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There’s a whole other article here that’s tempting to write.

Several, even. How about “If the Rockets lose to the Lakers, Ime Udoka should be on the hot seat”? That is a position that could easily be justified. Luka Doncic is out for Game 1, and questionable for Game 2. Austin Reaves is questionable for the entire series. The Lakers are compromised.

The games still have to be played. Many NBA predictions have been wrong. What ought to happen on paper may not play out on the floor. The Rockets need to identify advantages beyond sheer talent, barring early returns from Doncic and Reaves.

Luckily, one jumps off the page.

The Rockets are tougher than the Lakers

There are stats, and then there’s the immeasurable. Let’s knock out the stats first.

Rebounding is as good a measure of toughness as we have. The Rockets’ 54.5% Rebounding Percentage leads the NBA. The Lakers’ 49.9% mark lands 12th.

Defense is linked to toughness, too. The gap there is larger. Houston’s Defensive Rating ranks sixth (112.1). The Lakers’ 115.5 ranked 20th. Granted, that mark came with All-No-Defense first-teamers Doncic and Reaves in the fold. That’s a fair point, but the counterpoint is that replacing them with Marcus “Toughness Personified” Smart and Jake “Don’t Call Me Doncic” LaRavia (a solid player to be fair) is not a net positive.

Almost any measure of toughness favors the Rockets. Loose balls recovered? Houston’s 5.0 per game ranked third, where the Lakers’ 4.2 ranked 15th (which reflects the small margins in this stat above all else). About the only argument for Los Angeles’ toughness is their league-leading 0.74 charges drawn per game. If you think the Lakers can win this one by drawing a charge every other night, I would recommend avoiding sports betting.

Those are the numbers. Now, let’s talk about what we intuitively know:

The Rockets are a lot tougher than the Lakers.

Smart is the exception. Unfortunately for him, he’s 6’3″. The simple solution here is to have Amen Thompson hunt him on offense. Thompson has a similar mentality in a much larger frame: He will win this wrestling match.

Deandre Ayton is an interesting case. He’s a human block of granite, but toughness has not been his forte. He is notably stronger than Alperen Sengun, and moving stronger players has, at times, proven difficult for him. I’d like to say Sengun is tougher (I think he is), but it’s not quantifiable. What can be comfortably said is that he’s more agile, so Sengun should lean into his face-up game and take Ayton off the dribble as often as possible.

Let’s move away from individual matchups. The broader idea is this: Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. need to be bullying LaRavia, Luke Kennard, and Rui Hachimura off the floor.  They need to leave a 41-year-old LeBron James physically exhausted. Physicality is the key to this series for the Rockets:

Luckily, that’s Ime Udoka’s speciality.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry put on an all-time performance Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, and proved anyone and everyone who ever doubted him, or the Warriors, wrong again.

Curry scored 35 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute left in the game, to lead Golden State to a 126-121 victory to eliminate the Clippers and set up a game against the Phoenix Suns for the No. 8 seed in the West.

He left it all on the floor, putting in 36 minutes of work. The Warriors and their fans are leaning on Curry to repeat that performance against Phoenix on Friday, April 17. It's not a matter of will he do it, but whether his body will allow him.

Will the Warriors have their best player available in the NBA Play-In game against the Suns? Here's what to know:

Will Steph Curry be available vs. Suns in NBA Play-In game?

Curry has battled a nagging knee injury throughout the season, but it seems that he's not feeling any pain, or significant enough pain to keep him from competing for a chance at the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Curry was not on the injury list and appears to be healthy and available to play against the Suns on April 17, according to the NBA injury report, as of 8:30 p.m. ET on April 16.

Steph Curry injury history

Curry missed 27 regular-season games from Feb. 3 to April 2 with patella-femoral pain syndrome, a bone bruising in his right knee. The persistent pain sidelined Curry until late in the season as he geared up for a postseason run.

Curry returned on April 5 against the Houston Rockets, appearing in three of the Warriors' final five regular-season games. The rest prepared him for a battle with the Clippers in a do-or-die situation.

