NBA News

Toronto went to Cleveland with a singular mission. They wanted to do something neither team has done yet in this series: Win on the road. A challenging task on a regular day, even more so in the playoffs. The crowd is unwelcoming. The opponent is more comfortable. It’s no surprise they weren’t able to overcome the obstacle, dropping the game …

The Cleveland Cavaliers held their ground at home Wednesday, defeating the Toronto Raptors 125-120 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in their surprising first-round series. Many believed the Cavs were contenders this postseason to reach the Eastern Conference finals after acquiring James Harden at the trade deadline, but they are getting all they can handle from Toronto early …

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored a franchise playoff-record 45 points, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons beat the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109 on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series to stave off elimination. Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on …

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham came through for the Pistons when they needed him. With Detroit teetering on the brink of elimination, Cunningham outdueled Orlando’s Paolo Banchero in a sensational scoring matchup of former No. 1 overall picks. Cunningham had a franchise playoff-record 45 points and the top-seeded Pistons held off the eighth-seeded Magic for a 116-109 win on Wednesday …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley hit a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final period and finished with 23 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 125-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series. Cleveland leads the series 3-2. …

The NBA has finally revealed its new anti-tanking plan, and no one can say the league was afraid of rocking the boat. The league’s planned proposal went public on Wednesday and reportedly has the support of a majority of teams, with an owners’ vote to approve it scheduled for May 28. The crux of the system is a new 3-2-1 …

Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons aren’t giving up just yet. Cunningham dropped 45 points in a historic outing on Wednesday night to lead the Pistons to a 116-109 win over Paolo Banchero the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series. That kept the Pistons’ playoff hopes alive and forced a Game 6 later this week back …

The Los Angeles Lakers are getting one of their stars back. Austin Reaves has been cleared to play in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, the team announced Wednesday evening. He had previously been out since April 2 with a Grade 2 oblique strain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reaves had seemingly been inching toward a return, with reports he tried to …

HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 26: Reed Sheppard #15 of the Houston Rockets steals the ball from LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter in Game Four of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, …

NEW YORK (AP) — New Orleans’ DeAndre Jordan won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award Wednesday, edging Portland’s Jrue Holiday and Houston’s Jeff Green. Jordan finished with 1,445 points in voting by 385 current NBA players. Holiday — a three-time winner — finished with 1,437 points and Green had 1,420. Advertisement A panel of league executives selected 12 finalists, …

Victor Wembanyama will cry when and where he wants, thank you very much. The San Antonio Spurs has mostly received attention for the otherworldly stuff he does on the basketball court, but some have noticed his comfort with showing emotion after major breakthroughs. That was most notable when he started crying last month after a comeback win over the Los …

PHILADELPHIA — Both the Celtics and 76ers will be at full strength when they face one another for Game 6 on Thursday night. The Celtics have a completely clean injury and have no players sidelined for the fourth consecutive game. The 76ers will also be at full strength; the only player on their injury report is Joel Embiid, who is …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. LeBron James makes history every time he steps on the floor. He isn’t looking to be on the wrong side of it when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets in Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29. Advertisement As I’m sure you’ve …

It was a down year for the Golden State Warriors in 2025-26. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody suffered devastating injuries to their knees. The Jonathan Kuminga situation lingered and festered for nearly a year. Brandin Podziemski alienated Warriors fans with his bravado, inconsistency, and lush, flowing locks. The team lost in a play-in game. And Steph Curry lost his title …

Given the difference between the regular season and the playoffs, reading too much into a player’s production when considering their fantasy outlook for the following season can be a fool’s errand. However, there is room to praise some players and express concern about the fantasy futures of others. Below are a few players whose stocks have either improved or declined …

DETROIT (AP) — Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner was out of the lineup with a strained right calf against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night. “It changes things in a big way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. Advertisement Wagner had 19 points in two-plus quarters before he departed late in the third …

Steve Kerr sat down with Golden State governor/controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, but the trio did not reach a decision on the coach’s future. They are set to meet again next week, according to a report from Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater of ESPN. Both sides said the meeting was “productive” but that there …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. After the first two games of this series went down to the wire, the last three have been relative blowouts. My latest Nuggets vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks expect Minnesota’s defense to set the terms in Game 6 and keep things tight …

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics aim to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs with road victories while the Denver Nuggets look to force a Game 7 against the injured Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. Back-to-back losses have the Atlanta Hawks looking into their arsenal of defensive schemes and bench rotations as they search for an …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Despite trailing in this first-round series, 3-2, the Denver Nuggets are actually favored to win it. That is what comes from the Minnesota Timberwolves losing their starting backcourt in Game 4. Advertisement These Nuggets vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks expect Minnesota to …

ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities announced Wednesday that former Atlanta Hawks finance executive Lester T. Jones Jr. was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the team through fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit cards. Federal prosecutors said in a court filing in November that Jones, a former Hawks accounting …

Subscribe to The Big Number We have an action-packed episode of The Big Number coming your way! Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine break down how Karl-Anthony Towns is becoming an offensive hub by unlocking Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ offense. Are the Knicks making a case to come out of the East? Advertisement Next, the duo discusses why the Celtics …

Steve Kerr’s future with the Golden State Warriors is still up in the air, and a resolution isn’t expected until next week at the earliest. Kerr met with owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy for two hours on Monday, according to ESPN, but the two sides did not determine whether Kerr would remain the franchise’s head coach next …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Throughout an erratic opening round of the NBA Playoffs, Payton Pritchard remains the Boston Celtics’ north star. Advertisement The reserve guard is giving Boston its most consistent efforts versus the Philadelphia 76ers, which says something when you have stars like Jayson Tatum and …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Raptors and Cavaliers head back to Rocket Arena in Cleveland for a pivotal Game 5 tied at two games apiece. Advertisement There are plenty of NBA player prop projections and NBA picks worth targeting. Be sure to check out our Raptors vs. …