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  • Live Updates: 2026 NBA Playoffs, R1 | Lakers-Rockets duel in critical Game 6

    Live Updates: 2026 NBA Playoffs, R1 | Lakers-Rockets duel in critical Game 6

    Cade Cunningham scores 19 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to fuel Detroit’s 24-point comeback and force a Game 7. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

    Enjoy the best of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news and highlights from the night’s action.

    We’ve got a Prime Video triple-header starting with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Orlando Magic, followed by Cavaliers-Raptors (Live) and Lakers-Rockets (Live) in win-or-go-home Game 6s!

    What we know about Friday’s games:

    • The Pistons force a Game 7 after recording the largest comeback by a road team facing elimination since the 1996-97 season (24 points). Cade Cunningham scores 19 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter to power Detroit’s 31-8 scoring advantage over the final 12 minutes, as Detroit wins 93-79.
    • Toronto keeps their season alive behind RJ Barrett’s (24 pts, 4 3PM) go-ahead triple that refused to bounce out, prompting this response from Tyrese Haliburton. The Raptors win Game 6 in overtime, 112-110, to give basketball fans another Game 7 in Cleveland on Sunday.
    • The Rockets will look to become the fifth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after being down 0-3, with the 1951 Knicks, 1984 Nuggets, 2003 Blazers and 2023 Celtics the only other squads to accomplish that feat. Houston will attempt to join them as they fight for a third consecutive victory against LA. LeBron James has won 21 series-clinching games on the road in his career, tied with Derek Fisher and Tim Duncan for the most all-time.

    Friday’s finals

    May 1, 2026 / 10:42 ET

    Barrett, Raptors force Game 7

    RJ Barrett gets the high bounce to fall on his game-winning 3-pointer, giving him 24 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and one steal in 43 minutes. Toronto survives in overtime, 112-110, and forces a Game 7 back in Cleveland on Sunday.

    Scottie Barnes tallies a team-high 25 points, 14 assists and 3 blocks with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 48 minutes, and Ja’Kobe Walters pours in 24 points with four 3s, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block.

    Evan Mobley’s 3-point attempt falls just short as the clock expires, but he finishes with a game-high 26 points and 14 rebounds in 41 minutes. Donovan Mitchell tallies 24 points on 11-for-26 shooting, scoring 13 of those in the fourth, along with 5 boards, 2 dimes and one block.

    May 1, 2026 / 10:24 ET

    Cade takes over to force Game 7

    Two of the best words in sports. Game 7 on Sunday.

    May 1, 2026 / 10:19 ET

    Cavs-Raptors is GOOD

    We’re tied at 106 after a successful challenge by Toronto to overturn what would have been the sixth foul on Jamal Shead.

    May 1, 2026 / 10:13 ET

    Cavs-Raptors going to OT

    Jamal Shead can’t get the friendly bounce as the buzzer sounds in Toronto, and the Cavaliers and Raptors are heading to overtime tied at 104 in Game 6.

    Cleveland owns a 3-2 series lead, will they close out? Or will Toronto force a Game 7?

    May 1, 2026 / 10:10 ET

    Lakers-Rockets live for Game 6

    Rui Hachimura leads the Lakers with 7 points to give LA a 23-18 advantage with 2:16 left in the first quarter.

    Tari Eason matches him with 7 points on 3-for-4 shooting to pace Houston.

    May 1, 2026 / 10:06 ET

    2-point game in Toronto!

    The Raptors have a 104-102 lead over the Cavs with 15.6 seconds remaining. Cleveland takes a timeout as they look to tie or take the lead.

    May 1, 2026 / 10:00 ET

    Spida taking over in fourth

    Donovan Mitchell has brought the Cavs back in the fourth quarter, dropping 11 of his 22 points in the frame to make it a 100-99 lead for the Raptors with 2:57 remaining on Prime Video!

    May 1, 2026 / 9:47 ET

    Pistons force Game 7

    Detroit records the largest comeback by a road team facing elimination since the 1996-97 season by overcoming a 24-point deficit in Orlando in Game 6. An unbelievable rally behind Cade Cunningham’s game-high 32 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter.

    Cunningham tallies 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and one block across 42 minutes. Tobias Harris adds 22 points and 10 boards, while Duncan Robinson chips in 14 points with 4 3-pointers and a game-best +24 in 36 minutes.

    The Pistons outscore the Magic 31-8 over the final 12 minutes. Desmond Bane (3 reb, 2 stl) and Paolo Banchero (4-20 FG, 10 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) pace Orlando with 17 points apiece in the crushing defeat after leading by as many as 24 points.

    May 1, 2026 / 9:36 ET

    Toronto in control going to 4Q

    RJ Barrett has a game-high 21 points to help the Raptors take a 92-81 lead to the fourth quarter. Ja’Kobe Walter (19 pts, 3 stl) and Scottie Barnes (18 pts, 12 ast, 2 blk) are right behind Barrett, who adds 7 boards, 3 dimes and a steal in 26 minutes.

    Evan Mobley paces Cleveland with 17 points on 5-for-8 shooting (2 3PM), with Jarrett Allen (14 pts, 2 blk), James Harden (12 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl) and Donovan Mitchell (11 pts, 3 reb) in support.

    May 1, 2026 / 9:27 ET

    Los Angeles Lakers:

    • PG – Austin Reaves (22.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.0 apg)
    • SG – Marcus Smart (16.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.6 bpg)
    • SF – LeBron James (22.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 8.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
    • PF – Rui Hachimura (14.8 ppg, 54.5 3P% on 4.4 3PA, 1.2 spg)
    • C – Deandre Ayton (12.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

    Houston Rockets:

    • PG – Reed Sheppard (12.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.2 spg)
    • SG – Amen Thompson (19.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.4 spg)
    • SF – Tari Eason (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 spg)
    • PF – Jabari Smith Jr. (19.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.2 spg)
    • C – Alperen Sengun (21.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.4 apg, 2.2 spg, 1.2 bpg)

    May 1, 2026 / 9:17 ET

    Pistons take lead in 4Q!

    Detroit fights back to grab a 74-72 lead over Orlando with 6:04 remaining in the contest. Cade Cunningham (23 pts) scores the first 10 points in the fourth to give the Pistons life with a 20-1 run.

    May 1, 2026 / 9:10 ET

    Cade is too nice

    Cade Cunningham is up to a game-high 19 points on 8-for-19 shooting with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and one block. Detroit has trimmed a 24-point deficit to 72-68 with 8:28 left in the game on Prime Video.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:58 ET

    Pistons close gap heading to 4Q

    Detroit outscores Orlando 24-11 in the third to cut their deficit to just 9, 71-62, behind an 8-0 run to close the period. Cade Cunningham is doing it all with 13 points (5-15 FG), 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes.

    Desmond Bane has a game-high 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, while Paolo Banchero adds 13 points, 6 rebounds, 6 dimes and 2 steals in 30 minutes.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:55 ET

    Raptors up 10 at halftime

    Toronto takes a 61-51 lead over Cleveland at the break behind RJ Barrett (15 pts, 3 3PM, 4 reb), Scottie Barnes (14 pts, 10 ast, 2 blk) and Ja’Kobe Walter (13 pts, 3 3PM, 2 stl).

    The Raptors have forced 10 Cavs’ turnovers resulting in a 14-6 edge in points off TOs, and they’re controlling the fast break (13-1).

    Evan Mobley (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Donovan Mitchell (7 pts, 2 reb) and James Harden (8 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) look to bring Cleveland back and advance to the second round.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:43 ET

    Barnes bringing the energy

    Scottie Barnes brings the home crowd to their feet with this coast-to-coast effort, and he’s up to 14 points (6-11 FG), 2 rebounds and 9 assists to help Toronto hold a 55-49 lead with 3:05 left in the second quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:38 ET

    Pistons not going away

    Detroit has trimmed a 24-point deficit down to just 10, as they trail Orlando 64-50 with 7:06 left in the third. Cade Cunningham (12 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) and Tobias Harris (13 pts, 4 reb) continue to lead the way for the Pistons.

    Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero (12 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) are trying to leave no doubt as they look to close out Detroit in Game 6.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:28 ET

    Cavs, Raptors battling in Game 6

    Two ties and nine lead changes so far, but it’s Toronto with a 43-38 lead over Cleveland with 7:41 left in the first half.

    Evan Mobley has 11 points to power the Cavs, while RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes each have 12 points apiece for the Raptors.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:21 ET

    Harden keeps climbing

    Congratulations to James Harden on another incredible career accomplishment!

    May 1, 2026 / 8:19 ET

    Magic dominate first half, lead 60-38

    Desmond Bane (game-high 15 pts) and Paolo Banchero (10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) lead nine Magic players who have scored through 24 minutes of action. A 35-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter gives Orlando a 22-point edge.

