Have you ever been to a Little League game where some poor kid can’t find the strike zone and the other team knows it? The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds just gave us the major league version of that.
The Pirates tied an MLB record on Saturday by drawing walks in seven straight plate appearances, turning what was previously a 5-3 lead into a laugher. The two pitchers responsible for the walk streak: starter Rhett Lowder and reliever Connor Phillips.
The strike zone carnage came in the second inning, after the Pirates had already gone through their entire order in a five-run first inning. Leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz struck out looking, then the 2-8 batters in the Pittsburgh lineup all drew walks, with Phillips replacing Lowder after three walks, then walking in four runners himself.
The Pirates pulled Phillips after that and replaced him with Sam Moll, who didn’t walk Henry Davis, but did allow another run in on a fielder’s choice grounder. Cruz then grounded out to end the inning, making him responsible for two of the three outs.
It was 10-3 Pirates at the end of the inning, with five runs scored on zero hits. Please enjoy a supercut of all seven walks, featuring a Pirates broadcast falling further into disbelief with each ball:
Pirates tie a Major League record by drawing seven straight walks against the Reds pic.twitter.com/UXA90YbceI
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second half of Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff at TD Garden on April 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — The Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night for a Game 7. Tatum was ruled out with left knee stiffness two hours before tip-off.
Tatum was initially planning on playing after missing the final 15 minutes of Thursday’s Game 6 in Philadelphia, but was listed as questionable on Saturday afternoon.
“I expect to play,” Tatum said. “It was my other leg, not the one I injured last year. I mean, I wasn’t like overly concerned. Shit, I came out at four minutes, like I was supposed to. Just kind of assessed the game — he took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter.”
Despite that, Tatum was ruled out at 5:30pm.
“He came in today with knee discomfort,” Joe Mazzulla said ahead of tip-off, describing Tatum as day-to-day.
Baylor Scheierman or Jordan Walsh would likely take his place in the starting lineup. Payton Pritchard, who has been the team’s third-leading scorer all year, could also enter the starting lineup ahead of Game 7.
What a different world the Atlanta Hawks are living in now, compared to the start of the season.
Gone is Trae Young and in his place as team leader is Jalen Johnson, the multifaceted All-Star power forward who can do pretty much everything and averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists on the season.
While observers will ridicule the Hawks for their historic Game 6 collapse to the New York Knicks (if you know, you know), the fact is these Hawks are heading into the summer with far more reason for optimism than before.
C.J. McCollum, who was acquired in the Young trade, fits the team so much better than Young ever did with his proficiency playing off the ball and by not commanding a high usage rate.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (middle) looks on as Atlanta’s season ends in Game 6 on April 30, 2026.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elsewhere, the Hawks are loaded with talent at affordable prices, which should provide them with a huge financial safety net moving forward.
Yes, they have some decisions to make, but overall, Hawks fans should enter this summer with hope instead of despair.
2025-26 finish
Record: 46-36, sixth in Eastern Conference. Eliminated by the New York Knicks in six games in the first round.
Highlight of the season
Nickeil Alexander-Walker turning into a 20-point scorer and becoming one of the most effective contracts in the NBA. Atlanta signed him under an entirely different premise, expecting him to become a key role player and added depth. His evolution is worth keeping an eye on.
Players signed for next season
Jalen Johnson
Dyson Daniels
Onyeka Okongwu
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Corey Kispert
Zaccharie Risacher
Asa Newell
Key free agents
C.J. McCollum (UFA)
Jonathan Kuminga (team option)
Projected salary
$116,704,230
Projected draft picks
Nos. 7, 23 and 57
Draft focus: This team is getting good — and quickly. The Hawks need another huge bite of the apple, in the form of — preferably — a guard. Whichever player is left on the board at No. 7 with the most star upside is whom they should pick. Alternatively, using that pick to trade for a young, established player shouldn’t be ruled out.
Roster-building tools
The Hawks aren’t expensive, and that shouldn’t change even if they pick up Kuminga’s option and re-sign McCollum. They should have the ability to utilize their entire Non-Tax MLE if they stay as an above-the-cap team, which they should.
