robinson and Daniels both received technical fouls and were ejected.

The NBA hasn’t handed out any suspensions, as of Friday morning.

Robinson and Daniels’ beef had been building after they had a dust-up in Game 1 and Robinson got a technical, as noted by The Athletic’s Fred Katz.

The pair exchanged words throughout the series and things reached a tipping point Thursday night.

Meanwhile, on the court, it was a brutal beatdown by the KNicks.

Atlanta’s 83-36 deficit was the largest at halftime in NBA playoff history, according to ESPN.

Game 6 hasn’t necessarily been kind to The Six.

The Toronto Raptors have a mixed-bag of results in game six of playoff matchups:

• Game six: 6-7 (one during the NBA bubble)
• Facing elimination: 2-3
• Home: 2-2
• Away: 3-5

For the Raptors to extend their current series to a seventh game, they must exorcise a familiar demon in the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday.

This looks familiar

If it feels like both teams have been here before, it’s likely because Raptors and Cavaliers fans remember their 2015-16 playoff matchup. It was the first post-season meeting between the two organizations, and ultimately ended up being the most competitive series in the ‘LeBronto’ three-parter.

Like in the current series, the Raptors had strong starts to games one and two before subsequently falling apart in the second half. Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto protected its home court with a convincing Game 3 win and a gritty Game 4 performance.

Much of the criticism in Cleveland was directed at the team’s tertiary star, Kevin Love. During their nightmarish visit to Toronto, the dynamic power forward averaged 6.5 points on 21.7 per cent shooting. Defensively, Love recorded one block and zero steals during this stretch. But in Game 5, the veteran responded with 25 points while shooting 80 per cent. Love also finished with two blocks and one steal. After struggling in this year’s trip to Toronto, Evan Mobley also bounced back in Game 5 with a team-high 23 points, three blocks and one steal.

The Cavaliers secured the series win ten years ago in the following contest, this time with their Big 3 of Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combining for 83 of the team’s 113 points. While the Raptors certainly struggled with the infamous trio, it was a combination of J.R. Smith catching fire (15 points, five three-pointers) and the bench’s efficiency from the perimeter that pushed the Cavaliers to the finish line.

Realistically, Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden show up in the close-out game tonight. But for the Raptors to force a seventh game, they can’t let a bench option like Dennis Schroder explode for 19 points as he did in Game 5.

It must be a team-effort

In the times the Raptors have ended up on the victorious side of a Game 6, it has typically involved a committee-like approach. Getting this far into a series often means teams are familiar with each other’s playbook. This leads to offence being generated from either elite on-ball creation or players getting open looks due to a rotating defence.

The last time the Raptors won a Game 6, it was during a 125-122 win against the Boston Celtics in the bubble. Six players finished with double-digit scoring. March Gasol also recorded eight points. Even with the generational Kawhi Leonard in 2019, the Raptors needed their depth. Against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6, Toronto had four players with at least 14 points. Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell also contributed nine points each. In the title-clinching win, the Raptors had five players record at least 15 points.

With Brandon Ingram’s heel issues and Scottie Barnes dealing with a right quad contusion, the Raptors may not have enough firepower – of the healthy variety – to produce a team-wide offensive explosion. But if they are to muster something, it begins with the foursome of RJ Barrett, Collin Muray-Boyles, Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter.

Barrett must rediscover his shooting form, both from the three-point line and the charity stripe. The Canadian wing averaged 27.3 per cent from deep and 46.2 per cent from the free-throw line in the last two games. Any kind of spacing Barrett can manufacture will be invaluable on a team that might be missing its two best shooters in the starting lineup. Simply put, Barrett also needs to be a better free-throw shooter for the amount of time he’s on the court, and especially due to his wrecking-ball play style.

Murray-Boyles is clearly dealing with multiple injuries. At times, it looks like his body could fall apart at any moment. Despite his visible impact, the rookie is only averaging 20 minutes per game in the series. With the emergence of Schroder and the big man duo of Mobley and Jarrett Allen showing up in the last game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic needs to keep Murray-Boyles on the court as long as possible.

Shead and Walter provide a similar archetype that isn’t fully appreciated until an elimination game. They are at their best when they’re knocking down triples and playing a type of defence that doesn’t require support. We know the pair can do the latter. While Walter is arguably the best shooter on the team, Shead might end up being the true X-Factor. The Cavaliers dared the former Houston Cougar to beat them from outside when it mattered most in the fourth quarter of Game 5. Shead had multiple attempts and couldn’t make Cleveland pay. Expect the Cavaliers to double-down in Game 6.

The others

The post-season typically boils down to unexpected players having moments. It would be nice if Jamison Battle could catch lightning in a bottle (again). Jakob Poeltl – despite playing limited minutes – will probably continue to be efficient with his usage and take advantage of the rare size advantage.

