SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands for the national anthem before their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the playoffs set to begin, LeBron James once again finds himself in a familiar role, trying to lead his team to postseason success.
One aspect that is new and unfamiliar, however, is his contract status with his team whenever the year concludes. LeBron is entering the final year of his deal with the Lakers and has made it clear he has no idea what’s next regarding his basketball life.
The options for James are known. He can either return to the Lakers, join another team, or retire.
So far, James hasn’t hinted at favoring any option over the other, but according to a recent article by Dan Woike of The Athletic, one thing he has no interest in is a farewell tour.
“The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself.”
A year-long retirement tour would raise the media frenzy surrounding LeBron to an all-time high. And that’s saying a lot for a player who has been the most covered in the NBA.
Perhaps James has no interest in being gifted rocking chairs, making speeches, or having every road trip be a going-away party.
After 23 seasons, more than any other NBA player has ever had, maybe LeBron wants his decision to be private, and when he’s done, he’ll just walk away.
We’ll see what LeBron does next, but Lakers fans shouldn’t think this can’t be the end, since he isn’t currently on a retirement tour. All we know is that we don’t know anything, and everyone should relish the games we have left with LeBron.
While it’s unclear when things will end for LeBron and whether it’s here in Los Angeles or elsewhere, what is clear is that the end is looming.
The quest for Lord Stanley's Cup is down to four teams, with the Conference Final round underway.
The battle is on for what's often said to be the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, but only one can be crowned NHL champion in June.
Our hockey experts will deliver their NHL playoffs predictions and NHL picks for every game, every day from now until the Stanley Cup is presented.
NHL playoff predictions today for Round 3
Game
Best pick
Odds
WCF G2: MON vs. CAR
CAR ML
-200
Odds courtesy of Kalshi.
Saturday, May 23
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 2 prediction
7 p.m. ET, TNT
Expert pick: Hurricanes (-200 at Kalshi)
While Montreal impressed in Game 1, the five-on-five numbers still tilted in Carolina’s favor. The Hurricanes generated 2.87 expected goals and 27 shots despite recording 82 shot attempts, so I’m anticipating a similar push leading to a Game 2 win for Carolina.
The NHL is a prediction buffet — the key is picking the right market for your edge.
Futures: Not only can you trade on the team you think will win it all in the Stanley Cup odds, but you can also wager on Conn Smythe odds. The latter trophy is awarded to the player judged to be the best performer in the postseason, not just in the Stanley Cup Final
Game lines: The spread, moneyline, and total are the bread-and-butter once the playoffs begin. As the postseason rolls on and teams become more risk-averse, lines will get tighter, and totals will drop, so traders can take advantage of swings throughout the series one way or the other.
Props: NHL player props will still be going strong all the way until a potential Game 7 of the Cup Final. The most popular markets include anytime goalscorer, player points, assists, shots on goal, and goalie saves.
Same-game parlays: SGPs can be fun, but value varies. Compare the parlay payout to legs individually, and prioritize lines you’d play on their own.
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A heated rivalry is renewed as the Denver Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.
Nikola Jokic has been at his best against Anthony Edwards and Co., and my Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions expect another monster game from the Joker.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this first-round Western Conference showdown as the Timberwolves and Nuggets meet in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 1 prediction
Timberwolves vs Nuggets best bet: Nikola Jokic Over 51.5 points+rebounds+assists (-120)
Nikola Jokic averaged just under this combo line in the regular season, going for 51.3 PRA. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and a career-best 10.7 assists, stuffing the stat sheet with regularity.
In four regular-season matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jokic averaged a whopping 35.8 points, 15 rebounds, and 11.3 assists. He posted 52+ PRA three times and finished with 50 in the other.
Jokic finished with 56/16/15 on Christmas, cruising past this line with scoring alone. Last season, he delivered a 61/10/10 performance against the Wolves, and two seasons ago, he averaged 53 PRA at home against the Wolves. His last two season-highs in points have come at the expense of Minnesota.
The Denver Nuggets All-Star point-center has averaged 47.9 PRA across 12 playoff tilts with Minnesota, including a 49.1 average in seven home games. He’s gone for 52+ in three of seven in front of the home crowd, and I expect him to do the same on Saturday as he looks to get his team off to a hot start in the postseason.
Jokic may draw the assignment of stalwart defender Rudy Gobert, but he had no problem stuffing the stat sheet when he faced Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama in the closing games of the regular season.
Jokic can spread the floor with his outside shooting and make Gobert uncomfortable in space. He can also make Gobert pay with his elite passing abilities.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 1 same-game parlay
Anthony Edwards enjoyed the best statistical season of his career behind a 37.4 PRA average and a career-high 28.8 points per game. Edwards has been excellent against Denver over the last two seasons, going for 37+ in six of his last seven matchups and 40+ five times.
The Timberwolves finished the season with a 6-4 ATS record over their last 10 games, despite a number of key injuries, including those to Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.
The Nuggets won their last 10 games but covered the spread only five times. The Wolves have won or kept the score within six points in two of the last three head-to-head matchups with the Nuggets, and I’m calling for a competitive game between familiar foes.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP
Nikola Jokic Over 51.5 PRA
Anthony Edwards Over 36.5 PRA
Timberwolves +6.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Triple-Double Machine!
Jokic recorded an NBA-high 34 triple-doubles this season, matching his career high while playing only 65 games, meaning he reached this statistical milestone in more games than not. He did so in three of four games against the Timberwolves.