    Tobias Harris has 10 points (4-11 FG) and 3 rebounds as the only Piston in double figures scoring, followed by Cade Cunningham (8 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) and Jalen Duren (6 pts, 6 reb). Detroit will have to dig deep in the second half if they hope to continue their season.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:14 ET

    Cavs, Raptors tied heading to 2Q

    RJ Barrett (9 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) and Scottie Barnes (8 pts, 5 ast) are doing work for Toronto as they battle to keep their season alive. The Cavs and Raptors are tied at 32 after one quarter of play.

    Evan Mobley paces Cleveland with 8 points (2-2 FG, 4-4 FT), 4 boards and 2 dimes. The Cavs are out-rebounding the Raptors (14-5) and have 12 FTA compared to 2 for the home team.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:03 ET

    Magic cooking in 2Q

    Desmond Bane has a game-high 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, helping Orlando take a 54-38 lead over Detroit with 2:31 left in the first half.

    Tobias Harris has 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting to fuel the Pistons, who have been outscored 29-12 so far in the second quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:56 ET

    Cavs-Raptors going back and forth

    We’ve seen seven lead changes and one tie in Toronto, with the Raptors and Cavs tied at 18 with 5:13 left in the first quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:53 ET

    Magic start 2Q strong

    Orlando fires off a 15-2 run to begin the second quarter, and they’re outscoring Detroit 22-6 in the frame. The Magic have a 47-32 edge with 5:27 remaining before halftime.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:37 ET

    Detroit up 26-25 after 1Q

    Tobias Harris (6 pts, 3 reb), Jalen Duren (6 pts on 3-3 FG) and Daniss Jenkins (5 pts, 1 ast) power the Pistons’ one-point lead as we head to the second quarter on Prime Video.

    Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva each have 5 points and one 3-pointer to lead Orlando.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:20 ET

    Pistons-Magic underway

    Desmond Bane (3 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl) and Wendell Carter Jr. (4 pts) pace the Magic, while Tobias Harris leads Detroit with 5 points and 2 rebounds. Orlando has an early 11-10 advantage with 6:57 left in the opening quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:10 ET

    Cleveland Cavaliers:

    • PG – James Harden (22.0 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.0 spg)
    • SG – Donovan Mitchell (23.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.6 apg)
    • SF – Max Strus (10.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg)
    • PF – Evan Mobley (17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 bpg)
    • C – Jarrett Allen (8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg, 2.2 bpg)

    The Cavs start with their two-big lineup, but with Toronto having more success with smaller lineups featuring Collin Murray-Boyles at the 5, Cleveland has countered with Sam Merrill, Dean Wade and Dennis Schröder off the bench.

    Toronto Raptors:

    • PG – Jamal Shead (8.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 1.8 spg)
    • SG – Ja’Kobe Walter (8.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 spg)
    • SF – RJ Barrett (24.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg)
    • PF – Scottie Barnes (24.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.6 bpg)
    • C – Jakob Poeltl (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

    The Raptors are without Brandon Ingram (heel) tonight, meaning the trio of Barnes, Barrett and Walter will have to do the heavy lifting on offense. Collin Murray-Boyles (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (5.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are x-factors for Toronto’s second unit with their season on the line.

    May 1, 2026 / 6:15 ET

    Detroit Pistons:

    • PG – Cade Cunningham (32.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.0 apg)
    • SG – Duncan Robinson (9.6 ppg, 39.4 3P% on 6.6 3PA)
    • SF – Ausar Thompson (9.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.6 spg, 2.0 bpg)
    • PF – Tobias Harris (19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 spg)
    • C – Jalen Duren (10.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg)

    The Pistons will deploy a solid bench unit headlined by Isaiah Stewart, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert.

    Orlando Magic:

    • PG – Jalen Suggs (13.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
    • SG – Desmond Bane (18.8 ppg, 43.2 3P% on 8.8 3PA, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 spg)
    • SF – Jamal Cain (4.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
    • PF – Paolo Banchero (25.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
    • C – Wendell Carter Jr. (11.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.8 bpg)

    The Magic will insert Cain into the starting unit with Franz Wagner (calf) missing his second straight game. Expect Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva to see a bit more action as Orlando looks to advance to the semifinals.

    May 1, 2026 / 6:00 ET

    Tonight’s injury report

    DET @ ORL — Tobias Harris (ankle) is available and Kevin Huerter (adductor) is out for the Pistons, while Franz Wagner (calf) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) are both out for the Magic.

    CLE @ TOR — Brandon Ingram (heel) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) are out for the Raptors.

    LAL @ HOU — Luka Dončić (hamstring) is out for tonight’s contest for the Lakers, while Kevin Durant (ankle) will miss his fourth straight and fifth overall for the Rockets.

  • Hawks’ Dyson Daniels, Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson fined for altercation

    NEW YORK — New York Knicks center-forward Mitchell Robinson has been fined $50,000 and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been fined $25,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.

    With 4:39 remaining in the second quarter of the Knicks’ 140-89 victory over the Hawks in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on April 30 at State Farm Arena, Robinson and Daniels became entangled while battling for position during a free throw attempt.  Both players escalated the altercation with Robinson continuing to aggressively pursue Daniels after the players had been separated. The altercation resulted in both players being assessed technical fouls and ejected.

    The amount of Robinson’s fine takes into account his inappropriate post on social media in reference to the incident postgame.

    To view the incident, click here.

  • Live Updates: 2026 NBA Playoffs, R1 | Pistons-Magic, Cavs-Raptors duel in critical Game 6s

    Live Updates: 2026 NBA Playoffs, R1 | Pistons-Magic, Cavs-Raptors duel in critical Game 6s

    Paolo Banchero and Cade Cunningham each dropped 45 points in Detroit’s Game 5 victory on Wednesday. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

    Enjoy the best of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news and highlights from the night’s action.

    We’ve got a Prime Video triple-header starting with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Orlando Magic (Live), followed by Cavaliers-Raptors (Live) and Lakers-Rockets (9:30 p.m. ET) in win-or-go-home Game 6s!

    What we know about Friday’s games:

    • The Pistons head back to Orlando with a chance to force Game 7. In Game 5, former No. 1 overall picks Cade Cunningham (2021) and Paolo Banchero (2022) became the first opposing No. 1 overall picks in the modern draft era (since 1966) to each score 45+ points in the same game. It marked the highest scoring performance while facing elimination in Pistons franchise history, passing the previous mark set by Dave Bing in 1968 (44).
    • Toronto hosts Cleveland with a chance to extend their season. This series tells us they have an opportunity to do just that, as the home team has won every game in this first round matchup. It’s been a close battle to this point, as the series has been separated by a total of just 2 points, with the Cavaliers scoring 559 and the Raptors scoring 557.
    • The Rockets will look to become the fifth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after being down 0-3, with the 1951 Knicks, 1984 Nuggets, 2003 Blazers and 2023 Celtics the only other squads to accomplish that feat. Houston will attempt to join them as they fight for a third consecutive victory against LA. LeBron James has won 21 series-clinching games on the road in his career, tied with Derek Fisher and Tim Duncan for the most all-time.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:28 ET

    Cavs, Raptors battling in Game 6

    Two ties and nine lead changes so far, but it’s Toronto with a 43-38 lead over Cleveland with 7:41 left in the first half.

    Evan Mobley has 11 points to power the Cavs, while RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes each have 12 points apiece for the Raptors.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:21 ET

    Harden keeps climbing

    Congratulations to James Harden on another incredible career accomplishment!

    May 1, 2026 / 8:19 ET

    Magic dominate first half, lead 60-38

    Desmond Bane (game-high 15 pts) and Paolo Banchero (10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) lead nine Magic players who have scored through 24 minutes of action. A 35-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter gives Orlando a 22-point edge.

    Tobias Harris has 10 points (4-11 FG) and 3 rebounds as the only Piston in double figures scoring, followed by Cade Cunningham (8 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) and Jalen Duren (6 pts, 6 reb). Detroit will have to dig deep in the second half if they hope to continue their season.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:14 ET

    Cavs, Raptors tied heading to 2Q

    RJ Barrett (9 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) and Scottie Barnes (8 pts, 5 ast) are doing work for Toronto as they battle to keep their season alive. The Cavs and Raptors are tied at 32 after one quarter of play.

    Evan Mobley paces Cleveland with 8 points (2-2 FG, 4-4 FT), 4 boards and 2 dimes. The Cavs are out-rebounding the Raptors (14-5) and have 12 FTA compared to 2 for the home team.

    May 1, 2026 / 8:03 ET

    Magic cooking in 2Q

    Desmond Bane has a game-high 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, helping Orlando take a 54-38 lead over Detroit with 2:31 left in the first half.

