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Takeaways: Penguins Drop Game 1 To Flyers In Sloppy Effort

There was a ton of anticipation heading into the first-round matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, as it was the first time in four years the Penguins had reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But the Penguins did not have the look of a team that was ready for it.

In the series opener, the Flyers took down the Penguins by a narrow score of 3-2 in what was one of Pittsburgh's sloppier efforts of the season. Bryan Rust scored a goal to bring the Penguins within one with just a minute remaining in regulation, but it was not enough to force overtime, and the Penguins find themselves down in the best-of-seven series, 1-0. 

The Penguins were never really able to get to their game at all in this one, as Philadelphia's neutral zone play and counterattack were puzzles they couldn't solve. 

"I think we've got to just put pucks behind them," defenseman Ryan Shea said. "They had a really good neutral zone. We just can't let it rattle us and default to, I guess, old school hockey and just get it behind them and go to work there, and use our bodies, use our forecheck that's been good all year. I think once that happens, then the neutral zone starts to open up."

Aside from a few odd-man breaks - all of which Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped - the first period was relatively uneventful for both teams, as there was no score after one and the Penguins were outshot, 10-5. There was a lot of physicality and some nastiness brewing, though, and at one point, Sidney Crosby ripped the helmet off Flyers' defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and Drysdale continued to play without his helmet. Crosby was called for roughing, and Drysdale was not called for continuing to play - although he was assessed an interference penalty. 

Much was the same in the first half the second period, but the Flyers finally got rewarded for their efforts when Drysdale threw a puck toward the net from the right circle, and it found its way through traffic and past Skinner to give Philadelphia the 1-0 lead.

The Penguins responded six and a half minutes later, though, after building a little bit of momentum near the end of the middle frame. They were pressuring in the offensive zone, and they had a few scoring chances and a few big rebounds from Flyers' goaltender Dan Vladar. 

Tommy Novak pounced on one of those rebounds, and he executed a beautiful no-look backhand pass from the goal line back to Evgeni Malkin, who was waiting at the bottom of the right circle. Malkin put it home to tie the game, and the Penguins seemed to be on the upswing.

However, a late-period penalty by Anthony Mantha thwarted some of that momentum, and that carried into the third period. At the midway point of the third, Travis Sanheim made a nice play to get off a shot from the slot, and he restored the Flyers' lead at 2-1. The Penguins had trouble generating much of anything after that, and rookie Porter Martone scored the eventual game-winner with a snipe for his first career playoff goal with two and a half minutes remaining in regulation, making Rust's goal moot.

There were a lot of issues for the Penguins in this one - from their slogged start to their sloppy play, especially along the offensive blue line and in the neutral zone - but the power play continues to be an area that needs a bit of improvement. After being in the top-five for the vast majority of the season, the Penguins' PP dropped to seventh in the league (24.1 percent) before the end of the regular season, and they were 0-for-2 in this one. 

Philadelphia's penalty kill was ranked 22nd (77.6 percent) during the regular season, so the Penguins need to find a way to get back to basics on the man advantage. 

"I think the first one there is just a little bit of the execution, a little bit of the timing," head coach Dan Muse said. "And then, that kind of led into some of the breakouts as well.

"I mean, listen, this group has done a good job this year. It's part of it. Just like our team game, I think it's got to be a quick regroup there with that, and that's what we expect to see."

On the flip side, the Penguins' penalty kill with Blake Lizotte back in the lineup was outstanding, neutralizing all three Flyers' power play opportunities and generating some chances the other way. 

Crosby commended the work of the PK unit and hopes the power play can reward those guys on the other end of it in Game 2.

"Really good. They're a dangerous power play, and I thought they did a good job of giving us momentum from the kills," Crosby said. "So, yeah, it's unfortunate that we couldn't help them on the other side."

The Penguins will face the Flyers in Game 2 Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh.

'This Is What You Play For': Penguins Thrilled To Be Back In Playoff Picture, Confident About Identity'This Is What You Play For': Penguins Thrilled To Be Back In Playoff Picture, Confident About IdentityThe Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years - and their longest-tenured veterans are itching for a chance to bring home another championship for the organization.

Three Takeaways:

- This is the sloppiest game I've seen the Penguins play in quite a while. They had absolutely nothing for most of the night, and it was clear that the Flyers' neutral zone trap was frustrating them immensely. 

It also didn't help that emotions were running high in this one from the jump, and that was the case with everyone - even the veterans. Players were gripping sticks too tight, making poor decisions with the puck (especially along the offensive blue line, where Malkin turned the puck over twice, leading to breakaways the other way), and trying to look for the perfect play instead of simplifying and getting pucks to the net.

This is the way Rick Tocchet's Flyers play when they aren't trailing in a game, and it's the same blueprint teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators use. The key to Monday's game for the Penguins will be getting ahead early and forcing the Flyers to cheat for offense - hopefully, exposing that neutral zone a whole lot more. 

'I Think It's Going To Be Something Special': Penguins' Playoff 'First-Timers' Look Forward To Game 1'I Think It's Going To Be Something Special': Penguins' Playoff 'First-Timers' Look Forward To Game 1The Pittsburgh Penguins have a ton of Stanley Cup Playoff experience spread across their roster - but six players will get their first taste of NHL playoff hockey starting Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

- I'm not sure the Penguins' top-six is optimal at the moment. 

I understand that Rickard Rakell has played very well at center down the stretch and for most of the season, so I think most of the reasoning behind the lines being what they are is to keep Rakell in that position while distributing the scoring. I also understand that the Rakell-Crosby-Rust combo hasn't worked quite as well this season as in years past.

But the second line earlier this season that was Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, and Evgeni Malkin? They were operating like a machine. My feeling is that the Penguins simply like Rakell better in that 2C position than they do Novak, which makes sense, given Rakell's play. 

But, if the Penguins continue to struggle generating offense in Game 2, I'd highly consider switching things up. Time is not a luxury in the playoffs, and resorting to what's familiar may actually work in their favor if they're in a pinch.

- Skinner was outstanding in this game. In the live game blog I had going, there were three or four instances of "Skinner makes a nice save on an odd-man break" or something to that effect.

In fact, he made three breakaway stops in the second period alone on Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, and Owen Tippett. 

The Penguins need to make his job a whole lot easier in Game 2, but he kept him in this game. In my book, he is the clear starter for Game 2. It shouldn't even be a question after this performance. 

GAME BLOG: Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers, Game 1GAME BLOG: Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers, Game 1Follow along with the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins' LIVE game blog for Round 1, Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers

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Dan Wilson leverages bullpen in 7-3 win over Rangers

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Gabe Speier #55 of the Seattle Mariners hands the ball to manager sm6 during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Dan Wilson managed to shut down the Rangers just long enough.

The Mariners snapped a pair of losing streaks on Saturday. They entered the day having lost four straight games. They also entered the day having lost four straight to the Rangers, dating back to last week’s sweep in Arlington. With another strong start from George Kirby and some timely hitting to boot, the Mariners secured a 7-3 win, beginning what they hope is the slow climb from their hole in the AL West.

