Lakers-Rockets Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Reaves, Durant, Doncic, Sengun
The Lakers had a chance to become the first team to wrap up a playoff series Sunday night, but the Rockets avoided a sweep with a 115-96 win on their home court. The game featured an uncharacteristically bad performance from LeBron James, who finished with eight turnovers and 10 points while shooting 2-of-9 from the field, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James took responsibility for the loss, telling reporters, “It started with me, obviously. My turnovers were unacceptable.”
L.A. lost starting center Deandre Ayton when he was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Alperen Sengun in the side of the head with his forearm with 5:41 left in the third quarter. It was originally ruled a common foul before being upgraded following a video review, and McMenamin notes that players from both teams disagreed with the decision.
“We both are sweaty guys,” Ayton explained. “[My arm] just slipped off his shoulder. … I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that.”
“I don’t want to make the officials crazy, but I mean, I didn’t expect them to eject him to be honest,” Sengun said. “I think it was a little bit soft. … I guess it is what it is, they called it. I’m glad they called it. So, we go from there.”
The game became heated from there with five more technicals being called – three on the Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero and two on the Rockets’ Josh Okogie and Aaron Holiday. Thiero and Holiday were both ejected with 1:11 left to play for an ongoing verbal exchange. The trash talk continued after the final buzzer, with several Lakers telling McMenamin that Jae’Sean Tate taunted them and challenged Kleber to a fight.
There’s more on the series:
- Game 5 is set for Wednesday night, and the series could be determined by which stars are able to return. L.A.’s Austin Reaves was listed as questionable for the second straight game while recovering from a Grade 2 left oblique strain, McMenamin adds, but wasn’t used on Sunday. Houston’s Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series, and the second with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle. Coach Ime Udoka said there’s still a chance that Durant could return at some point in the series, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In a pre-game session with reporters, Lakers coach JJ Redick said Luka Doncic is still in the early stages of working his way back from a left hamstring strain, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “He just continues to do some stuff on the court,” Redick said. “He was able to move today a little bit on the court. Most of the stuff has been standstill. He’s progressing. No update on any timeline or anything like that.”
- With the Rockets in a 3-0 hole, Sengun provided some inspiration with a fiery speech during a players-only talk during Sunday morning’s shootaround, Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle states in a subscriber-only story. Sengun relied on an interpreter when he came to the NBA from Turkey five years ago, but he has become confident in his English skills. “It’s hard, man. It’s hard to talk another language, but I try every day. I don’t give a … if you know what I’m saying,” he said. “At the end of the day, they understand me and I’m happy with that.”
Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Brunson, McBride
The Knicks struggled to put four straight quarters of high-level offense together in Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Hawks. In Game 4, they turned to Karl-Anthony Towns as the lead man, and it may have saved their season, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. The Knicks have had issues getting the talented center involved at times, but they made a clear effort to do so on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star had his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. His passing from the top of the key opened up the game for the Knicks, as did the off-ball play designs from head coach Mike Brown, which got players like OG Anunoby shot after shot inside, most of which were courtesy of Towns.
“[Towns] is a special talent. He can do it all. And I know if I get open, he’ll find me,” Anunoby said after the game, per Winfield. “No matter how tight the window is, he’ll be able to find it. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
Brown said that the decision to play through Towns was a result of being willing to adjust quickly, given the magnitude of the game, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“We just switched our early offense,” Brown said. “So with us switching our early offense up the way we did, the ball went to his hands quite a bit.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is best known for his rebounding and hustle plays, but it’s his defensive versatility that has allowed New York to come back and tie their first-round series with the Hawks, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Hart split his time guarding CJ McCollum, who has been picking apart the Knicks’ defense for much of the series, and Jalen Johnson. He was similarly effective on both players, and his intensity helped set the tone for New York’s perimeter defense, which held the Hawks to 24.4% shooting from deep and converted 19 Atlanta turnovers into 21 points. “Josh was really good on the ball,” Brown said. “Josh is a guy with quick feet, he’s strong and when he gets locked in, he’s locked in. His defensive activity, especially when he [pressures the ball], was fabulous [Saturday night]. Really, really good. And we needed all of it.”
- Another crucial part of the Knicks’ victory was finding a way to keep Jalen Brunson from being a target on defense. On Saturday, Brown was able to do that, Winfield writes. “We mix it up so Jalen is not always on [the ball-handler],” Brown said pregame. “When he is, we got to make sure we continue to mix up our defensive coverages.” Brunson also waved away concerns over the visible disagreement he had with his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson, simply saying, “That was two competitors,” per Schwartz.