    Tobias Harris has 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting to fuel the Pistons, who have been outscored 29-12 so far in the second quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:56 ET

    Cavs-Raptors going back and forth

    We’ve seen seven lead changes and one tie in Toronto, with the Raptors and Cavs tied at 18 with 5:13 left in the first quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:53 ET

    Magic start 2Q strong

    Orlando fires off a 15-2 run to begin the second quarter, and they’re outscoring Detroit 22-6 in the frame. The Magic have a 47-32 edge with 5:27 remaining before halftime.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:37 ET

    Detroit up 26-25 after 1Q

    Tobias Harris (6 pts, 3 reb), Jalen Duren (6 pts on 3-3 FG) and Daniss Jenkins (5 pts, 1 ast) power the Pistons’ one-point lead as we head to the second quarter on Prime Video.

    Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva each have 5 points and one 3-pointer to lead Orlando.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:20 ET

    Pistons-Magic underway

    Desmond Bane (3 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl) and Wendell Carter Jr. (4 pts) pace the Magic, while Tobias Harris leads Detroit with 5 points and 2 rebounds. Orlando has an early 11-10 advantage with 6:57 left in the opening quarter.

    May 1, 2026 / 7:10 ET

    Cleveland Cavaliers:

    • PG – James Harden (22.0 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.0 spg)
    • SG – Donovan Mitchell (23.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.6 apg)
    • SF – Max Strus (10.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg)
    • PF – Evan Mobley (17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 bpg)
    • C – Jarrett Allen (8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg, 2.2 bpg)

    The Cavs start with their two-big lineup, but with Toronto having more success with smaller lineups featuring Collin Murray-Boyles at the 5, Cleveland has countered with Sam Merrill, Dean Wade and Dennis Schröder off the bench.

    Toronto Raptors:

    • PG – Jamal Shead (8.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 1.8 spg)
    • SG – Ja’Kobe Walter (8.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 spg)
    • SF – RJ Barrett (24.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg)
    • PF – Scottie Barnes (24.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.6 bpg)
    • C – Jakob Poeltl (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

    The Raptors are without Brandon Ingram (heel) tonight, meaning the trio of Barnes, Barrett and Walter will have to do the heavy lifting on offense. Collin Murray-Boyles (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (5.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are x-factors for Toronto’s second unit with their season on the line.

    May 1, 2026 / 6:15 ET

    Detroit Pistons:

    • PG – Cade Cunningham (32.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.0 apg)
    • SG – Duncan Robinson (9.6 ppg, 39.4 3P% on 6.6 3PA)
    • SF – Ausar Thompson (9.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.6 spg, 2.0 bpg)
    • PF – Tobias Harris (19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 spg)
    • C – Jalen Duren (10.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg)

    The Pistons will deploy a solid bench unit headlined by Isaiah Stewart, Daniss Jenkins and Caris LeVert.

    Orlando Magic:

    • PG – Jalen Suggs (13.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
    • SG – Desmond Bane (18.8 ppg, 43.2 3P% on 8.8 3PA, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 spg)
    • SF – Jamal Cain (4.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
    • PF – Paolo Banchero (25.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.6 spg)
    • C – Wendell Carter Jr. (11.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.8 bpg)

    The Magic will insert Cain into the starting unit with Franz Wagner (calf) missing his second straight game. Expect Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva to see a bit more action as Orlando looks to advance to the semifinals.

    May 1, 2026 / 6:00 ET

    Tonight’s injury report

    DET @ ORL — Tobias Harris (ankle) is available and Kevin Huerter (adductor) is out for the Pistons, while Franz Wagner (calf) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) are both out for the Magic.

    CLE @ TOR — Brandon Ingram (heel) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) are out for the Raptors.

    LAL @ HOU — Luka Dončić (hamstring) is out for tonight’s contest for the Lakers, while Kevin Durant (ankle) will miss his fourth straight and fifth overall for the Rockets.

  • The Athletic: Inside how Jalen Suggs channels his inner football player

    Magic guard Jalen Suggs isn’t afraid to unleash his football mentality on the basketball court.

    Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. 

    ORLANDO, Fla. — A scar runs along Jalen Suggs’ upper left arm. The size and shape of a medium Band-Aid, darker than the surrounding skin, it stretches across an area between his shoulder muscle and his triceps. The Orlando Magic guard’s lifetime in sports has left him with many marks on his body, but that one holds a special significance. It reminds him of his football career.

    “I like all my scars,” Suggs said after a recent practice. “They all kind of tell stories. But I love the game of football. I’m forever thankful for what it’s taught me.”

    In 2017, Suggs, then a sophomore quarterback for the SMB Wolfpack, carried the football during an intense high-school rivalry game and absorbed what he thought was a routine tackle. He did not feel anything unusual. After he stood up, he gathered his teammates for a huddle, and his teammates pointed to his left arm. Suggs looked down to see that his arm had been gashed open and was dripping blood. His teammates implored him to receive immediate medical attention. They ran one more play, and then Suggs went to the sideline, where athletic trainers patched the injury. Suggs returned to that game.

    “Teams knew how good he was, and they often wanted to test his toughness and take shots at him and beat him up,” said Hugh Brown, who was the Wolfpack’s quarterbacks coach in 2017 and is now the head coach. “He never backed down from it.”

    Brown and his fellow SMB coaches describe Suggs as the ultimate connector and a dogged competitor, someone who reveled in the sport’s physicality and felt such a deep obligation to his teammates that he would attempt to play hurt.

    Suggs’ attitude has not changed. Although the compression shirt he typically wears underneath his Magic jersey covers his upper left arm during games, you do not need to see his gnarly scar to realize that he remains a football player at heart. He seeks contact, relishing opportunities to crash passing lanes, take charges and dive onto the basketball court. As Orlando’s starting point guard, he enjoys hurling long outlet passes almost as much as he enjoyed throwing long touchdown passes.

    Suggs is a central reason the Magic lead their Eastern Conference first-round series against the equally defensive-minded Detroit Pistons 3-2. Suggs set the tone for the series in the opening quarter of Game 1, disrupting Pistons passes, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and belly-flopping to the floor to collect a loose basketball.

    When the series resumes Friday for Game 6 in Orlando, with the Magic desperate to close it out and avoid a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday on the Pistons’ home floor, Suggs almost certainly will be in the middle of the action again, imbuing his teammates with a level of frenetic energy that he provides naturally. Even when he struggles on offense, he improves Orlando’s defense. Like the ball-hawking, hard-hitting NFL defensive backs he has always admired, he anticipates opponents’ passes.

    Suggs also craves collisions. He excels at beating opponents to spots on the floor, sometimes wrecking dribble-handoffs before a big man can give the ball to a guard or anticipating picks.

    “He’s just so good at getting in-between,” Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. “I guess he’s not afraid of that contact, which is sort of what you would see in a football player. Most basketball players don’t have that natural instinct to do that, and he does.

    “I don’t think I’ve played with anybody like Jalen. It’s hard for me to think of anyone (like him) or try to compare him to anyone. He’s a pretty unique player, just how he puts his body on the line, gives his body up, diving on the floor, diving out of bounds, going for chase-down blocks.”

    Suggs, who is 6 feet 5 and 212 pounds, is the most irreplaceable defender on a team filled with tall, agile and tough defenders. During the 2023-24 season, his third year in the pros, he earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In recent years, he has ranked near the top league-wide among point guards and combo guards in block percentage, steal percentage and defensive-rebounding percentage.

    It’s no wonder, then, that when Suggs missed the 2025 postseason because he had undergone knee surgery, many people within the Magic conceded that their team had only a minimal chance to upset the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, a team with several outstanding perimeter scorers. The Magic lost that series in five hard-fought games for many reasons, but one of them was Suggs’ absence.

    His penchant for contact has its negative side. It has made him vulnerable to injuries, and he has endured two surgeries during his pro career. In 2022, his rookie season ended early because of a slight stress fracture in his right ankle. During a season-ending arthroscopic surgery late last season, a physician removed a cartilage fragment within his left knee and performed a mosaicplasty procedure to repair the trochlear joint surface.

    Magic medical staff brought him back slowly from that surgery, placing him under minutes restrictions early in the season. He wound up missing 25 regular-season games: four to manage the left knee, one because of a sore groin, seven because of a hip contusion, eight because of an MCL contusion in his right knee, three because of a back injury and two because of an illness. The defense struggled during his absences and when he was off the court.

    Suggs’ Magic coaches and teammates recognize the risks of his physicality, but they have largely refrained from asking him to rein in his football mentality on the basketball court.

    “To hold him back from being who he is, we won’t do that,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Obviously, being able to be smart in certain situations? Absolutely. But you’ll never hold him back from who he’s always going to be as a basketball player. …

    “That’s like asking someone with superpowers not to use them, and I think that takes away from the team if he’s not being his full authentic self.”

    The coaches of the SMB Wolfpack faced a similar dilemma.

    How, exactly, were they going to protect such a fierce competitor?

    Suggs started at quarterback as a freshman. He could scramble for first downs, and he could throw the ball 50 yards in the air with a flick of his right arm. He also studied NFL All-Pro safeties Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins and Troy Polamalu. One of his second cousins is Terrell Suggs, a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and another Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

    Suggs was so important to the Wolfpack that the coaches decided not to play him on defense as a freshman. In subsequent seasons, they usually waited until playoff games to deploy him in the defensive backfield.