The offense finally had a few things go their way, racking up seven runs on 11 hits and three walks. They picked up five of their runs on hits that snuck through a drawn-in infield with the Rangers defending against a runner on third. They got another run on a towering solo home run from Luke Raley, his fifth of the season.

But it was Wilson’s bullpen management that caught my eye Saturday. It was pretty much flawless, despite increasingly tricky circumstances. Wilson and his coaching staff used nearly all their relievers, and seemed to perfectly pair each for the situation in the game.

Decision #0: Furious George Kirby

Bullpen management, of course, starts with the starter. Kirby took the mound for the fifth time this season and was solid once again. He pounded the zone with fastballs and expanded the zone with sliders — a strategy that’s helped him dominate this Rangers’ lineups in the past. It worked for the most part: Kirby got 14 whiffs on 51 swings (27%) and five strikeouts; he also got 12 grounders to raise his ground ball rate to a league-leading 60.2%.

But Kirby struggled with efficiency at times. He allowed seven hits, two walks, and frequently pitched with men on base. 

“I kind of feel like I wasted a lot of pitches, got in some deeper counts, forced a couple of those guys on,” he said after the game. 

There were a few tough-luck moments for Kirby. In the fourth inning, he gave up a hard single to put a runner on first with one out. The next batter ripped another hard grounder up the middle. This might have been a double play, but the ball instead hit Kirby in the pants and ricocheted into no man’s land for a single.

Kirby walked the next batter to load the bases with one out. He faced Ezequiel Duran, who took a 2-2 pitch just off the edge of the strike zone. Kirby, perhaps in equal parts desperation and frustration, challenged the called ball. ABS confirmed the ump’s ruling to work the count full.

In the past, Kirby might have unraveled after this series of misfortune. Instead, he ramped up and threw a perfect, 96 mph fastball up and in. Duran jammed a shallow fly out to center. Kirby then faced Kyle Higashioka, who hit a go-ahead homer off him last week, and got him to fly out as well. 

Kirby said he’s been working on his composure in these moments, where the game isn’t quite going his way. He said it’s about trying to stay in control, not do too much, and simply attack. 

“They just keep coming up, opportunities to get better and learn from it,” he said. “You just gather your breath, or just take a couple quick exhales, get yourself going to kind of get your body right for the moment you’re in.”

The only run Kirby allowed was a solo shot in the sixth inning. With his workload maxed out, a two-out single ended his day. Wilson turned to the bullpen.

Decision #1: Matt Brash gets an out

Matt Brash was the first reliever in the game on Saturday. He entered with a runner on first and two outs, with the Mariners up 3-1. The leverage index read 1.03.

The leverage index is a measure of how “on the line” a game is during an at bat, given the inning, score, outs, and men on base. Basically, it reflects the stakes of the game. Everything 0.85 and below is low leverage, and everything 2.0 and above is high leverage. The mushy middle is medium leverage.

The game was low leverage when Kirby began the sixth inning, with the Mariners holding a three-run lead and nobody on base. After the homer and single, the game progressed to medium leverage. The moment the game shifted from low to medium leverage, with Kirby at 96 pitches, Wilson turned to Brash — the Mariners’ second best righty reliever.

Now, one could argue this was maybe a better moment for Eduard Bazardo — the Mariners’ third best righty reliever — to face the Ranger’s nine-hole hitter in Higashioka. But had Higashioka reached base in any capacity, the game would have moved firmly into high leverage with the top of the order coming up. Given the minimum three-batter requirement, Bazardo would have been required to stay in the game, and the Rangers could have taken the lead before Wilson could make another change.

Instead, Wilson turned to Brash as contingency against a potential high-leverage spot. It worked. Brash threw just six pitches to dispatch Higashioka with a groundout, and the Mariners’ lead held.

Decision #2: Gabe Speier faces the leadoff lefties

The Mariners picked up another run in the bottom of the sixth, meaning they lead 4-1 in the top of the 7th. The game was back to low leverage.

Wilson turned to Gabe Speier, (arguably) his best lefty out of the pen to face the top of the Rangers’ order. One could argue maybe Wilson should have stuck with Brash after his quick work in the previous inning. But the top of the Rangers’ lineup — Brandon Nimmo and Corey Seager — are both very good lefty batters.

Wilson said that handedness matchup was the main consideration in turning to Speier. But he also noted the move keeps Brash available for Sunday’s game, which wound up looking quite prescient on a day where nearly every Mariners’ reliever pitched.

“I think we really felt with the lefties that that was Gabe’s inning, and he came out and did what he does. I think with our guys you also have to weigh rest. You have to weigh what’s tomorrow, and what’s beyond tomorrow. So all those things you have to throw in the hopper and come up with the best decision you can at that point. But yeah, we really felt like that was Gabe’s inning.”

Now, I’m not always a fan of thinking ahead in bullpen management. Wilson’s predecessor, Scott Servais, often espoused was (something to the effect of), “Win today’s game first,” when referring to bullpen decisions, and I generally agree with that. But this move was a good example of the range of considerations a manager faces when dealing with their bullpen. Wilson made the decision to sacrifice an arm in the game to get the better matchup while still saving an arm for the next game. It was a shrewd move that worked out given the context to that point.

But Wilson also got hit with a consequence of that decision: sometimes the bird in the bullpen just doesn’t have it. Speier struggled. He got Nimmo to strikeout but then walker Seager and later walked Jake Burger.

With the game back to medium leverage, Wilson opted for a fresh arm.

Decision #3: Break glass for Eduard Bazardo

Eduard Bazardo entered the game. He also wasn’t quite sharp, immediately walking Josh Smith to load the bases and progress the game to high leverage.

Maybe one could argue Wilson could have stuck with Speier and trusted him to escape, though I’m not sure I’d buy that after 24 not-great pitches. There’s also a case that Wilson could have gone with Jose Ferrer, though that would sacrifice the handedness advantage (Bazardo is a bit better against righties for his career).

I think this was probably the right move, and it wound up OK. Bazardo got Josh Jung to fly out to escape the jam he and Speier created. 

Decision #4: Sticking with Bazardo

The game remained 4-1 heading into the eighth, with the game back in low leverage. Wilson stuck with Bazardo to face the 7-9 batters in the Rangers’ lineup.

Again, there’s some question about whether Bazardo, having struggled with his command in the previous inning, was the best choice. But given Kirby’s abbreviated outing, the decision to save Brash for Sunday, Speier’s struggles, and the Mariners three-run lead with the bottom of the Rangers’ order coming up — and given Ferrer threw 20 pitches Friday — Wilson was out of medium leverage options.

Bazardo wasn’t quite sharp. He walked the leadoff batter to move the game to medium leverage. Then he got a fly out and a pop out to push the game back to low leverage.

With two outs, a runner on first, and Bazardo at 21 pitches, Wilson turned to the pen.