But there could be a massive game in store for Sandro Mamukelashvili. The sharpshooting power forward recorded 10 points in Game 5 after scoring a combined two points in the prior two contests. Mamukelashvili was debatably the most valuable bench option for Toronto during the regular-season. If he can help negate the impact of the Cavaliers’ bench, it’ll go a long way in forcing a final game.

When I previewed Ryan Nembhard back in October, the framing was modest by design. Pass-first guard. Two-way deal. Floor general in the margins. Best case: define his lane so clearly that the Mavericks couldn’t justify cycling him out of the roster. Worst case: blend into the background.

Six months later, he set the franchise’s rookie record for assists in a game with 23 against the Bulls in the season finale, breaking a mark his own head coach set in 1995. So we can dispense with the question of whether the season was a success. It was. The harder question, the one that lingers under the highlight reel, is what kind of NBA player he gets to be from here. Let’s walk through what actually happened.

Season Retrospective

Nembhard barely played in October. Two minutes here, ten there, sixteen against San Antonio in the opener. He was the fifth or sixth option in a backcourt rotation that included D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Williams, Dante Exum, and, for the first stretch of games as Jason Kidd performed what he believes was an unlocking maneuver, Cooper Flagg as the starting point guard.

The door cracked open on November 28 in Los Angeles. Nembhard scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 23 minutes against the Lakers. Three nights later in Denver, he became the first undrafted rookie since Stephon Marbury in 1996 to record 25 points and 10 assists with zero turnovers in a game: 28 points, 10 assists, 12-of-14 from the floor, 4-of-5 from deep. It was a coming-out party for the undrafted player.

The next month was the best stretch of his rookie year. Across thirteen December games he averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists on 48 percent shooting. He had 13 assists against Miami, 11 against Utah in an overtime loss, 7 in a one-point win over Denver before Christmas. The Mavericks went from a historically poor offensive team to something resembling functional, and the math wasn’t subtle: when Nembhard ran the show, the ball moved, the spacing made sense, and the finishers Dallas had stockpiled actually got clean looks.

Then the roster’s limits caught up to him.

Dallas was hard-capped at the second apron, which meant the front office couldn’t convert his two-way deal until January 6 at the earliest. Then the calendar started working against them anyway. Two-way players are limited to 50 NBA appearances, and Nembhard was burning through his allotment. By early February, the math was unmistakable: keep playing him and he’d hit the cap; sit him and let the conversion happen on the back end. Dallas chose patience. His last NBA appearance before the conversion was February 5 against the Spurs.

The conversion finally came on February 28. Tyus Jones, acquired in the Anthony Davis trade as point guard depth, was waived to clear the roster spot. Nembhard signed a two-year deal with a team option for 2026-27. The early Brandon Williams parallel from my preseason write-up, undrafted two-way guy plays his way onto a permanent contract, wasn’t aspirational anymore. It happened for Nembhard much the same way.

What happened next was murkier.

March was a rollercoaster. Williams had emerged as a real backup option. Flagg was getting more reps initiating the offense. Nembhard’s minutes contracted. There were four-minute appearances and five-minute appearances and outright DNP-CDs, including one against the Lakers. Facing a roster of Lakers wings none shorter than 6-foot-5, Kidd opted not to put him on the floor at all. The implication wasn’t subtle. Against certain matchups, his size becomes a problem the coaching staff can’t scheme around.

He still flashed: 12 assists with zero turnovers against Atlanta on March 18, 9 dimes against the Clippers on March 21 in overtime. But the role had narrowed, and the eye test started raising questions the December breakout had quieted.

April rebooted the workload. With Dallas closed out of any meaningful seeding race and the rotation fully thinned, Nembhard started every game and averaged 30 minutes. The finale against Chicago was a perfect storm. Flagg out after ten minutes with the ankle, the Bulls offering essentially zero defensive resistance, and Nembhard given the keys for a full 38 minutes against a defense that looked actively allergic to closeouts. He finished with 15 points, 23 assists, and 9 rebounds. Take the perfect storm out of it and the closing kick is still real. In his last three games before the Bulls, he posted 21 assists against just one turnover in 86 minutes.

For the season: 60 games, 27 starts, 6.6 points, 5.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds. Led all NBA rookies in assists per game. 316 total assists against 85 turnovers, a 3.7-to-1 ratio that would be impressive for a veteran and is borderline absurd for an undrafted rookie. He belongs in the league. Kidd said as much in his postgame after the finale, unprompted: “He belongs in this league.”

Outlook

So what is he, going forward?