    The coaches could not limit Suggs completely, though. When the Wolfpack’s backup quarterback took snaps in practice, especially during one-on-one coverage drills, Suggs sometimes snuck into the line at cornerback or at wide receiver just because he enjoyed the competition so much.

    “He was a guy that you’d have to hold back,” said Collin Quinn, who was the Wolfpack’s head coach during Suggs’ first three years of high school. “He loved being out there. He loved being out there with his buddies. He loved being a kid and competing, and loved getting better and practicing his craft. He wasn’t a reluctant football player. He was all-in.”

    The SMB Wolfpack isn’t a typical high-school football squad. It’s a cooperative team comprising students from four Twin Cities private schools: St. Paul Academy and Summit School, The Blake School, Hope Academy and Minnehaha Academy. Suggs, who attended Minnehaha, wasn’t merely one of SMB’s best players; he was one of its best connectors, helping to unite kids from the different schools.

    SMB won the Minnesota Class AAAA championship in 2018 during Suggs’ junior year and finished as the Class AAAA runner-up in 2019, losing 22-21 in overtime of a game in which Suggs sprained one of his knees just before halftime but played in the second half.

    “He could beat you in so many ways,” said Chris Goodwin, who was SMB’s offensive coordinator in 2018 and its head coach in 2019. “He was a great passer. He could make plays. As a quarterback, he was so elusive. I’ve seen him break four or five tackles on a play or just elude four or five guys and then throw a touchdown pass. Some of his highlights, I’ve just never seen anything like in my life.”

    For Suggs, choosing basketball over football was an excruciating decision.

    His suitors in football included his home state Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

    In an interview last week, Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said that he and his staff spent four years recruiting Suggs. Fleck wanted Suggs to play quarterback at Minnesota, and Fleck said Suggs “absolutely” had enough talent to play in the NFL as a quarterback, wideout, cornerback or as a safety.

    “Incredibly gracious, ultimate connector, elite competitor — that kind of sums up Jalen Suggs, in my opinion,” Fleck said.

    “I’ll give you a basketball analogy because he plays basketball: He was the ultimate point guard on the football field,” Fleck added. “Incredible distributor, understood situational awareness, knew how to use his legs. (He was an) extender of plays, kept his eyes down the field, distributed the ball (to) who it needed to go to. He threw to the open guy — it sounds simple — and then made everybody else around him better.”

    Suggs said he nearly chose to attend Minnesota. Instead, he picked Gonzaga, which does not have a varsity football program. He said people often assume that he chose to play basketball over football because of the more substantial risk of injury in football. He insists that was not a big consideration.

    “I was always more worried about getting hurt on the basketball court than in football,” Suggs said. “I always thought I could protect myself a bit more, to initiate or avoid contact, a bit more on the football field. …

    “I never really got hurt too much on the football field, to be honest. It was always the hardwood that messed me up. But yeah, that really wasn’t a factor. It was the timeline (and) accessibility to my main goal, which was generational wealth. I still love the game. I love them both.”

    Suggs has accomplished his main goal. Drafted fifth in 2021 by the Magic, he earned approximately $30 million during the four years of his rookie-scale contract. He just completed the first season of a five-year contract worth $151 million.

    He said he doesn’t regret his decision to choose basketball over football, but he acknowledges that football is never that far from his thoughts.

    Even now, when he feels like he’s slipping on the defensive end and needs to concentrate further, he said he will watch football highlights of safeties intercepting passes or recovering fumbles or making bone-crunching hits. Those plays inspire him.

    During the 2024 preseason, the Philadelphia 76ers sank a free throw with 0.6 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Suggs collected the basketball after it fell through the net and threw an inbounds pass to the edge of the restricted circle on the other end of the court, where Franz Wagner caught the ball and scored on a layup.

    In a team film session a few days later, Magic assistant coaches and video coordinators spliced that long pass alongside footage from one of Suggs’ 25 career high-school touchdown passes. On that touchdown pass, Suggs threw the football 45 yards in the air and hit a wideout in stride at the goal line.

    Different sports. Two equally perfect passes. What else would you expect from the first person in Minnesota history to be named the state’s Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football in the same year?

    “Put the two clips side by side, it was exactly the same,” Magic assistant coach Bret Brielmaier said.

    Suggs has admitted at various times over the last several years he misses football, but he’s always added that he made the right decision to choose basketball.

    On Saturday, he enjoyed one of the best moments of his NBA career, the Magic’s thrilling 113-105 win over the Pistons in Game 3. He scored 15 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists that afternoon.

    When the game ended, following Mosley’s postgame comments to the team, Suggs trudged in his flip-flops to the team’s therapy areas. He and many of his teammates spent time in a spacious cold plunge tub. Soaking in the 45-degree water reduces inflammation and diminishes muscle soreness, but it does not help much with the floor burns he often suffers from diving onto the court.

    Fifty minutes after the final buzzer, he sat in his chair in the nearly empty Magic locker room, answering questions from reporters. A fluffy black towel around his neck obscured the scar on his upper left arm, but during his 33:18 of playing time, he had picked up a new scar, a small red abrasion straddling the top of his left cheekbone, underneath his eye.

    He absorbed, and dished out, so much contact during the game that Suggs said he had “no idea” what caused the new mark on his face.

    He had won big games before in both sports. A reporter asked him how the satisfaction of Saturday’s victory compared to how he felt after he won Minnesota state tournament football games.

    Suggs let out a quick chuckle before he answered.

    “This is the greatest feeling in the world,” he said. “That was amazing, but this is the highest level of competition, the greatest time of the year, with all eyes on these games. It’s when you can really earn respect from people around the league and all fans of basketball, because it’s the purest form of it. So football was fun. It was great wins. But nothing compared to playoff wins, playoff environments and getting it done.”

    He spoke with such conviction that he sounded like he finally, and truly, made his peace with leaving football. After all, he still brings that same football intensity to every basketball game he plays. He is collecting new marks all over his body to prove it: bruises, cuts, floor burns.

    Each one tells a different story.

    ***

    Josh Robbins is a senior writer for The Athletic. He began covering the Washington Wizards in 2021 after spending more than a decade on the Orlando Magic beat for The Athletic and the Orlando Sentinel, where he worked for 18 years. His work has been honored by the Football Writers Association of America, the Green Eyeshade Awards and the Florida Society of News Editors. He served as president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association from 2014 to 2023. Josh is a native of the greater Washington, D.C., area.

  • NBA announces 73 players invited to participate at AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026

     

    • 2026 NBA Draft: Complete coverage

    NEW YORK — The NBA announced today that 73 players have been invited to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026, which will take place from May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

    Additionally, a select number of standout players from the AWS NBA G League Draft Combine 2026, which will take place May 8-10 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2026 NBA Draft Combine following that event.

    As set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, all invited players are required to attend and participate in the NBA Draft Combine. The NBA may excuse an invited player’s attendance or participation at the Draft Combine and require the player to complete Draft Combine activities at a later date.

    The list of invited players is below.

    Player Name College / Club
    Matt Able North Carolina State
    Darius Acuff Jr. Arkansas
    Amari Allen Alabama
    Nate Ament Tennessee
    Christian Anderson Jr. Texas Tech
    Tobe Awaka Arizona
    Flory Bidunga Kansas
    Tyler Bilodeau UCLA
    John Blackwell Wisconsin
    Cameron Boozer Duke
    Kylan Boswell Illinois
    Nick Boyd Wisconsin
    Jaden Bradley Arizona
    Trevon Brazile Arkansas
    Maliq Brown Duke
    Mikel Brown Jr. Louisville
    Brayden Burries Arizona
    Cameron Carr Baylor
    Chris Cenac Jr. Houston
    Rueben Chinyelu Florida
    Ryan Conwell Louisville
    AJ Dybantsa BYU
    Zuby Ejiofor St. John’s
    Isaiah Evans Duke
    Jeremy Fears Jr. Michigan State
    Kingston Flemings Houston
    Ja’Kobi Gillespie Tennessee
    Allen Graves Santa Clara
    Keyshawn Hall Auburn
    Juke Harris Wake Forest
    Joshua Jefferson Iowa State
    Morez Johnson Jr. Michigan
    Alex Karaban UConn
    Jack Kayil Alba Berlin (Germany)
    Sergio de Larrea Valencia (Spain)
    Tobi Lawal Virginia Tech
    Yaxel Lendeborg Michigan
    Karim Lopez New Zealand Breakers (Australia)
    Aday Mara Michigan
    Nick Martinelli Northwestern
    Baba Miller Cincinnati
    Dillon Mitchell St. John’s
    Milan Momcilovic Iowa State
    Malachi Moreno Kentucky
    Izaiyah Nelson South Florida
    Tyler Nickel Vanderbilt
    Ebuka Okorie Stanford
    Felix Okpara Tennessee
    Ugonna Onyenso Virginia
    Otega Oweh Kentucky
    Koa Peat Arizona
    Darryn Peterson Kansas
    Labaron Philon Jr. Alabama
    Jayden Quaintance Kentucky
    Tarris Reed Jr. UConn
    Billy Richmond III Arkansas
    Richie Saunders BYU
    Emanuel Sharp Houston
    Braden Smith Purdue
    Hannes Steinbach Washington
    Bennett Stirtz Iowa
    Andrej Stojaković Illinois
    Peter Suder Miami (OH)
    Luigi Suigo Mega (Serbia)
    Dailyn Swain Texas
    Tyler Tanner Vanderbilt
    Meleek Thomas Arkansas
    Bruce Thornton Ohio State
    Milos Uzan Houston
    Henri Veesaar North Carolina
    Keaton Wagler Illinois
    Caleb Wilson North Carolina
    Tounde Yessoufou Baylor

  • Facts to know about Game 7 matchups in NBA playoff history

    Take a look back at some great Game 7 plays in NBA history.