Needs and goals
Next season the Hawks need to find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference. They’re too talented and too deep to not compete for a high seed. Whatever helps them on their way — be that a top rookie or established help, it’s probably worth it. The Hawks have some flexibility, but it’s essential they make wise choices.
What a different world the Atlanta Hawks are living in now, compared to the start of the season.
Gone is Trae Young and in his place as team leader is Jalen Johnson, the multifaceted All-Star power forward who can do pretty much everything and averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists on the season.
While observers will ridicule the Hawks for their historic Game 6 collapse to the New York Knicks (if you know, you know), the fact is these Hawks are heading into the summer with far more reason for optimism than before.
C.J. McCollum, who was acquired in the Young trade, fits the team so much better than Young ever did with his proficiency playing off the ball and by not commanding a high usage rate.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (middle) looks on as Atlanta’s season ends in Game 6 on April 30, 2026.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elsewhere, the Hawks are loaded with talent at affordable prices, which should provide them with a huge financial safety net moving forward.
Yes, they have some decisions to make, but overall, Hawks fans should enter this summer with hope instead of despair.
2025-26 finish
Record: 46-36, sixth in Eastern Conference. Eliminated by the New York Knicks in six games in the first round.
Highlight of the season
Nickeil Alexander-Walker turning into a 20-point scorer and becoming one of the most effective contracts in the NBA. Atlanta signed him under an entirely different premise, expecting him to become a key role player and added depth. His evolution is worth keeping an eye on.
Players signed for next season
Jalen Johnson
Dyson Daniels
Onyeka Okongwu
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Corey Kispert
Zaccharie Risacher
Asa Newell
Key free agents
C.J. McCollum (UFA)
Jonathan Kuminga (team option)
Projected salary
$116,704,230
Projected draft picks
Nos. 7, 23 and 57
Draft focus: This team is getting good — and quickly. The Hawks need another huge bite of the apple, in the form of — preferably — a guard. Whichever player is left on the board at No. 7 with the most star upside is whom they should pick. Alternatively, using that pick to trade for a young, established player shouldn’t be ruled out.
Roster-building tools
The Hawks aren’t expensive, and that shouldn’t change even if they pick up Kuminga’s option and re-sign McCollum. They should have the ability to utilize their entire Non-Tax MLE if they stay as an above-the-cap team, which they should.
Needs and goals
Next season the Hawks need to find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference. They’re too talented and too deep to not compete for a high seed. Whatever helps them on their way — be that a top rookie or established help, it’s probably worth it. The Hawks have some flexibility, but it’s essential they make wise choices.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 30: An overall photo of Target Center before the game between the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves completed the kill shot Thursday night.
They ended the Denver Nuggets’ season, sent Nikola Jokic off to whatever offseason horse-stable sanctuary awaits him in Serbia, and won the rubber match in what has become the best rivalry this franchise has ever had. Wolves-Nuggets, Round 3: Minnesota takes it. Again.
While many of the Wolves faithful were confident heading into the series and are not surprised at the outcome. We have to admit that the way this team took down the Nuggets made absolutely no sense.
This was supposed to be the series where the Wolves needed Anthony Edwards to turn into a superhero. Then Ant got hurt. Donte DiVincenzo’s toughness and shooting were supposed to be core to the Wolves attck. Then Donte tore his Achilles. With the starting backcourt in traction, this was supposed to be the series where Ayo Dosunmu became the emergency engine. Then he was scratched with calf soreness. Kyle Anderson, one of the few remaining players who could calm the offense down in the wake of a 25-point turnover night, also became unavailable.
By Game 6, the Wolves’ depth chart was decimated.
And they still beat Denver.
They beat Jokic. They beat Jamal Murray. They beat their biggest rival. And they did it not with their full arsenal, but with the kind of team-wide, next-man-up, nobody-blinks performance that makes playoff basketball feel like something more than basketball.