Edwards led Minnesota in steals per game at 1.4, and he recorded multiple swipes in 24 of 61 appearances. He recorded three steals in each of his last two games against the Wolves. Edwards finished with at least 27 points in 34 of 61 games, including a 44-point performance in his last trip to Ball Arena.
Minnesota hit the Over in four of its last five games to end the season, and Denver did so in eight of its last 10. With both teams close to full strength, I expect a high-scoring affair in Mile High.
The Denver Nuggets have hit the Game Total Over in 24 of their last 35 games (+11.90 Units / 31% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 1
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Tip-off
3:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video, TSN4
Timberwolves vs Nuggets latest injuries
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The Kansas City Royals (7-12) and New York Yankees (10-9) open a three-game series. The Royals were just swept in three games by the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees just split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
Mar 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts with teammates forwards Carter Bryant (11) and Julian Champagnie (30) and guard Devin Vassell (24) after securing a comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Spurs are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, with Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers set for 8 PM CT on Sunday. In the meantime, we’re looking back one of the best regular seasons in franchise history.
In Part 1, we reviewed the first part of the season, whuch featured a strong start despite missing De’Aaron Fox to start the season and Victor Wembanyama for 12 straight games. In Part 2, we recalled their memorable and arguably season-defining stretch in the second half of December, which featured Wemby’s return and a Cup Semi-finals win plus two more in a 12-day span against the defending champion Thunder, officially putting the Spurs on the map. Finally, in Part 3, we looked at their one rough patch of the season during the month of January, but in hindsight, it may have actually been a character-defining stretch, and that showed at the turn of the month, where we’re kicking off today.
Part 4: February 1 – April 12 (29-4)
On paper, the Spurs’ home win against the Orlando Magic on February 1 simply met expectations. They beat a decent but inferior opponent by nine points, but there was a lot more context that made this game a turning point. They went through a lot just to play that game, having been trapped in Charlotte the night before due to a snow storm, and when they finally started heading back to San Antonio the day of this game, they had to make an emergency landing in Atlanta due to mechanical issues with their plane (which players admitted was a scary situation). It would have made sense for the NBA to just postpone the game (or better yet, have postponed the Charlotte one and not even put the Spurs in that situation), but instead it got pushed back a mid-afternoon game to a night one, and the Spurs had to go straight to the arena from the airport.
They would have been forgiven for being too tired and dropping this one, but instead, they showed grit and fight to pull out the exhausting win, which ended up being a character-defining moment and kicked off one of their best extended stretches in franchise history. It started their first 11-game win streak since 2016, which ran all the way through February — making the Spurs the first team to have an undefeated month while scoring 110 or more point in every game — to the penultimate game of the Rodeo Road Trip (which started/ended a week later than usual).
That run featured many memorable games, including consecutive 40-point games from Stephon Castle and Wemby against the Mavs and Lakers, respectively, with Castle’s performance also being triple-double.
But perhaps the two wins that showed the Spurs had not only returned to their December form but had officially “arrived” as contenders came against the same team: one as they started the second leg of the RRT after their two Austin games, and the other in their “return home from the RRT” game against the East’s top seed: the Detroit Pistons. Not only did the Spurs convincingly win both of those games (both were close, but the Spurs were always in control), led by 28 points from Devin Vassell in Detroit and 38 from Wemby in San Antonio, but it helped squash the narrative that they couldn’t handle physical teams.
The Spurs ran away with the second seed in the West from there (albeit unable to catch the similarly hot Thunder for the top seed), but there were plenty more thrillers along the way. One came the very next night, when an exhausted Spurs team faced Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers for the first time this season. It seemed the Spurs had nothing left in the tank and found themselves down by as much as 25 early in the second half before a massive rally back to steal the game, including two huge buckets from Wemby in the final minute, in both cases to retake the lead, followed by some free throw drama. It was such a physically and emotionally draining game that it literally had Wemby in tears afterwards.
Probably much to every Spurs fans’ satisfaction, they would go on to sweep the season series against the Clippers, and Kawhi’s team would lose in the play-in while his future with his desired club is up in the air due to the Aspiration scandal. For the first time in 8 eight years, it finally feels like karma is back on the Spurs side, and we have officially moved on from the destruction his actions brought upon the franchise.
Another memorable game was a chaotic win against a then-potential first round opponent (but not anymore) and thorn-in-the-side Phoenix Suns team on March 19. The Suns led most of the way before the Spurs made another fourth quarter comeback, and this time it was a Wemby jumper with 1.1 sec left that sealed the deal. While not officially a buzzer-beater, it was the first go-ahead game winner of his career.
In all, the Spurs went an unprecedented 29-4 to close the season, and coming together during the RRT followed by strong Marches have always been a calling card of the Spurs championship teams, so it’s good to see them returning to a formula that has always been successful. If there was one concern in that stretch, it was three of the losses were to a Denver Nuggets team that will likely be their second round opponent. The good news is Wemby only played in one of them — an OT loss in Denver — and even without him the other two were close, but it was especially frustrating in the regular season finale when Nikola Jokic only played in the first half and the Spurs had a chance to knock them back to the 4th seed and to the Thunder’s side of the bracket.
Regardless, the Spurs came into this season with the play-in or a lower playoff seed seeming like a reasonable goal, and they far exceeded those expectations. They still have to prove themselves in the playoffs, but the only thing that could make this season a bust at this point would be a first round upset, which seems unlikely (*knock on wood). They may or may not need that “learning” year (i.e. experiencing and learning from a playoff loss) before they can truly chase a championship, but the bottom line is this has been far and away a better regular season than any of us could have asked for, and it has been so much fun going back through it.