There was an early scare in the game after Curry went to the locker room in the first quarter. It was unclear as to what happened, but concern crept in as Curry missed time with Golden State during the regular season due to what the team previously told USA TODAY Sports was runners' knee.

Curry returned to the game at the 7:59 mark of the second quarter. It was like nothing happened. He showed up when his team needed him most, connecting on a 3-point shot with 50 seconds left to lead the way to victory.

Curry celebrated by passionately screaming and stomping his feet so hard, it appeared he nearly rolled his ankle, but the grip from his retro Nikes, a pair of Kobe IV Protros, held.

That ankle was ready to turn but the Protro’s held up https://t.co/4hp9CVgiyrpic.twitter.com/xVgTV5CFY9

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) April 16, 2026

The season might be over (at last), but that doesn’t mean your interest wanes—or the coverage stops. With this in mind, we present to you our end-of-season player pop quizzes. Each quiz focuses on a single Buck, posing three “totals” based questions, two “advanced stats” based questions, and one “obscure” question about their 2025-26 campaign. Six questions, total. For the culture. So, are you truly the Bucks sicko you think you are? Dip your feet in the water with Milwaukee’s all-time best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and find out.

Season in a snippet

Giannis made noise this year, mostly for all the wrong reasons. On the court, he was his typical dominant self. But, for the first time in his career, he was off the court more often than he was on it thanks to a litany of lower limb injuries—groin strains, calf strains turning to soleus strains, ankle injuries, and hyperextensions. The result: a career-low 36 games after playing at least 61 games in each of his previous 12 seasons—and investigations into the Bucks’ decision to “tell [him] to not play.” Unlucky number 13, huh?

Of course, other noise started prior to the season—leading us to reflect on his Bucks legacy—and discussion about his future popped up like weeds throughout the season. Despite Giannis confirming his commitment to Milwaukee in January and again in August, the rumours persisted, leading to Bucks’ owners publicly declaring he will be extended or he’ll be traded this offseason. And now, here we are, with all of this taking its toll and a majority of Bucks fans ready to trade Giannis regardless of what he wants.

Tantalising totals

(1) “Point-Giannis” garnered much attention prior to the season. How many times did he have double-digit assists?

Click to reveal answer Twice, vs. Charlotte (18) and Denver (11).

(2) Giannis had 40+ points just twice this season, both in the first nine games. Which teams were these against?

Click to reveal answer Cleveland (40) and Chicago (41).

(3) True or false: Giannis had more games with zero blocks than he did games with one or more blocks?

Click to reveal answer True, 19 games of zero vs. 17 games with one or more.

Atypically advanced

(1) True or false: Giannis’ PER this year was a career high?

Click to reveal answer True, 32.6 this year vs. 32.1 in 2021–22.

(2) True or false: Giannis had a career-high usage percentage this year?

Click to reveal answer False, 37.0% this season vs 38.8% in 2022–23.

Obscure optics   

(1) Which other Buck did Giannis pair up with to form his best two-man lineup (with a +8.5 net rating)?

Click to reveal answer Cole Anthony.

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How did you fare? Share your score in the comments and don’t forget to drop your thoughts along with it—which stat stands out?

The Knicks' playoff run begins on Saturday night when they open the first round against the hot Atlanta Hawks. 

Game 1 will be a feel-out process for both teams, but the Knicks will need to take care of the glass and defend the three-point line well to take early control of the series.

Here are three keys to the series opener...

Getting Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns going early

New York’s All-Star tandem of Brunson and Towns is a lethal one-two punch. Both are capable of carrying New York’s offense for long stretches on their own. But as we’ve learned, there is power in teamwork.

One of the largest criticisms at times is the lack of synergy they have in playing together. As this season wore on, we saw both players build chemistry and unite. Down the stretch of New York’s wins against the Hawks and the Boston Celtics last week, the Brunson and Towns two-man game hummed. 