Jaden McDaniels played 45 minutes, scored 32 points, and spent the night putting Jamal Murray in a straight jacket. Rudy Gobert owned the paint and helped hold Denver under 100 points for the third time in the series. Julius Randle delivered big buckets when the Nuggets started making their last desperate push. In his first playoff start, Terrence Shannon Jr. displayed zero fear, attacked downhill, and announced himself as someone who isn’t just happy to be here. Mike Conley reached into the past, stole a little more time from Father Time, and gave Minnesota the exact veteran stabilization it desperately needed. Naz Reid attacked the rim. Jaylen Clark came off the bench like a rabid wolverine. Everyone gave something.
This was not a one-man masterpiece. It was not Ant dropping 45 and carrying everyone across the finish line. It was not some fluky shooting night where the Wolves caught fire. This was team basketball at its purest with the whole becoming greater than the sum of its bruised, battered, undermanned parts.
And that is why, as the Wolves prepare for San Antonio and whatever alien geometry Victor Wembanyama is about to bring into their lives, it felt worth pausing for a second and asking a bigger question:
Where does Game 6 against Denver rank in Timberwolves history?
Not most entertaining, not wildest… I mean most important. Most meaningful. The games that mattered most to the franchise, to the fan base, to the story of Minnesota basketball.
For my list, the criteria is simple. Postseason games outrank regular-season games. I don’t care how wild some January double-overtime classic was. It cannot carry the same weight as a game where the season is actually on the line. I also prioritized clinchers and true series-defining moments. Game 1s and Game 2s can be incredible. I’ll never forget Sam Cassell’s “big balls” dance after saving Game 2 against Sacramento in 2004, but those games don’t quite hit the same historical weight as elimination games or series-clinching moments. And finally, the game had to mean something bigger than the final score. It had to shift the franchise, validate a team, break a curse, or stamp a moment into Wolves mythology.
With that said, here are the five most important games in Minnesota Timberwolves history.
5. 2026 First Round, Game 6: Timberwolves Eliminate the Nuggets
MINNEAPOLIS , MN – APRIL 25: Jaden McDaniels (3) of the Minnesota Timberwolves locks up Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ 112-96 win in game four of their NBA Playoffs series at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
This one just happened, so maybe there’s some recency bias baked in. Fine. I’ll own that. But I also think time will be very kind to this game.
The Wolves entered Game 6 without Edwards, DiVincenzo, Dosunmu, and Anderson. They were coming off a Game 5 loss in Denver where they turned it over 25 times and invited every Wolves fan to start nervously considering a potential Game 7 in Ball Arena without their superstar. The stakes were enormous. Lose, and the entire series tilts back toward the best player on the planet. Win, and you send Denver home again.
They won.
And not only did they win, they won with defense, toughness, collective effort, and big moments from unexpected places. McDaniels was magnificent. Gobert was the anchor. Conley was the adult in the room. Shannon gave them real juice. Randle hit big shots. Clark was ready to fight Jokic. The Wolves looked like a team that had been stripped down to its bones and still found something real underneath.
Add in the rivalry, the injuries, the rubber-match element, the pre-game DiVincenzo jerseys, the Target Center electricity, and the fact that Minnesota once again ended Denver’s season, and this game absolutely belongs on the list.
4. 2025 First Round, Game 5: Timberwolves Eliminate the Lakers
This was revenge served 20 years cold.
The Lakers had always been the big brother franchise Minnesota could never touch. The Minneapolis team that left for Hollywood. The glamour team, free-agent destination, organization with banners, superstars, and a national spotlight permanently aimed in its direction. Meanwhile, the Wolves were the expansion franchise that had to fight for relevance and cut under-the-table deals just to land a Joe Smith-caliber free-agent.
It was the Lakers who took Minnesota out in the 2003 first-round and subsequently crushed the Kevin Garnett Wolves in the 2004 Western Conference Finals, ending the best chance that first great era ever had at a title.
So when Minnesota finally got another shot at them in 2025, with LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the other side, it meant something. “Lakers in five” was the chant from the moment the matchup was set. And then the Wolves spent the series proving they were bigger, deeper, tougher, and better.