We will have more on the opening round match-up against the Blazers while we patiently wait for Sunday evening to get here, and in the meantime be sure to tell us about more of your favorite memories from this season!
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Washington Nationals are a collection of one of the cuter memes in recent memory. Daylen Lile. Jorbit Vivas. Keibert Ruiz. None of these words are in the Bible? Oh… what’s that? These are the names of some of the players? Hmm, that makes a lot more sense. Well, look, getting to know the Nationals doesn’t seem like a good use of time, given that they’re in a transition period following the installation of a new front office necessitated by six straight losing seasons after the franchise’s sole world championship in 2019. And yet, right now, they’re better than the San Francisco Giants.
Sure, it’s only a two game difference, but they’ve also got the power of no expectations — and heaps of statistical data being infused with their coaching and scouting. The Giants have neither of that going for them, and this clash of organizational philosophies will be fascinating to watch here and going forward. In the offseason, the Nationals fumigated their front office to rid itself of the embalming fluids that had drenched every piece of furniture from the Mike Rizzo regime.
That group had managed to win a World Series and use the old method of tanking to get high draft picks in order to build up talent to great effect, leading to 6 years of misery begetting 8 years of contention. They’re since suffered 6 years of misery and figure to be bad again in 2026, a 7th street year of futility. But just to demonstrate the philosophical shift, two Spring Trainings ago, all the Nats did to prepare their pitchers better was hang signs in the bullpens:I don’t care how fast you throw ball four.
“In this league, you have to throw strikes,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “I didn’t want to be a smart ass and put that up, but I think with one of the youngest teams in the league like we have and a young pitching staff, I wanted them to know that is important to the guy making the decisions on who’s making the team. Throw the ball over the plate. You have to get guys out.”
SF native, St. Ignatius & Cal alum Paul Toboni is now the President of Baseball Operations, and he’s brought aboard former McCovey Chronicles commenter prospect Anirudh Kilambi (garbanzo24) to be the GM. They’ve gone in the opposite direction of both the Nationals and the Giants (which proudly threw out the computers that had invaded their clubhouse) and the players have reacted positively. This Nats culture/vibes shift article for The Athletic by Spencer Nusbaum mentions several key details, but basically the coaching staff’s use of data in real time has helped the players more.
“Having the different resources that we have in the bullpen, cameras, TVs, TrackMan — like, we’ve had this stuff to an extent in the past,” [SP Jake] Irvin said. “But now we’re getting data in real time, and I think that that’s been a huge help.”
It’s led to their best start since 2019. Meanwhile, the Giants are 7-12 to start a season for just the second time this century and third time in 40 years. The last time this happened (2004), they had Barry Bonds on the team.
The Giants do have all or most of the same technology as the Nationals, but just given the results and the way the Giants have stumbled into those results, it’s worth wondering if said technology is being utilized in much the same way as the previous Nationals regime utilized their meager tech. If the Giants really are oversteering away from the Farhan Zaidi days to a more “traditional” and “old school” manner of what is today losing baseball, then that will be quite distressing to watch, and this series might provide us with a glimpse of what computers vs. gut is going to look like going forward. The Giants absolutely have the superior talent on both sides of the ball, but the Nationals might have the edge just by being willing to optimize what talent they do have.
Or do they? The easiest thing to optimize with modern baseball technology is pitching, and yet the Nationals have THE WORST pitching staff in the sport (-2.3 fWAR!!!) with a team ERA of 5.91 (5.95 FIP). The Giants are slightly better (+1.1 fWAR — 21st) with a 4.17 ERA (4.11 FIP). It’s on the hitting side where there’s a wide, wide gap in results in this 19-game sample size: Washington’s offense is ranked 5th heading into the series: +3.3 fWAR on a 112 wRC+ from a triple slash of .262/.338/.411. They’re tied with the Astros for most runs scored in the sport right now (107). Their 20 stolen bases is 6th in MLB, too. On paper, they’ve had a tough start to the season: @ Cubs (2-1), @ Phillies (1-2), Dodgers (0-3), Cardinals (1-2), @ Brewers (3-0), @ Pirates (2-2). Is it simply that the Cubs, Brewers, and Phillies are having a slow start to their seasons, too, or do the Nationals have a little magic?
Guess we’ll find out. If the Giants don’t win this series, they’ll be tied with the 2017, 2019, and 2020 teams starts OR be off to their worst start since the 100-loss 1985 season.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (7-12) at Washington Nationals (9-10) Where: Nationals Park | Washington, D.C. When: Friday at 3:45pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 10:35am PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Friday: Logan Webb (1-2, 5.25 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (0-1, 4.20 ERA) Saturday: Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06 ERA) vs. Cade Cavalli (RHP 0-1, 4.60 ERA) Sunday: Robbie Ray (2-2, 2.42 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (RHP 0-3, 11.49 ERA)
Players to watch
Nationals
CJ Abrams: The Giants tried to trade for the shortstop/second baseman in the offseason and maybe it’s because they saw in him what the new Nats front office does. The bloom had come off the rose for this player, with the industry being down on him for off the field matters plus perceived underperformance at the play. His prior three seasons have seen just a 101 wRC+ from the speedy lefty 25-year old. This year, he’s off to a white hot start: .371/.481/.710 in 77 PA (224 wRC+). Abrams is the best player on the Nats roster right now, even leading them in home runs (6). At the game level, he’s 6-for-8 on the first pitch this season with a home run and has been doing damage even later in the count, but it’s all such a small sample that the Giants can only hope he regresses to the mean during this series.