Decision #5: Jose Ferrer to face the leadoff lefties

Wilson went with Ferrer to face the lefties at the top of the Rangers’ order.

Again, maybe one could argue Ferrer should have been the choice to begin the inning. But given his workload the night and the situation in the game, Ferrer appeared to be something of a last resort. When the situation required that last resort, Wilson was ready.

Ferrer gave up a weak bloop single to Nimmo but got Seager to groundout to end the thread.

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Decision #6: Cole Wilcox to close out the blow out

The Mariners scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 7-1, effectively ending the game. Wilson turned to Cole Wilcox, who’s impressed early but is firmly a “low leverage” arm. It was the ideal spot to get him some work without much on the line.

Unfortunately, Wilcox quickly raised the stakes. He gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases with one out. He got the second out with a sac fly to make the game 7-2. but gave up a double to make the game 7-3. Wilcox then walked the nine-hitter Higashioka to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate in Nimmo. 

Decision #7: Andrés Muñoz, the redeemer

Wilson turned to Muñoz with the game back in medium leverage. Muñoz had a rare meltdown in his last outing in San Diego, giving up five runs and eventually the game. He’s looked just off early in 2026 and has struggled with command over the last week.

But he looked sharp Saturday, quickly punching out Nimmo on four pitches to end the game.

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Verdict

This was essentially flawless execution from Wilson in what wound up being a tricky game to manage. The game was rarely in jeopardy for the Mariners, who finally strung together some hits on offense, but it was very often in jeopardy of being in jeopardy. Wilson had manage a comfortable lead and a starter who couldn’t get through six innings and a trio of relievers who didn’t quite have it. He made seven correct — or at least “defensible” — decisions at each inflection point, and the Mariners held on.

“Those are the things you sort of try to walk through ahead of time and try to make a plan. And sometimes it doesn’t go to plan and you end up in a weird situation,” Wilson said after the game. “Definitely it’s been a while for a couple of guys in the bullpen. (Brash) hadn’t been out there in a while and (Speier), really, too. So it was nice to get those guys in the game and I thought they threw the ball well. Good to get them rolling. But you have to weigh all those things when you’re making decisions. We try to do that as much as we can ahead of time and then follow the plan.”

There’s not a single number to say whether a manager is making the right calls to the bullpen, but Saturday’s game outlined Wilson’s general strategy. He operates with a hierarchy of relievers and turns to them based on the “leverage” in the game. Presumably, the hierarchy and the leverage are set by the front office, and it’s Wilson’s job to execute that plan within the context of the game and season.

To his credit, Wilson has been very good at this in broad strokes. His best relievers, generally in rank order, have pitched in the biggest spots — this year and last year. Muñoz, for instance, was the highest-leverage reliever in the game last year. It’s also worth noting the Mariners got significantly more WPA from their bullpen in 2025 than their context-neutral performance would indicate. Remember, the Mariners pitching was something of a mess last year, with an injured rotation often exiting early, requiring a 2 1/2-man bullpen asked to pick up four or five innings each night. Wilson was often forced to punt games early rather than using a leverage arm to protect a narrow deficit in the fifth inning. But when the Mariners did hold a late lead, Wilson was ready with Muñoz and Speier (and eventually Brash) to the shut the door.

Of course, that changed in the ALCS when Wilson made the infamous decision to go with Bazardo over Muñoz, which wound up being the final note for the 2025 Mariners. But it was a rare mistake for Wilson, who’d threaded the needle with a below average pitching staff all season.

Again, there isn’t a single number to summarize whether Wilson or any manager is good at deploying relievers. For instance, last year I was able to say pretty confidently lthat the Mariners extreme dependence on pinch hitters wasn’t working (and I’m a bit disappointed to see so many pinch hitters again to start 2026). But it’s not as easy to say whether the Mariners are getting all they could out of their bullpen. As we saw Saturday, there are plenty of variables that change in real time, and relievers can be a bit finicky. Still, Wilson does seem to know who his best arms are and when to use them. Sometimes, it even works out.

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Trevor Bauer’s second chance nearly here with Long Island Ducks

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Long Island Ducks pitcher Trevor Bauer throws a pitch during a bullpen session on April 18, 2026, Image 2 shows Trevor Bauer signs autographs for fans before a spring training game

It’s all about second chances when Trevor Bauer tugs on a Long Island Ducks jersey on opening night. 

After years of playing in Mexico and Japan, the polarizing “outcast” 2020 Cy Young winner returns to the mound in America for the first time since his bombshell 194-game MLB suspension in 2022 over sexual assault allegations, which the former Dodger has vehemently denied and was never criminally charged for.

“I don’t really think about image rehabilitation, because I think I have a fine image with the fans, baseball players, coaches, front offices, all that stuff,” he told reporters Saturday.

“My image is what it is. I don’t control my image.”

The highly anticipated outing will be Tuesday when the independent Atlantic League Professional Baseball team opens at home against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars — and fan response has been “outstanding,” according to Ducks president Michael Pfaff.

“We had a huge increase in ticket sales for opening night,” Pfaff said. “There were a few thousand tickets purchased around his start.” 

While a member of the Dodgers, Bauer was accused in 2021 of punching and choking a woman during sex, which he previously said was “wholly consensual.” 

He was initially given a 324-game suspension by MLB in April 2022, which was reduced after an appeal. 

“I felt like I’m kind of an outcast for a while now,” Bauer admitted.

The 35-year-old added that he’s “communicated with all 30 teams” in Major League Baseball, but “there are things that are completely out of my control” regarding a prospective return. 

“There’s no question about talent or effectiveness if I were to come back,” said Bauer, who added, “I think I’m a better pitcher in a lot of ways now than I was.”

Long Island Ducks pitcher Trevor Bauer throws a pitch during a bullpen session on April 18, 2026. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

Pfaff is hopeful that playing for the Ducks — a team that previously signed divisive pitcher John Rocker, among other star-caliber talents like Daniel Murphy — will be a pivotal step in Bauer’s redemption arc.

“This league has existed for 28 years to give players like Trevor the showcase that they deserve to get back to Major League Baseball or to get better opportunities in the game,” Pfaff said.

Crowds roared for the righty during a Saturday fan fest with spectators wearing Bauer jerseys from the Dodgers and his international teams. 

“Even just seeing people standing outside of the clubhouse before games start in spring training” has brought joy to the now stateside pitcher, who is eager to play in front of friends and family.

“I feel like he was kind of wronged,” said Erik Stanton, the dad of an adult daughter who was hoping to get Bauer’s autograph at Fairfield Properties Ballpark ahead of the spring training game. “I feel like some guys have done worse.”

Long Island Ducks pitcher Trevor Bauer talks with Gavin Collins during a bullpen session. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

Still, fan Cheryl Geller isn’t thrilled and said, “I look at him a little differently,” after her husband, Bruce, recently explained Bauer’s past to her.