Game 5 was the exclamation point. Rudy Gobert went full monster in the paint. The Lakers had no answer for Minnesota’s size. And Edwards delivered the perfect final flourish with the Antman/Batman/Superman energy and the “Lakers in five” echo bouncing through the Crypto.com Arena tunnels as Los Angeles fans tried to process what had just happened.
For once, Minnesota wasn’t the little brother. Minnesota was the bully.
3. 2004 First Round, Game 5: Timberwolves Eliminate the Nuggets
MINNEAPOLIS – APRIL 30: Kevin Garnett #21 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates with teammate Sam Cassell #19 after winning the game against the Denver Nuggets after Game five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2004 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on April 30, 2004 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTICE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This was the curse-breaker.
For seven straight years, the Timberwolves made the playoffs and went home in the first round. Seven straight exits. Seven straight reminders that Kevin Garnett could be brilliant, heroic, and completely trapped by the limitations around him. By 2004, the weight of that history was suffocating.
Then Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell arrived, KG won MVP, and everything changed.
The Wolves won the West. They earned the No. 1 seed. And fittingly, their first-round opponent was Denver, who was led by a young Carmelo Anthony and determined to make the series as physical and uncomfortable as possible.
But the Wolves were too good. Game 5 wasn’t the most dramatic game in franchise history. It didn’t need to be. Its importance was in the release. As the final seconds ticked away, Minnesota finally escaped the first round. Garnett finally got past the wall. Wolves fans finally got to exhale after seven years of having the same nightmare.
It is hard to overstate what that meant at the time.
Before the Western Conference Finals, before the Sacramento classic, before everything else, this was the moment the franchise finally proved it could win in the playoffs.
2. 2004 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 7: Timberwolves Eliminate the Kings
MINNEAPOLIS – MAY 19: Kevin Garnett #21 of the Minnesota Timberwolves acknowledges the crowd after winning Game Seven against the Sacramento Kings in Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2004 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 19, 2004 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTICE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement: Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This is 1B more than No. 2. Trying to separate this game from the top spot is like deciding which of your kids you love more.
The Wolves had finally broken through against Denver, but real title dreams are not made in the first round. This franchise needed more. Waiting for them was a loaded Sacramento Kings team, a battle-tested group with Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and enough offensive firepower to make every possession feel dangerous.
The series was a war. The Kings nearly stole both games in Minnesota to open it. Cassell saved Game 2 with one of the most iconic celebrations in Wolves history. Then it all built to Game 7 at Target Center, on Kevin Garnett’s birthday, with the franchise’s entire basketball soul hanging in the balance.
KG delivered one of the defining performances of his career. Webber answered. The game was tense, physical, emotional, and alive in a way only Game 7s can be. And when Minnesota finally survived, Garnett leaping onto the scorer’s table and waving that towel became the signature image of the first 34 years of Timberwolves basketball.
For 20 years, this was the mountaintop.
The Wolves would not win another playoff series until 2024. That’s how long this moment had to carry the franchise.
1. 2024 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 7: Timberwolves Eliminate the Nuggets
DENVER, COLORADO – MAY 19: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves hug after winning Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on May 19, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the one.
After 20 years without a playoff series victory, Minnesota swept Phoenix and finally returned to the second round. Waiting there was Denver: the defending champion, the team that had eliminated the Wolves the year before, the team with Jokic at the peak of his powers.
Minnesota stole the first two games in Denver with bruising, suffocating defense. Then the Nuggets punched back, winning three straight and putting the Wolves on the brink. Minnesota answered with a Game 6 demolition at Target Center, setting up Game 7 in Denver.
Then everything went wrong.
The Wolves fell behind by 20 in the second half. The season looked dead. The defending champions were rolling. Ball Arena was ready to celebrate. And then, somehow, impossibly, Minnesota came roaring back.
