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On Thursday, news broke that the Milwaukee Bucks will hire Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach. This came just 11 days after it was announced that Doc Rivers would no longer be coaching the team, which itself came out on the same day their 2025–26 season officially ended. If these were clues to a word game, the answer would be “decisive.” And for this, Bucks fans should be ecstatic.

The coaching search

Following Mike Budenholzer’s departure from Milwaukee after the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in 2023, the Bucks’ coaching charge has been a carousel of poor decisions. Yes, Adrian Griffin led the team to a 30-13 start to the 2023-24 season, and yes, Rivers was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame while coaching the Bucks. But anyone with a pair of eyes and some nous could tell you they weren’t the right men for the job. And boy, did we ever—especially with Rivers. Jack cited his poor clutch-time offence, Jackson called for his job after a loss to the Washington Wizards, Finn seemed prescient calling for a new coach—though not necessarily a first-timer, and Van took umbrage with Rivers following an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls. Of course, you could see it too—fans were done with Rivers by November. Ultimately, though, the Bucks’ head coaching failures have been part of a much larger separation-of-powers problem. The Jenkins hire suggests that balance may be restored.

First, it signals strategic patience. If the Bucks had done what we had all called for and fired Rivers mid-season, not only would it have been messy, but chances are it wouldn’t have been successful. A 2017 study by José A. Martínez found “that changing a coach [midseason] only improved performance in approximately 12% of cases, and instead decreased performance in approximately 5.20% of cases and had a neutral effect in the majority of cases (approximately 83%).” Similar results were found by Berry Tramel in 2018, who determined that only 37 of 152 midseason coaching changes in the previous 50 years had been successful, while the “overwhelming majority of changes didn’t seem to matter.” Of course, the Bucks only had to look back to their own midseason firing of Griffin and hiring of Rivers to know this. So, by keeping Rivers, the Bucks showed poise—that they’ve learned from past mistakes—avoiding a knee-jerk reaction in order to make a move at the right time—the offseason.

In addition, hiring Jenkins just 11 days after Rivers’ departure indicates the move was planned and that there is a clear direction moving forward. While some might have wanted a prolonged search that thoroughly interrogated every available option—or even waited for potential candidates to become available—we’ve seen that show before. Following Mike Budenholzer’s dismissal, the Bucks worked through an arduous Bachelor-like process that included initial groups of candidates before narrowing to finalists, eventually selecting Griffin—only to fire him less than eight months later. Conversely, the swiftness of Jenkins’ hiring signals conviction. Decisiveness. It declares, loud and proud, this is our guy, and we’re not mucking around. These sorts of decisions aren’t made when there’s doubt. And they certainly aren’t made when there’s a disjoint between the powers that be.

Finally, Jenkins’ hiring preserves optionality. Should Giannis sign an extension, Jenkins is the man for the job, a proven coach with multiple 50+ win seasons and four trips to the playoffs—in the vaunted West, no less (more on that below). But should Giannis request a move—or get traded if he doesn’t extend—and the Bucks rebuild, Jenkins is also the right man for the job, having excelled with youth and player development.

What to expect with Jenkins

Following a lengthy tenure as assistant coach under Budenholzer—five years with the Atlanta Hawks and one year in Milwaukee—Jenkins was hired as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies to start the 2019–20 season. There, he coached the team for five full seasons before being let go with just nine games left in the 2024-25 season. In that time, the Grizzlies were generally very successful, with Jenkins ranking first in franchise history for total wins as a coach (250) and third in winning percentage (53.9%) behind Lionel Hollins and Dave Joerger, who had the luxury of coaching Memphis through the Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley Jr., and Tony Allen-led “Grit and Grind” era. As the table below attests, the Grizzlies were immediately better once Jenkins was hired—and immediately worse when he was let go:

Jenkins began his head coaching career with a nearly brand-new Grizzlies squad. Franchise icon Marc Gasol had been traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a package headlined by Jonas Valanciunas during the 2018–19 season, while Mike Conley was traded to the Utah Jazz for Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, Jae Crowder, and draft picks in June. Key veteran Garrett Temple was traded for Avery Bradley the season before too, only for Bradley to be waived in July. In all, six of Memphis’ top seven players in minutes per game were gone.