Towns has a massive physical advantage in this series. The Hawks are guarding him with center Onyeka Okongwu and beyond the 6-10 starter, there’s not many other viable defenders for Atlanta to use. They could go to Jalen Johnson or one of their wings, but Towns and the Knicks should be able to handle any defensive strategy from the Hawks.

After establishing a pick-and-roll offense that works with Brunson and Towns, it would be less than ideal to go backwards now. New York should lean into their two stars more during this run.

Control the boards

The Knicks were seventh in offensive rebound rate this season. They owe that top-10 finish almost entirely to Mitchell Robinson.

In the seven-footer’s 1,175 minutes, the Knicks collected 39.5 percent of their misses, per NBA Stats, a figure that would lead the NBA. In 2,776 minutes with Robinson on the bench, that number dropped to 29.8 percent, a more pedestrian 17th in the league.

Against this smaller Hawks lineup, the Knicks should increase Robinson’s playing time after he averaged just 19.6 minutes in 60 games.

Head coach Mike Brown might need Robinson to crack 25 minutes, a number he reached just seven times all season. That could mean more double big lineups with Robinson and Towns.

In New York’s win last week against Atlanta, the Hawks had 19 offensive caroms. So it’s not a guarantee that the Knicks will automatically outrebound the Hawks. Controlling the glass on both ends will be important to controlling the pace and slowing down Atlanta’s up-tempo offensive attack.

Contain Hawks' three-point shooters

The Knicks did not defend the three-pointer well this season, giving up the fifth-most three-point attempts to opponents per 100 possessions, and allowing teams to shoot 36.2 percent from three, 20th in the NBA.

The Hawks are dangerous on the perimeter, finishing fifth in three-point shooting percentage (37.1 percent) in the NBA this season. They have several players on the roster capable of going off.

Specifically, containing Nickeil Alexander-Walker should be a top priority for the Knicks. The Most Improved Player of the Year candidate erupted for 36 points in New York’s last game against Atlanta, knocking down seven trifectas.

Okongwu has evolved into a stretch-five. He made 37.6 percent of his threes this season. Veteran CJ McCollum is a career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, and Johnson shot a respectable 35.2 percent from behind the arc. 

Most of Atlanta’s core rotation can do damage from deep. And if they knock down shots from outside, they all are capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim. With the Hawks looking to run, they will be searching for transition three-point attempts.

New York’s wing trio of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart will be relied upon to defend the perimeter better and get out to shooters to secure the win.

BOSTON — Jrue Holiday’s two-year tenure in Boston technically ended in May. After he was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers, Jrue and his wife, Lauren, packed up their family and moved to Portland, where the two-time NBA champion would join a younger, up-and-coming squad hoping to punch their first ticket to the playoffs since 2021 (spoiler alert: on Tuesday, they did just that).

But, though they physically left the city last summer, the Holidays’ off-court impact in Boston hasn’t waned. In fact, their philanthropic collaboration with Jaylen Brown — which started a year and a half ago — is only growing.

How Jrue Holiday impacted Boston in two years

Holiday only spent two years in Boston, but it’s hard to describe his stint as anything other than a massive success. After earning All-Defensive honors and shooting a career-high 42.9% from three in the Celtics’ title year, he served as a pivotal part of the dominant 2024 championship run, responsible for key steals and defensive stops.

But off the court, his impact in the city extended even deeper than his on-court play, though much of his philanthropic involvement flew under the radar. Just a few months after the successful title run, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Lauren Holiday together launched the Boston Creator Accelerator, an incubator aimed at supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Greater Boston Area.

The Accelerator provided 10 creators with monetary grants totaling $1 million — as well as mentorship, resources, and direct access to Brown and the Holidays.

Year 1 of the partnership was an undeniable success. The Boston Creator Accelerator invested in ten startups, including the: Future Master Chess Academy, a chess academy for underserved communities that focuses on lifelong skills; Little Cocoa Bean Company, a cafe that creates culturally diverse and nutritious food for toddlers and kids; PYNRS, a streetwear-inspired performance running apparel company, and Everybody Gotta Eat, a food culture and catering company, among others.