California’s Joe and Stacy Green, a married pair on vacation in New York City, made an impromptu drive out to Islip after hearing Bauer would be showing his face.  He had mentored their son, Max Green, a former ALPB pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers.

Bauer remembered Max while briefly chatting with his parents near a bullpen entourage of supporters.

Stacy described Bauer as a “good guy,” and Joe said, “he’s been treated wildly unfairly.” 

Lindenhurst grandpa Vinny Moran added, “Hopefully he can get back in the major leagues.”

Trevor Bauer signs autographs for fans before a spring training game. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

“He got railroaded out,” said Moran, who brought his daughter and two granddaughters to the ballpark Saturday and gladly would bring them back to see him play.

Bauer said he signed with the Ducks at the last minute, only to realize its new owner is a Texas Rangers-adjacent company, Rev Entertainment. He chalked up the connection to nothing more than “a cool fact.”

The focus for Bauer isn’t on any benchmark stats, but rather “to help guys” on the roster. 

“I want to be good in the clubhouse with teammates,” he said.

Bauer will also be filming a “Hard Knocks”-style day-in-the-life YouTube vlog throughout the season that will offer a behind-the-scenes peek at his day-to-day.

Trevor Bauer talks to the media during an introductory press conference after signing with the Long Island Ducks on April 18, 2026. Corey Sipkin for New York Post

“I’ll be mic’d up for all the games,” he said, “so you’ll kind of get a really unique insight into what I’m thinking on the mound — and what I’m thinking afterwards.”

His presence hasn’t been a distraction to the team but instead a major motivator, manager Lew Ford said.

“It’s early, but I think the guys, we could feel there’s an energy,” Ford said. “We’re going to have some fun this year — and we’re going to win some baseball games.”

Ducks 26-year-old outfielder Matt Hogan is stoked to get to know his new teammate. 

“What can’t you learn from a guy like that? That’s a guy who’s been through it,” said the former White Sox minor leaguer from Plainview. “He knows pretty much everything you could possibly know about baseball. … I’ve had the chance to talk to him briefly so far, and he’s just a tremendous guy. He’s really nice. I look forward to getting to know him better.”

Bauer said he has no intentions of staying in the shadows, either.

“I’d love to get out into Long Island and see some baseball around the community that’s not here at the stadium, and just interact with fans,” he said.

“I feel a lot of happiness.”

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Detroit begins playoffs against Orlando

Orlando Magic (45-37, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -8.5; over/under is 219.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Pistons host first series matchup

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Orlando Magic in game one of the Eastern Conference first round. Detroit and Orlando tied the regular season series 2-2. The Magic won the last regular season matchup 123-107 on Monday, April 6 led by 31 points from Paolo Banchero, while Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points for the Pistons.

The Pistons are 39-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Detroit is the top team in the Eastern Conference averaging 57.9 points in the paint. Jalen Duren leads the Pistons scoring 14.6.

The Magic are 26-26 in Eastern Conference play. Orlando is ninth in the Eastern Conference with 26.5 assists per game led by Banchero averaging 5.2.

The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer makes per game than the Magic allow (12.1). The Magic average 11.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 12.7 per game the Pistons give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Duren is shooting 65.0% and averaging 19.5 points for the Pistons. Jenkins is averaging 14.5 points over the last 10 games.

Banchero is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 18.2 points and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 8-2, averaging 119.9 points, 44.8 rebounds, 32.1 assists, 10.2 steals and 7.0 blocks per game while shooting 51.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points per game.

Magic: 7-3, averaging 116.4 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.5 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Jalen Duren: day to day (knee).

Magic: Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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New York hosts Atlanta with 1-0 series lead

Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.

The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.

The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.

The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.

Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).

Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Cleveland takes 1-0 lead into game 2 against Toronto

Toronto Raptors (46-36, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Cavaliers -8.5; over/under is 223.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Cavaliers lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Cavaliers won the last matchup 126-113 on Saturday, led by 32 points from Donovan Mitchell. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 24.

The Cavaliers are 33-19 in conference matchups. Cleveland is second in the Eastern Conference scoring 119.5 points while shooting 48.2% from the field.

The Raptors are 33-19 against Eastern Conference opponents. Toronto is third in the league with 29.5 assists per game led by Scottie Barnes averaging 5.9.

The 119.5 points per game the Cavaliers score are 7.7 more points than the Raptors allow (111.8). The Raptors average 114.6 points per game, 0.8 fewer than the 115.4 the Cavaliers give up to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 15.7 points and 6.2 assists over the past 10 games.

Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Raptors. Barrett is averaging 19.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 48.6% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 8-2, averaging 124.1 points, 44.3 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.3 points per game.

Raptors: 5-5, averaging 119.2 points, 39.1 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Thomas Bryant: day to day (calf).

Raptors: Immanuel Quickley: day to day (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Player Grades: Lakers vs. Rockets

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Head coach JJ Redick congratulates Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a three point shot during the second half of Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on April 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Across the regular season, the crowd at Lakers games does not rank among the best in the league.

The lion’s share of the blame falls on ownership for pricing out the common, diehard fans and replacing them with fans who too often view the game as a status symbol rather than a chance to root on a team they’re a fan of. LA is still capable of drawing crowds that generate fervor, especially in the playoffs.

Saturday was a prime example. With the team squarely viewed as an underdog, the fans got behind the underdog Lakers and created a great environment. I would still say they need to put on the damn shirts given out to make the atmosphere even better, but I’ll settle for them creating a real homecourt advantage on Saturday.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

38 minutes, 19 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 9-15 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-2 FT, +11

From the opening tip, LeBron was locked in. His eight assists in the first quarter and 10 assists in the first half both were career highs. He wasn’t the highest scorer, but he absolutely controlled this game from start to finish for the Lakers.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

42 minutes, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-10 FG, 2-4 3PT, +7

This was a bit of an adventurous one for Rui. He had a couple rough moments, including late in the first half. But he also had some very timely buckets, including a three in the third quarter and a contested pull-up midrange jumper early in the fourth quarter.

His 42 minutes probably aren’t a big surprise. Considering how much size the Rockets have and the role LeBron is playing, he’s going to need to play big minutes.

Grade: B+

Deandre Ayton

35 minutes, 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-10 FG, 3-3 FT, +7

What a fantastic game for Ayton and, hopefully, a real tone-setter for him this series. The Lakers need him to win this series and they got a great game from him on their biggest stage yet.

They need him to do it many more times to win and stringing together strong performances hasn’t always been easy for him, but it really feels like he’s a good space right now.

Grade: A

Marcus Smart

34 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 4 fouls, 5-12 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-8 FT, -5

Boy, what an experience Marcus Smart can be. He certainly had his fingerprints all over this game, both negatively and positively. He led the team in free throw attempts and got to the rim repeatedly. He also had some incredibly bad turnovers.

Multiple times, he rushed the ball upcourt either on a fastbreak where he didn’t have numbers or in early transition. He turned the ball over in both situations.

