CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 20: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during round one Game two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers grinded out a sometimes ugly 115-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead. Much of that success was due to their defense and how they shut down forward Brandon Ingram, thanks in part to the services of Dean Wade. Toronto’s leading scorer was held to just seven points on 3-15 shooting.
Afterward, Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković acknowledged that he liked Ingram’s aggressiveness and that they need him to keep shooting if they’re going to get back into the series. “I got absolute support for him. He’s going to make his shots.”
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But then, when asked about Ingram just before his postgame press conference ended, he decided to bring up one more thing related to Ingram’s struggles.
“Cleveland is playing with a lot of physicality,” Rajaković said. “They’re very prideful of their physicality, and their whole team was very, very physical with Brandon. So far me, it’s very interesting that he had zero free throws in this game. That’s kind of like, very interesting. Seeing zero takes, zero makes, it’s interesting.”
Rajaković wasn’t alone in feeling this way. Toronto forward RJ Barrett didn’t want to outright criticize the officials. Instead, he chose his words wisely when asked about his coach’s comments.
“I don’t know what to say on that one without getting fined,” Barrett said. “I’m not going to say anything.”
Then, he relented.
“Physicality or not, something has to be a foul at some point.”
The final free-throw totals wouldn’t necessarily back up these claims. Toronto took 17 free throws while the Cavs took 22. That’s a disparity, but not an overwhelming one.
Still, it is interesting that the Raptors have pointed to the Cavs’ physicality as being a factor in this series, considering that it has previously been an issue for this team. We’ll see how this storyline develops — particularly in terms of Ingram’s struggles — as the series shifts to Toronto for Game 3.
The Knicks blew a largest lead of 14 points and were outscored by the Hawks, 28-15, in the fourth quarter of a 107-106 Game 2 loss Monday night at MSG.
Takeaways
Initially, New York's depth showed. Mike Brown's rotation work in 10 players and netted six double-figure scorers. Chief among them, off the bench, Mitchell Robinson dropped 11 of his 13 points in the first half. Robinson, who added six first-half rebounds, asserted himself in the early action while Karl-Anthony Towns took time to get going. All five of the Knicks' starters ultimately performed -- until late -- taking the load off of Jalen Brunson and Towns until they respectively hit their strides, but Robinson's initial dominance was especially key.
A do-it-all effort by Josh Hart showed up on both ends, especially in the first quarter when the Knicks needed a boost. Hart's 15-point, 13-rebound double-double is the type of performance that takes New York to a different level when Brunson and Towns are contained. As mentioned, the Knicks' co-stars collectively found their way when they came alive in the third and fourth quarters. Hart's first-half surge -- like Robinson, Hart was already in double figures with 10 points while adding seven rebounds and four assists -- is a difference-making effort when the opposition briefly contains Brunson and Towns.
Speaking of Towns, he struggled to come through in the first half with only four points on just three shots. Give Towns credit for his aggressiveness in the third quarter. With the Knicks holding a 61-54 halftime lead after Mikal Bridges' buzzer-beating jumper, Towns' 14 third-quarter points helped push New York's 91-79 advantage entering the game's final 12 minutes. The Knicks would have liked more from Towns in the fourth quarter, though, where he was held scoreless.
His running mate, Brunson, willed the Knicks with a team-high 29 points. Those included a game-tying trey, 103-103, with 1:23 left in the fourth quarter and a last-ditch effort to keep the Knicks alive after a triple at the eight-second mark. On 10-of-26 shooting, though, Brunson had his misses. He needed more around him late. Bridges' attempt at the game-winning shot missed after CJ McCollum's two rare missed free throws with five seconds left.
Who's the MVP?
McCollum. Despite his inability to put the game on ice in the final seconds, he scored a game-high 32 points that allowed the Hawks to storm back, challenge New York in crunch time and ultimately steal Game 2.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 20: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Toronto Raptors during round one Game two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
30 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
This was another dynamic scoring game from Mitchell. He opened the night with a handful of ridiculous jumpers, including a one-legged fadeaway at the end of the shot clock.
Mitchell continued to apply pressure to Toronto’s defense as the game went on. The Raptors did their best to show additional help and get the ball out of his hands. But Mitchell was still able to deal significant damage despite seeing multiple defenders on every other possession.
Grade: A+
James Harden
28 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals
Harden drilled a tough step-back three-pointer over a Raptors double-team in the second quarter, and that wasn’t even his most impressive shot of the period. One possession later, he dropped Scottie Barnes and nailed another three-pointer.