Brown, who launched Boston XChange last season in hopes of supporting entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, was thrilled to collaborate with the Holidays.

“Sometimes, you’re asking other guys, they’ve been advised not to be involved because of whatever reason, I don’t know,” Brown said last season. “But Jrue and Lauren Holiday are great people. They’ve been doing this everywhere they go.”

It’s true: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Foundation has operated in five cities since its launch in 2020: Los Angeles (Jrue’s hometown), Indianapolis (Lauren’s hometown), New Orleans (where Jrue played for seven years), Milwaukee (where Jrue won his first NBA title), and, now, in Boston.

In its first four years, the fund awarded grants of $25,000 to $50,000 to more than 150 Black-owned businesses and charities, while providing mentorship and resources that oftentimes far exceeded the financial support. Since launching, the monetary investment and hands-on support have continued to grow.

Though Jrue Holiday now lives in Portland, he’s investing in yet another Boston Accelerator Fund co-hort

For Lawyer Times, a lifelong chess player and instructor who had doubled as a post office worker for more than 40 years, the financial investment allowed him to retire from his day job and go all-in on the Future Masters Chess Academy. Lawyer’s wife, Angela, credits Brown and the Holidays for their unwavering belief in the vision.

“The Holidays have such a giving spirit,” Angela Times said. “They just want to create community and bring people together.”

Since joining the Boston Creator Accelerator, the Academy’s annual revenue increased from $50,000 to $300,000, said Renee King, who helps lead the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund.

“They all attribute it to the training the village that was wrapped around them, with the resources from all of the partners,” King said.

The initial cohort’s success has compelled Brown and the Holidays to bring in an additional cohort for Year 2. With the playoffs around the corner, they’re together investing another $1 million into ten businesses, with applications closing on April 21st.

Urina Harrell, the CEO of Vox Pop Branding, has long worked on the marketing side of the JLH Fund.  

“This is a true partnership between the JLH Fund and the Boston XChange,” she said.

King said that Jrue and Lauren never considered ending their investment in the Boston community just because he was traded.

“Their ethos has always been any city that we are, that we’ve inducted into the JLH, we’re still locked into those cities, regardless of if they’re there to play,” King said. “They’re just used to the fact of like, this is what they were put here for, right? They come in, they touch lives, and then they go; they get pulled to another place, to do the same. We were still going to be locked in on Boston.”

Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown have influenced lawmakers on Capitol Hill

The Boston Creator Accelerator could have ramifications that extend far beyond the city; the start-up has also helped inform a new piece of legislation that is pending in Congress, the SPARK Act to Supercharge Minority Entrepreneurship Nationwide. The bill, introduced in February, is meant to spur entrepreneurship and increase access to capital and resources for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide.

“Yes, this is a great pilot. But, the work that’s being done here is being used to shape policy, and we know once we shape policy, then that’s the bigger ripple effect, right?” King said. “Like, we can help more people, because that’s the goal. The goal is to have more people coming together to help more businesses that are creating solutions that all of our entire world needs.”

For now, Boston will continue to benefit from the athletes’ private investment. And, King said it’s been a wonderful city to work in, in large part because of how collaborative the partners that Brown and the Holidays have brought in have been. That list includes

“You have so many folks who are just willing to work together, from government, private institutions, the athletes — it was a very good ethos,” King said. “It was a great place for this pilot to launch, to grow it, because you had so many things within that space that you could pull together. And the energy from everyone, the community around pulling it together was really great.”

Applications close on April 21st, and interested entrepreneurs can apply here.

“We’re looking forward to adding more people to the family,” King said.

The Trail Blazers’ playoff run begins on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs. As the team’s fourth-leading scorer, Holiday will be a crucial part of the team’s upset chances. Across the country, the Celtics begin their playoff run the very same day.

But Jrue Holiday and the city of Boston will forever be linked — even if the Hall of Fame guard never again dons Celtics green.

“Once you’re in the family, you’re always in the family,” King said. “That’s literally the ethos.”