- It’s been an inconsistent start to the playoffs for Miles McBride, who is still less than three months removed from undergoing sports hernia surgery. McBride has had some positive moments, especially late in games, but has made just one two-pointer and has yet to attempt a free throw. He’s not making excuses about his injury though, Bondy writes. “I expect a lot out of myself, more than anybody else, honestly. And I try not to listen to how I’m feeling day to day,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter; if I’m supposed to get a stop, I gotta get a stop. If I’m supposed to make a shot, I gotta make a shot. So I try not to think about it. Reality is, I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Northwest Notes: Dosunmu, Jokic, Blazers, Jazz
When the Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu, his upcoming free agency was a lingering question, given how expensive Minnesota’s roster already is. Dosunmu’s playoff performance so far, highlighted by his 43-point outing in the team’s Game 4 victory on Saturday, is only making that conversation more interesting, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Dosunmu said he recently spoke with recently dismissed Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas and gained closure regarding the trade that sent him to Minnesota. With the Wolves facing a cap crunch, Cowley wonders whether Dosunmu might be interested in a reunion with Chicago. While the guard didn’t close the door on that possibility, he indicated that he’s appreciating the opportunity to compete in the playoffs with his new team and will prioritize Minnesota in free agency.
“Everything is on the table when you’re a free agent,” Dosunmu said. “That’s the main thing about being a free agent — you listen. You have conversations with whoever is interested. I’ll sit down with my family, and you have those conversations about where the next duration of my career will be, but Minnesota has shown me love here. I love the love I’ve been getting from the coaching staff, the fans, the players. So of course Minnesota will have the first dibs to do right and make me feel at home where I won’t even have to go out and entertain (other offers).”
While Saturday’s victory was marred by the emotions of the Wolves losing both Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles tear) and Anthony Edwards (knee hyperextension), Dosunmu’s heroics gave the team the lift it needed to take a commanding series lead, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets know they’ve dug themselves into a hole by going down 3-1 to Minnesota, but star Nikola Jokic is counting on the team’s extensive playoff experience to help them right the ship, Vinny Benedetto writes for the Denver Gazette. “We’ve been in this situation before. The most important one is the next one,” Jokic said. “We’re going to go home and (then) try to get the series back here.” The Nuggets have come back from a 3-1 deficit multiple times during Jokic’s time with the franchise, the first being against Rudy Gobert‘s Jazz back in the bubble in 2020.
- The Trail Blazers have worked hard to return to playoff relevance, and injured star Damian Lillard says the team is closer to taking the next step than people may think, Bill Oram writes for Oregon Live. “It’s all there,” Lillard said. “From the talent to the depth, to having it on both sides of the ball. It’s all there.” While speculation abounds as to whether the three-point champion could return during this postseason run, the front office is also reportedly setting its sights high this offseason, as it is prepared to put a compelling trade offer together for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the two-time MVP indicates he’d be willing to sign an extension in Portland, Oram reports. That is a large “if,” though, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says, calling the idea of Antetokounmpo making such a promise highly unlikely, if only for the gauntlet he would have to face in the Western Conference playoffs for years to come.
- While the 2026 playoffs rage on, the Jazz are more focused on the draft lottery coming up on May 10. However, there are still reasons for them to pay attention to the postseason, one of which is the draft compensation the Cavaliers still owe them due to the Donovan Mitchell trade, The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd writes. The Cavs are currently tied 2-2 with the Raptors in the first round, with Mitchell eligible for an extension this offseason. While the star guard recently reiterated his desire to stay in Cleveland, a disappointing playoff exit could have ripple effects that impact the Jazz’s future draft assets.
Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle Fined For Game 4 Altercation
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been fined $50K and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35K following an altercation that occurred in the final seconds of the Wolves’ Game 4 victory on Saturday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
As the game wound down with the Wolves’ victory firmly decided, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels finished a fast-break dunk, which Jokic took exception to. The Nuggets’ star grabbed and shoved McDaniels, earning the more significant fine from the NBA due to the fact that he instigated the incident.
Randle’s penalty as a result of his response, according to the press release, which states that he “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown.”
Both players were ejected from the game, though – as ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter) – neither was issued a suspension.
Joel Embiid Set To Return For Game 4
The Sixers are getting reinforcements as they look to pull even in their series with Boston, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that star big man Joel Embiid will return in Game 4 after a multi-week absence following appendicitis surgery (Twitter link).