Instead, Jenkins took over a team full of youth. Rookie Ja Morant led the team in minutes, followed by Crowder, third-year Dillon Brooks, sophomore Jaren Jackson Jr., Valanciunas, and rookie Brandon Clarke. Other key contributors included Kyle Anderson, sophomore De’Anthony Melton, sophomore Grayson Allen, and Solomon Hill. In total, seven of their top 11 players were 24 years or younger. Six had two or fewer years of experience. Still, they finished just one game out of the playoffs behind the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who they lost to 126-122 in the inaugural play-in game.

One year later, despite Jackson being limited to just 11 games, the Grizzlies would make the playoffs. Relying on even more youth—rookies Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman—Jenkins guided the Grizzlies to an overtime play-in win against the Stephen Curry and Draymond Green-led Golden State Warriors despite having just a 27.8% change of doing so to begin. Though they ultimately lost 4-1 to the Utah Jazz in the first round, the promise was evident.

In 2021–22, that promise came to fruition. Morant was named an All-Star, Most Improved Player, and made the All-NBA Second Team, and finished seventh in MVP voting. Jackson was named to the All-Defensive First Team and was fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Melton, Tyus Jones, and Clarke all received Sixth Man of the Year votes as the Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference. New acquisition Steven Adams was hugely impactful too, especially on the boards—he led the league in offensive rebounds—and when screening for Morant. In the playoffs, Memphis beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2 in the first round, before losing 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors in the semifinals.

2022–23 saw sustained regular-season success—a key marker for any coach. The Grizzlies again finished second in the West, as Morant was once again named an All-Star; Jackson earned DPOY and All-Defensive First Team honours; Brooks was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team; and Jones finished sixth in 6MOY voting. In the playoffs, however, the Grizzlies fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, 4-2, losing Game 6 by a whopping 40 points. It would be an omen of things to come.

The Grizzlies were decimated by injuries during 2023–24, with Adams missing the entire season, Morant limited to just nine games, and Bane playing only 42. Making matters worse, newly-acquired Marcus Smart—who the team had acquired as part of a three-team deal that saw Memphis give up Tyus Jones and two first-round draft picks—played just 20 games. All things considered, winning 27 games with Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson, John Konchar, David Roddy, and Ziaire Williams as five of your top eight players in total minutes is pretty impressive.

Jenkins’ final season with the Grizzlies, the 2024–25 season, seemed to have the writing on the wall from the beginning. Prior to the season, general manager Zach Kleiman overhauled the coaching staff, bringing in six new assistants to combat struggles with half-court offence. It seemed to be working too, with the Grizzlies going 35-16 to start the season. But after a 9-14 slump, Jenkins was fired, with Kleiman citing a need for “urgency” and “clarity of direction.” The Grizzlies, fifth in the Western Conference at the time Jenkins was dismissed, ended up eighth before being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. This year, they went just 25-57, finishing 13th.

So, what can Bucks fans take from all of this? Despite the Grizzlies’ half-court struggles on offence, they finished with an 11th-or-better ranked offence three times in five seasons under Jenkins (not including the injury-riddled 2023–24), twice finishing top six. Jenkins’ teams also tend to play with pace, finishing in the top eight five times. And while three-point volume hasn’t typically been a priority, there has been growth there too, with the early Jenkins-led Grizzlies finishing 23rd or 24th in attempts and the teams either side of that 2023–24 season finishing 11th and 13th. Defensively, Jenkins’ teams have consistently been strong, highlighted by three top-seven finishes, and have finished no worse than 14th in defensive rating. Both of these bode well for a Bucks team that was neither offensively nor defensively proficient this year, finishing 24th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating.

Jenkins’ Grizzlies also regularly succeeded as a rebounding team, something that was so obviously an area of need for this year’s Bucks (who finished 26th in rebound percentage). Again, excluding 2023–24, they had three top-10 finishes, including rankings in first and third, while never finishing below 14th. And while Steven Adams was certainly a pivotal part of Memphis’ success on the boards, Jenkins only had him for two seasons and 118 games. Similarly, he only had Valanciunas for two seasons and 132 games. Outside of these—and one season with Zach Edey (8.3 RPG)—Jenkins has never had a single player average over 6.8 RPG. This bodes well for a Bucks team that does have good individual rebounders—Giannis, Jericho Sims, Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr.—but hasn’t been able to get it done as a collective unit.