Anthony Edwards. Karl-Anthony Towns. Rudy Gobert. Jaden McDaniels. Mike Conley Jr. Naz Reid. The entire group flipped the game, flipped the series, and flipped the franchise’s modern identity. It became the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, but more than that, it became the moment this new era truly arrived.
The Wolves didn’t just win. They took something.
They took Denver’s title defense. They took the series. They took their place back in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.
And now, with Thursday night’s Game 6 win, they have added another chapter to that same story.
That is what makes this current era so special. For so long, Wolves fans had to survive on one or two memories. Garnett on the scorer’s table. Maybe a random regular-season classic you talked yourself into because the postseason cupboard was empty.
Now?
The list is growing.
The Wolves have won first-round series three straight years. They have taken down KD and the Suns, the LeBron/Luka Lakers, the Jimmy Butler and the Warriors, and Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets. They have reached back-to-back Western Conference Finals and now have a chance to make it three if they can get past Wemby and San Antonio. They are no longer a franchise begging for one moment to cling to. They are building a collection.
Thursday night belongs in that collection.
And if this team has anything to say about it, the list is not finished yet.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics meet in a winner-take-all Game 7 to see who advances to the second round of the NBA playoffs. The 76ers forced the decisive game by winning Game 6. Celtics star Jayson Tatum is questionable for the game with a sore left knee. Boston began the day as 7.5-point favorites.
How to watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
The Orlando Magic will not have Franz Wagner available for Sunday’s Game 7 matchup versus the Detroit Pistons. The fifth-year forward is listed as out on the latest NBA injury report with a strained right calf.
Wagner, 24, will miss his third consecutive playoff game after suffering the calf injury late in Orlando’s Game 4 win over Detroit. He returned to the sideline to ride an exercise bike, but did not return to the game. An MRI exam the next day revealed the strain.
That 94-88 victory gave the Magic a 3-1 series lead and advancing to the second round seemed imminent. However, the Pistons have since come back to win the next two games, including Friday’s stunning Game 6 comeback in which Orlando squandered a 24-point lead and scored only 19 points in the second half.
Wagner was the Magic’s second-leading scorer during the regular season, averaging 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He also shot 35% on 3-pointers. But Wagner appeared in only 34 games due to a high-ankle sprain.
In the four playoff games he played before getting injured, Wagner has been Orlando’s third-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, shooting 33% on 3s while also averaging 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals.
Would the Magic have already closed out this series if Wagner had been available? In his place, Jamal Cain scored three points and Tristan da Silva added 10 off the bench in Game 6.
Desmond Band misses two straight 3s, and the Magic have now missed 17 consecutive field goal attempts (!!!) pic.twitter.com/FJK8GNcEU7
It’s certainly possible Wagner would have shot as poorly as his teammates (35% from the floor). Paolo Banchero hit four of his 20 shots, Desmond Bane shot 7-of-18 and Jalen Suggs went 1-for-10.
Orlando’s season is at stake, but Wagner’s absence indicates how seriously calf injuries are currently viewed in the NBA. Teams have taken extra caution with treatment and recovery, especially when calf injuries have often developed into season-ending Achilles injuries.
The Magic and Pistons tip off for Sunday’s Game 7 from Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Baltimore Orioles will reportedly activate top pitching prospect Trey Gibson to start against the New York Yankees on Sunday.
The move hasn’t been officially announced, but Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said the plan was for Gibson to pitch Sunday, according to the Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka. He’ll be opposed by Max Fried pitching for the Yankees.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander was called up from Triple-A to join the Orioles’ taxi squad of minor leaguers that travels with the major-league club on road trips to provide replacements when necessary.
Gibson, 23, is ranked as Baltimore’s No. 3 prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America. He signed with the Orioles as an undrafted free agent in 2023 out of Liberty University and has steadily progressed through the minor-league system.
“Gibson has a power-pitcher build and power-pitcher stuff. He’s a 6-foot-5, 240-pound right-hander with a four-seamer that he can rev into the high 90s, a two-seamer to generate ground balls and an array of secondary offerings designed to miss bats in abundance.