After being upgraded from doubtful to questionable earlier in the day, Embiid went through warm-ups and was ultimately cleared to play. The former MVP had a thick wrap around his stomach as he went through his pregame routine, PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck reports (via Twitter).
Embiid did not look 100% as he went through warm-ups, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter), who cautioned fans to not expect too much from him immediately out of the gate.
Still, Embiid has been reinserted into the starting lineup, notes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (via Twitter), and it’s unclear if he will be playing with a minutes restriction. Kelly Oubre Jr., who was questionable with a sore oblique, has also been cleared to play, per Jones (via Twitter).
The Sixers tied the series 1-1 behind impressive showings from the Tyrese Maxey – VJ Edgecombe backcourt in Game 2, but they dropped a hard-fought Game 3 by a score of 108-100. They will look to take advantage of the home court advantage on Sunday to get themselves back on even footing heading to Boston for Game 5.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Tatum, Barnes, Fernandez
After previously being listed as doubtful, Sixers‘ star big man Joel Embiid has been upgraded to questionable for Game 4 in Philadelphia on Sunday, notes Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Embiid has been working his way back from appendectomy surgery for around three weeks, with his last game action coming on April 6 in a loss to the Spurs.
The Sixers have fought hard to keep the first-round series close to this point, largely fueled by Tyrese Maxey and Game 2 heroics from VJ Edgecombe. Should Embiid be able to return, he could pose an interesting wrinkle for the Celtics, whose big man rotation has been hit-and-miss through three games.
Given the designation, Embiid will probably go through warm-ups before the final determination on his status is made, Jones writes.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jayson Tatum hit the dagger to seal the Celtics‘ Game 3 victory over the Sixers on Friday, adding yet another accomplishment to his already-impressive return from injury. Despite his success, he still doesn’t feel fully back, Dan Gelston writes for The Associated Press. “It may not seem like it because I’m back playing, but it was a very, very long time for me not to be doing what I love to do,” Tatum said. “I can’t stress it enough, the fact that I just get to put my uniform on and run out there with the team is a win for me.” Through three games, Tatum is averaging 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists to 1.7 turnovers per game. Those are strong numbers, though, to his point, the scoring rate would be his lowest postseason average since the 2019 playoffs. He said that he’s not worried about anything other than playing his game the right way.
- Scottie Barnes followed up his Game 3 heroics with another big outing on Sunday as the Raptors won their second straight game to tie the series with the Cavaliers at two games apiece. Barnes scored 23 points along with nine rebounds, four of which were offensive, six assists, and three blocks. When asked if this was what Darko Rajakovic saw coming for his star forward, the head coach said he wasn’t satisfied yet. “No, I expect more from Scottie,” Rajakovic said. “The way he’s playing, he’s at 60% of a player that he’s gonna be in two, three years. Scottie’s gonna be one of the best players in the league, and he’s already one of the best players in the league. How much he cares about winning is pushing him forward to do whatever it takes to win a game. That’s what makes him so special.“
- After Jordi Fernandez and his coaching staff received multiyear extensions from the Nets, he gave a strong endorsement of the team he’s spent the last two years with. “I appreciate it,” Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I’d sign right now to do it for the rest of my career.” With so much still in the air in terms of what the Nets will look like moving forward from a roster standpoint, having stability and security with the coaching staff represents an important anchor point for the franchise. Fernandez knows that now it’s on him to keep pushing the team forward as the Nets look to become competitive again.
Lloyd, Graham, Lindsey Finalists In Bulls’ Front Office Search
Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Hawks senior vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, and Pistons senior VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey are viewed as the finalists in the Bulls‘ search for a new head of basketball operations, league sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday that Chicago was granted permission to interview Lloyd, Graham, Lindsey, Cavs GM Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep. According to Fischer and Stein, the initial interviews were conducted virtually, with in-person conversations for the next round of interviews expected to occur next week.
Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune reported earlier this week that Lloyd was the “obvious frontrunner” for the job, and Fischer and Stein refer to the veteran executive as a “prime target” in Chicago’s search. Bulls advisor John Paxson, the team’s former head of basketball operations, is believed to be a “strong Lloyd advocate,” per the Stein Line’s duo.
Lloyd began his career with the Bulls in 1999 as a media coordinator and worked his way up to the scouting staff and then senior manager of basketball operations. He became assistant GM in Orlando in 2012 before joining Minnesota in 2022 as senior VP of basketball operations. He was promoted to GM two years ago.