James Wood: The second-best player in the lineup right now whose .256/.376/.526 in 93 PA is only 50% better than the league average (150 wRC+) and has only hit 5 home runs (4 fewer than the Giants as a team). The outfielder went just 3-for-16 in the recently completed 4-game series in Pittsburgh, but in the prior homestand and 3 in Milwaukee, he was 14-for-35 with 4 homers. Is home cooking just what he needs?
Joey Wiemer: The Giants briefly had him this offseason and now with the Nats, he’s hitting .351/.442/.595 in a bench role (43 PA), which will almost certainly become a platoon role soon enough. Technically, the outfielder has had 1 more PA against RHP (19) than LHP (18), but the statistical separation is stark: .596 OPS vs. RHP and 1.490 against LHP.
Giants
Jerar Encarnacion: If he’s not designated for assignment before I post this article, then I would have to imagine his role on the roster is tenuous at best right now. He’s 6-for-24 in very limited action, but there’s also the matter of his poor baserunning — oh! and his bad defense (when he remembers to bring his mitt to the field). Sure, the guys who get the big bucks need to step up and produce, but on road trips, sometimes the role players need to play a winning role.
Logan Webb: He’ll probably wind up having a typical season, but it sure doesn’t feel like it right now. A great start against a team he’s done okay against for his career (4-1, 4.25 ERA) would go a long way towards calming down some negative perceptionof the team. The Nats might have different ideas, though. Webb has given up 10 runs in 3 starts (13.2 IP) at Nationals Park, though he pitched great there last time (2024: 5.2 IP 1 ER). In that game, he was called for the only balk of his career!
Ryan Walker & Erik Miller: Miller’s save in yesterday’s finale was fun to see as was Ryan Walker’s clean inning. If the 7th, 8th, and 9th are shaping into a Walker-Winn-Miller beast, that seems like one that most of us can get behind. Miller’s walk issues and Walker’s control issues are definitely things to keep an eye on, but this might be the best trio of options available to Tony Vitello for now. The Nationals’ batting average by inning so far makes the idea of the bullpen being “settled” very premature: 1st: .337 2nd: .167 3rd: .203 4th: .297 5th: .233 6th: .232 7th: .329 8th: .286 9th: .269
Tony Vitello watch
Why are the Giant struggling with their preparation? It’s not just the sloppy defense or lack of in-game substitutions, it’s also Jerar Encarnacion losing his glove and Tony Vitello arguing with an umpire against a clearly out Jerar Encarnacion or him not challenging an obvious dropped fly ball in yesterday’s game. Obviously, that’s on the players to an extent and the video room coaches — assuming the Giants still have one! They have taken great pride in de-technologizing the team! — but at the same time, every “rookie mistake” you’d expect of a guy who has never coached a major league game before March 2026 is being made.
It’d be an unacceptable spate of missteps so early in the season under any other sort of manager. That the Giants are generally playing poorly in addition to it only makes matters worse. Anyway, let’s see what happens when he manages against an actual computer.
Prediction time
The Giants will manage to win a game in this series, I think. Or… let’s hope.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers controls the ball against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Intuit Dome on April 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. 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. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Pistons’ Cade Cunningham win their appeals to be NBA awards eligible, according to ESPN.
For their 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Tournament, the Golden State Warriors leaned on their defensive anchor Draymond Green to set the tone, and he delivered one of his best performances of the season. While Steph Curry and company carried the offense, Green controlled the game on the other end — something head coach Steve Kerr has seen enough of throughout his career to make a bold proclamation.
"He's the best defender I've ever seen in my life." 👏
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr highlights Draymond Green's late game heroics on defense along with the team's clutch play to close out the game and move on to the West 8-seed game in the @SoFi Play-In Tournament. pic.twitter.com/Ml3kVX9ZjM
“He’s the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life,” Kerr said. “It’s just insane what he does out there.”
Tasked with slowing down Kawhi Leonard, Green set the defensive tone early and never let up, denying the ball, forcing tough looks, and doing all the little things that don’t always show up in the box score. He held Leonard to 21 points — including just two in the fourth quarter — while forcing a pair of clutch steals in the game’s final possessions.
DRAYMOND GREEN WITH A PAIR OF INCREDIBLE STEALS IN THE CLUTCH.
On a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, Green broke down one of those clutch steals, explaining how he read Leonard’s move before it happened and jumped the play — a glimpse into the anticipation and IQ that define his hall-of-fame defense.
Draymond Green says he was waiting on the viral Kawhi Leonard steal all game…
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) April 17, 2026
Green may frustrate Warriors fans at times, but games like this are why Kerr’s words carry so much weight. So, coming from someone who has seen great defenders like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen up close, that praise means even more.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, April 17th:
And Green did it while battling illness. His congestion was severe enough to warrant a chest X-ray. Before the game, he needed a nebulizer to help him breathe. When he subbed out in the first quarter, Green had both hands on his head, too fatigued to hide it. Still, he stayed glued to Leonard and, when a screen forced a switch, Green peppered Leonard with aggressive blitzes and double-teams. Leonard spent most of the game on his back foot and looked downright passive in the fourth quarter.
It was Green’s force of will. His high basketball IQ. His toughness. His experience and mastery of his own skills. His insatiable appetite for proving his worth.
In LA, the Warriors set a record of 19 threes in a play-in game. The Warriors had five players who made multiple threes, led by Steph Curry’s seven, and the Clippers only had two players make more than one three. Golden State should be able to use the 3-ball to its advantage this game, too.