The honest answer requires distinguishing between three different jobs. Can Ryan Nembhard be the entrenched long-term starting point guard for a team trying to win? Very unlikely. Not because of what he showed this year, but because of what the league has become. There were once a few smaller lead guards starting on serious teams. Now there’s basically one, and Trae Young (6’2) is now on the rebuilt Wizards, looking to contend. Young is carried by an offensive ceiling that Nembhard is unlikely to match. The size question doesn’t go away with development. Elite on-ball defenders look at a 5’11” point guard the way a pitcher looks at a hitter who can’t catch up to a fastball. They’ll keep throwing it until you prove you can.

Can he be a fifteen-minute-a-night contributor on a winning team? Maybe. The passing translates anywhere. The decision-making is real. The shot, 35.6% from three on the year and 44.4% in his starts, is functional enough that defenses can’t just sag off him. In the right ecosystem, with the right teammates around him, that’s a useful nightly piece.

Can he be a third point guard, on a standard contract instead of a two-way, on a team trying to compete? Almost certainly yes. That’s the floor, and it’s a floor most undrafted rookies never reach. Brandon Williams found that floor last year and turned it into a real role. Nembhard’s already cleared that bar.

The question of which version Dallas gets, or whether the answer is “none of them, here,” isn’t really one he controls. The Mavericks are about to hand the keys of the front office to someone new. That person inherits an audition tape. The Marbury game in Denver, the Mavericks rookie assist record, the absurd assist-to-turnover ratio, and also the DNPs against length-heavy lineups, the March stretches where the role evaporated, and the size question that won’t ever fully answer itself. Whoever’s reading that tape will decide whether Nembhard is a piece of what comes next or an asset that helps build it.

That’s just the cruel calculus of an undrafted guard who exceeded every modest expectation set for him and now has to clear a much higher bar to stick where he made his name.

What I’m certain of is this: on a Mavericks roster with very few feel-good stories this season, Ryan Nembhard was one. He showed up on uncertain nights and gave the team something it didn’t have anywhere else. He earned the contract. He earned the record. He earned the conversation.

Whatever the next chapter looks like, and wherever it gets written, the floor he established is real. The ceiling is the league’s to determine. And the guy in the middle of it, the 5’11” undrafted Canadian who led every rookie in the NBA in assists per game and broke his coach’s franchise record on the last night of the season, has earned the right to be evaluated honestly, not generously.

He belongs in the league. Now we find out what the next Mavericks GM does with that.

Austin Reaves returned for the Lakers, but even the star guard’s presence didn’t stop the team’s offensive struggles.

Their scoring woes continued during Wednesday’s Game 5 home loss to the Rockets, dropping back-to-back games, after taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

And their offensive production and efficiency have regressed in each game, with the Lakers continuing to search for answers on how to turn things around entering a pivotal Game 6 on Friday in Houston.

“I mean, it helps when shots go in,” said Reaves, who scored 22 points in the 99-93 loss Wednesday. “I know [LeBron James] had probably three or four [shots] in the first half that went in and out. I missed two easy layups, I missed two or three good looks from 3, one little midrange. You make shots, you miss shots.”

There’s a lot of truth to what Reaves said.

The Lakers started the series on a heater, making a combined 46.1% of their 3-pointers (35 of 76) in Games 1-3 compared with the Rockets’ 28.7% shooting on 3s (29 of 101).

But the Lakers have cooled off significantly.

They shot a combined 24.5% from beyond the arc (12 of 49) in their losses in Games 4-5, including 25.9% (7 of 27) in Game 5, while the Rockets shot a combined 37.1% on 3s (26 of 70) in those games.

The Lakers went from making wide-open 3s at a better rate than floaters to struggling to knock down even the easy looks.

A fact that encapsulates the Lakers’ current shooting struggles: Rockets wing Amen Thompson, who’s shot 21.9% on 3s for his career in the regular season, made just as many 3s (two) in Game 5 as Reaves, James and Luke Kennard combined in Game 5.

Reaves shot 2 of 8 on 3s, while James went 0 of 6 and Kennard missed both of his 3-point attempts.

Kennard, in particular, has struggled.

After scoring a combined 64 points on 55.3% shooting (52.9% on 3s) in the first three games, he’s scored just eight points (25% shooting, 0 of 5 on 3s) in the last two, including one point in Game 5. 

“We had some opportunities to make some shots we didn’t make,” James said. “Obviously, they were generating good shots. As much as we got to defend, you also got to score in this game, too. I don’t think we did that at a good rate, especially in the second and the third.”

Even though the Lakers’ 15 turnovers in Game 5 tied for a series low, they’re still struggling with their ball security.