All things considered, Jenkins’ hiring is an inspired one. It represents a Bucks franchise that is back on the same page, while simultaneously giving it direction for both of its conceivable paths moving forward. Win now or youth movement, Jenkins is the man for the job. And with that big question mark decisively out of the way, Jon Horst and his team can now focus on the upcoming draft and free agency period to ensure that 2026–27 looks absolutely nothing like 2025–26.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to regain the momentum going as they take on the Toronto Raptors in Game 4.

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Go Cavs!

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Victor Wembanyama's status looms over Game 4, but our NBA player prop projections have found six other players you can bet on for this afternoon's matchup.

Looking to add to your NBA picks? Our comprehensive Spurs vs. Trail Blazers predictions for April 26 have you covered.

Spurs vs Trail Blazers computer picks for Game 4

Spurs	Trail Blazers
Champagnie o7.5 points -130	Henderson o2.5 assists  -150
Fox o17.5 points -115	Camara o9.5 points -130
Harper o2.5 assists  -145	Williams o7.5 rebounds  +110

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Spurs Game 4 computer picks

Julian Champagnie Over 7.5 points (-130)

Projection: 10.27 points

Julian Champagnie has cleared this modest points total in six of his last 10 games, and if Wemby ends up sitting, this will look like a bargain.

Champagnie scored nine points in Game 3, and his outside shooting will be depended on as the San Antonio Spurs look to take a 3-1 grip.

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De'Aaron Fox Over 17.5 points (-115)

Projection: 18.37 points

De'Aaron Fox has been a steady force for the Spurs over the last several games, clearing this point line in four of his last six, and finishing with exactly 17 in the two other games.

Fox will have plenty of time with the ball to eclipse this number.

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Dylan Harper Over 2.5 assists (-145)

Projection: 3.51 assists

Dylan Harper was a stud in Game 3, dropping 27 points in 29 minutes of play. He also collected three dimes while manning the bench unit, and he'll play a similar role this afternoon.

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Trail Blazers Game 4 computer picks

Scoot Henderson Over 2.5 assists (-150)

Projection: 5.03 assists

Five-star projection alert! Our model calls for Scoot Henderson to double this assist total, creating an excellent opportunity for a milestone market.

Scoot will get ample playing time, looking to set up his teammates as the Portland Trail Blazers look to even the series.

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Toumani Camara Over 9.5 points (-130)

Projection: 11.73 points

Toumani Camara put up a stinker in Game 3, but he finished with 10 points a game prior in Portland's lone series win. If the Blazers want to tie up the series, they'll need Camara to contribute. He'll get enough volume to go past this modest points total.

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Robert Williams III Over 7.5 rebounds (+110)

Projection: 8.56 rebounds

Robert Williams is a ferocious rebounder, pulling down nine boards in back-to-back outings off the bench. RW3 knows why he's on the floor, and that's to attack the glass. Our model likes him to haul in at least eight more rebounds this afternoon.

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How to watch Spurs vs Trail Blazers Game 4

Location	Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date	Sunday, April 26, 2026
Tip-off	3:30 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN

Not intended for use in MA.
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HOUSTON — When the calendar turns to February, an urgency is felt around the NBA. It’s one last opportunity to improve your team before the final stretch of the season. Front offices chase it. Fans demand it. Talking heads in sports try to speak it into existence.  

We’re talking about the blockbuster trade that creates the illusion that one transaction can completely change the course of a season and take a team that wasn’t a contender and somehow deliver it a championship. 

That was not the case when the Lakers pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, flipping Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. Doncic, who had dragged the Mavericks to the NBA Finals a season earlier, could not get the Lakers back to the mountaintop.

So when Feb. 5 rolled around this year, everyone in Lakers Nation expected another seismic shift to the roster.  

Instead, general manager Rob Pelinka made one quiet move. 

No Giannis Antetokounmpo. No Walker Kessler. No roster overhaul. No panic swing fueled by last year’s first-round exit to the Timberwolves. Just one relatively minor move on paper: Gabe Vincent out. Luke Kennard in. 

That was it. 

Fans in Los Angeles groaned and moaned at the restraint shown by Pelinka. They wanted more stars. 

And let’s not pretend the lack of moves by the Lakers wasn’t heavily criticized in the sports world, too. It was. Loudly. Prior to the deadline there were rumors of a reunion with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, potential targets of Andrew Wiggins and Lauri Markkanen. Even role players like Ayo Dosunmu or Saddiq Bey made sense. 