From an accuracy standpoint, the Warriors didn’t light up the 3-point line this season against the Suns. They shot 36.2 percent, yet they also made 18 more threes than the Suns. The Warriors won the 3-point battle in all four games, and the one that was closest happened to be their one-point loss.
The Suns’ defense was as good as it gets guarding 3-point shooters this season. Not against the Warriors, though. Let’s see what happens with the playoffs looming.
One player did go the route of challenging the rule with an arbitrator: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who played in 60 games this season. The arbitrator denied Edwards’ case, however, and he will not be eligible for end-of-season awards.
“Anthony and I appreciate the PA appealing his case,” Edwards’ business manager Justin Holland said in a statement to ESPN. “For me personally, I’m a bit confused at the clemency for Cade who missed time for something that happened on the court, and not Ant, who missed time for an infection, but ultimately you already know Ant isn’t trippin over it AT ALL.”
Dillon Brooks looked reporters dead in the eye Wednesday night, heard the question about who he wanted to face in the play-in, and answered with his deepest wish.
“Steph and Draymond. That’s it. And Steve Kerr.”
Man called his shot. Respect the confidence. I can’t blame him, the Golden State Warriors (specifically those three legends) have put Brooks through multiple displays of public basketball humiliation.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 12: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays leaves the mound in the third inning of their MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre on April 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks come into this series as one of the hottest teams in baseball. They’ve won seven out of their last ten, have only lost one series this season. They’re on fire. Unfortunately, they are exactly the third hottest team in baseball. The other two are directly in front of them in the NL West standings. The Padres have won eight straight. The Dodgers eight out of ten. It’s truly exhausting to be a fan of an NL West team. But hey, we’re a tenth of the way through the season and the Dbacks are in a playoff position. Take the little wins, even if we can never make up ground in our division.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are not in great shape. They’re even more injured than the Diamondbacks are, and have more money on the IL right now than some teams do. They are scuffling as much as would be expected at this point. They’ve only won a single series; a sweep of the Athletics to start the season. Since then, they haven’t won a single one, and that includes a series against both the Rockies as well as the White Sox, who swept them. Add in being in the AL East, which is always going to be competitive, the Jays have already dug themselves a hole that they’ll be chasing for the rest of the season.
Game 1 — 4/17, 6:40 PM — Michael Soroka (3-0, 2.87 ERA/146 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP) vs Eric Lauer (1-2, 7.82 ERA/59 ERA+, 1.57 WHIP)
Michael Soroka was supposed to just be a placeholder until Merrill Kelly came back, and then he would go to the bullpen. Instead, he’s been arguably the best starter on the team, currently on pace for 230 strike outs this season, and Brandon Pfaadt, he of the long term extension just 13 months ago, was banished to the bullpen instead. It’s totally deserved on Soroka’s part. He’s had a single bad inning all season, and other than that four run first against the Phillies, he’s been stellar. So far this season, he’s looked far more like the sixth placing Cy Young nominee he was in his rookie season than bargain bin pick up. Good for him.
Lauer has not had a great season at all. He’s pitched 12 2/3 innings so far. He’s given up 11 hits, 11 ER, 3 HR, and nine walks. Most of those counting stats came in his last outing against the Twins he gave up seven runs and five walks in 5 1/3 inning, but the White Sox knocked him from the game in just two innings prior to that, and he gave up another two runs there. Small sample sizes still apply, of course, but early returns have been less than stellar for the 30 year old pitcher.
Game 2 — 4/18, 5:10 PM — Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA/116 ERA+, 1.45 WHIP) vs. Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA/48 ERA+, 1.45 WHIP)
Zac Gallen has been alright to start the season. Not great, but flashes of good. Got hit for four runs in four innings on opening day, but followed it up with 11 innings of two run baseball, but couldn’t keep it going and gave up three in 5 IP last time out against the Phillies. I don’t really think anyone was expecting Ace level shut down work from Gallen this season, so there isn’t much to be disappointed about, but still, like most of his output for the past three seasons or so, you’re left with the feeling it could be better.
I won’t lie, I was kind of hoping Scherzer would get the roster spot currently occupied by Soroka. Purely nostalgic, and, uh, wow, I’m so glad I’m not the GM of the Diamondbacks. Probably a reason for that, now that I’m thinking about it. He’s only gotten out of the third inning once in three starts, and he gave up eight runs to the Twins in his last start. One has to wonder, when is he going to retire, or will the league have to decide he is retired for him? Either way, it’s kind of a sad end to a surefire HOF career.
Game 3 — 4/19, 1:10 PM — Ryne Nelson (1-1, 3.54 ERA/118 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP) vs. Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.42 ERA/187 ERA+, 0.85 WHIP)
Nelson has had an interesting season. Some of his stats are still being overly effected by his 7 run, 2 earned run game against the Braves, for sure, and outside of that start he’s gotten good results. His FIP is still very high, but it’s coming down with each start. That in particular is being hurt by his high walk numbers and lower strike out numbers, but, again, both of those are getting better as time goes on. He hasn’t quite lived up to the standard he set for himself the past season and a half, nor the expectations many had going into this season, but he’s still been good to start.
Kevin Gausman is off to a great start to the season, and he’s also providing the latest example of why Pitcher Wins are a useless statistic. After four starts, he’s yet to get a win, even though he’s got a low 2’s ERA, a 180’s ERA+, and would be the best pitcher on the Diamondbacks by a mile. This start will be the real test for the Diamondbacks in this series.