But he also is one of the most reliable ball handlers the team has right now. They ran plenty of two-man game with him and LeBron and Houston is going to play off of him and force him to make them pay from deep. He did not on Saturday. If he can have a game where he knocks down multiple 3-pointers, it could pay huge dividends in a later game this series.

Grade: B+

Luke Kennard

38 minutes, 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 9-13 FG, 5-5 3PT, 4-6 FT, +7

What a night. In one game, Kennard did more for the Lakers than Gabe Vincent, the man he was traded for, did across multiple postseasons.

Coming into the series, the Lakers knew they needed Kennard. The Rockets knew the Lakers needed Kennard. And yet, no one could stop him. It’s hard to overstate just how impressive he was against some top-tier defenders. To have a career night in the context of being a top option offensively after years of being a role player is incredible.

Grade: A+

Jake LaRavia

18 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-4 FT, +9

Much as the Lakers need Rui to play big minutes, they’re going to need LaRavia if for no other reason than to be a ballhandler at times. At times, he had Reed Sheppard on him and was able to initiate the team’s offense.

It isn’t always pretty and there were moments he turned the ball over, but the Lakers are down to about their fifth and sixth options for ballhandlers at times in this series, so it’s not going to be pretty.

Grade: C+

Jarred Vanderbilt

18 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 5 fouls, 1-2 FG, 1-2 3PT, +4

Vanderbilt could have a decent-sized role in this series because of his defense, but his minutes are going to rely on him being able to do enough offensively to stay on the floor. He hit a corner three in the first quarter that was the exact type of shot the Rockets are going to give him.

When he isn’t spotting up in the corner, he’s a bit lost and was getting in the way. The Lakers either need to find more creative ways to use him or he’s going to need to knock down threes.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

13 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 1-1 FG, 2-3 FT, +2

Well, this was bad. That first shift from Hayes was straight out of the 2025 playoffs against the Wolves. He was biting on pump fakes from Şengün at the 3-point line and playing really undisciplined. They got away with it because Ayton was great, but he has to be better.

Grade: F

Bronny James

It wasn’t a terrible first shift from Bronny, but it wasn’t great.

JJ Redick

What a game from Redick, who pushed all the right buttons and got lots of little things right.

He had a couple of quick timeouts that stopped the Rockets’ momentum before it started, one coming in the first quarter and one in the fourth after a Tari Eason three. He also got LeBron in the game for the final offensive possession of the first quarter to try to steal a bucket.

Big picture, though, the Lakers were moving all around the court and creating quality, sustainable offense against a great defense.

Most importantly, he played more than five players in the second half.

Grade: A

Saturday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr., Adou Thiero

Saturday’s inactives: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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NHL playoffs winners and losers: Stars falter in Game 1 again

The Dallas Stars, despite reaching the conference finals the past three seasons, have a poor record in Game 1s.

The effort in their Saturday, April 18 playoff opener was poorer than usual.

The Stars were routed 6-1 at home by the Minnesota Wild and find themselves trailing after the first game of the series for the ninth time in their last 11 openers.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said "to a man," the Wild were better than his team, which didn't happen a lot during the regular season.

"You can't get your game going if you're not going to win battles," he told reporters. "You can take any metric and if you lose skating battles and puck battles, you're always on the receiving end of everything negative."

The Stars, under previous coach Peter DeBoer, overcame a 5-1 loss in their 2025 playoff opener to beat the Colorado Avalanche in seven games, so they are far from in trouble.

"There's room for growth," Gulutzan said.

Here are the winners and losers from the opening night of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs:

WINNERS

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

Coach John Hynes chose the rookie over veteran Filip Gustavsson for Game 1. Wallstedt made 27 saves for a victory in his first playoff game. In fact, coaches made the right decisions in net in other games. Carolina veteran Frederik Andersen got the start over Brandon Bussi and had a 22-save shutout. Stuart Skinner kept the Penguins in the game during their loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Porter Martone, Philadelphia Flyers

What a move on his goal, which ended up being the game-winner at Pittsburgh. He skated hard into the zone, stopped, circled back and ripped a shot past Skinner for a 3-1 lead. Martone is 19 and just signed after his Michigan State season ended.

Wild power play

The Wild had the third-best power play in the regular season behind Dallas and the Edmonton Oilers. It connected twice in Saturday's game, with both goals by Joel Eriksson Ek.

LOSERS

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars

He was pulled in his last playoff game in 2025 by DeBoer and gave up five goals on Saturday. Gulutzan never considered pulling Oettinger, saying he didn't think goaltending was an issue in the loss.

"I'm going to be a lot better next game," Oettinger said.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Flyers did what they could to get Crosby off his game. He took two penalties in the game, the first one for pulling off Jamie Drysdale's helmet. He was sent off the ice for a retaliatory slash on Travis Sanheim, who had cross-checked him. That meant Crosby was unavailable as the Penguins were pressing to rally from a 3-1 deficit late in the third period.

"We have to stay out of it a little more and trust that when they try to stir it up that they're going to be penalized for it," Crosby told reporters.

Artem Zub, Ottawa Senators

The Senators defenseman delivered a big hit on Carolina's Seth Jarvis but took the worst of it. He exited the game, leaving Ottawa short-handed on defense in a 2-0 loss. There was no update on his condition after the game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff openers winners and losers: Stars crushed in Game 1

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Knicks Playoff Notes: Mike Brown passes first test; Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns producing good results

Mike Brown won 53 games in his first year as Knicks coach. His Knicks finished No. 4 on offense, No. 7 on defense and No. 5 in net rating. Strong numbers, solid results.

But Brown knows his regular season accomplishments don’t mean much.

We all know that these Knicks – and their head coach – will be judged on what happens over the next few weeks.

So far, so good.

Brown and his staff made some decisions that were crucial to New York’s Game 1 win on Saturday.

Under Brown and associate head coach Chris Jent, the Knick offense looked strong early on. Yes, part of it was Jalen Brunson’s brilliance (19 first-quarter points, 8-for-11 shooting). But the Karl-Anthony Towns-Brunson actions also resulted in some great looks. The Knicks shot 60 percent in the first quarter and 49 percent in the half.

But they were having issues on the other end of the floor. Atlanta’s guard-guard screens produced some open threes (Hawks were 5-for-8 on threes in the second quarter). They allowed Atlanta to get out in transition.

The Knicks dominated stretches of the first half but went to the locker room with just a two-point lead.

Brown and his staff seemed to push nearly all the right buttons coming out of halftime.

The Knicks outscored Atlanta in transition, 11-0, in the third quarter.

After facilitating in the first half, Towns started to put the ball in the basket after halftime. He had 14 points in the first 18 minutes of the half, helping the Knicks push their lead to 16 with six minutes to go.

The Knicks also cleaned up their defense on the Hawks perimeter screening. Atlanta missed seven of its nine three-point attempts in the decisive third quarter.

Another good call by Brown? His counterpart, Quin Snyder, started to intentionally foul Mitchell Robinson in the third quarter. They fouled Robinson four times in a 1:03 stretch of the third quarter. Robinson missed three of four free throws; New York’s lead was down to six with 4:51 left in the third.