His mastery of the pick-and-roll put the Cavs in front during Game 1. In Game 2, Harden’s elite shot-making neutralized even the best of Toronto’s defense.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Mobley might be ascending before our eyes. He’s playing with the most confidence we’ve seen from him in a playoff setting. He feasted in the paint any time the Raptors fed him a smaller wing. And when they tried to stick a larger player like Mamu on him, Mobley would burst around him for a bucket.
“Aggressive, put his head down and got to the rim, trying to dunk on people,” said James Harden of Mobley after the game. “He recognized that ‘hey, they’re switching pick-and-rolls so I gotta get it, or crash the offensive rebounds’.”
This is the version of Mobley that can help the Cavs reach their ultimate ceiling. Head-hunting for mismatches and filling in as a play-finisher to complement his two star guards.
Grade: A+
Jarrett Allen
10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks
The box score isn’t always going to reflect Allen’s impact as the games are dominated by Harden, Mitchell and Mobley. Still, while I think Allen’s value was much larger than the stats suggest, this wasn’t his best performance. Specifically, on the glass, where Allen had just 1 rebound going into halftime and finished with 3 boards overall.
This is a team sport, obviously, and the Cavs were not getting bruised on the boards by any means. But this is still an area you want Allen to be more present — considering how poorly this category has gone for him in the past.
But don’t get it wrong. Allen’s size advantage in the paint has proven to be a massive issue for the Raptors as they struggle to establish themselves on either end of the floor.
Grade: C
Dean Wade
3 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Wade’s showing his worth as a wing defender in this series. He played a huge role in shutting down Brandon Ingram in the second half of Game 1 and contributed to holding Ingram to 3-15 shooting to go with 5 turnovers.
That’s elite, and it’s a huge relief for anyone who has been waiting to see this version of Wade in the postseason.
“It’s a luxury to have a 6’9″ wing that we can use as a stopper,“ said Kenny Atkinson after the game. ”He’s been phenomenal so far.”
I still think the Cavs can use more from Wade on offense. The Raptors seemed to bet against him doing anything with the ball throughout this game and successfully jammed up a few possessions as a result.
Grade: A
Max Strus
6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
The Strus never quite got loose in this one. He was far cry from the 24 points he poured on Toronto in Game 1. Nevertheless, he drilled a momentum-swinging shot in the fourth quarter and kept the defensive intensity turned up throughout the game.
Grade: C-
Keon Ellis
0 points, 2 steals
Ellis was disruptive with his hands tonight. He broke up a few plays and amped up the Cleveland crowd with his hustle.
Still, it’d be nice to make a single shot. Just one?
Grade: D
Jaylon Tyson
3 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds,
Tyson looked less frenzied than in his debut. I actually think getting into a brief scuffle in the second half calmed his nerves a little bit. Attention to detail and focus are the main things I’m watching for as Tyson gets his Playoff legs under him. Tonight was a small step forward, but progress nonetheless.
Grade: D+
Sam Merrill
5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Merrill hit a timely three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Other than that, the Cavs simply need more from him. He fights hard on defense, but that isn’t what’s going to keep him on the floor in playoff time. We need an injection of Merrill Mania sooner rather than later.
Grade: D+
Dennis Schroder
5 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound
The Cavs are flat-out going to need more from Schroder if he’s going to stay in the rotation. He hasn’t found many gaps in the defense and is conceding a major size advantage to the Raptors, even if he’s a scrappy guy who plays bigger than his height.
A Tuesday night tripleheader of NBA playoff games on NBC and Peacock wraps up with the Los Angeles Lakers playing host to the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their first-round series.
The Lakers won 107-98 in Game 1 despite the absence of injured scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) as four-time NBA MVP LeBron James had 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. The Rockets are playing without injured leading scorer Kevin Durant (knee).
This is the 10th playoff series between these franchises with the Lakers surpassing the Utah Jazz as the Rockets' most frequent postseason opponent. This is their first meeting since 2020, and the winner in ine of the past six playoff series between them has advanced to the NBA Finals. The Lakers hold a 6-3 edge in their playoff series meetings; Houston last advanced over the Los Angeles in 1996.
The Lakers are 94-9 in series with a 1-0 lead, and Houston is 6-27 in series with a loss in the opener.
See below for additional information on the Rockets-Lakers game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers game preview:
With Doncic and Reaves sidelined indefinitely, James, 41, has played in five of the past six games and recorded four double-doubles. His double-double in Game 1 was his 145th in the playoffs, which ranks thjird all-time behind only Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157).
“For me, I gotta do a little bit of everything," James said. "That’s what the job requires. So that’s being a triple-threat: being able to rebound, being able to pass, being able to shoot. Also defend.”