They have the worst turnover rate among teams in the playoffs (20.1%) entering Thursday, which is part of the reason they’re averaging 73.4 field-goal attempts and 25 3-point attempts through five games — both of which are the lowest marks among playoff teams. 

“Take care of basketball — we’ve been through this,” the Lakers’ Marcus Smart said. “We understand this team and how they play, and they’re very aggressive, and we got to take care of the basketball. Myself, I had six turnovers, and that’s unacceptable for me, especially with only two assists. Especially against this team. So we definitely got to take care of the ball. We got to do a better job, all of us, and collectively, and that’ll help us for sure.” 

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Whether the Lakers have found the solution to their struggles isn’t clear.

They scored 38 points in the second half of Game 3, needing a miraculous comeback to pull off the overtime victory, before totaling 96 points in Game 4 and a series-low 93 points in Game 5.

Their offensive rating and shooting efficiency have dipped in each game.

They continue to have a pattern of strong offensive starts before fading in each quarter. 

“We know what it is: We just got to make shots,” Smart said. “We got guys doing things, and we’re not giving ourselves a chance by turning the ball over, which we can’t get a shot up on the rim because of that. And that hurts anybody, no matter how good you are offensively, if you can’t get a shot up on the rim, that’s always going to hurt.”

Smart added: “We know what it takes. We got good plays. The game plan is right. The coaching staff [is] doing a good job of putting us into positions. We got to go out there and capitalize on the plays that we are [running] and make the best of them.”

The Lakers better hope that Smart is right, and that the shotmaking turns around in Game 6.

Because if not, they’ll return to Los Angeles for a Game 7 on Sunday, looking to avoid being a part of NBA history for the wrong reason.

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: What’s your opinion on the performance of this year’s team?

Diamondhacks: I saw a very motivated and impressive-looking collection of individual performances from a decidedly less impressive roster. Six of nine rotational pieces posted career best (or comparable) seasons, which falls somewhere between a positive and astonishing organizational accomplishment. (Even Ryan Dunn, often perceived as stagnant or in Ott’s doghouse, performed measurably better than he did last year.)

The three non-career years were Booker, whose .507 eFG% was his worst in nearly a decade, but he mitigated that by getting to the line more than ever and was still credibly our most valuable player. You’d never project codgers like Royce or Grayson to deliver career years, but both still made significant contributions (5th and 7th in Win Shares) despite injury and even a few exaggerated reports of death.

Ashton: When I was a kid, I devoured any book written by Stephen King. Writing as Richard Bachman, “The Long Walk” is what comes to mind about the Sun’s season in a very dystopian ending.

It is not how you start the marathon but how you end it. And in the case of the protagonist who did win while limping with bloody feet and feeling of despair against a counterpart that would not quit (if you fall below a 4 MPH – you get shot). If you want summer reading, go for it.

The protagonist was limping into the postseason with no real chance of even stealing a game. Had the Suns won against Portland, I think they could have stolen a game or maybe even two while Oso goes home at night, crying in the shower, after getting “Wembied”.

Flowers for the first three months of basketball. The rest of the season was a slog that was hard to watch. And the Thunder is unstoppable.

OldAz: This one is easy. Not only did this year’s team overachieve by making the playoffs, they bettered last season’s record and put on a far more entertaining and competitive basketball. All of these fulfilled the promises Matt Ishbia made before the season and certainly went a long way to justify the front office moves last off season (despite the MSU jokes). I especially like the emphasis on defense and ball movement early in the season becoming the identify of the team.

Rod: In a word, they were phenomenal…especially in respect to the preseason expectations. Yes, the team faded somewhat toward the end of the year, but I really think that was largely due to them starting off the season playing games with a playoff intensity that eventually wore them down. I especially believe that’s what caused Gillespie’s drop off in production late in the season.

With even a lessening of the injuries that they suffered through, I believe they would have wound up an even better team near the end of the season. Not just because of the minutes lost due to injury, but due much to the necessity of having numerous players in and out of the lineups, which stalled the development of on-court chemistry.

I know a lot of fans are hoping for some big changes through trades this summer but I’m presently on the side of wanting to mostly run it back while making some smaller moves to, hopefully, make improvements in specific areas…such as adding more size. But adding size without talent will not solve anything which makes that more difficult than some may think. While it’s true that you can’t teach height, it also doesn’t matter how tall a traffic cone is.

Q2: What’s your opinion on the performance of rookie head coach Jordan Ott?

Diamondhacks: When a mediocre roster led by three overrated and oft-injured “stars” vastly exceeds industry expectations, the coach probably has something to do with it. And when essential parts of this wildly overachieving band of brothers methodically break down, like the 1975 Ford Granada they closely resemble, I don’t reflexively blame the coach.