Conclusion
This is a beatable team that’s coming into Chase Field this weekend. They’re reeling from injuries, their pitchers have been ineffective, and the top of the Diamondbacks rotation is lined up to take them on. Games 1 and 2 should be easy. Three is close, but a strong Nelson performance can put that away as well. Honestly, I’m going to call it. Diamondbacks win three out of three.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (14-4) face the Colorado Rockies (7-12) in the opener of a four-game series. The Dodgers are coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets while the Rockies just ended a six-game losing streak with a win over the Houston Astros. Starting pitchers are Tyler Glasnow for the Dodgers and Tomoyuki Sugano for the Rockies.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies
2 — Consecutive trips to the final by Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, who lost to Florida each time but are back for another try. The last team to reach the final three years in a row and not win was St. Louis from 1968-70.
4 — Current playoff teams seeking their first Stanley Cup championship: Buffalo, Minnesota, Ottawa and Utah. The Sabres in their 55th season without a title have the second-longest wait of anyone in the league, just behind Toronto's drought that dates to 1967.
6 — Teams in the field that did not make it last year: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Utah. That is one shy of the largest turnover in history (2021). The Penguins were 6-1 long shots to make it after a three-year absence, while the Flyers got in for the first time since 2020.
7 — Coaches who got their team into the playoffs in their first season in charge. Anaheim's Joel Quenneville, Boston's Marco Sturm, Dallas' Glen Gulutzan, Pittsburgh's Dan Muse, Philadelphia's Rick Tocchet were hired last offseason. Los Angeles' D.J. Smith took over March 1 and Vegas' John Tortorella on March 29.
10 — Players who have skated in 1,000 or more regular-season games and never hoisted the Stanley Cup, led by Colorado's Brent Burns (1,579). The others are Ottawa's Claude Giroux (1,345), Minnesota's Nick Foligno (1,287), Dallas' Jamie Benn (1,252) and Matt Duchene (1,195), Pittsburgh's Erik Karlsson (1,159), Dallas' Tyler Myers (1,139), Edmonton's Adam Henrique (1,058) and Minnesota's Marcus Johansson (1,058 GP) and Jeff Petry (1,048).
13 — Years since the Presidents' Trophy winner for the best regular season also won the Stanley Cup. Colorado is looking to become the first since Chicago in 2013 and 16th ever.
14 — Seasons since the Sabres last made the playoffs, the longest drought in NHL history. Detroit now has that distinction (10 seasons).
15 — U.S. players who won gold at the Olympics who now have a chance for a double championship year: Colorado's Brock Nelson, Dallas' Jake Oettinger, Boston's Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Minnesota's Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson, Buffalo's Tage Thompson, Carolina's Jaccob Slavin, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Vegas' Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin, and Anaheim's Jackson LaCombe.
21 — Series victories by the Sabres in their franchise history. Lindy Ruff was coach for 10 of them.
87 — Times Montreal has qualified, the most of any team. Boston is in for a 78th time, ranking second.
201 — Career playoff points for Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who needs one point to pass former teammate Jaromir Jagr for sole possession of the fifth most in NHL history.
820 — Regular-season games played by Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen, the most of any active player without making the playoffs. Former teammate Rasmus Dahlin of Buffalo (568 games) is also in tor the first time as the only defenseman to make his postseason debut after recording 400 points.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 05: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles down the court during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on April 05, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jayson Tatum wasn’t sure he was going to be here.
“I get the opportunity to be a part of this team and play in the playoffs — I couldn’t be more grateful,” Tatum said at his media session on Friday.
“I think there’s just more of a sense of gratitude than ever. Not that I ever took it for granted but when something is taken away from you, it just means a little bit more.”
It was just eleven months ago that Tatum fell to the Madison Square Garden floor in Game 4 of last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals with a torn Achilles.
It has been a long journey for Tatum to get back to this point, some of which you can watch in his mini-documentary, The Quiet Work.
Not even a year after the injury, he needs to be ready for the grind that is the NBA Playoffs so the Celtics can make another run at a championship.
“I’m ready, it’s part of the progression,” Tatum said. “I started on a minute restriction and every couple of games it would go up as we geared up for the playoffs.”
Has JT surprised himself with how well he has played in his return from injury?
“Short answer would be ‘yes,’ but with that there is the quick turnover of wanting more. When you (are) not 100% yourself yet — it’s only been 16 games — it can be frustrating at times but you gotta take a step back and be proud of what you accomplished of just coming back. Everything on top of that has been icing on the cake.”
He was also asked if he feels like he is entering his prime. “I just turned 28… yeah.”
“I’m excited,” Tatum said on how he felt emotionally heading into Game 1 on Sunday. “My perspective has changed these last 48 weeks. When I got injured, there was a lot of uncertainty. The playoffs were not a sure thing. You know, now that I get that opportunity (to play in the playoffs again), I couldn’t be more happy.”
The last question Tatum was asked was about the connection of this Celtics team and how they are working on said connection heading into the playoffs.
“It takes place every day,” JT said. “Going through it and winning a championship. You (are) trying to get a little bit better every single day, that’s what the really special teams do.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 11: Brandon Williamson #55 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 11, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Cincinnati Reds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brandon Williamson was born in Fairmont, Minnesota, which is roughly a two hour drive south of Target Field in Minneapolis. He went to Martin County West High School just down I-90 in Sherburn, and to date registers as the lone player from that program to ever crack the big leagues.
He’ll be on the mound in his home state on Friday evening as the Cincinnati Reds begin a three-game weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, and he’s expecting a big, big crowd of local folk in the stands to cheer him on. That’s pretty damn special, and hopefully he’ll dazzle them the way he dazzled the crowd in Miami on April 6th when he fired 6.2 IP of 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K, BB ball across 93 pitches.
