Basketball News · LatestMonday, Apr 20, 2026

The Magic’s 112-101 upset victory in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Pistons may have surprised some people but not themselves. “I think everybody knows we have a really talented team,” forward Franz Wagner said. “Obviously, we didn’t have the regular season that we wanted, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I think […]

The Los Angeles Lakers surprised most by taking down the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series despite playing without superstar Luka Doncic and star guard Austin Reaves. Even without superstar Kevin Durant in the Rockets lineup, LeBron James was his usual, dominant self via his all-around capabilities, but it […] The post JJ Redick reveals strategy behind Luke Kennard’s monster Game 1 performance vs. Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Toronto Raptors playoff run got off on the wrong foot with Brandon Ingram’s comments about head coach Darko Rajakovic’s game plan after their Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors’ leading scorer wasn’t fond of the coach’s strategy of playing the offense off him instead of through him, which led him to take […] The post Chandler Parsons blasts Raptors’ Brandon Ingram for ‘bad optics’ Game 1 comments appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault anticipates a more competitive Game 2 in his best-of-7 series against All-Star Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns. After a 119-84 blowout win in their series opener, Daigneault mentioned the Suns’ weary road toward the 8th seed, including two games in the Play-In Tournament. At the same time, […] The post Why Thunder’s Mark Daigneault expects bounce back Devin Booker performance in Game 2 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Tom Dundon's cost-cutting has to concern Trail Blazers fans.

The Minnesota Timberwolves face the Denver Nuggets in a pivotal NBA Playoffs matchup, and Anthony Edwards once again sits at the center of the injury report. The Timberwolves enter Game 2 trailing 0–1 after a 116–105 loss, immediately raising the stakes. After reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, before falling to the eventual champion […] The post Is Anthony Edwards playing tonight? Timberwolves vs. Nuggets 2026 NBA Playoffs Game 2 injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Portland Trail Blazers opened their NBA Playoffs run with a 111-98 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but Deni Avdija still found meaning in the moment. Portland struggled on both ends. Shots did not fall. Defensive rotations slipped. Yet the game never fully slipped away. That alone gave the Blazers something to build on. […] The post Blazers’ Deni Avdija finds silver lining after historic performance in Game 1 loss to Spurs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Golden State Warriors recently had their 2025-26 season come to an unceremonious end with a loss to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament. It was a rough game for point guard Stephen Curry, who couldn’t ever find a way to get his shot off consistently against the Suns’ defense after putting together an […] The post Warriors rumors: How franchise feels about Stephen Curry’s contract extension request appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Sunday evening, the Portland Trail Blazers fell behind 0-1 in their first round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs with a tough loss by a score of 111-98. While the Blazers did a solid job of hanging around in this one, they were ultimately never able to get over the hump en route […] The post What Blazers’ Tiago Splitter said about Deni Avdija vs. Victor Wembanyama after Game 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

This one skill from Harden has transformed Cleveland’s offense.

The Portland Trail Blazers won't give away T-shirts for fans when they take on the San Antonio Spurs in Games 3 and 4 of the opening series, another in a series of moves that has drawn questions about the team's cost-cutting and finances.

Liga Endesa, the ACB, Spain’s top flight. The focus is usually, and understandably, on the success stories. This season, Europe’s top domestic league might be most interesting at the bottom of the table. Emmet Ryan on the battle for survival between Gran Canaria, Andorra, and San Pablo Burgos. Three teams, two survive. All of them […] The post The coolest run-in that you need to follow appeared first on BallinEurope.

Nneka Ogwumike, Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins were impressed by the Sparks' new practice facility and coach Lynne Roberts' plan to win and more.

The post Devin Vassell leads Spurs postgame celebration appeared first on TalkBasket.net.