Los Angeles also got a major Game 1 contribution from guard Luke Kennard, who scored a season-high 27 points (also a playoff career high) on 9-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-5 on 3-pointers. Kennard led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (47.8%) during the regular season among qualified players.
Durant (26.0 points per game), who suffered a right-knee contusion in practice last Wednesday, was questionable for Game 1 until being ruled out in pregame warmups. His status is uncertain for Game 2.
"He bumped a knee in practice on Wednesday," Houston coach Ime Udoka said. "Hopefully, it's a one-game thing, but he tried it out just [a] short [time] ago and didn't feel good enough."
The Rockets were 4-0 in the regular season without Durant, but his teams are 8-9 in the 17 playoff games he's missed.
In Durant's Game 1 absence, Reed Sheppard had 17 points and eight assists (but made only 6 of 20 field goals) and Tari Eason had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels #5 goes up for a shot as New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby #8 jumps to defend during the third quarter.
The Knicks had their foot on the Hawks’ neck. All they had to do was press down.
Instead, they choked away what would’ve been a commanding 2-0 series lead. The best fourth-quarter team in the NBA completely fell apart.
The Knicks blew a 12-point lead to start the fourth quarter and fell to the Hawks 107-106 in Game 2 Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Now the series is tied 1-1 heading to Atlanta with a completely different tenor. Now the Hawks have life.
Now, the worst memories around the Knicks have come flooding back.
“It’s a game we should’ve won,” Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”
And it was the newest postseason villain who put them away. CJ McCollum kicked Jalen Brunson in the midsection in Game 1, causing a bit of controversy. Monday, it was a gut punch that he delivered, this time to all Knicks fans.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives to the basket between Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye and Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (r.) during the third quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He scored six straight Hawks points as the Knicks lead melted away. A Brunson 3-pointer briefly tied the game before McCollum’s jumper re-established a two-point Hawks lead with 33.5 seconds left. The Knicks trailed the rest of the way.
Brunson drilled another 3-pointer to cut the Knicks deficit to one point with 7.1 seconds left. And McCollum missed both free throws, giving the Knicks life. But the Knicks were out of timeouts and could not set up their offense. Instead, Hart corralled the rebound off the missed free throw and threw a pass ahead to Mikal Bridges. He got a decent look — stepback jumper in the left corner — but it clanked off the rim and the collapse was complete.
“We’ve been in this situation before,” Hart said. “Everyone is frustrated with this loss. We’re gonna go into Game 3 with a great attention to detail and a great focus for a full 48 [minutes]. We’ve got high-character guys that’ll respond well.”
The Knicks had been 47-2 when leading after three quarters this season, including Game 1. Now, it’s 47-3. It’s hard not to think back to their Game 1 collapse to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals last year.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels #5 goes up for a shot as New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby #8 jumps to defend during the third quarter.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks went ice cold, shooting 5-for-22 from the field and 3-for-11 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter. They missed two free throws. They allowed the Hawks to shoot 10-for-15 from the field.
They had led from 2:58 left in the second quarter to 2:08 left in the fourth quarter. Their lead was as large as 14 points during that stretch.
“In that fourth quarter, you could tell [the Hawks] were playing with a level of desperation,” coach Mike Brown said. “There were four 50-50 balls and they got three of the four. We always use that stat to gauge the level of aggression in a game. In that fourth quarter, their aggression stepped up.”
The bench might have been at fault for losing an earlier lead in the second quarter. It was the starters, though, who were at fault for blowing it in the fourth quarter. All five starters were in the game with 6:05 left, with the Knicks up by six. OG Anunoby was carelessly stripped and later missed two free throws. Hart missed his only shot in the quarter. Bridges was 0-for-3. Karl-Anthony Towns was uninvolved and went 0-for-2.
Towns’ usage was particularly perplexing. He took just three shots in the first half. Then he went 6-for-7 and scored 14 points in the third quarter. Then he disappeared down the stretch.
Mikal Bridges #25 takes the final shot of the game and misses under presser by Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson #1 during the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” Towns said. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth, and it was fine.”
In truth, the Knicks had delivered a recipe for failure from the start. But it didn’t bite them until the last few minutes. They shot just 32.4 percent from 3-point range and 63.0 percent from the free-throw line. They committed 14 turnovers.
And, notably, it’s the second time the Knicks unraveled late.
In Game 1, they had a 19-point lead before an 11-0 Hawks run made it interesting. That lead proved insurmountable. Monday’s wasn’t.