(That’s the hope since in his other two starts in 2026 he’s combined for 9 ER in 8.2 IP with 8 walks against just 6 punchouts.)
The Reds as a whole enter the series somewhat sideways. They just split a 6 game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants, respectively, and have gone just 3-5 in their last 8 games overall. They did take 2 of 3 against the Giants, though yesterday’s series finale saw them tally just one (1) hit – and that came from PJ Higgins, who you usually don’t even want to be playing.
They also finished the game with something of a bluff-brawl against San Francisco, so we’ll see if that had any residual charge-up for them when they face the Twins.
The Twins, meanwhile, are rolling. They’re 11-8 like the Reds (and sit atop the AL Central), but they’ve won 8 of their last 10 against some class competition in Detroit, Toronto, and Boston. They’re also lined up to send ace Joe Ryan to the mound for tonight’s series opener, so Cincinnati’s offense has a lot on its table from the get-go.
Speaking of Cincinnati’s offense, their 64 runs scored on the season ranks 3rd worst in the majors. Their collective 77 wRC+ is worsted only by the Chicago White Sox. Somehow, their .333 slugging percentage is 3rd worst in the game despite them having two players – Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz – ranking among the Top 7 (and ties) in homers across the entire league.
TJ Friedl’s .154 slugging percentage is the worst among 188 qualified big leaguers, to date. Of the 277 players who’ve logged at least 40 PA so far this season, Ke’Bryan Hayes owns a spectacularly awful -44 wRC+ that’s far and away the worst (with San Francisco’s Patrick Bailey second worst at -9). Cincinnati’s outfield production as a whole has amounted to just a 39 wRC+, a mark that’s tied with the Giants for the worst overall unit in the game.
So, there’s a lot of improving that needs to happen, and it needs to happen fast.
They’ll get their next chance tonight at 8:10 PM ET in Minneapolis.
The Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns meet in an elimination play-in game with a trip to the playoffs on the line. The winner will get the Western Conference’s No. 8 playoff seed and a first-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The loser’s season ends.
How to watch Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns
The battle for the final spot in the NBA's Western Conference playoff picture gets settled tonight, when the Golden State Warriors visit the Phoenix Suns.
A vintage Steph Curry performance could be in the cards in a high stakes environment, so it's no surprise I'm targeting him into our Warriors vs. Suns predictions for Friday night.
Check my favorite Warriors vs Suns props, and my free NBA picks below.
Best Warriors vs Suns props
Player
Pick
Steph Curry
Over 27.5 points
-120
Devin Booker
Over 26.5 points
-105
Al Horford
Over 1.5 3-pointers
-110
Prop #1: Stephen Curry Over 27.5 points
-120 at bet365
At this point, the makeup of the Golden State Warriors is so bad that Steph Curry needs to be close to supernova just for his team to have a chance to win.
After taking a hard hit early against the Clippers, Curry clutched up, scoring 27 of his game-high 35 points in the second half, erasing a 13-point fourth quarter deficit and sending LA packing in a 126-121 masterpiece.
That's the most points and most minutes he's played in the five games he's suited up for since returning from a knee injury.
He's scored at least 28 in two of his last three against the Phoenix Suns, and he should be north of that with his team in a do-or-die situation again.
Prop #2: Devin Booker Over 26.5 points
-105 at bet365
There's just no world where Jalen Green should have taken 12 more field goal attempts than Devin Booker in a biggie matchup (29 to 17) like he did in the Suns' loss to Portland.
With the chance at the 7-seed now gone, this has to be an empty-the-tank game for Booker, or this feel-good Suns story ends with a disappointing thud in the play-in.
Prior to this game, Book had gone for at least 31 in five of the last six, and he's been unstoppable against the Dubs of late.
Booker is averaging 30.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds over his last five matchups, and he's scored at least 27 points in seven of his last 10 against them.
Prop #3: Al Horford Over 1.5 3-pointers
-110 at bet365
Bottom line: Steph Curry doesn't get to do his heroics if Al Horford doesn't go Splash-Cousin in the 4th quarter against the Clippers.
Horford drilled all four of his 3-point attempts in the frame to get the Dubs in the picture before Curry drove the nail in the coffin.
Not exactly sure this was going to be his role for the Dubs, but he's one of the few non-Steph guys that's producing.
Horford has a generous 1.5 make line tonight, and he's topped that total eight times in his last 11 games, and in three of his last four against Phoenix.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets during the game at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the dust settled on the regular season, the Lakers now turn their attention to the playoffs and their first- round matchup with the Houston Rockets.
Despite having a better record and home-court advantage over their Western Conference counterpart, Los Angeles is projected to be a large underdog in the series. That’s the harsh reality of losing both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to injury. But these are the cards they have been dealt and work with if they hope to extend the season long enough for their star backcourt to return.
Even without Dončić and Reaves in the fold, there will still be plenty of intrigue and storylines surrounding the series.
Among them are lofty expectations for unexpected players, a center with much to prove, and a potential final encounter between two legendary forwards. So let’s take a look at who and what may decide the winner.
How will the Lakers’ guards fare against the Rockets’ perimeter defense?
The natural first response to the Lakers losing both Dončić and Reaves ahead of the playoffs was to question how they could ever replicate their production.
From a raw numbers perspective, the Lakers are missing a combined 56.8 points and 13.8 assists from their lineup. And from an intangible perspective, the gravity and creation ability lost can not go overlooked.
Yes, LeBron James will be looked upon to shoulder this weight (more on that later). But the Lakers will need meaningful contributions from everyone, specifically their other guards, if they hope to improve their odds of advancing.