Brown took Robinson out at that point. But he didn’t keep him on the bench. Brown had Robinson back on the floor to start the fourth quarter. Atlanta wasn’t going to intentionally foul Robinson early in the fourth and get the Knicks in the bonus. With Robinson on the floor, the Knicks extended their lead to 12 with 9:34 to play.

/ Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Brown also went to Jordan Clarkson to start the fourth. Clarkson delivered; his reverse layup with six minutes to play put the Knicks up 16.

Clarkson, you’ll remember, was out of the Knick rotation for several weeks in the middle of the season. Instead of burying him, Brown went back to Clarkson shortly after the All Star break. He gave the Knicks an immediate lift and has remained in Brown’s rotation ever since.

Brown is Clarkson’s sixth coach in 12 NBA seasons. So Clarkson knows good coaching when he sees it. He knows bad coaching when he sees it. What does he think of Brown?

“Intense, smart, challenges us as players. Makes some really good adjustments,” Clarkson said. “His communication throughout the year has been really good with us. From meetings, talking to us, finding out what we see, doing different things (based on player feedback). He’s done an amazing job.”

Brown passed his first Knick playoff test on Saturday. His next exam is Monday night at 8 pm.   

TOWNS/BRUNSON PAIRING

The Brunson/Towns actions on offense continue to produce good results.

“The longer we’re obviously  on the court together, our chemistry is better. I think we’ve grown as teammates, we’ve grown as friends, and it’s contributing to the way we’re playing,” Brunson said.

SECOND HALF PHYSICALITY

Both Josh Hart and Miles McBride said the Knicks played with a high level of physicality throughout the game. That picked up in the second half; Atlanta missed 15 of its first 23 shots to open the third quarter.

"I feel like they were getting out and they were winning a space battle (in the first half), getting open, getting to their spots and I feel like in the second half, we really cut that off,” McBride said. “We made catches difficult, and we got to loose balls.”

ANUNOBY'S IMPORTANCE

OG Anunoby left the game briefly in the second half due to an ankle injury. With Anunoby on the bench, Clarkson went to work. Just as he did late in the regular season, Clarkson performed some spiritual healing on Anunoby. Robinson and Jose Alvaradojoined as well.

“We need OG out here, so we’re gonna make it happen,” Clarkson joked after the game. “He came over to the bench and asked me if I could do (the spiritual healing) for his ankle; then he sat over there for a second, came back in the game and finished the game.

“Like I said, we need him on the floor so whatever I gotta do to keep it going… sprinkle a little magic on him.”

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Lakers Spank Rockets 107-98 For 1-0 Series Lead

Ime Udoka looking unhappy in a post game press conference.
Apr 18, 2026; Talk, but no answers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The score of this one might suggest that the Rockets weren’t in fact spanked, by the Lakers. They were. This was a wire to wire win for LA, and at no point did it seem like the Rockets were going to push past LA, take a lead, and keep it. The Lakers held the Rockets to 16pts below their season average for points allowed for this 9 point win. It could have been more. The final four minutes saw something of a Rockets garbage time scoring flurry, and they narrowed the Laker lead, slightly. The Lakers for their part seemed mostly interested in turning the scoreboard over enough that the Rockets never got close enough for discomfort.

The Rockets were, of course, missing Kevin Durant, the expensive painting that mostly covers the hole that is the Rockets offense. The Lakers, of course, were missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and had a 41 year old LeBron James leading the charge of… Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. That turned out to be plenty for Los Angeles.

There are two ways of looking at this. One is, the Rockets probably won’t shoot this badly, again. LeBron won’t be playing with a week off, again. Kevin Durant is far more likely to play again soon than Doncic or Reaves. So, it’ll be fine. After all, the Rockets shot 93 times to the Lakers 66 and lost by 9. That really shouldn’t happen. A team has to miss a lot of shots for it to happen, and the Rockets certainly did. There’s really not a good offensive line anywhere, except for Tari Eason. Tari didn’t miss at all, and the rest of the team missed a ton. Unfortunately Tari only took 7 shots.

So one view is that the Rockets probably won’t shoot that badly again, and that Kevin Durant might well be back for the next game, and that will help, too.

If that’s where you come down on things, it’s fairly safe to stop reading now.

This is another view. The Rockets had a week to prepare to play a Lakers team without their two best players. The Lakers had the same. One team came out with a fairly clear plan to win this game, despite injury woes. The other came out looking almost exactly the same as the rest of the season.

The Lakers, evidently, made a plan to win this game despite obvious talent limitations. The Rockets seemed flummoxed by everything LA did, while LA seemed to know exactly what the Rockets would do, all the time.

Sometimes it is worthwhile to put yourself in the shoes of your opponent. To think about what you might do in their situation.

If your team is playing the Rockets, you know certain things about them on offense.

  1. They do not run any sort of coherent offense, with plays and actions that reliably work for them, or even ones that don’t. There’s usually a dribble hand off, a perhaps a badly set pick, and then a player trying to find a shot. This sometimes leads to passes out to shooters, but more often leads to difficult, or at least congested, attempts fairly close to the basket. This was confirmed, once again, by outside observers. This time it was Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith saying the Rockets don’t run an offense, they just sort of attack one on one from the same spots. At this point, pretty much every national media former NBA player who has covered a Rockets game has said as much. It certainly matches what I’ve seen, and I think it’s true as well.
  2. Three of the Rockets offensive mainstays require access to the paint to be most effective. These players are: KD, Sengun, Amen.
  3. KD can shoot it from deep, well, but he mostly doesn’t in any volume. Sheppard is a threat from deep who must be covered, the rest of the Rockets can be guarded on 3pt shots largely by run outs on defense from the paint, or near it. Or by the two players who aren’t in the paint (see below) covering half the arc each. The Rockets rarely move, or overload, a side, so that’s straightforward.

So knowing that, what would you do? Pretty much what every intelligent, non tanking, opponent has done, right?

Try to gum up the initial dribble handoff and desultory pick attempt, and have the two defenders up at that action point try to soft trap the ballhandler to prevent a pass out. Such a pass is easy to defend, as the Rockets are largely stationary off ball. After that, play way back on the dribbler/initiator, if it’s anyone but Sheppard, or Durant. We won’t address defending Durant, as he didn’t play.

Will the Rockets patiently work pick and rolls to call up a weak defender, or matchup they want on offense? They will not. Or almost never do. They will attack whomever is guarding them. Would they, say, try to get Luke Kennard, not the swiftest of foot, on Amen Thompson? Nope. They wouldn’t.

So not having a weak defender called up on the pick, which is rarely good enough to peel a defender off the ball handler, or even allowing a switch to a stronger defender, say swapping Kennard for Smart or James, the Rocket will then try to attack the rim, or at least get closer to it.

