NBA News

The Orlando Magic won the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, demolishing the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA play-in tournament, 121-90. Orlando will now face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a first-round playoff matchup beginning on Sunday. Paolo Banchero scored 25 points with five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block to lead the Magic. Franz Wagner followed …

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are set to meet for the 23rd time in the NBA playoffs on Sunday, reigniting one of the league’s most historic rivalries. To coach Joe Mazzulla, this Sixers team in particular presents a challenge for the C’s. “Philly’s a great team, as you saw throughout the season, and to get to this point with …

The Golden State Warriors will determine the fate of their season Friday night as they face the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the Play-In Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in Phoenix and can be watched on Prime Video. Previously with the Warriors: The Warriors kept their season alive on Wednesday night with a 126-121 win …

The Lakers have a tall task in front of them, trying to beat the Rockets with their biggest stars, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, out indefinitely. With Luka dealing with a hamstring strain and Reaves out with a Grade 2 oblique strain, the team doesn’t expect either to be available for the first round. However, beyond that, nothing is certain. …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and Kevin Durant first faced each other in the playoffs way back in 2012, when the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win James’ first NBA championship. The superstars met again in 2017 and 2018, and Durant’s Golden State Warriors beat James’ Cleveland Cavaliers to win Durant’s two rings. Advertisement The two …

J.B. Bickerstaff, who orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in Detroit from a 14-win team a couple of seasons ago to the No. 1 seed in the East this past season, has been voted Coach of the Year by his peers. Bickerstaff won the Michael H. Goldberg Coach of the Year for 2025-26 from the National Basketball Coaches Association. Advertisement “I’m extremely …

The elephant in the room for the Lakers as they enter the playoffs has been, and will continue to be, the status of their starting backcourt, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Both are out because of injuries — Doncic with a grade 2 left hamstring strain and Reaves with a grade 2 left oblique strain — and neither is expected …

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are committed to a future with Kawhi Leonard as they transition from being the oldest team in the NBA to a younger one. “Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Friday. “At the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi and very similar to 2024, …

It doesn’t look like a farewell tour will signal the beginning of the end of LeBron James’ illustrious NBA career. The four-time league MVP and four-time league champion isn’t interested in one, anyway, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Sam Amick, who published a report Friday detailing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s potential next steps and the uncertainty about …

Brazilian Oscar Schmidt, a Basketball Hall of Famer and the Olympic basketball scoring king (1,093 points), has died at age 68. In a statement reported by Brazilian media, Schmidt’s family noted that he battled a brain tumor the last 15 years “with courage, dignity, and resilience, remaining an example of determination, generosity, and love for life. Recognized for his brilliant …

It’s NBA awards time! This is my 10th year as one of the league’s voters, and these were some of the toughest choices I’ve ever had to make. Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, in particular, were incredibly difficult. Here’s my official ballot and the reasons behind every single choice. Rookie of the Year 1. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks2. …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns collide in a win-or-go-home showdown tonight, with the winner punching a ticket to the playoffs and the loser sent packing. Advertisement The Suns may be priced as favorites, but that number carries less weight in a …

Doc Rivers has been an NBA head coach for five teams across 27 seasons. It looks like those are no longer running totals. A few days after stepping down as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks during a season spent entirely on the hot seat, the longtime coach addressed his coaching future during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Playoff basketball is back at the Garden on Saturday as the New York Knicks open their first-round series against the surging Atlanta Hawks. Advertisement With each team looking to land the first punch, my Hawks vs. Knicks predictions expect Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Atlanta …

DETROIT (AP) — The NBA playoffs, not awards, drive Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham to chase greatness. A year after Cunningham had a first-round exit in his postseason debut, the point guard is motivated to lead the three-time championship franchise to success it hasn’t experienced in nearly two decades. Advertisement After falling one game short of the league’s 65-game minimum …

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending NBA champions. They also have the fifth-youngest roster in the NBA. That combination can spell doom for the immature. Even veteran title teams succumb to what Pat Riley termed “the disease of me” — players start thinking about themselves, their touches, their points, and how much money they make or should make. The …

DENVER (AP) — The main actors remain the same for Minnesota-Denver, Part III. The plot line is similar, too. “But a totally different movie,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. Grab the popcorn and recline back because the headliners always seem to put on a show. The series between the Timberwolves and Nuggets, featuring Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and …

We have a jam-packed episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way! First, Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones preview the other playoff series we know about: Spurs-Blazers in the West, Celtics-Sixers in the East. They discuss their biggest schematic, matchup, and lineup questions ahead of each series. Advertisement From there, the guys look ahead to the potential 1-8 matchups in …

The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the 2026 NBA Playoffs with a chip on their shoulders. Before they can prove anything of substance and go the distance, they need to take care of business as the heavy favorites in their first-round series with the Toronto Raptors. Here are three keys to making sure that happens. All stats are via Cleaning the …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Our NBA player prop projections are set for tonight’s Play-In Tournament finale between the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, with the model pinpointing several standout opportunities. Advertisement By analyzing the data and comparing it to current market lines, we’ve uncovered the bets with the …

The Western Conference’s second-seeded San Antonio Spurs will take on the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs. It’s the first time these teams have squared off in the postseason since the 2014 Western Conference semifinals, which the Spurs won in five games. San Antonio’s other starting big man in that series, lining up …

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant is back in the playoffs after missing out last season and he and the Houston Rockets are hoping to make some noise this postseason. “I’m grateful to be here healthy with a team that’s looking forward to trying to do some big things,” he said. “(What) a difference a year can make and I’m just …

DETROIT, MI – cllct, the collectibles and memorabilia infrastructure company, today announced a partnership with the Detroit Pistons launching Pistons Collectibles, a new collectibles and memorabilia platform. The platform debuts with Motor City Mint, the first program in professional sports history that offers fans a direct pathway to purchase a professionally graded, PSA-authenticated collectible ticket for every home playoff game. …

The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs begins Saturday. Who will advance to the conference semis? Here are our staff predictions for every series. Everything to know for the NBA playoffs: Predictions, series previews, X-factors EASTERN CONFERENCE Dan Devine: Celtics in 5 Tom Haberstroh: Celtics in 5 Kelly Iko: Celtics in 4Morten Stig Jensen: Celtics in 5 Steve Jones: …

The Knicks’ playoff run begins on Saturday night when they open the first round against the hot Atlanta Hawks. Game 1 will be a feel-out process for both teams, but the Knicks will need to take care of the glass and defend the three-point line well to take early control of the series. Advertisement Here are three keys to the …