I know what The Unhappies want. They want a coach who doesn’t play so small, who always has a 7 footer out there – even two at a time if possible. A more traditional coach, with a crustier demeanor who gets teed off and teed up, who plays younger guys like Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming for balance, rebounding, defense, the American Way, and The Wins We Rightly Deserve That Were Stolen From Us By Jordan Ott! So, I know what they want. Just be careful what you ask for. Because his name is “Mike Budenholzer”.

Ashton: Surprisingly good for the first half of the season. I was among his detractors that a first-year rookie head coach could not handle an NBA locker room. Turns out that nobody could handle an NBA locker room that included Booker, Beal, and Durant.

So, he gets a passing grade from me. Let’s see what he does with the returning young talent next season. This is an easy meet and exceeds expectations for the HC.

OldAz: This one is tougher. I constantly have to remind myself to try and filter my comments on art through the lens of him being a rookie head coach. They started the season so well early, and Ott gets almost all of the credit in my book for the focus on defensive effort & energy and ball movement the offensive end. He played deep into his bench with two-way and minimum players and effectively mixed them in to create a solid identity of the team that resulted in a very entertaining brand of basketball. He also gets some credit in my book for his handling of the rookies early in the season and making them earn their playing time and splitting time in the G league to do that.

However, the late season criticism is also fair because a lot of of the elements that made the team successful in the first half of the season seemed to disappear, including the consistent, defensive intensity, the ball movement and the deep bench. Specifically on the last point, Ott told us repeatedly that he was shortening the bench because that’s what you do in the playoffs (why?). He also often said that “everything was on the table” but then made almost no actual adjustments. He was also the one who consistently put out lineups with a center surrounded by 4 undersized players when Brooks got hurt and stuck with that gameplan after a brooks returned. Despite these lineups getting abused by middle of the pack power forward and center combinations, Ott never adjusted back to using a deeper bench where additional bigger players could be found. This is especially true after Maluach and Fleming showed that they were capable of contributing.

Grading on the curve of a rookie coach, I still give Ott a high grade (B or B+ maybe). I would much prefer if the halves of the season were reversed and he struggled early and adjusted to the more effective options in the late half of the year. But overall, I still give credit for changing the culture and effort put forth by the team. These did not wane later in the season. Based on this alone, I am happy with the hire and look forward to seeing if he comes back next season with some introspection and big picture adjustments going into his sophomore season.

Rod: I’ve heard Ott called stubborn (and a lot worse things) often for playing small lineups as well as not giving the rookies more time, but I suspect he more likely subscribes to the belief that you should just play your best players. I think he did that mostly regardless of the size of the lineups. Whether he was right or wrong in some of his decisions is, of course, debatable, but he also wasn’t dealt the best hand in the game from the get-go.

Maybe he wasn’t flexible enough, but he always played talent and players who played hard. For that, he earned my respect and, from everything I’ve heard, that of the players as well. He wasn’t perfect but I think he was a really good fit for this team and I’m more than willing to give him time to grow and hopefully progress as the Suns’ head coach.

Q3: In general, what do you see as the most important things for Brian Gregory and the Suns to attempt to accomplish this offseason?

Diamondhacks: We saw what this group could do with a healthy, athletic and skilled NBA center, and we saw what they did without one. Centers with those attributes aren’t easy to acquire or cultivate, but they can cover up a lot of other roster problems. Which we have – and will likely have for a while.

Ashton: Dang Rod, How many generalist questions do we have here? I will not go essay hunting, yet.

First, send all the players to the Japanese hot springs to heal their wounds (a nod to anime – I have nothing else to watch except the D-Backs). And then replace the medical team and training staff.

Second, nail the 47th pick of the draft. This is a big ask as historic numbers of under classmen are returning for college NIL. And the good bigs in college are going for NIL record numbers. If you only follow NBA and not college, you will see where this is intertwined. NBA needs to raise their salaries for second rounders.

Third. There will be discussions around what Suns tradable assets actually exist. I assume most talks will revolve around RO and GA, or some combination thereof. But for whom? And I think the Suns need to stay below the luxury tax for another season. No need to go into that territory unless the deal is too good to be true.

BG is going have a hard time in front of him without a bunch of assets to work with. The Suns have painted themselves into a corner and I do not expect that to change next season. The chatter has already begun on how to fix an imbalanced and smaller team, but hard decisions will be have to be made with all the UFAs, RFAs, and extensions coming up.

Basically, Brian is not going to Cancun with Brooks anytime soon.