“We have to play better with the lead,” Brunson said. “That’s twice in the fourth quarter now we’ve done that.”
McCollum — who heard “F–k you CJ” chants from the MSG crowd — finished with a game-high 32 points. He has hurt the Knicks more than any other Hawks player through two games — and it’s largely come with Brunson defending him.
“He was in a great rhythm,” Brunson said. “I gotta disrupt it. Make him play on his heels, make him react to me defensively. He was just in a rhythm. I give him a lot of credit.”
McCollum and the Hawks might deserve some credit. But this choke job was largely self-inflicted.
The Philadelphia 76ers were right to win their Play-In game last week, lest they risk a single-elimination worry, but the reward of facing the Boston Celtics instead of the stumbling Pistons is a difficult one to swallow.
My 76ers vs. Celtics same-game parlay and NBA picks understand Boston will not let up the gas anytime soon, certainly not in Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21.
Our best 76ers vs Celtics SGP for Game 2
The Boston Celtics led by 18 at halftime in Game 1 despite shooting just 33.3% from beyond the arc in the first half and giving up more field-goal attempts to the Philadelphia 76ers than they took themselves. Reread that sentence and realize, that is just how much better Boston is than Philadelphia. Even playing poorly yielded an 18-point lead.
The 76ers should shoot better, but so should the Celtics.
There really may not be a path to competitiveness for Philadelphia in this series, and that shows early and often.
Leaning on someone like Andre Drummond — in part because Joel Embiid is sidelined after an appendectomy — underscores how much of a mismatch this series should be. Drummond is a quality player, but he cannot defend anyone in a Boston uniform.
And for that matter, he is not enough of an offensive threat to do anything but drag down Philadelphia’s offense.
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PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: Stephen Curry #30, Draymond Green #23 and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors huddle up after the game against the Phoenix Suns during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Kerr says he hasn’t yet made a decision on his coaching future. Mike Dunleavy, Jr. doesn’t want to address the media until Kerr’s status is resolved. But if you ask Draymond Green, or just listen to his podcast, he thinks that after 12 seasons, Kerr’s Warriors tenure is over.
It’s rare for any coach or player to stay with the same team for 12 years, and far rarer for two players and a coach to spend that much time together. More than any of the other 11 seasons, this year showed serious flaws with the fit Warriors roster, the reliance on older players and some limitations in Kerr’s preferred style of play. Kerr has never taken more heat, whether it’s for his development of young players to his rotations to the team’s struggles in close games.
Draymond Green made it clear that he wants Kerr to return for a 13th season, but he simply doesn’t think it will happen.
Draymond on Steve Kerr’s future as Warriors Coach:
“I hope he’s our coach next year, you want my opinion, I think not… it felt like that was it.” pic.twitter.com/6wqhI6izc6
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) April 20, 2026
After the emotional moment Kerr shared with Green and Steph Curry at the end of Friday’s play-in loss, Green got the impression that it was the conclusion of an era. Green said that he hoped Kerr would coach the team next season, but added, “If you want my opinion? I think not.”
At the same time, Green acknowledged that his own future was up in the air, adding that he hoped he was on the team next season as well. There is a definite possibility that Kerr isn’t the only person who will decide if he’ll coach next season, especially with Mike Dunleavy, Jr. signing a contract extension, one we can assume was kept under wraps so Warriors fans wouldn’t relentlessly boo him like the last time he got a contract extension with the team.
Pro tip for MDJ: They’ll love you if you rip your shirt off again.
There’s simply a lot of uncertainty. Jimmy Butler may play sparingly or not at all next season. Moses Moody is coming back from a serious patella injury. The Warriors paid almost $70M in luxury tax with one of the NBA’s highest payrolls, and won 37 games. Any cost-cutting measures might start with the team’s well-compensated coach.
That’s the logical case for Kerr’s departure. The more compelling case is the vibes. From Kerr’s on-court huddle with Green and Steph Curry Friday night, to team officials clearly leaking to ESPN that they were unhappy with Kerr and only want him on a long-term deal to Kerr himself saying, “This job has an expiration date,” the prevailing mood is that Kerr isn’t coming back. In other words, it felt like that was it.
Apr 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) scores against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
For one night, it wasn’t swinging bunts or soft jam shots that killed the Phillies pitching staff. Instead, it was hard contact from the Cubs lineup that plagued Nola’s night.
Aaron Nola walked back to the mound for his second inning of work in Wrigley, after the offense behind him stranded the bases loaded with two outs, and the Cubs bats pounced.