Two more defenders, ostensibly guarding the corners or wings, collapse into the paint as Sengun, Thompson, or really any other Rocket, gets closer to the basket. These defenders stand on either side of basket, which cuts off both Thompson getting to the rim, and denies Sengun his superior mobility close in, to get easy shots. There’s literally nowhere for either player to go, a defender is standing there. They are forced to take a shot over the center, or another big, or pass out. As this usually happens at the end of the shot clock, because it takes so long to move close to the basket, there’s only one run out on a shooter called for in most cases. There isn’t time for more passes around the perimeter most of the time, and there isn’t anyone cutting, or screening for a shooter anyway.

The Lakers simply did a variant of the standard defense on the Rockets. The Rockets response to this was: nothing.

So the Rockets offense was stymied, and while it dominated the offensive glass, those extra shots often seemed to be just as bad as the initial shot. That’s not everything, the Rockets also missed close in shots, put backs, you name it. They probably won’t miss as many of those. But this is the playoffs, so the defensive intensity isn’t going to slacken. The Rockets have shown little to no ability to adjust on offense. So it could be the bad shooting continues, as well. Still, plugging in Kevin Durant, and his career 29pt playoff scoring average, probably changes some results.

On defense, we saw the Lakers also use some fairly effective approaches. The first is to attack the rim, with almost whomever has the ball, very quickly, from a spread out offense. The Rockets, last season, would trap, send help, double, opponents very quickly, sometimes ahead of the actual play. Not all the time, but frequently enough to be very disruptive. They don’t do that as much this season. I think it’s due to not having Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet both calling defense, adjustments, and anticipating plays. Fred and Dillon were often available to help ahead of the play, or attack an offense, without much “reaction time” needed.

This season it appears the Rockets mostly send help later, after it’s clear that a defender has been beaten. It seems rare, for instance, that a help defender is already in place, ahead of a driver. That could be deliberate, as there’s risk involved there if the helper can’t recover to his man on a pass off. Or it could be the Rockets have no one with the experience to make that happen on defense. In general the Rockets play solid individual defense, but seem to be less aggressive, and less cohesive. Maybe they’re tried to reduce the risk profile from aggressive play, but there are downsides, mostly in losing transition offense, and far less frequent disruption of opponents. It now seems to be saved for desperation, as when the Rockets forced a number of turnovers late in the fourth.

Tonight the Lakers decided to feature a player who is an excellent shooter, in Luke Kennard, and of course, LeBron James. What I noticed was that the Lakers went to great lengths, of movement, passing or screening, to find Kennard space to shoot. Shoot he did, scoring 27 points on an astonishingly efficient 9-13, and 5-5 from three. The Lakers, as a team, shot 61%. That probably isn’t sustainable, but their shots were mostly easy, or open.

You might think the answer would be to double Kennard, but the problem was, James was usually nearby, and so the man doubling Kennard would have to come off James. Which, given his ability to pass, shoot, or drive, creates a problem. He’s not what he was, but he will find an open man. His 13 assists to 2 turnovers are evidence of this.

Overall, the Rockets were simply stymied on offense, and gave up too many easy looks on defense.

The best sign going forward is that a great shooting night still only produced 107 points for the Lakers. Kevin Durant should, individually, if healthy, paper over the inadequacies on offense, enough so that similar defense should produce wins.

The worst sign is that the Rockets had a week to prepare for a specific opponent, one missing by far its two best scorers, and there was no evidence they did so. A short handed Lakers team beat them handily instead.

I still think they’ll win the series, if Durant plays.

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New Donovan Mitchell rumor could be huge for the Utah Jazz

BOSTON, MA - MAY 9: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on before the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 2 Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2024 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

According to Fred Katz, the Cleveland Cavaliers will discuss moving Donovan Mitchell if they aren’t able to get an extension done this summer.

From Katz:

However Cleveland fares over these next two months will mold its future. Harden has a $42 million player option for next season that he’s likely to decline, a league source said. But a longer-term deal at a lesser number still would not be cheap. With today’s rules, with the way high payrolls chip away at resources and wallets, teams can’t stay so expensive while continuing to lose in the second round. Meanwhile, Mitchell, who can hit free agency in 2027, becomes eligible for an extension this summer.

If he signs it, the Cavs can move forward with him at their core. If he doesn’t, the organization will discuss the possibility of moving him, league sources said.

Now, where have I heard this before? It appears that a lot is riding on these playoffs for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have an upcoming extension eligibility with Donovan Mitchell, and we’ll see if that happens. The Cavaliers have one of the highest payrolls in the NBA and appear very similar to Utah when they had to make tough decisions with Mitchell in the past.

For the Utah Jazz, this is the beginning of something great. Utah owns a pick swap with the Cavaliers in 2028 and a fully unprotected pick in 2029. If Mitchell is traded this summer, it’s hard to see the Cavaliers being good immediately, especially if James Harden leaves as well. According to Katz, Harden is expected to decline his player option this summer, and we’ll see if the Cavs give him a contract or if he’s also potentially gone.

This is something to watch really closely, and I can’t lie, I am rooting hard for the Raptors this round and, if the Cavs advance, the Detroit Pistons after that. There’s a world where Utah could get really lucky with its picks in the years to come, thanks to Donovan Mitchell.

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Knicks’ Mike Brown had counterattack ready when Hawks’ ‘Hack-a-Mitch’ strategy emerged

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Mitchell Robinson #23 hits a free throw during the third quarter against the Hawks on April 18, Image 2 shows New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacting on the baseline during the first quarter

It was only a matter of time.

Hack-a-Mitch has become a playoff staple with Knicks opponents given Mitchell Robinson’s well-documented struggles at the free throw line. And it predictably emerged again in the Knicks’ 113-102 Game 1 win over the Hawks on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Robinson had been impactful on the glass and as a rim protector in the first half. Then, trailing by seven with 5:44 left in the third quarter, the Hawks began fouling Robinson intentionally.

He was 1-for-4 on free throws before the Knicks took Robinson out of the game.

“We’ll see how the game goes, and we’ll leave him in until we think we need to make a sub,” coach Mike Brown said. “And whenever we feel like we need to make a sub, we will. But we’re gonna give him a chance.”

Mitchell Robinson hits a free throw during the third quarter of the Knicks’ 113-102 Game 1 win over the Hawks on April 18, 2026 at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Mike Brown reacts on the baseline during the first quarter of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the Hawks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Though it took Robinson out of the game, it also meant the Knicks got into the bonus with 3:19 left in the third quarter, giving them plenty of opportunity to get easy points at the line.

And then Brown countered by having Robinson start the fourth quarter, preventing the Hawks from fouling him unless they wanted to play the whole quarter with the Knicks in the bonus.

“If they wanna start fouling, then that would get us closer to the bonus,” Brown said. “So it’s a time for us to go back to him.”

Karl-Anthony Towns’ father, Karl Sr., was in attendance for the first time since undergoing a medical procedure late in March.