OldAz: The easy answer is that the team needs more length and athleticism. However, we don’t know the full impact of the length and athleticism that Maluach and Fleming can provide. Still, these are items you can never have enough of in the modern NBA so I still think this needs to be the focus for Gregory. If a deal materializes to move Green and his salary for a similar front court player, then I think he needs to explore it (I won’t even go down the road of trading Booker, as that is inconceivable for many reasons). However, such a large move would completely change the this answer depending on that deal.

So barring any big move, I think Gregory needs to explore moving Allen and or O’Neale for actual forwards (size, length, athleticism) that would slot in about the same place in a lineup (capable of starting or significant contributions off the bench). After that, I think it needs to be a priority to resigning the three free agents from this year because of what they bring: Gillespie, Goodwin and Williams.

Rod: First and foremost is the decision on the direction the team takes moving forward financially. They made a conscious effort to get below the luxury tax threshold in 2025-26 but, unless they do it again this coming season, they would still have to pay the repeater taxes again if they go over that threshold this year. I believe Mat Ishbia won’t hesitate to do it IF he’s convinced the team has the potential to be even better this year if he keeps his wallet open. I don’t think it’s a matter of spending like crazy as he did in the past though, just a willingness to pay some taxes again rather than possibly take a step or two backward just to avoid paying luxury taxes.

Re-signing Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams without going over the tax threshold won’t likely be possible without some cost cutting measures elsewhere, such as trading away some other players that bring back much less salary in return…and that’s more easily said than done with so many teams now trying to avoid going over the tax aprons like the plague. I won’t say it can’t be done but I do doubt that any such move by the Suns will actually improve the team significantly and might even be a backwards step.

Whether they decide to largely keep this team together for 2026-27 or make some moves to significantly reshape the roster, how they will go about doing either of those things will be greatly influenced by that 1st decision.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

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Quotes of the Week

“I appreciate Coach Ott for giving me that leeway to explore the basketball floor.” – Dillon Brooks

“From the starting five to the bench, every single person comes in and does something special for us.” – Jalen Green

“I think we brought a new life. After not making the playoffs last year, we exceeded everyone else’s expectations, but not ours. We still have some learning to do.” – Devin Booker

“I’m glad that we got that foundation and now it’s time to grow.” – Oso Ighodaro

Losing is never easy, but I feel really good today about our team and am already thinking about where we go from here.” – Mat Ishbia

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Suns Trivia/History

On May 3, 2019, the Suns hired Monty Williams as Head Coach. In his 1st season he would lead the Suns to a much improved regular season record, the now historic 8-0 run in The Bubble, and just missed making it to the NBA’s new playin tournament. In his second season, he would lead the team back to the NBA Finals for just the 3rd time in franchise history.

On May 4, 2006, with time running out and the Suns down by three points, Tim Thomas hit a buzzer beating 3-pointer to send game 6 of the Suns’ first round playoff series with the Lakers into overtime. The Suns out scored the Lakers 21-13 in OT to win the game, tie up the series 3-3 and send it back to Phoenix where the Suns sent the Lakers packing for the season with a 121-90, 31-point blowout win.

Kobe Bryant was literally 10 seconds away from sending the Suns packing.

What happens next still haunts LA fans: a chaotic scramble, a missed three by Steve Nash, a devastating offensive rebound, and then Tim Thomas buries the dagger to save the Suns' season. pic.twitter.com/mq4zuoxhME

— OLDSKOOLBBALL (@oldskoolbballx) April 29, 2026

On May 6, 1968, the Suns acquired their first player during the NBA Expansion Draft, selecting 6-5 guard Dick Van Arsdale from New York. Van Arsdale is still affectionately known as “The Original Sun.”

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Important Future Dates

Mid-June (date TBD) – Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents (following the Finals)
June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN)
June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN)
June 30 – Free agency begins
July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin
July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas

One of the features of the transfer portal is players from smaller schools and conferences get to prove themselves at the mid-major level and earn an opportunity to step up a level of competition.

Michigan's MVP Yaxel Lendeborg was a mid-major find from UAB. Oscar Cluff went from South Dakota State to Purdue and was a key cog for the Boilermakers. Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras was a March star for Iowa.

WHO HAS BEST HAUL? College basketball transfer portal team rankings

LATEST INTEL: College basketball transfer portal 10 best players remaining

You get the idea.

So who is next in line to take their big game to a bigger stage?

Top mid-major players on the move in college basketball transfer portal

Cruz Davis, Texas Tech (Hofstra)

Texas Tech landed its Christian Anderson replacement in former Hofstra guard Cruz Davis, the CAA Player of the Year in 2026. Davis averaged 20.1 points with 4.7 assists last season, and was No. 37 in USA TODAY Sports' transfer portal player rankings before committing.