Critics pointed at the Lakers’ lackluster defense and said they needed “more three-and-D players.” The chorus echoed across every sports studio show and social media timeline. 

Why was Rui Hachimura, playing on an expiring contract, still on the roster?

Why was Dalton Knecht, who was traded at the deadline last year, still on the team?

If the Lakers don’t re-sign Austin Reaves, why not trade him for a superstar?

The reason is because Pelinka decided to bet on continuity. On chemistry. On the reality that sometimes the roster you already have deserves the chance to become something more than the sum of its parts. 

And in their first-round playoff series against the heavily favored Rockets, that bet looks a lot smarter than the noise that buried it back in February. 

Kennard was acquired to be a 3-point specialist off the bench. Someone who could space the floor for Doncic and give him another shooter to pass to when defenses collapse on him. A clean, reliable, catch-and-shoot option on a team that had too many point guards, making Vincent expendable. 

But the NBA postseason doesn’t care about your job description. 

With Doncic and Reaves sidelined, Kennard has morphed into something more valuable than a sniper off the bench. He’s a stabilizer. A secondary creator and ball handler. A calm pulse in moments that usually unravel teams — like the Rockets did in the final 25 seconds of regulation in Game 3. Kennard is initiating the Lakers’ offense and making decisions that won’t necessarily show up in the box score. Oh, and by the way, he still leads the league in 3-point percentage.

And let’s not forget about Hachimura — the same player fans were ready to ship out in February. Instead, he’s back in the starting lineup with Reaves out and doing what he’s quietly done in past postseasons: producing. Efficient scoring. Physical defense. And making game-winning plays when they matter most. 

It’s funny how patience sometimes gets rewarded with playoff wins. 

In keeping Reaves, Knecht, Hachimura and others at the deadline, the Lakers maintained the belief in their system. In the idea that development doesn’t always have to come from outside the building. Bronny James is contributing in the playoffs, too.

And this idea isn’t some accidental success story. It’s a philosophical one. 

Last year, the Thunder made no moves at the trade deadline. They stood pat while everyone else scrambled. No flashy superstar additions. No desperate swings for the fences. Just trust in their timeline. In the players inside that locker room, and the identity and chemistry they had built together. 

And that’s why they walked away with a championship. 

The Rockets made their blockbuster deal in the offseason — acquiring Kevin Durant from the Suns — and they’ve won fewer postseason games than they did last year. 

There’s a lesson in that, one the Lakers clearly studied.

Some trades can swing a season, like the Lakers in 2023. Others are for the future, like Doncic in 2025. But the reality is that most deadline deals don’t save you. 

The Lakers understood they weren’t one trade away. Not from a title or from relevance. So instead of chasing a shortcut that didn’t exist, they chose to keep the core and add Kennard.  

And now? They’re about to be one of the final eight teams still standing.

Will they win the championship? Probably not. Let’s not get carried away. But that was never guaranteed, no matter how many names you stapled onto the roster in February.

But what they have done is given themselves a puncher’s chance. An opportunity built on chemistry and cohesion, not chaos. 

In a league obsessed with constant movement, the Lakers chose stillness. 

At the time, it looked like hesitation. Now, it looks like conviction. 

It’s a lesson in that sometimes the smartest front office move isn’t the one that dominates all the headlines. It’s the one that resists them. 

And in a season in which everyone expected another blockbuster, the Lakers may have proved something far more dangerous. 

They didn’t need one.

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The Boston Celtics regained control of this series with a road win in Game 3 and can put the Philadelphia 76ers on the ropes with another in Game 4.

That's exactly what our Celtics vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks expect to happen at Xfinity Mobile Arena tonight.

Our best Celtics vs 76ers SGP for Game 4

The Boston Celtics thrive as the road favorite. Boston is 16-9 ATS in that position this season and 26-16 ATS overall in road games. The Philadelphia 76ers are below .500 ATS both as a home dog and in all home games.

The Game 3 result added to both trends.

Boston bounced back from a Game 2 loss by clamping down on the two players who burned them. VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points on 23-for-48 shooting and 11-for-22 from deep in Game 2.