The Atlanta Hawks are down 1-0 in their series against the New York Knicks, but there are some good things they can take away from the game. The Hawks were neck and neck with them for most of the first half, going into the third quarter, but a dip in offensive efficiency hurt them toward […] The post Hawks’ biggest adjustment Quin Snyder must make to bounce back after Game 1 loss to Knicks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has begun a strength and conditioning program following his emergency appendectomy nearly two weeks ago, the team announced Monday. However, he remains in Philadelphia and is effectively ruled out for Tuesday's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers dropped Game 1 on Sunday, 123-91, a result that underscored how dependent Philadelphia's offense is on Embiid's presence. The team hopes he can return at some point during the series, though that window ...

Six ties among teams with identical regular-season records were broken today through random drawings to determine the order of selection for NBA Draft 2026. The drawings were conducted by NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell at the NBA office in Secaucus, New Jersey. The tiebreaker process was overseen by Megan DeCesaris, a partner from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. The results of the drawings: • The Utah Jazz (22-60) won a tiebreaker with the Sacramento Kings. • The New O...

Taylor Jenkins met in Memphis last week with Jon Horst, Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam to discuss the franchise's head coaching vacancy. The two sides are expected to meet again soon to further discuss the opening. Jenkins was head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019 until he was abruptly fired near the end of the 2024-25 season. The Grizzlies qualified for the playoffs in four of Jenkins' six seasons as head coach. Jenkins was an assistant coach for the Bucks under Mike Budenholzer during t...

There’s no perfect answer to the Joel Embiid situation, but the Sixers can do better.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama won the first in what's expected to be many Defensive Player of the Year awards on Monday.

The Orlando Magic didn’t just steal Game 1. They also rewrote playoff history in the process. In a stunning 112-101 road victory over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, Orlando became the first No. 8 seed in NBA history to lead wire-to-wire in a playoff opener. The result handed the Magic a 1-0 […] The post Magic make NBA history with wire-to-wire Game 1 stunner over Pistons appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Los Angeles Lakers are gonna need some big performances to take down the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and they got that in a big way in Game 1. Luke Kennard has stepped up in a big way ever since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down due to […]

As a wise man once said, “Don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.” Stephen A. Smith appears to subscribe to this mantra. Earlier today on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith said there’s “no question” that head coach Steve Kerr is “exceptional” at his job but pointed out the team’s lack of postseason […] The post Stephen A. Smith calls out Warriors while forgetting they made playoffs last season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

OKLAHOMA CITY — On the 31-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 119-84 win against the Phoenix Suns to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-7 series. The Thunder strengten its case as favorites to win back-to-back titles. However, winning on April 19 wasn’t lost on […] The post SGA dedicates Game 1 Thunder win to Oklahoma City on bombing’s 31st anniversary appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While the 2026 NBA Draft order will not be locked in until the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, the NBA conducted six different tiebreakers on Monday involving 13 different teams that provide further clarity on what the actual order of this year’s draft will be. Whereas non-lottery team tiebreakers determine the actual spot teams […] The post Jazz, Grizzlies among winners in 2026 NBA Draft tiebreakers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Maxey was aggressive from the jump, but the Celtics guided him where they wanted.

Rockets star Kevin Durant went through about half of Houston's practice Monday and will be a game-time decision for Game 2 on Tuesday.

The NBA settled a handful of draft order questions on Monday, breaking ties among teams with identical records ahead of the lottery. According to an official release, the league conducted random drawings to determine positioning, with the results carrying some real implications depending on protections and prior trades. Let’s run through what matters. The Jazz […] The post NBA settles draft tiebreakers, including Cavs, Jazz, Knicks appeared first on Hoops Wire.

The Bucks have met with former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins as they ramp up their search for a new head coach following the departure of Doc Rivers, according to Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Jenkins has been considered one of the top targets for Milwaukee since news broke that Rivers would […]

Philadelphia chose aggression, but Boston turned it into opportunity. The Celtics dissected the Sixers’ hedge coverage possession after possession, generating elite looks at the rim.