The Plano, Texas product fared well vs Power conference teams last season, scoring 17 vs. UCF, 36 vs. Pitt and 22 vs. Syracuse, and will be a key piece to Grant McCasland's Red Raiders reload without Anderson gone and JT Toppin coming back from an ACL injury.

Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State (Saint Mary’s)

The 6-8 Lithuanian was ranked No. 7 in USA TODAY Sports' portal player rankings after averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for a 27-win Saint Mary’s team last season. Unsurprisingly, the first-team All-West Coast Conference pick followed former Gaels coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, where he was hired to replace Bobby Hurley.

Alex Wilkins, Kentucky (Furman)

From a zero-star recruit to Big Blue Nation in the span of a year. Wilkins had a standout freshman season for the Southern Conference champions and led the league in field goals made. The 6-5 guard averaged a team-high 17.8 points and 4.7 assists per game. In the NCAA Tournament, the No. 28 player in USA TODAY Sports’ portal rankings showed he could compete against elite competition, scoring 21 points in a competitive game against eventual national runner-up UConn. With three years of eligibility, he’ll be more than just a quick rental, which will help Mark Pope try to find some much-needed stability in Lexington.

Ryan Sabol, Providence (Buffalo)

If Lundblade was one of the top available shooters in the portal, Sabol quite possibly was the top shooter available in the portal. Sabol's 3.8 made 3s per game were third-most in the nation, and he did so at 39.9% clip.

He averaged 18.8 points per game and had 14 games where he hit at least five 3-pointers. He'll be a good fit for Bryan Hodgson's system in Providence. Hodgson's South Florida team led the American Conference in scoring last season and was second in the league in made 3s.

Tyler Lundblade, Tennessee (Belmont)

The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year was one of the top shooters available in the portal and fills a clear need for the Vols, who need to replace their top six scorers from this past season. The former walk-on made 40.6% of his 3-pointers despite having a high shooting volume, with 8.8 attempts per game from beyond the arc. Tennessee's top returning 3-point shooters (Ethan Burg and Troy Henderson) had 15 makes all season.

Terrence Hill Jr., Tennessee (VCU)

Let's stay on Rocky Top. The sophomore had a breakout season in 2025-26, averaging 15 points a game on 46.6% shooting. He showed he won't be scared by brand names after scoring 34 points against North Carolina in the Rams' first round in the NCAA Tournament.

Hill only started two games for VCU last season, but beginning in January, he routinely played 30-plus minutes, providing a spark off the bench.

Drew Scharnowski, Duke (Belmont)

Duke had a clear need in the post with Cameron Boozer headed for the NBA Draft lottery and Maliq Brown out of eligibility. The 6-9 Scharnowski could slot alongside returning Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II or provide valuable frontcourt depth. A first-team All-MVC pick, Scharnowski was the No. 50 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings after averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a sophomore for a Belmont team that went 26-6. He was a strong presence down low, too, with 1.3 blocks per game. At the start of the portal process, the prevailing thought was Scharnowski would follow former Belmont coach Casey Alexander to Kansas State. The big man set his sights higher and will test himself in the Blue Devils crucible.

Tyrone Riley IV, Oregon (San Francisco)

Riley will get plenty of run as the Ducks return just one player from last season's roster.

The 6-6 junior wing has 65 starts under his belt and averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and one steal a game last season for the Dons. He shot 47.2% from the field and 36.8% from 3 on his way to a second-team All-WCC selection.

In games against Power conference foes Minnesota, Colorado and Mississippi State (OK, maybe not a murderer's row), Riley averaged 14 ppg, and he put up 17 points on Saint Louis and 16 vs. Gonzaga.

Jaquan Johnson, Iowa State (Bradley)

How would Iowa State replace Tamin Lipsey? The Cyclones point guard started all 137 games he played for ISU and left as the school's all-time steals leader and fourth in career assists.

Enter, Johnson. About as seamless of a fit as you could hope for if you're the Cyclones. He took an enormous leap from his freshman to his sophomore season, improving his scoring average from 6.6 to 16.9 points per game to help him earn first-team All-MVC honors, MVC most improved player and all-defensive team honors (thanks to his 2.6 steals per game).

He is only 5-11, which could cause some problems against bigger, more athletic competition in a major conference, but his all-around production is impressive, with 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Gavin Doty, Syracuse (Siena)

Doty is following Gerry McNamara from Siena to Syracuse and did just about everything he could to try to pull off a stunning 16-over-1 upset over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, scoring a team-high 21 points in a 71-65 first-round loss. The 6-5 sophomore led the Saints in scoring at 18 points per game and was an excellent rebounder for someone his size, pulling down a team-high 6.9 boards per game.