Boston put Jayson Tatum on Edgecombe in game three, and both Philly shooters paid the price. They combined to hit just 17 of 47 shots and went 5-for-20 from beyond the arc.

I'm also targeting the Under. Boston plays at the slowest tempo in the NBA, and Philadelphia is at No. 15. All three games in the series have gone Under.

Philly has gone Under in 10 of 15 games as a home dog this season, while Boston has been Under 16 of 25 as a road favorite.

Lastly, Jayson Tatum is averaging 23 points in the playoffs and has scored 23 or more in nine of the last 10. He's a better bet than Jaylen Brown, whose points prop is 2.5 points below his playoff average, because Brown is less consistent with his scoring.

In his last eight, he has three games over 35 points and five at 26 or lower.

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Ninety seconds into the second half of last night’s 112-98 Knick win in Atlanta, cosplay analyst Reggie Miller declared the Hawks “on a heater.” In that minute and a half, they’d scored five points, cutting a 14-point deficit to nine.

Reggie Miller is full of shit. Was as a player, is as an announcer. He gets away with it because no one who works with him really cares. His name and his game are his CV. And we’re stuck with it. There’s too much bullshit everywhere to know where to start shoveling.

Had the Knicks lost, they’d have nearly completed digging their own grave. Instead the series is all square heading back to New York for Tuesday’s Game 5. If you know anything about the 1960 World Series, you know one team can dominate a series and still lose. That’s been the story this series, with CJ McCollum twice reprising the role Bill Mazeroski made famous.

For once, the Knicks won a playoff game without any real tension or drama. The Hawks only lead of the game was a one-point edge in its early days; the Knicks led by double-digits most of the way. Besides OG Anunoby, no Knick played more than 34 minutes, yet heroes abounded. I’m focusing on Towns today because I’m still trying to make sense of the bizarre points Reggie Miller kept making.

A major pet peeve of mine (is that redundant?) is when sports media people say “People don’t realize how good Jalen Johnson is.” Of course we do. He was a first-round draft pick from a major college program, is an All-Star and by the end of his current contract will have earned over $160 million. You’re the media. If news need be spread, start spreading it.

After a nice drive by Towns, Miller: “Everybody just thinks he’s a stretch big.” Naz Reid is a stretch big. Steve Novak was a stretch big. Wanna go way back? Terry Mills. In KAT’s two years in New York his 3-point rate’s fallen to its lowest levels since the Knicks’ leading scorers was Kevin Knox. Towns is a six-time All-Star who led the league in defensive rebounds this season and finished just two behind Ivica Zubac last season. We know who he is.

The undersized Hawks know it, too. Five years ago when these teams met in the playoffs, the Mitchell Robinson-less Knicks showed up to a knife fight with Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson. Now Atlanta’s the team looking light up top. Towns led both teams in points and assists, had only two turnovers, tied OG Anunoby for most rebounds and got to the line nine times. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen him push this team over the finish line in a big spot. It won’t be the last.

The third (but by no means final) stupid thing Miller uttered came in the fourth, after Towns set a pick and Dyson Daniels collided with . . . maybe his solar plexus? Once playing football I got completely flipped over in mid-air and came down hard directly on the ball, which was pointing upwards and went right into my solar plexus. The weirdness and intensity of the pain swelled into my whole universe. I couldn’t talk or think or process; all I could do was hurt. A lot. After the Daniels collision, Miller noted, sagaciously, “Towns instantly knew it, too.”

Evidently KAT’s nerves are working just fine. Hopefully his team’s are better after a win as convincing as any the Knicks have had in a while. Humans are humans; we never know what goes on behind the scenes in the lives and interactions of the athletes we follow, but I couldn’t help watching the intensity New York played with last night and think, “If they’d just play like this every night, they’d win it all. Why don’t they play like this all the time?”

That question applies to Towns as much as any New York athlete I’ve watched since Jorge Julio. In one first-half stretch he committed an absurd offensive foul, missed an uncontested lay-up alone under the basket, rebounded it and missed the five-foot follow. What came next? A gorgeous off-hand and-one high off glass, natch. Soon after he made another tough Euro/hesi runner, right before his best sequence of the night: joining the offense as the trailer, wide-open for his favorite 3, only instead he dished to a cutting Josh Hart, who found OG in the corner, who swung to Brunson for the uncontested triple.