Ian Happ smacks a 111.5 mph rocket in front of Adolis Garcia. Moisés Ballesteros took the very next pitch right to Garcia again. After a Michael Conforto walk, Nola got one of the best case scenarios when Miguel Amaya got on top of a curveball for a routine double play.
The Cubs lineup does not stop after the first seven hitters. Their eight hole hitter, Pete Crow-Armstrong, recently signed a 115 million dollar extension and played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He worked a walk.
Dansby Swanson as their nine hole hitter? The highly paid two-time all-star crushed a center-cut fastball to make it 4-0.
In the third, Michael Busch didn’t make hard contact but slapped an opposite field single in front of Brandon Marsh. Alex Bregman then smacked another center-cut fastball for a double. A few batters later, Michael Conforto got a ball in the air to get an extra run.
The Phillies’ offense looked lifeless again. Including tonight, they’ve scored ten runs during their six-game losing streak. They ranked 21st in slugging heading into the night and only generated one extra base hit, an RBI double from Justin Crawford, moving up to eighth in the lineup with Rafael Marchan catching.
Aaron Nola lagged through four and a third, allowing five runs on eight hits with a surprising four walks. He could not command the arm-side fastball and the curveball didn’t generate enough chase.
The other three and two-thirds of this game were covered by the Phillies bullpen depth, which has been pretty consistent with Jhoan Duran, Jonathan Bowlan, and Zach Pop on the injured list. Backhus worked out of the fifth against right handed hitters Seiya Suzuki and Matt Shaw.
For the second straight night, Chase Shugart got middle relief work with the Phillies trailing. He touched 96 mph again and worked a deep mix for two scoreless innings of work. Seth Johnson struggled for allowed two quick base runners but got the next three hitters out on his four-seam fastball.
Even with the their depth arms keeping Cubs hitters quiet, the Phillies offense couldn’t muster much from the few opportunities they got.
In the eighth inning, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm worked walks against Holby Milner that put runners on first and second. With two outs, Bryson Stott stayed in to face the side arm left hander Gabe Kapler once said was “nasty brother”. After working a two-two count, Stott popped up a sweeper to end the inning.
In the ninth, Justin Crawford worked a nine-pitch walk from Corbin Martin. He later took second base on a botched pick-off attempt and got to third base on a wild pitch later.
The Phillies had three more chances with a runner in scoring position and were 0-for-their-last-20. Marchan stayed in to bat and hit a pop-up to Alex Bregman. Trea Turner got a pitch he wanted but Matt Shaw made a diving play. Kyle Schwarber smacked a pop-up in foul territory to end the game.
The Cubs defense made several plays tonight to turn hits into outs, the Phillies saw Crawford not get to two different balls to center field. Colin Rea pitched six and two-thirds of one-run ball while Nola couldn’t finish five innings.
If it’s June and the Phillies were sitting in first place, this game doesn’t feature mounting pressure. It isn’t coming the night after Ken Rosenthal speculates on Rob Thomson’s job security. There doesn’t have to be massive conclusions or reactions.
But at 8-14 to start the year, the Phillies have to take it on the chin.
The NBA playoffs on NBC continue Tuesday night with the San Antonio Spurs playing host to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game of their first-round series on NBC and Peacock.
The Spurs won 111-98 in Game 1 as star center Victor Wembanyama posted a game-high 35 points in his playoff debut, including 14 points in the fourth quarter. The Frenchman made 5 of 6 3-pointers, setting records for points and 3-pointers by a Spurs player in their playoff debut.
This is the fifth playoff series betwedn the Trail Blazers and Spurs, the fisrt since 2014. San Antonio has won the past three series over Portland, going on to the NBA championship in 1999 and 2014.
See below for additional information on the Trail Blazers-Spurs game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs game preview:
Wembanyama's breakout performance came amid seeking history as a finalist for the NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has a shot to become only the fourth player to win MVP and DPOY — previously accomplished by Michael Jordan (1987-88), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20).
“The first time I stepped on the court for warmups, I felt the atmosphere was different,” Wembanyama said.
The Spurs also had a strong supporting cast in Game 1 as four players joined Wembanyama in scoring double figures. The backcourt duo of Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox combined to score 34 points (17 apiece) and had 15 of the team’s 24 total assists. Forward Devin Vassell also had 15 points and two blocks in a key 17-second span.
All-Star forward Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The 25-year-old from Israel the first Portland player to post a 30/10/5 stat line in a playoff game and the third in NBA history to accomplish the feat in his playoff debut.
“For a lot of our guys, it’s our first playoffs, including myself," Avdija said. "I definitely felt like we could have played better … it wasn’t our greatest game. But I think part of it is just having the first playoff game, being in this environment. It’s a little shocking, to be honest with you.”