He won't be an unknown to McNamara, and his near-immediate commitment to the Orange says a lot about his coach's belief that Doty can scale up from the MAAC to the ACC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Next basketball transfer portal stars from mid‑majors primed for breakout

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant has missed most of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers and a similar pattern is expected for Game 6.

Durant missed Game 1 with a right knee contusion, an injury he sustained during practice a day before the game. He scored 23 points in a Game 2 loss, but suffered a left ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined for Games 3, 4 and 5.

The pain in his ankle will likely keep him from competing in the potential elimination Game 6 in Houston. League sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Durant will not play, as the Rockets trail the Lakers 3-2 in their best-of-seven series. Durant was listed as "doubtful" on the NBA injury report as of 10 p.m. ET, April 30.

The Rockets have won the previous two matchups against the Lakers after falling down 3-0 in the series. A Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, if necessary.

Durant's timetable for a return was a minimum of two weeks, sources told Charania. He first suffered the ankle injury on April 21. If the Rockets can force Game 7, it would be just days before the two-week mark given for Durant.

The Rockets have won back-to-back games without Durant, though, led by their young, future core of Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun. Smith led Houston with a team-high 22 points in the Rockets' 99-93 Game 5 win in Los Angeles. Thompson led the Rockets with 23 points in their 115-96 Game 4 win in Houston.

Durant, 37, averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 78 games during the 2025-26 regular season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Durant injury update, status for Lakers-Rockets Game 6

There are a few things that are axiomatic in the NBA. 

Steph Curry is going to make inhuman shots. Nikola Jokic is going to have a statline that looks fake. And LeBron James’ legacy is etched in stone. 

Stunningly, the last sentence could be under examination if things go awry for the Lakers. 

The Lakers’ 3-0 series lead against the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs has been turned on its head after two straight losses. Suddenly the Lakers are only up 3-2 with Game 6 Friday in Houston. 

Teams that have been up 3-0 are 159-0. Only four of them have reached a Game 7. 

Could you imagine if a LeBron James-led team was the first to be on the wrong side of history?

That would be so shocking, so unprecedented, so powerfully bad that it could dent something that was previously considered bulletproof. 

His legacy. 

For James, the narrative has wildly swung.

Initially, the storyline around this series could only bolster his lofty resume. 

If the oldest person in the NBA (age 41) could lead a depleted roster (without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves) past the Rockets, that would be his most stunning achievement. 

He had nothing to lose. 

No one expected the Lakers to win. But then James did what he does and put the team on his shoulders. It was incredible to watch. 

But it was a double-edged sword. 

The Lakers started slipping. A new storyline was born. 

Is arguably the greatest player of all-time going to be part of the most epic playoff collapse ever?

James desperately tried to stomp out that flame in Game 5. 

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After only scoring eight points in the first half, he closed the game with another 17 points. He led the Lakers on an 11-1 run to cut a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to three points. 

But he missed some big shots late in the game, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and he had a key turnover against Reed Sheppard. 

Sure, the Lakers have two more attempts to win a game and avoid being the biggest blight in playoff history. But it’s obvious that this team is losing steam and the Rockets are gaining confidence. 

A storm is brewing. 

This isn’t James’ fault. He has been the best player on the court in every game this series except for his disappearing act in Game 4. He has once again made our jaws drop. 

The only player in NBA history to reach season 23 is still a superstar. 

But if the Lakers lose, James will shoulder all of the blame. 

You can already hear the pundits’ rumblings being seeded and watered. How could he let this happen? Michael Jordan would’ve never permitted this. 

James has two games to stop the bleeding. 

Reaves, who returned in Game 5 after missing a month because of an oblique injury, better quickly find his rhythm to help his teammate or else he’s going to be involuntarily complicit in the James battering. 

Reaves had 22 points and six assists on Thursday, but he was 1-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter. 

Luke Kennard, who averaged 25 points in the first two games of the series, didn’t make a single field goal. Marcus Smart, who was the best defender on the court in the first three games, was a pole.

James isn’t panicking. 

“Try to flush this one,” James said after the Lakers’ 99-93 loss Thursday.

James has carried 10 teams to the NBA Finals, winning four championships. 

He orchestrated the greatest comeback in NBA history, leading the Cavaliers to claw their way back from a 3-1 series deficit in the 2016 Finals to win their first title over the dynasty Warriors. 

He’s the league’s all-time leading scorer. 

He has continually thrived under a magnifying glass in pressure-filled moments. He has nothing left to prove.

For him, this is nothing. This is the first round of the playoffs. This is a 3-2 series lead. 

But it’s also everything.  

If the Lakers lose, this would forever haunt him. This would eternally enter barbershop chats. This would be a deep stain on his unbelievable career.

It’s shocking that James is in this position at this stage in his career. 

But his legacy is on the line.