Certainly helped that Mike Brown was willing to sit Mikal Bridges the last 20 minutes in favor of Deuce McBride. I remember when Quentin Grimes seemed pointed toward a role in the starting backcourt, only he seemed too timid or unsure how to run with it. Immanuel Quickley did not. Neither did McBride. I’m not saying Bridges is timid. I’m saying we have two years of evidence that replacing him with Deuce is like Popeye getting his spinach.

I don’t sports-hate Bridges at all. But even last season he struck me as ideal coming off the bench — better for the team and for him, letting him get going offensively against non-starters. I don’t care how many late first-round picks he cost. He may be their least essential starter, but he’s still a good player who does a lot for them. If they’re getting to or winning the Finals, they need Bridges.

Quoth The Antisola: “[KAT] was fantastic.” If this year ends up as a success, it’ll mean KAT was fantastic much of the rest of the way. I’d like to project he and the Knicks to have figured out everything they needed to after Game 3, and that they roll over the Hawks the next two games. I’m afraid he’ll commit two dumb fouls in the first 90 seconds of Game 5 and have to go to the bench. Machiavelli said it’s better to be feared than loved. If that’s the case, I’m afraid I’ll never love Towns as much as I’d like to.

But Machiavelli’s dead! Worm food long ago. Towns and the Knicks are still very much alive. Hopefully that’s the feeling they’ll leave their fans with after tomorrow’s Game 5.

Wow, what an odd few days for Spurs fans, including this one.  First, we saw our best player live out an expression that never actually happens in real life: “he fell flat on his face”.  The Spurs then lost that game, which ESPN claimed they had a 98% chance of winning with 8 minutes and 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter.  At home. 

We then had to try to determine how long Victor would be out of action.  Would his youth overcome the average seven day layoff for players who suffer concussions?  Or would the fact that his face fell over seven feet before hitting the court overwhelm his youth so that he would be out more than the seven day average?  

Would he even be on the team plane to Portland?  I even looked at whether it would be better to rent a big RV and drive Victor to Portland, until Google maps told me that it would take 31 hours to drive to Portland.  Yet another reason the Spurs would have preferred to play Phoenix in the 2-7 match-up: it’s only a 14 hour drive.  

We were relieved to learn that Victor was well enough to travel with the team to Portland (in the plane, not in my imagined RV).  And then the internet showed him at the team shoot-around in Portland, shooting threes, messing around with his teammates, and looking healthy and happy.  In my mind, that increased his odds of playing from 2% to about 20%, but no more. Of course, the 80% or 98% prevailed, and the Spurs correctly held Victor out of Game 3.

Now, a personal detour.  For reasons not relevant to any other Spurs fans, I could not watch Game 3.  Don’t ask.  Anyway, I was in a place with spotty internet connections, and was forced to check in on the game with occasional access to ESPN and the score of the game.  It looked OK when I checked in early and game was close. I lost contact for a while, and my last opportunity to see the score showed the Spurs down 14 points late in the third quarter. ESPN showed Portland with an 87.5% chance to win, and that was the last score I could see for several hours.  

During those hours, I played out the rest of the series in my head.  I assumed Victor might be able to play Sunday’s game, but it was at best 50/50.  If he didn’t play, the Spurs would likely lose, and go down 3-1 in the series.  While the Spurs might be able to come back from that deficit, the odds are that they would not.  And our joyous regular season would turn into a “we could have been a contender” instead of any of the possible much better outcomes.

When I got home, I checked Pounding the Rock just to see the final score of the Spurs’ loss, only to see that the Spurs had won! All the scenarios I played out in my head disappeared. The best “late night check of your phone” ever. I slept much better than I expected to, and my Saturday flight to Mexico City with my wife and daughter was much more pleasant than I expected.  I was surely much more pleasant to travel with.

But the Spurs surprising win over the Blazers was not the only odd thing in those 24 hours.  

The Lakers came back from down 6 points in the last minute of regulation to beat the Rockets in OT on Friday night, taking a 3-0 lead over the Rockets without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.  No one had that on their bingo card. 

And on Saturday night, the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets despite losing two starters, including Anthony Edwards, in the first half. He reportedly avoided ligament damage but is expected to miss a few weeks. It looks like the other injured starter, Donte DiVincenzo, has a torn achilles and out for a very long time — possibly all of next season. But just as no one predicted, some guy named Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench to score 43 points on 13-17 shooting, including 12-12 from the line and 5-5 from three. The broken Wolves are now up 3-1 over the Nuggets.