    • Download the NBA App

    The 2026 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and at least one series is guaranteed to have a Game 7: the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Boston Celtics.

    That longstanding postseason rivalry will have its Game 7 on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC & Peacock), but the lore of Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs extends well beyond those two teams. As such, here are some quick facts to know about Game 7s in NBA lore, as well as a complete guide to everything Game 7 in NBA history, too.

    Editor’s note: Statistical support provided by Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of the NBA. All statistics and records are through the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

    Game 7: Did you know?

    Jayson Tatum prints a vintage Game 7 masterpiece with 51 points to send Boston to the Eastern Conference finals.

    • There have been 155 Game 7s in NBA history.

    • Home teams have a record of 115-40 (.742) in Game 7s.

    • Every active NBA franchise has played at least one Game 7.

    • There have been 20 Game 7s in the NBA Finals, with home teams holding a 16-4 record. The most recent Game 7 in the NBA Finals came last season, when the host Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers.

    • The first Game 7 in NBA history took place on April 6, 1948, when the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors) defeated the St. Louis Bombers 85-46 in the Semifinals.

    • Bill Russell won all 10 Game 7s in which he played, the most victories without a loss for a player.

    • The record for most points by a player in a Game 7 is 51, set by the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    • The record for most points by a player in Game 7 of the NBA Finals is 42, set by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jerry West against the Boston Celtics in 1969.

    • The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James has scored the most total points in Game 7s with 279 – one more than Jerry West. (James has played eight Game 7s and West played nine.)

    • Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has served as a head coach in a record 16 Game 7s. Pat Riley (11) and Larry Brown (10) rank second and third, respectively, in most Game 7s coached.

    • Red Auerbach won all eight of his Game 7s as a head coach, the most victories without a loss for a head coach. No other head coach has won more than two Game 7s without a loss.

    • Ten players have recorded a triple-double in a Game 7: Jerry West, Larry Bird, James Worthy, Scottie Pippen, Russell Westbrook (two), Rajon Rondo (two), Blake Griffin, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić (two) and Chris Paul. West, Worthy and James are the only three players to have a triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

    • The first Game 7 in the NBA Finals took place in 1951, when the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) defeated the New York Knicks 79-75. In that series, New York lost the first three games before winning the next three games to force a Game 7.

    • In addition to the New York Knicks in the 1951 NBA Finals, three other teams have rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7 (though none won the series): Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz in the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals; Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 Western Conference First Round;
    and Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round.

    • Ray Allen played in a record 11 Game 7s. Paul Pierce and Bill Russell each played in 10 Game 7s.

    • The First Round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs had five Game 7s, a record for any round in a season. A record three
    Game 7s were played on one day (May 3, 2014).

    • The record for most Game 7s in a single season is five, which happened in 1993-94, 2013-14 and 2015-16.

    • There have been at least three Game 7s in each of the last eight seasons (2017-18 – 2024-25).

    • There has been at least one Game 7 road winner in each of the last 10 seasons (2015-16 – 2024-25).

    • The Boston Celtics have played a record 37 Game 7s – or nearly 24% of all Game 7s in NBA history. Boston has a record of 27-10 (.730) in Game 7s.

    • The Los Angeles Lakers have a record of 16-8 (.667) in Game 7s – 15-1 at home and 1-7 on the road. Their one home loss in Game 7 came against the Boston Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals. The Lakers’ one road victory in Game 7 came against the Sacramento Kings in overtime in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

    Team-by-team records in Game 7s

    TEAM OVERALL HOME ROAD
    W L PCT W L PCT W L PCT
    Atlanta Hawks 5 9 0.357 4 0 1.000 1 9 0.100
    Boston Celtics 27 10 0.730 22 6 0.786 5 4 0.556
    Brooklyn Nets 1 3 0.250 0 2 0.000 1 1 0.500
    Charlotte Hornets 0 2 0.000 0 0 — 0 2 0.000
    Chicago Bulls 4 6 0.400 3 0 1.000 1 6 0.143
    Cleveland Cavaliers 6 2 0.750 4 0 1.000 2 2 0.500
    Dallas Mavericks 5 3 0.625 3 0 1.000 2 3 0.400
    Denver Nuggets 5 5 0.500 4 2 0.667 1 3 0.250
    Detroit Pistons 5 5 0.500 4 0 1.000 1 5 0.167
    Golden State Warriors 7 5 0.583 3 2 0.600 4 3 0.571
    Houston Rockets 7 6 0.538 5 3 0.625 2 3 0.400
    Indiana Pacers 4 7 0.364 1 0 1.000 3 7 0.300
    LA Clippers 4 6 0.400 3 2 0.600 1 4 0.200
    Los Angeles Lakers 16 8 0.667 15 1 0.938 1 7 0.125
    Memphis Grizzlies 0 3 0.000 0 1 0.000 0 2 0.000
    Miami Heat 7 5 0.583 6 3 0.667 1 2 0.333
    Milwaukee Bucks 3 9 0.250 2 1 0.667 1 8 0.111
    Minnesota Timberwolves 2 0 1.000 1 0 1.000 1 0 1.000
    New Orleans Pelicans 0 2 0.000 0 1 0.000 0 1 0.000
    New York Knicks 7 9 0.438 5 3 0.625 2 6 0.250
    Oklahoma City Thunder 8 5 0.615 8 1 0.889 0 4 0.000
    Orlando Magic 2 2 0.500 1 0 1.000 1 2 0.333
    Philadelphia 76ers 6 12 0.333 5 2 0.714 1 10 0.091
    Phoenix Suns 4 6 0.400 3 3 0.500 1 3 0.250
    Portland Trail Blazers 2 2 0.500 1 0 1.000 1 2 0.333
    Sacramento Kings 2 5 0.400 1 2 0.333 1 3 0.250
    San Antonio Spurs 4 7 0.364 3 2 0.600 1 5 0.167
    Toronto Raptors 3 3 0.500 3 2 0.600 0 1 0.000
    Utah Jazz 3 3 0.500 1 0 1.000 2 3 0.400
    Washington Wizards 6 4 0.600 4 0 1.000 2 4 0.333
    St. Louis Bombers (inactive) 0 1 0.000 0 1 0.000 0 0 —
    TOTALS 155 155 0.500 115 40 0.742 40 115 0.258

    Note: Teams listed may have played in different cities or had different names for some Game 7s played.

    Game 7 career leaders

    LeBron James fulfills his promise to Cleveland and brings the Cavaliers their first NBA championship ever in a classic Game 7.

    Most Points In Game 7s

    PLAYER PTS GAMES
    LeBron James 279 8
    Jerry West 278 9
    Elgin Baylor 263 9
    Sam Jones 244 9
    Wilt Chamberlain 220 9
    Larry Bird 216 8
    Jayson Tatum 187 7
    Paul Pierce 186 10
    Bill Russell 186 10
    Stephen Curry 185 6

    Most Points Per Game In Game 7s

    PLAYER AVG G PTS
    Luka Dončić 40.5 2 81
    Kevin Durant 36.2 5 181
    LeBron James 34.9 8 279
    Michael Jordan 33.7 3 101
    Allen Iverson 32.5 2 65
    George Gervin 32.0 3 96
    Kevin Johnson 31.0 3 93
    Yao Ming 31.0 2 62
    Jerry West 30.9 9 278
    Stephen Curry 30.8 6 185

    Most FGs Made In Game 7s

    PLAYER FGM G
    Jerry West 104 9
    Sam Jones 100 9
    Elgin Baylor 98 9
    LeBron James 91 8
    Wilt Chamberlain 87 9
    Larry Bird 77 8
    Bill Russell 68 10
    Patrick Ewing 66 7
    Stephen Curry 64 6
    2 tied 63 7

    Most 3PM In Game 7s

    PLAYER 3PM G
    Stephen Curry 32 6
    Jayson Tatum 23 7
    Ray Allen 22 11
    Kevin Durant 21 5
    Danny Ainge 18 9
    LeBron James 16 8
    Draymond Green 15 6
    Paul Pierce 15 10
    JJ Redick 15 6
    Klay Thompson 15 5

    Triple-doubles in Game 7

    Nikola Jokic finishes with a triple-double (21 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists) as the Nuggets hang on in Game 7 to advance to the second round.