The two players who are most likely to be tasked with stepping up are Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart.
These aren’t the names fans envisioned that their postseason hopes would rest on. Yet, the duo is the only option left. Fortunately, both have shown the capability to take on more responsibility when given the chance.
Since joining the team, Kennard has proved he is much more than just a shooter. His knack for attacking closeouts, driving to the rim and flashing passing chops are reasons why he has been an invaluable blender starter.
Those ancillary skills have only continued to pop as Kennard has upped his usage (+8.3%) and assist (+16.9%) rates significantly since Dončić and Reaves have been out.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets during the game at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The veteran guard has become a fan favorite thanks to his stingy defense, impressive on/off numbers and role as a connector on offense. With Smart’s history as an on-ball player on the Celtics, the Lakers will try to tap back into his previous experience handling playmaking responsibilities in the short term.
Smart dished out 10 assists in the Lakers’ season finale as he worked himself back into the groove of things after previously missing nine games. It was an encouraging proof of concept. However, it is important to contextualize it came against a lowly Utah Jazz and not a Rockets’ squad with piranhas on the perimeter.
Spearheaded by the breathtaking defense of Amen Thompson, the Rockets also equip a slew of rangy and feisty options to sic on the Lakers’ ball-handlers.
“They’re going to try to come in and punk us,” Smart said of the Rockets’ physicality. “And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team.”
Protecting the ball will have to be a point of emphasis, as Houston was one of the most consistent teams at shutting off the water against opposing first options. They were sixth-best in defending isolations and fourth in checking the ball-handler in the pick and roll, according to league tracking data. Collectively, they also had the third-stingiest half-court defense.
Kennard’s trademark shooting and Smart’s defense will still need to remain staples to their games. But how effectively they can do a little of everything else — especially against a fierce opponent — could make the difference.
Can Deandre Ayton hold his own on both ends?
After getting mauled by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs last year, the primary objective for the Lakers in the offseason was to add more size. Namely, finding a starting caliber center.
While his individual performance has waxed and waned this year, Deandre Ayton has mostly shored up that glaring need. However, as has been the case throughout his career, one can not help but long for more when it comes to Ayton’s play.
That feeling can’t be the case against the Rockets. The postseason is why the Lakers signed Ayton. And it will benefit both sides if the postseason is where Ayton performs his best on both ends.
On defense, Ayton will get the lion’s share of minutes guarding Alperen Şengün. It’s a tough matchup for anyone. The talented and versatile big man has presented challenges for the Lakers dating back to Anthony Davis’ tenure with the team.
Şengün averaged 20.5 points (77.7% true shooting), 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and was a+15.5 in the boxscore in his two games against Los Angeles this season.
HOUSTON, TX – MARCH 18: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on March 18, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With Şengün’s improved ability to space the floor and acting as the trigger man in the Rockets’ dribble handoff sets, Ayton will have to be nimble enough to hang on the perimeter while staying sturdy enough to bang with him in the paint.
Beyond playing stout defense, Ayton will also need to make Şengün work on the other end as well.
After his polarizing comment about the Rockets’ other big, Clint Capela, went viral, Ayton did little to back up his gusto during the team’s regular-season meetings. He notoriously grabbed only two rebounds in their first matchup and averaged just 5.7 boards and 11 points across three games.
Given Houston’s historic rebounding prowess and bulky front court, Ayton will have to be on his game every night.
He doesn’t need to outplay Şengün or be the best center in the series for the Lakers to win. But he does need to be engaged and able to hold his own.
Will LeBron or KD have a bigger impact?
After years of interweaving in and out of each other’s careers, the basketball pendulum has finally swung LeBron James and Kevin Durant back into a collision.
Three Finals meetings and 14 playoff contests later, James and Durant will square off once again. Perhaps for the last time.
For as much as has changed in the NBA since their last battle, the expectations for James, 41, and Durant, 37, remain the same. Both will be looked upon by their respective teams to lead them, set the example and be the best player on the court.
With his younger star teammates out, James has expectantly been asked to revert as the Lakers’ primary offensive hub.
His 29.2% usage rate on the season (his lowest since 2004) has jumped up to a whopping 39.5% mark in the Lakers’ final four games without Dončić and Reaves.
HOUSTON, TX – MARCH 18: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game on March 18, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While obviously not a sustainable recipe for success, it does paint a picture of how dire the Lakers’ scoring creation is expected to be without their starting backcourt.
How well James fares as both a scorer and playmaker could be the deciding factor in the series. The same applies to Durant.
KD terrorized the Lakers from an efficiency standpoint (67.2% true shooting) in the regular season, but Los Angeles did a solid job containing him, as his 20.3 point average in those games could attest.
This was accomplished by the Lakers exploiting Houston’s primary offensive weakness — a lack of ball-handling and shot creation.
Like the Lakers, the Rockets find themselves sapped of perimeter offensive juice outside of Durant. Knowing this, head coach JJ Redick and staff were steadfast in their gameplan against Durant, often sending doubles, trapping and forcing the ball out of his hands in the half court.
This aggressive approach led Durant to average as many turnovers (4.7) as assists (4.7) against the Lakers this season.
If Durant can shake free and or the rest of the Rockets help shoulder the scoring, it may be difficult for the Lakers to consistently keep one of the NBA’s most prolific offensive weapons contained.
Like it has so many times before, the series may just come down to which of James or Durant can have the biggest impact. The pieces around them may be different, but the central figures of this era still find themselves front and center.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.
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