In about 24 hours, the Spurs went from possibly going down 3-1, and even if they won, having to go through Denver and OKC to get to the NBA Finals to being up 2-1 and possibly having to  go through a Wolves team without Edwards and DiVincenzo to get to the Western Conference Finals.  

To cap it off, we had chorizo, guacamole and grasshopper tacos for dinner.  As I said, an odd few days. Let’s see what odd things happen in Game 4 against the Blazers. 

It is Sunday, April 26. Here are today’s NBA playoff games and times.

• Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors — 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)  
• San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers — 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)  
• Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers — 7:00 p.m. ET (NBC)  
• Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets — 9:30 p.m. ET (NBC)  

That’s your full Sunday slate—four games, ESPN early and NBC handling the night games. Be happy that you don’t have to have Amazon today (if you don’t like Amazon), and enjoy the basketball.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to make quick work of the Houston Rockets with a win in Game 4 tonight.

We break down Kalshi’s win probability markets and deliver some Lakers vs. Rockets predictions to help guide your NBA picks for Sunday, April 26.

Who will win Lakers vs Rockets Game 4?

Lakers win probability:62% (-163)
Rockets win probability:40% (+150)

Even at a 3–0 deficit, Houston is once again the favorite, trading at 62¢ to stay alive against Los Angeles.

Our prediction:Lakers to win

It’s time to put the Rockets out of their misery and wrap up the series early.

The Lakers will surely value rest for the players who fought through the series while they anxiously anticipate the return of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.

Expect the Lakers to put the final nail in the coffin of a highly dysfunctional Rockets season.

Read more in Zak Hanshew's full Lakers vs. Rockets predictions.

More Lakers vs Rockets prediction markets

You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Lakers vs. Rockets at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.

You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Rockets -5.5 spread means the Rockets will cover, while "No" means the Lakers will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using the Covers odds converter).

Lakers vs Rockets spread and total at prediction markets

Our predictions: Over 206.5 points — Yes

After Friday’s 220-point total, the number has moved up just one point to 206.5, making it a value selection.

Other Lakers vs Rockets prediction markets available

• LeBron James 25+ points (Yes: 45¢)
• Alperen Sengun 6+ assists (Yes: 48¢)
• Deandre Ayton 8+ rebounds (Yes: 57¢)

What is Kalshi and how does it work?

Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts," which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Rockets win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.

How does Kalshi differ from sportsbooks?

In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.

Why should I wager on Lakers vs Rockets at Kalshi?

Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:

1. Flexibility: Unlike a "locked-in" bet, you can sell your contract at any time.
   
   
2. Transparency: You trade against other users, which can allow you to find better value.
   
   
3. Federal regulation: As a CFTC-regulated exchange, your funds are held in a secure, transparent environment.
   
   
4. Availability: Kalshi is available in 49 states (excluding Nevada) and D.C., including many regions where traditional sportsbooks aren't yet legal.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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Victor Wembanyama's availability has been the story of this Round 1 series between the Spurs and Trail Blazers.

With him trending towards playing this afternoon, our Spurs vs. Trail Blazers predictions and SGP picks expect San Antonio to take full control of this series with a win.

Our best Spurs vs Trail Blazers SGP for Game 4

The San Antonio Spurs are 24-17-1 ATS on the road and 14-12-1 ATS as the road favorite. The visiting team covered the spread in 25 of 45 games when favored by at least 5.5 points, including a 10-7 mark when favored by that many on the road.

The Spurs were one of the best two-way teams in the Association this season. San Antonio boasted the second-best net rating (8.4), the third-best offensive rating (118.7), and the third-best defensive rating (110.4).

Five of six head-to-head matchups between the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers have gone Under the total, and with tonight's number sitting at 219, I expect that trend to continue in Game 4.

With Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama back in action, the Spurs can lock down Portland’s offense and keep this matchup low-scoring.

Wembanyama delivered 35 points in Game 1 before getting concussed in Game 2 and missing most of the contest. Including that shortened stint on the court, Wemby has averaged 29.7 points over his last 18 games, scoring 28+ 10 times.

He’s cashed the Over on this scoring line in five of his last six healthy games.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.