Lindsey’s NBA career began in 1996, and he spent time with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas before joining the Pistons in 2024. He has been part of a remarkable rebuilding project that saw Detroit go from the league’s worst record to the East’s top seed in two years.
Graham spent 15 years with New Orleans, including one season as general manager, before moving to Atlanta last summer. He earned a reputation in the Pelicans’ front office for identifying young talent in the draft.
The Bulls are expected to embark on a rebuild, with two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and a surplus of cap room to spend this summer. They also have young players like Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and Noa Essengue on their current roster.
Rockets’ Kevin Durant Expected To Miss Sunday’s Game 4
The Rockets are unlikely to have their leading scorer as they face playoff elimination on Sunday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Kevin Durant is expected to be sidelined once again in Game 4.
Durant, who missed Game 1 due to a right knee injury, suffered a left ankle sprain when he returned for Game 2. According to Charania, the 37-year-old forward has a bone bruise in his ankle, which would typically sideline a player for two-to-three weeks during the regular season.
Durant has been receiving constant treatment on his injured ankle and participated in a film session on Sunday morning, but the bone bruise has caused “swelling, stiffness and lack of mobility” in his left ankle, sources tell ESPN.
The 16-time All-Star appeared in 78 regular season games in his first season with Houston in 2025/26, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 36.4 minutes per contest. He posted an excellent shooting line of .520/.413/.874.
However, the playoffs have been a different story, with Durant now expected to miss his third game in the first-round matchup against the Lakers. Los Angeles currently leads the best-of-seven series three games to zero.
After signing a two-year, $90MM extension in October, Durant will earn a guaranteed $43.9MM in 2026/27, followed by a $46.1MM player option for ’27/28.
Victor Wembanyama Cleared To Return Sunday
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and will return to action on Sunday for Game 4 of the first-round series vs. Portland, according to Shams Charania and Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Spurs confirmed the news in their latest injury report, tweets Mark Medina.
Wembanyama has been in the protocol since Tuesday, when he suffered a concussion after hitting his head on the court during a hard fall in the second quarter of Game 2. Portland was able to even the series by winning that night, but San Antonio responded by pulling away late in Game 3 to retake home court advantage.
The French star lobbied to play in Game 3 after going through his normal workout routine ahead of Friday’s contest, league sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic, but he wasn’t cleared by the Spurs or the NBA until Sunday, says Charania (Twitter link).
Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to be named Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. He was also the first unanimous winner in league history.
Wembanyama recorded 35 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes in his playoff debut last Sunday. The 22-year-old big man had five points, four rebounds and a block in 12 minutes on Tuesday prior to the concussion.
With Wembanyama back in action, veteran center Luke Kornet will likely come off the bench for San Antonio after starting in Game 3.
Donte DiVincenzo Undergoing Surgery For Ruptured Achilles
Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has formally been diagnosed with a ruptured right Achilles tendon after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that DiVincenzo had suffered a torn Achilles. The injury occurred in the first quarter of Saturday’s Game 4 victory over Denver.
According to the Wolves, DiVincenzo is undergoing surgery on Sunday afternoon in New York. Dr. Martin O’Malley will be the surgeon after performing a similar surgery last year for Jayson Tatum, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).
The 17th overall pick in the 2018 draft, DiVincenzo started all 82 regular season games for Minnesota in 2025/26. The 29-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.4 minutes per game while shooting 37.9% from long distance and providing his typical solid defense.
As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, the Wolves had a mix of emotions after Game 4. They were sad to lose DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a left knee injury, but pleased with the way they performed in their absence to take a 3-1 series lead.
“Just proud of the guys, stepping up, fighting for each other — literally and figuratively,” head coach Chris Finch said. “These teams don’t like each other, there’s just no secret. You play each other this many times where things are at stake, even a Christmas Day game is a battle, felt like a playoff game. It’s how it goes.”
Backup big man Naz Reid said the Wolves will be thinking of DiVincenzo and Edwards as they look to close out the first-round series against their Northwest Division rival on Monday, Krawczynski adds.
“I think they’ll be with us,” Reid said. “They understand. We understand. We know what it takes. It’s not going to be easy, not at all. We gotta go out there and do what we gotta do.”
DiVincenzo is entering the final season of his contract, which will pay him about $12.5MM in 2026/27. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next year unless he signs an extension before then.