Scoot Henderson was the only other Portland starter to join Avdija in double figures (18 points).
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
Aaron Judge has gotten off to a nice start in the early going, which has been keyed by starting early.
Of the Yankees captain’s nine home runs, five have come in the first inning, including his past three long balls. In 22 games, he is 9-for-20 (.450) with a walk, double, eight RBIs and a ridiculous 1.726 OPS in the first inning. Early production often translates to wins; the Yankees 11-3 when scoring first.
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Sunday in The Bronx, temporary leadoff hitter Ben Rice worked a walk before Judge clobbered the first pitch he saw from Kansas City’s Cole Ragans into Monument Park for an instant 2-0 lead.
The Yankees then sent six more men to the plate and scored another run in the inning, and Aaron Boone said Judge’s quick bat might be contagious.
“There’s probably something to that,” the manager said after sweeping the Royals. “I think when the captain gets it going like he can in the first — a lot, it feels like — it does seem to have a little bit of an effect on things.”
There is one more historic chase to watch involving Judge, whose 90 career first-inning homers trail just Babe Ruth (126) and Mickey Mantle (103) in Yankees history. Since 2024, 43 of his 120 homers have come in the initial inning. His career 1.051 OPS in the first inning is strong — but still less than his mark in the fourth (1.093 OPS) and seventh (1.118 OPS).
Aaron Judge (99) hits a two-run home run during the first inning at Yankee Stadium, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Bronx, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Judge himself shrugged at the quick strikes and said he hits at the top of the order (but doesn’t care where he falls).
“I just try to do my job,” Judge said.
Cody Bellinger will bring a season-high eight-game hitting streak into a series in Boston that starts Tuesday. Bellinger has gone 11-for-31 (.355) with a .444 on-base percentage, two homers, two doubles and six RBIs during the streak.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has yet to hit a home run or tally a multihit game, sat Sunday and is 4-for-31 with 11 strikeouts, six walks and a .464 OPS in his past 10 games.
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, James Harden added 28 and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 115-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Evan Mobley had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had at least three players score at least 25 points in a postseason game for the second straight season and fourth time overall.
Cleveland — which never trailed — has won 12 straight playoff games against Toronto, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins against an opponent. The streak began in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers took the final three games. Cleveland swept Toronto in four games in the second round in 2017 and ’18.
The Cavaliers also have 12-game winning streaks against Detroit and Atlanta, while the Los Angeles Lakers had a 12-game run against Seattle from 1980 through ’89.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with a playoff career-high 26 points. RJ Barrett had 22 points and nine rebounds.
The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Harden had four assists to move into seventh place on the playoff career list with 1,139. He also had five steals, the fourth time he’s had at least that many in a playoff game.
A driving layup by Barnes got Toronto within 99-90 midway through the fourth quarter. Mitchell responded with seven straight points to put it away.
The Cavaliers had a 73-57 advantage midway through the third quarter before the Raptors countered with a 16-6 run.
The stars were out in full force at Madison Square Garden.
Celebrity row was a who’s who for Game 2 of the Knicks’ first-round NBA playoff series with the Hawks on Tuesday night.
Knicks superfans Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller and wife Christine Taylor were courtside. They sat close to actress Julianne Moore and tennis legend John McEnroe.
Spike Lee was in his usual seat, donning a No. 14 Pope Leo blue Knicks jersey – potentially hoping for a little help from above.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the first quarter as John McEnroe cheers him on. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostActress Julianne Moore attends Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2026. Getty Images
“Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon was in the building along with comedian Ray Romano and rappers Fat Joe and Jadakiss. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee, who has become an MSG regular, was back for some more hoops.
Knicks alumni Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Marcus Camby, Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell were back under the roof where they made plenty of playoff memories.
Two-time NBA champion and Knicks broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier was in attendance with local networks no longer carrying the first round of the playoffs for the first time. Ex-Knick Stephon Marbury was also in taking in the action.
USA Olympic gymnast Suni Lee looks on during game two of the Eastern Conference first round NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2026. Getty Images
Mets owner Steve Cohen was seen courtside, along with former Amazin’s closer John Franco.
NYC native and Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule also made the trip to the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Actors Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller react off celebrity row during the first quarter of Game 2 between the Knicks and Hawks.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, who led 63-54 at the half, were hoping to deliver a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against the sixth-seed Hawks before things shift to Atlanta on Thursday night.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 18: Nick Seeler #24 of the Philadelphia Flyers exchanges punches with Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period of Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
No lineup changes for the Penguins from Game 1, including going back to Stuart Skinner as the starting goalie.