“To have someone who I would say is the most important person in my life, it’s really awesome to be able to have him back and Madison Square Garden supporting me,” Towns said. “Any son out there that plays basketball or plays any sport, to see your father there, at your competition, you always have a sense of pride.“You wanna make him proud. It’s awesome that I get to see him on the baseline and be able to have some special moments with him.”

“To have someone who I would say is the most important person in my life, it’s really awesome to be able to have him back and Madison Square Garden supporting me,” Towns said. “Any son out there that plays basketball or plays any sport, to see your father there, at your competition, you always have a sense of pride.

“You wanna make him proud. It’s awesome that I get to see him on the baseline and be able to have some special moments with him.”

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Kevin Durant injury changes everything: The Lakers could win this

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James in a yellow Lakers uniform raises a hand to signal a play, with fans in the stands behind him, Image 2 shows Basketball player Kevin Durant entering the arena for a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets

The Lakers could actually win this thing. 

They went from being the quivering dogs in the corner to becoming wolves.

The transformation happened 1 ½ hours before tipoff when they found out that Kevin Durant was sidelined for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Rockets because of a right knee injury. 

The Rockets’ Kevin Durant arrives for Game 1 of the NBA playoff series against the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images

It meant a team without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) had a more even fight. It meant a team without its top two scorers had a chance. It meant a team that was dejected started believing in itself again. 

The Lakers went on to win, 107-98. 

The Rockets have no idea how to play without Durant. He played in 78 games this season. He missed only four contests. 

His strength has now become the Rockets’ weakness. 

Before tipoff, the Rockets’ locker room was silent. 

Guys were looking at their phones. Or the carpet. It felt as though they were steeling themselves for a wake instead of a playoff game. 

Durant suffered the injury at a team practice Wednesday after bumping knees with a teammate. He went through a pregame workout Saturday. The knee didn’t respond well. 

“Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said before the game.

Hopefully?

This changes everything. The Lakers could win this thing now. 

Funny enough, the only superstar on the court Saturday was the only guy in NBA history to reach Season 23.

The Lakers’ LeBron James celebrates against the Rockets on Saturday night. NBAE via Getty Images

LeBron James had 10 assists in the first half, tying his career high for assists in any half of a playoff game. He finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. 

Then there was Luke Kennard, who had a playoff career-high 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. 

But really, the win was by committee. Every Lakers starter scored in double figures. They outshot the Rockets 60.6% to 37.6% from the field and 52.6% to 33.3% from beyond the arc. 

“It has to be a collective group,” James said. “When you’re missing so much firepower, like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to pitch in. We all have to do our job. And even do a little bit more. Protect one another offensively and defensively and I think we did that tonight.”

The Lakers were really good. They played together. This might really be happening. 

If they can get past the Rockets, they have a good shot at getting Doncic and Reaves back. If that happens, anything could happen. Heck, they were considered championship contenders after going on a 16-2 run before losing their two best players in the same game with five regular-season contests left.

They were crushed. Dejected. Lost. 

Now, they’re believers again. But in the end, it all comes down to Durant’s knee. If he’s healthy, the scale will drastically tip again. 

Udoka said Durant got imaging on his knee, adding the injury was “nothing major.” 

“It’s very tender,” Udoka said. “Tough to bend in certain ways. Not a lot of swelling. But [someone] hit him in a very awkward spot, I guess. … Right above the knee, patellar tendon area, it’s just very tender. Like I said, pain tolerance is one thing. But actually limited movement is more of the cause.”

That doesn’t sound great.

Durant doesn’t miss games because he’s slightly banged up. He plays through bumps and bruises and discomfort. You don’t miss fewer than a handful of games in a season at age 37 otherwise.

If Durant doesn’t return soon, the Lakers could really pull this off.

It’s stunning. It’s shocking.

But for this team, those words have defined their season.

And this is just the latest curveball.

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Kennard scores 27, LeBron leads Lakers to surprising 107-98 win over Rockets in playoff opener

LOS ANGELES — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense. That disparity allowed the Lakers to win despite attempting just 66 shots — the fewest in an NBA game in the past three seasons — and giving up 21 offensive rebounds.

“That’s what it has to be — a collective group,” the 41-year-old James said after beginning his 19th NBA postseason. “When you’re missing so much firepower like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to do our job and maybe have to do a little bit more, protect one another offensively and defensively, and I think we did that tonight.”

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets. Amen Thompson added 17 points.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The Lakers acquired Kennard from Atlanta in early February, and the NBA’s most accurate 3-point shooter became a key reserve before he seized a major role over the past two weeks. He hit four 3-pointers in Game 1 while making nine of his first 12 shots.

Durant banged knees with a teammate in practice Wednesday. Reed Sheppard five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points, but the Rockets struggled to score consistently.

“We won a lot of areas, but just shot poorly,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “That’s going to be tough to beat, but there are some things we left on the table, opportunities missed.”

Los Angeles also got a boost from Marcus Smart, who had 15 points and eight assists with four 3-pointers. Smart said before the series that success would come down to “willpower” — and the Lakers clearly had more for starters.

Bronny James began the second quarter playing alongside his famous father in the first significant playoff minutes of the 21-year-old’s career.

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CJ McCollum rips Jalen Brunson for 'Broadway' performance after kick to groin

NEW YORK — Not only did Jalen Brunson take one below the belt, he also got criticized on top of it.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum’s leg kicked out during a jumpshot Saturday, April 18, striking Brunson in the groin, which eventually resulted in a technical foul, upon review. McCollum believes the review happened because Brunson embellished it after the fact.

“I shot a jumper and Jalen thought we were at a Broadway show,” McCollum told reporters after the Knicks’ 113-102 victory Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. “He acted it out until they reviewed it. It's a normal jump shot, nothing there. Unnecessary and I look forward to getting my ($2,000) back.”

More: How one defensive wrinkle makes Knicks real NBA championship contender

Technical fouls in the NBA trigger small fines. McCollum’s comments indicate that he thinks the call will be rescinded, though, given that it was assessed upon a review, he may eventually be disappointed.

The play came early in the second half, 20 seconds into the third quarter. McCollum was trying to evade Brunson, when he hopped backwards to create space for a jumper. Because he lifted his pivot foot, he was called for a travel, but as McCollum shot the ball, he kicked out his lead leg.

Brunson leapt in the air to contest the shot, but McCollum’s foot struck Brunson in the groin, sending him to the court, where he lay for several moments, writhing in apparent pain.

Brunson’s teammates appealed to officials, while Brunson took several moments to collect himself. Eventually, crew chief John Goble reviewed the play for a hostile act, and a technical foul was assessed to McCollum, leading to a free throw.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after he is kicked in the groin by Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum April 18, 2026 Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Because Brunson was still recovering from the play, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns took and made the technical free throw.

When asked after the game for his take on the play, Brunson downplayed it.

“It wasn’t purposeful so we move forward,” Brunson told reporters after the game.

Game 2 is scheduled for Monday, April 20, at Madison Square Garden.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CJ McCollum rips Jalen Brunson 'Broadway' performance after groin kick