    DATE PLAYER ROUND TEAMS STATS
    May 5, 1969 Jerry West NBA Finals Lakers vs. Celtics 42 PTS, 13 REB, 12 AST
    May 13, 1984 Larry Bird Conference Semis Celtics vs. Knicks 39 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST
    June 21, 1988 James Worthy NBA Finals Lakers vs. Pistons 36 PTS, 16 REB, 10 AST
    May 17, 1992 Scottie Pippen Conference Semis Bulls vs. Knicks 17 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST
    May 15, 2011 Russell Westbrook Conference Semis Thunder vs. Grizzlies 14 PTS, 10 REB, 14 AST
    May 26, 2012 Rajon Rondo Conference Semis Celtics vs. 76ers 18 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST
    June 9, 2012 Rajon Rondo Conference Finals Celtics at Heat 22 PTS, 10 REB, 14 AST
    May 3, 2014 Russell Westbrook First Round Thunder vs. Grizzlies 27 PTS, 10 REB, 16 AST
    May 2, 2015 Blake Griffin First Round Clippers vs. Spurs 24 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST
    June 19, 2016 LeBron James NBA Finals Cavaliers at Warriors 27 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST
    April 27, 2019 Nikola Jokić First Round Nuggets vs. Spurs 21 PTS, 15 REB, 10 AST
    Sept. 2, 2020 Chris Paul First Round Thunder at Rockets 19 PTS, 11 REB, 12 AST
    Sept. 15, 2020 Nikola Jokić Conference Semis Nuggets at Clippers 16 PTS, 22 REB, 13 AST

    Player and coach appearances in Game 7s

    Between the two of them, Wilt Chamberlain (right) and Bill Russell appeared in a combined 19 Game 7s in their career.

    Most Game 7s Played

    PLAYER GAMES
    Ray Allen 11
    Al Horford 10
    Paul Pierce 10
    Bill Russell 10
    Danny Ainge 9
    Elgin Baylor 9
    Wilt Chamberlain 9
    Robert Horry 9
    Dennis Johnson 9
    Joe Johnson 9
    Sam Jones 9
    Robert Parish 9
    Wes Unseld 9
    Jerry West 9

    Most Game 7s Won

    PLAYER WINS
    Bill Russell 10
    Sam Jones 9
    Ray Allen 7
    Tom Heinsohn 7
    Al Horford 7
    Robert Horry 7
    Dennis Johnson 7
    Danny Ainge 6
    Larry Bird 6
    Jaylen Brown 6
    Sam Cassell 6
    Bob Cousy 6
    Derek Fisher 6
    John Havlicek 6
    LeBron James 6
    K.C. Jones 6
    Kevin McHale 6
    Robert Parish 6
    Frank Ramsey 6
    Marcus Smart 6
    Wes Unseld 6

    Most Game 7s Won Without A Loss

    PLAYER WINS
    Bill Russell 10
    Sam Jones 9
    Tom Heinsohn 7
    Bob Cousy 6
    Derek Fisher 6
    K.C. Jones 6
    Frank Ramsey 6
    Raja Bell 5
    Jim Loscutoff 5
    Satch Sanders 5

    Most Game 7s Coached

    COACH GAMES
    Doc Rivers 16
    Pat Riley 11
    Larry Brown 10
    Phil Jackson 9
    Red Auerbach 8
    K.C. Jones 8
    Erik Spoelstra 8
    George Karl 7
    Dick Motta 7
    Don Nelson 7
    Gregg Popovich 7

    Most points in a Game 7 (non-NBA Finals)

    Steph Curry delivers with 50 points — the most in any Game 7 in NBA history — to lead the Warriors past the Kings and into the West semifinals.

    PLAYER PTS TEAM (OPPONENT) DATE ROUND
    Jayson Tatum 51 Boston Celtics (vs. Philadelphia 76ers) May 14, 2023 Conference Semifinals
    Stephen Curry 50 Golden State Warriors (at Sacramento Kings) April 30, 2023 First Round
    Kevin Durant 48 Brooklyn Nets (vs. Milwaukee Bucks) (OT) June 19, 2021 Conference Semifinals
    Sam Jones 47 Boston Celtics (vs. Cincinnati Royals) April 10, 1963 Division Finals
    Dominique Wilkins 47 Atlanta Hawks (at Boston Celtics) May 22, 1988 Conference Semifinals
    Kevin Johnson 46 Phoenix Suns (vs. Houston Rockets) May 20, 1995 Conference Semifinals
    Luka Dončić 46 Dallas Mavericks (at LA Clippers) June 6, 2021 First Round
    LeBron James 45 Cleveland Cavaliers (at Boston Celtics) May 18, 2008 Conference Semifinals
    LeBron James 45 Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. Indiana Pacers) April 29, 2018 First Round
    Charles Barkley 44 Phoenix Suns (vs. Seattle SuperSonics) June 5, 1993 Conference Finals
    Allen Iverson 44 Philadelphia 76ers (vs. Milwaukee Bucks) June 3, 2001 Conference Finals

    Most points in a Game 7 (NBA Finals)

    Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest.

    PLAYER PTS TEAM (OPPONENT) DATE
    Jerry West 42 Los Angeles Lakers (vs. Boston Celtics) May 5, 1969
    Elgin Baylor 41 Los Angeles Lakers (at Boston Celtics) (OT) April 18, 1962
    Bob Pettit 39 St. Louis Hawks (at Boston Celtics) (2 OT) April 13, 1957
    Tom Heinsohn 37 Boston Celtics (vs. St. Louis Hawks) (2 OT) April 13, 1957
    LeBron James 37 Miami Heat (vs. San Antonio Spurs) June 20, 2013
  • NBA Playoffs: What to expect in Spurs-Wolves series

    NBA Playoffs: What to expect in Spurs-Wolves series

    Can Anthony Edwards and the Wolves push Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs off their playoff course in the semifinals?

    • Download the NBA App

    The San Antonio Spurs might have anticipated a semifinal showdown with Denver, which finished one spot behind them in the West seedings. But Minnesota’s upset of the Nuggets out of the sixth seed scuttled that prospect, while introducing a new dynamic to Round 2. The NBA would be salivating over the marketing dream of Victor Wembanyama vs. Anthony Edwards, two of the league’s brightest young stars, locked in battle for four to seven games … if Edwards were available. He’ll start the series on the injury list (L knee hyperextension/bone bruise), so one of the storylines in this one will be whether the Timberwolves’ scoring star can recover and join the fray.

    Series schedule

    Here’s how to watch the Spurs vs. Timberwolves series:

    All times Eastern Standard Time

    • Game 1: Minnesota at San Antonio (TBD)
    • Game 2: Minnesota at San Antonio (TBD)
    • Game 3: San Antonio at Minnesota (TBD)
    • Game 4: San Antonio at Minnesota (TBD)
    • Game 5: Minnesota at San Antonio (TBD)*
    • Game 6: San Antonio at Minnesota (TBD)*
    • Game 7: Minnesota at San Antonio (TBD)*

    * = If necessary

    Top storyline

    New kids eager to unseat veterans. The last time San Antonio reached the playoffs was 2019, when Gregg Popovich was still on their sideline, current coach Mitch Johnson was working with the NBA G League team in Austin and Wembanyama was a gangly 15-year-old six months away from his first pro experience with Nanterre 92 in the Euro Cup League. Now that the Spurs are here, though, they aren’t interested in taking baby steps. They at least want what the Wolves have had: consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals, the only NBA team to reach that round in 2024 and ’25.

    No one can blame Minnesota, then, if its players and coaches feel a little turfy as this series begins. They want to take the next logical step to the NBA Finals, so they aren’t inclined to concede a thing. The Wolves aren’t an old team, but their experience is one edge they’ll try to flex in this series. That includes coach Chris Finch, who found the lineups and exploited the matchups necessary to oust Denver in the last round despite a shorthanded roster.

    Keep your eyes on

    Victor Wembanyama vs. Rudy Gobert. Parallels abound in this series, with both teams boasting excellent perimeter defenders (San Antonio’s Stephon Castle and Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels), respected old heads (De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes vs. Mike Conley and Julius Randle) and past or present Kia Sixth Man winners (Keldon Johnson and Naz Reid). The showdown at center, however, is the sizzle. Gobert, 33, was a role model and mentor in France for Wembanyama, 22, and a four-time Kia Defensive Player of the Year who has just seen his Spurs counterpart win his first DPOY. The 7-foot-1 Gobert just wrapped an inspired series against the league’s best offensive center, Nikola Jokić. Now he’ll have to contend with its best all-around center, who happens to have three or four inches on him. Gobert’s mobility is good, allowing him to track Wembanyama wherever he goes in the halfcourt. But the younger fellow is a gazelle by comparison when the pace dials up.