Penalties are the story of the first period, the teams combine for eight minutes on four minors (three for Philadelphia, one for Pittsburgh) that ends up with the Penguins spending 4:00 of the period on the power play, where they don’t score and mostly don’t come close to doing so.
Other than that, the first period looked like Game 1 in many ways. The Flyers continue to gum things up in the neutral zone and play tight defense. The Penguins did better to cut through the defense at times — shot attempts were 19-5 PIT at one point — but still are unable to make much out of it just only getting two of those 19 attempts on goal. The Penguins are still butting their heads against the wall by attempting low-percentage cross-ice passes frequently. The Flyers are doing the typical Flyer things (Travis Sanheim dove forward and on his butt after feeling a stick in his skates to draw a penalty, Rasmus Ristolainen punched Sidney Crosby in the head after the whistle).
Shots for the period end up 5-2, PHI. Certainly not the style and way that Pittsburgh wants these games to go, it’s still right up the Flyers’ aisle. No goals through 20 minutes.
Second period
The Penguins get caught with six players on the ice 5:34 into the period. That happens before they can manage an official shot on goal in the period but they kill it off without much problems.
The game chugs along for a while, the Pens get some pressure and coming out of a TV timeout put Egor Chinakhov with Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak and the third pair defense. That group gets caught on the ice for a 1:30 shift and a bad bounce leads to the first goal. Ryan Shea blocks away a Travis Konecny shot but unfortunately the puck flips out right to Porter Martone. The rookie has a wide open net. 1-0 with 6:21 to play in the second.
A good shift by the fourth line draws a power play for Pittsburgh with 4:12 left in the period. It leads to disaster with a shorthanded goal against. Owen Tippett wants the puck way more than Tommy Novak, who compounds the mistake of an indirect path to the puck by then colliding with Kris Letang to hand the Flyers a late 2-on-1 down low. Tippett feeds Garnet Hathaway, who matches his regular season goal total of one in the playoffs with an easy finish to extend the PHI lead to 2-0.
Evgeni Malkin and a Flyer both get their sticks up and contact a Flyer up high, after review Malkin gets two minutes for the high-stick but avoids getting four minutes for not causing the injury.
End of the period and it wasn’t a good one. The Pens fall behind by two goals.
Third period
The Penguins kill off the carryover power play at the start of the period.
The newly reunited Rakell-Crosby-Rust line gets a very good shift, culminating in Sam Girard all alone from the middle getting a good shot that Dan Vladar answered with a big save.
Pittsburgh stacks a couple more good shifts with a second and third line playing well, followed up by Crosby getting a shot. Shots are 6-1 Pens and it’s the Flyers finally having to ice the puck to relieve pressure from the first sustained and decent push that Pittsburgh has made. Konecny hits Crosby once the puck is gone to open the door for yet another Penguin power play.
It starts out with near disaster, Bryan Rust can’t handle a zone entry pass and somehow the Flyers end up with a clean 2-on-0 break after Erik Karlsson misplays it. Skinner stands tall with by far his best save of the game to keep it from totally getting off the rails.
A little later, Ben Kindel gets a glorious chance but sails a puck well high of the goal.
Karlsson has to water ski on Tippett after the Flyer got behind the defense, the refs award Tippett the rare playoff penalty shot. It goes outside the far post and stays out, still a 2-0 game.
There isn’t a lot more sustained pressure for Pittsburgh, they pull Skinner but there’s no late-game magic to be found this time. Luke Glendening scores on the open net. 3-0 game with 2:05 to go.
Tempers flare in garbage time, Letang gets called for a penalty hitting a Flyer away from the puck. Anthony Mantha feeds Tippett a couple of uppercuts and gets tossed. Letang picks up an extra penalty along the way, ending up in a four minute Flyer power play with 1:47 to go.
a
Tha
Some thoughts
The Pens’ power play went 7/18 vs PHI during the regular season, it’s at 0/7 for the playoffs with a SHG against tonight. That’s a big problem that’s actively hurting them. Situationally tonight there were some unfortunate circumstances (Erik Karlsson was stuck in the penalty box himself for a chunk of one power play) but there’s not much within the power plays to feel good about how it’s running at the moment.
Two shots in the first, the team’s lowest playoff output since 2000. Fast starts were such a key to the series, so far the Penguins haven’t been able to get out to anything at all. Another huge, huge issue.