    One more thing to watch for each team

    For San Antonio: Wembanyama’s on/off impact. Whether dictated by the big guy’s stamina or by management’s desire to protect him from injury, Wembanyama’s playing time is closely monitored. When he plays, he averages fewer than 30 minutes. Mix in injuries and he is on the court less than half the time (1,866 of the team’s 3,946 minutes in the regular season, 112 of 240 against first-round foe Portland). How do the Spurs fare when he’s sitting? They’re about 10 points worse per 100 possessions, almost all of it coming from the defensive end. The Wolves need to maximize their scoring when Wemby isn’t on the floor to alter, contest or swat their shots.

    For Minnesota: Edwards’ injury status. The latest timeline for the brash shooting guard’s return was deemed “week to week.” Once this series begins Monday at Frost Bank Center, the games come rapidly, at an every-other-day clip through the first five. Assuming there’s still unfinished business at that point, Game 6 is scheduled for May 15, with Game 7 two days beyond that. The four-time All-Star was a force in the three meetings this season, averaging 36.7 points and nailing 51.9% of his 3-pointers.

    One key number to know

    13.0 — In beating the Nuggets, the Timberwolves held what was the league’s No. 1 offense to just 108.2 points per 100 possessions, 13.0 fewer than Denver scored in the regular season. It was the Nuggets’ worst six-game stretch of offense all year, even with Jokić having missed 16 straight in December and January.

    The Wolves ranked eighth defensively in the regular season, making it their worst of the last three. But they turned the defense up in the first round and shut down the league’s best offense to advance for the third straight postseason.

    The Wolves allowed 116 points per 100 possessions in their three regular-season games against San Antonio, which was the 10th-best defensive mark against the Spurs. But that broke down to an outrageous 133.9 per 100 in 58 minutes with Wembanyama on the floor and just 102.2 per 100 in 86 minutes with Wembanyama off it.

    — John Schuhmann

    The pick

    Spurs in five. If Edwards were ready to go from the start, we might have a seven-game classic on our hands. But barring a key injury on the Spurs side (a.k.a. Wemby) as this plays out, it’s hard to imagine Minnesota having enough scoring to slow San Antonio’s roll. Certainly, its dominance in the paint against Denver will need to be reconfigured with Wembanyama guarding the rim. Backup 7-footer Luke Kornet is a solid Plan B when the big guy sits, a star in his role (double-double man per 36 minutes). And San Antonio’s backcourt rotation and overall depth provide Johnson with the flexibility to react or dictate styles as the case requires.

    * * *

    Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • 3 things to watch in Lakers-Rockets Game 6

    3 things to watch in Lakers-Rockets Game 6

    Jabari Smith Jr. and the young Rockets are 1 win away from facing LeBron James and the Lakers in a Game 7.

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    Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. proclaimed the Rockets are the better team in their first-round Western Conference series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Bold and confident, and exactly what you would expect from a young player whose positive impact in the series is growing by the game.

    “It’s a mindset to have,” Smith said. “I don’t care who we play. I don’t care what team I’m on. When we were winning 22 games (2022-23 season), I’d probably say we’re the better team every night. … I don’t care whoever I’m with on the court, I’m going to think my team is better than the other team.”

    Nineteen years older than Smith and with the wisdom of a player who has appeared in 297 playoff games and 10 NBA Finals, Lakers star LeBron James said, “The game’s won between the four lines.”

    Besides, James said — and we’re paraphrasing here — he’s too old to engage in a back-and-forth about the veracity of Smith’s statement.

    Let Smith have his say, and let the series unfold on the court. This twisting and entertaining series went from “Are the Lakers going to sweep?” to “Can the Rockets force a Game 7?”

    With the Lakers up 3-2 following a 3-0 advantage, Game 6 is on Friday in Houston (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

    Here are three things to watch:

    1. How Rockets can force Game 7

    The Rockets’ two victories were impressive. They could have folded after blowing a six-point lead in less than 30 seconds in Game 3, but responded with a 115-96 victory in Game 4. They could have had enough pride to avoid a sweep and exited the playoffs in a five-game series. But they took Game 5, 99-93, on the road, and the idea that Game 7 is possible was born.

    Rockets coach Ime Udoka said his young team – the current five starters are 24 years old and younger – needed to grow up. He meant that he wanted to see growth. Take care of the basketball. Make smart plays. Understand that every possession is magnified and important.

    The Rockets have done that.

    Houston is without Kevin Durant, who missed Game 1 with a bruised right knee and Games 3-5 with a sprained and bruised left ankle. He is listed as doubtful for Game 6. So, minus the game’s No. 5 all-time leading scorer and a two-time champion, the Rockets have been fueled by Smith (22), Alperen Sengun (23), Tari Eason (24), Reed Sheppard (21) and Amen Thompson (23).

    In the two victories, Thompson, Smith and Eason have each scored 19 points per game, Sengun is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5 apg and 1.5 spg, while Sheppard (14.5 ppg) is shooting 42.9% on 3-pointers.

    Each has made timely offensive and defensive contributions. That same poise, focus and free-flowing play will give the Rockets a shot to become just the fifth team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0. No team in 160 previous 3-0 series has come back to win Game 7.

    “We have a resilient group that plays hard and is very competitive every night,” Udoka said. “Rarely do we get blown out. If we have a deficit we fight back, and we might have lost some leads, but that’s kind of our DNA.”

    2. Lakers need to rediscover their shooting

    In this era of the NBA, it’s difficult to win a playoff game without making at least 10 3-pointers. In Los Angeles’ Game 4 loss, it made five 3-pointers. In Game 5, it made seven. That’s after making 11.7 3s per game and shooting 46.1% in the first three games of the series. The Lakers are at 24.5% from 3 in the past two games.

    Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers had good looks from long range in Game 5, but shots didn’t fall. James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard and Austin Reaves were a combined 5-for-23 in Game 5 … and James, Smart and Kennard were a combined 0-for-8 in Game 4. James has missed 12 consecutive 3-point attempts since making a game-tying 3 with 13.6 left in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles’ Game 3 overtime victory.

    The Lakers have scored fewer than 100 points in the two losses, and Redick pointed out that holding a team to 99 points should be good enough to get a victory. Credit Houston’s defense, which has forced turnovers, created steals and made 3-point shooting more uncomfortable for Smart and Kennard.

    3. LeBron in closeout games

    Before Game 5, James’ teams had never lost two consecutive closeout games since 2006, and up 3-0 in a series, James’ teams prior to this series had never been pushed to a Game 6. Every other time, it’s been a sweep or a five-game series.

    James is 41-15 in closeout games and averaging nearly a 27-point triple-double in those games. Is James headed for his ninth Game 7? Or a conference semifinals matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder?

    * * *

    Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

  • 3 things to watch in Pistons-Magic Game 6

    Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero each poured in 45 points in a classic head-to-head battle in Game 5.

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    The circumstances surrounding Game 6 in any best-of-seven series are always the same, which means wildly divergent. One team wants nothing to do with a Game 7, while the other will do anything to force one.

    When you factor in home court, injuries and whatever momentum exists, the penultimate games can pack just as much urgency and drama as Game 7.

    Does Orlando dare squander this opportunity on its floor at the Kia Center Friday night (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video)? Can the Pistons essentially win two games in one, both by scoring more points and by deflating the Magic a bit over the idea of getting back on a plane to Detroit? It’s pretty well-known that only 13 teams in NBA playoff history have ever climbed out of a 3-1 hole – Orlando has zero interest in getting within 48 minutes of that possibility.

    The most recent game in this series – more evenly matched than your typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup – was as entertaining as it was competitive, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero each scoring 45 points en route to the Pistons’ 116-109 victory. Cunningham and his teammates, facing elimination again, know that beating the Magic once more could reset the matchup, maintain their roll and restore the homecourt edge they worked all season to snag.

    Here are three things to watch in Game 6:

    1. Cunningham is wired differently

    Largely expressionless going up and down the floor, dissecting defenses, finding teammates for his passes or seeking his own shots, Cunningham takes cool to another level. At a time of year when many NBA players protest a bit too much about not feeling the pressure of the playoffs, Cunningham went the other way, talking about how much he welcomes it.

    Feels fortunate to face it, in fact.

    “[It’s] just opportunity,” the Pistons playmaker said after his 45-point performance in Game 5 on Wednesday save his team’s postseason.

    “Not everybody’s blessed with the opportunity to have pressure. To have things on the line like that, a lot of times I feel undeserving of [what] great moments I get to be a part of.”

    Catch that? Get to. That tells us how differently Cunningham is wired and explains his ability to put up the most points scored in a playoff game in Pistons franchise history. Hall of Famer Dave Bing scored 44 in a 1968 game, one more than Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas got in a 1988 contest.

    Cunningham carried Detroit through three quarters with 37 points but only one assist. In the fourth, having sufficiently softened up the Magic’s defense, he spread the wealth with four assists while taking four shots himself.

    “He’s not one of those guys who runs around taking a lot,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He understood what was in front of us.”

    Understands again heading into Game 6.

    2. Plugging Wagner’s spot

    Magic forward Franz Wagner suffered a strained right calf in the second half of Game 4, producing at both ends – 19 points before his injury and strong defense on Cunningham, who missed 16 of his 23 shots and was a minus-7 in the Pistons loss.

    But Wagner was in a walking boot and street clothes for Game 5, and he is out for Game 6. Calf injuries are seen these days as precursors to torn Achilles tendons, so medical staff don’t push speedy recoveries even in the postseason.

    Which means Orlando again must guard Cunningham with someone (or someones) not as big and as mobile as Wagner. Jamal Cain is slender, Jalen Suggs gives up three inches and 15 pounds and other Magic options can stick with Cunningham’s quickness. Banchero might be a good choice, except he has so much offensive responsibility that Orlando can’t afford to let him get worn out (or in foul trouble) chasing Cunningham.

    Magic coach Jamahl Mosley may deploy a defense-by-committee approach, hoping a series of change-of-pace matchups can keep Cunningham adjusting.

    3. The points left on the table

    Remember Al Pacino’s football coach character in “Any Given Sunday,” giving his impassioned locker room speech about football as a game of inches? “The inches we need are everywhere around us.”

    The points the Pistons and Magic need have been sitting right there at the foul line. Too many wasted.

    In six games, the Magic have outscored the Pistons 511-508. But Detroit has missed 38 free throws, Orlando 44. That includes the Magic’s 14-of-30 misfiring while losing Game 5 by seven points.

    Orlando ranked eighth in the regular season, shooting 80.1% from the foul line, but is last among the playoff teams at 70.3%. Detroit wasn’t very good in the season (27th, 76.3%) or now (12th, 74.5%).

    Some mix of fatigue, jitters and fading concentration is the usual culprit when players too often miss shots they’ve practiced hundreds of thousands of times. The first team to lock in could apply serious pressure to the other.

    * * *

    Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.  

  • 4 takeaways: 76ers keep Celtics under wraps yet again, force Game 7 in Boston

    The 76ers defeat the Celtics, 106-93, to force a Game 7 on Saturday to see who will take on the Knicks.

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    No two franchises have played each other more times in NBA history than the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. So appropriately, we’re getting a Game 7 in their 23rd playoff series.

    The Sixers made it happen with a comfortable, 106-93 victory in Game 6 on Thursday, the second straight game in which they shot down the Celtics’ high-powered offense. Philly outscored Boston, 62-40, over the middle two quarters and had Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla taking his starters out of the game with more than 10 minutes left in the fourth.

    All five of the Sixers’ starters scored at least 14 points, and Tyrese Maxey led the way with 30 on 11-for-22 shooting. Joel Embiid (19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists) wasn’t efficient, but created plenty of open shots for his teammates.

    In addition to having lost their 3-1 series lead, the Celtics may have a concern with the health of Jayson Tatum, who seemed to have an issue with his lower left leg. (It was his right Achilles that he tore less than a year ago.)

    “My leg just was a little stiff,” Tatum said, “when I came out in the third quarter.”

    Here are some notes, numbers and film as the series heads back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday (7:30 ET, NBC/Peacock):

    1. Maxey takes what the Celtics give him

    Maxey has become a big problem for the Celtics’ defense. He averaged 27 points through the first three games of the series, but on a true shooting percentage of just 48.8%. Over the last three games, he’s averaged 25.7 on 65.4%. And with the win on Thursday, the Sixers are 15-3 when Maxey has scored at least 30 points on a true shooting percentage of 60 or better.

    His in-between game wasn’t particularly sharp in Game 6; he shot just 3-for-11 on 2-pointers outside the restricted area. But he was 5-for-6 at the basket, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

    The Celtics have been “icing” more pick-and-rolls since Game 3, trying to force the ball-handler away from the screener. And that strategy was working prior to Thursday, with the Sixers scoring just 0.83 points per chance when an iced screen led directly to a shot, turnover or trip to the line.

    But in Game 6, the Sixers scored 17 points on eight chances (2.13 per).

    Midway through the second quarter, Derrick White jumped out to keep Maxey from using an Andre Drummond screen toward the middle of the floor. So Maxey went the other way, snaked his way back to the middle, kept White on his hip, and dropped in a short runner:

    Tyrese Maxey runner in the paint

    Late in the second, Payton Pritchard tried to keep Maxey from using an Embiid screen toward the middle of the floor. So Embiid flipped the screen and Maxey drained a pull-up 3, with Nikola Vučević in drop coverage:

    Tyrese Maxey pull-up 3-pointer

    After the Celtics took their starters out, they started blitzing Maxey, maybe a preview of what’s to come in Game 7. That forced him to get rid of the ball, but it just created 4-on-3 advantages or mismatches for the Sixers, which resulted in some wide-open looks from the corners.

    2. The Celtics’ offense has been shut down

    The 2025-26 Celtics are responsible for four of the 14 games of the last 30 years where a team scored more than 150 points per 100 possessions. And over these last two games, they’ve scored just 97.9 per 100.

    In fact, Games 5 and 6 of this series are just the second time this season that the Celtics have scored fewer than 105 points per 100 possessions in consecutive games. The other time was in January, when they lost to the Spurs in the second game of a back-to-back and then lost in Indiana without Jaylen Brown (or Tatum).

    Some of it is just some poor shooting from the outside. Their three losses in this series are just the 19th, 20th and 21st times that the Celtics have shot below 30% from 3-point range this season. Sam Hauser, a career 41% shooter from deep, had two wiiiiide-open looks late in the third quarter on Thursday, and he missed them both.

    The Sixers have also been terrific defensively. Paul George was, once again, stout when guarding the Celtics’ stars. Multiple Sixers made timely weak-side rotations to block shots at the rim. And even Maxey held his own on that end of the floor.

    The Celtics scored just four points on their first 10 possessions, and Maxey played a big role in a couple of the Sixers’ stops. On the Celtics’ first possession of the game, he chased Hauser around two screens and made a great trail contest on his 3-point attempt.

    A few minutes later, Maxey got switched onto Brown and successfully defended him in the post:

    Tyrese Maxey post defense vs. Jaylen Brown

    Embiid got beat off the dribble multiple times in Game 6 and will need to be better in Game 7 on Saturday. But as a group, the Sixers are doing some terrific work against what was the league’s second-ranked offense in the regular season.

    3. Sixers finally stop ‘Spain’

    The Celtics had some success with their “Spain” or “stack” pick-and-roll action, where a standard, high pick-and-roll is followed by a back-screen on the initial screener’s defender. Their first points of the night came when Hauser blew by Embiid after the Spain action forced a switch.

    Boston’s second bucket of the night was another Spain pick-and-roll where Embiid got screened by White and VJ Edgecombe (White’s defender) was late to pick up Tatum’s drive to the bucket.

    Early in the third quarter, Tatum had an even clearer path to the rim when Hauser screened Embiid and Maxey (worried about sticking to Hauser) failed to switch onto the drive:

    Jayson Tatum dunk

    But on the very next possession, the Sixers were ready. Embiid sunk back in the paint to avoid getting hit with the back-scree and George navigated the ball-screen expertly to get back in front of Tatum. Maxey initially stayed with Hauser, but then came from Tatum’s blind side and poked the ball away:

    Tyrese Maxey strips the ball from Jayson Tatum

    Spain can be a difficult action to stop, because it involves communication and coordination between three defenders instead of just two. The Sixers also ran it on Thursday and we can expect to see more of it in Game 7.

    4. The Celtics’ 3s aren’t going down … or getting up

    In addition to connecting on just 29% of their 3-pointers in Games 5 and 6, the Celtics have also been shooting fewer 3s. After taking an amazing 58% of their shots from beyond the arc over Games 2-4, they’ve taken just 46% of their shots from deep over the last two. That’s a noteworthy drop-off, and the rate on Thursday climbed after they took their starters out early in the fourth quarter.

    That 46% is still a higher rate than almost every other team in those playoffs. And more important, of course, is the success rate.

    In the regular season, the Celtics were 38-5 (.884) when they shot the league average (36.0%) or better from 3-point range and 18-21 (.462) when they didn’t. That was the league’s second-biggest differential, and the largest among the 16 playoff teams.

    That differential was more about how good they were when they shot well, and that 18-21 mark was still the ninth-best record when shooting worse than average. But this has been a make-or-miss series on their end of the floor, and Boston will need to make more in Game 7 on Saturday.

    * * *

    John Schuhmann has covered the NBA for more than 20 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Bluesky.