The Flyers stick with starting the Sean Couturier checking line to open periods, today’s adjustment by Pittsburgh was to throw the Novak-Rakell-Malkin line out there to meet them. It’ll be interesting to see what happens at the start of periods now that the Pens have to make the first selection on the road in Games 3+4. A good bet: the Lizotte fourth line will start to see if Philadelphia will move accordingly to keep Couturier off the ice until a scoring line goes out for the Pens.
Another reason this game was way too much like Game 1 was the continued struggles of the Girard/Letang pair. Girard doesn’t look like he’s lost confidence but try as he may, he’s not having very many successful puck touches in all three zones. Letang’s struggles have continued.
Same could be said for Kindel too, he’s got no time or space to do anything and now might be clutching the stick a little too tightly. Subbing in Justin Brazeau isn’t alone going to fix all that ails the lineup right now, the players within it aren’t performing up to a playoff standard right now.
The Flyers’ teenager, on the other hand, is making a huge difference. Philadelphia had 23 shots on goal today, Martone had six of them and the only 5v5 goal.
The one good thing is the Flyers’ focus clearly being defensive-minded to layer their defense and often stack three near the blueline is that it’s difficult for them to generate a lot of sustained offense of their own. It’s a tight checking game that almost devolves into which team is going to get a good bounce or find some breakthrough that cracks the ice and forces the action to open up. Today the Flyers got that break out of nowhere (they hadn’t had a shot in 7:28 of game time before scoring).
It was good to see the lines get switched in the second period, Chinakhov and Crosby had nothing going on at all through a game and a half of these playoffs. The decision to put the Shea-Clifton pair out for an offensive-zone draw coming out of a TV timeout with a scoring line on the ice looked questionable and ended up coming back to bite the Penguins in that instance.
If you only knew that shot attempts were 75-38 PIT and at one point in the third period were 66-33, you’d be excused to think suggested good things on the scoreboard. That would end up being misleading, especially since the Pens only got 27 of those 75 shots on net and only a handful of them even had remote chances of being goals. The Pens got a bit of pressure at the start of the third period and required Vladar to look alive and make a couple of nice saves but just not nearly enough Grade A chances.
It’s back to the wall time now, the Penguins head on the road for Game 3 on Wednesday night and will need to come up with a lot better play than what they’ve showed so far.
In the opener of a tripleheader Tuesday night of NBA playoff action, the second-seeded Boston Celtics will play host to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers on Peacock and NBCSN.
The teams split their four regular-season matchups, which all were played before the March 6 return of Boston superstar Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics cruised to a 123-91 victory in Game, their largest in a playoff series opener in team history. Boston is 6-0 in playoff series after winning Game 1 under coach Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics and 76ers are meeting for their 23rd playoff series and 118th playoff game, the most among any two franchises in NBA history. Boston has won the last six series between them; Philadelphia last triumphed in the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals.
See below for additional information on the 76ers-Celtics game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics game preview:
The Celtics improved to 14-3 with Tatum in the lineup. The forward now has 23 playoff games with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, passing Wilt Chamberlain for seventh on that list.
Tatum, who is averaging more than 10 rebounds this year (higher than his full-season career-high of 8.8), trails three games behind the franchise mark held by Larry Bird.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 26 points as the Celtics had six players double-figure scorers in Game 1.
Tyrese Maxey had 1 points and eight assists for the Sixers, who were outscored by 29 points in his 37 minutes on the floor. Philadelphia got just a total of 64 points from a starting five that made 2 of 16 3-pointers.
Boston outscored Philadelphia by 36 points from 3-oint range, shooting 16 of 44 from distance.
During the regualr season, the Celtics took 42.1 threes per game while the 76ers made only 34.9% of its 3-pointers.
Philadelphia remains without Joel Embiid, who is recovering from an emergency appendectomy earlier this month
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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Fans of the Detroit Red Wings got several up-close and personal looks at former Michigan State Spartans forward Porter Martone, whom the Philadelphia Flyers selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
He picked up his first NHL point earlier this month against the Red Wings in Philadelphia, and picked up another point with several friends from Michigan State in attendance at Little Caesars Arena just days later.
He's already made a considerable impact for the Flyers, who punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Martone has now scored in consecutive postseason games for the Flyers, and in doing so, became just the 12th teenager in NHL history to score in each of his first two playoff games.
He's already become one of their top forwards at just 19 years of age, showing that the sky truly is the limit for him.
In 35 games played with the Spartans this season before officially signing with the Flyers and making his NHL debut, Martone scored 25 goals with 25 assists.
He also racked up 78 penalty minutes while posting an impressive plus-24 rating.
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Vaughn Dalzell