“He throws two different sliders and an above-average curveball, both in the low-to-mid 80s, as well as a cutter and developing changeup. He’s added velocity and proven durable since entering pro ball, cutting his walk rate as he’s climbed to the upper levels.”
In starts for Triple-A Norfolk this season, Gibson has a 4.01 ERA in six starts with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks in 24 2/3 innings. He was already scheduled to start on Sunday, so he will be on his normal turn in the rotation.
The Orioles went into Saturday’s matchup versus the Yankees (21-11) with a 15-17 record, six games out of first place in the AL East.
Tatum sat out the entire fourth quarter of a Game 6 loss because of left calf tightness. While Boston announced Friday it had no injuries to report, Tatum popped up on its Saturday injury report with left knee stiffness, initially being listed as “questionable” before downgraded again hours before tip-off.
In the playoffs this year, he’s averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists per contest while shooting 47.5% from the field, including 36.5% from 3.
While Tatum not playing in the fourth quarter in Game 6 on Thursday raised the antennae of basketball fans everywhere, especially those in Boston, injury concerns were minimized postgame, as well as Friday.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was asked for an update on Tatum early Friday on “Get Up.”
“It’s positive right now,” Charania reported at the time. “Everyone in Boston is downplaying anything with Jayson Tatum, that this was even an injury. Joe Mazzulla denied that it was an injury at all. Jayson Tatum said after the game that it was just stiffness that he felt in his leg.
Charania continued: “I’m told Jayson Tatum told some teammates after the game he’s fine, he’s good to go. So I think the expectation in Boston is, Game 7, Jayson Tatum is all good.”
That stiffness in Tatum’s leg will now keep him out of a win-or-go-home matchup between the Eastern Conference rivals that’s set for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip. Mazzulla told reporters pregame that the six-time All-Star forward came in Saturday with “knee discomfort.”
Joe Mazzulla said Jayson Tatum came in with knee stiffness today:
Mazzulla reportedly said he and the medical staff made the call.
“We made a decision for him,” Mazzulla said, according to Dalzell.
The Celtics have dropped back-to-back games in the series after taking a 3-1 lead. The Sixers have found their mojo with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all healthy and rookie VJ Edgecombe providing contributions beyond his years.
Sixers-Celtics. Magic-Pistons. Raptors-Cavaliers. The first round of the NBA playoffs rolls on with not one, not two, but three series-deciding Game 7s — all in the Eastern Conference. It’s the most Game 7s in the first round since 2014.
So, who will advance? And are the Knicks, who have already earned their spot in Round 2, the team to beat in the East? Our writers weigh in.
Sixers-Celtics, Game 7: Who wins?
Tom Haberstroh: Celtics. The Celtics have shot below 30% from deep in the last two games, which is unconscionable with all the shooting talent on this team. Three straight games south of 30% on 3s? That’s never happened in the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown playoff era, and I don’t see the drought continuing.
Steve Jones: Celtics. The Sixers have delivered the right blend to get to this Game 7. Joel Embiid’s presence has elevated them in the half-court, Paul George has contributed on both ends, and Tyrese Maxey has gotten more aggressive and decisive as the series has gone on. But I expect a level of desperation from the Celtics in Game 7, a willingness to try anything defensively (or lineup-wise) to take one of the Sixers’ dominoes off the board. The Garden will have its anxious moments, but the Celtics win.
Dan Titus: Sixers. The momentum belongs to Philly. It’s hard to believe, but Boston’s starting lineup has been the worst offensive unit thus far in the postseason. Expect Philly to throw the kitchen sink defensively because when the Celtics shoot 30% from 3, they lose. If the Sixers ditch the slow starts, attack in transition and continue to play unselfishly through Embiid, the curse ends tonight. Give me the road-dog Sixers.
Ben Rohrbach: Celtics. These teams are far more even than I figured at series’ start, especially since Embiid returned to the lineup for the 76ers. But the Celtics have not lost three games in a row since the first three games of the regular season, when they were a different team. It’s hard to imagine Brown and Tatum blowing three games at home in this series, too, including a Game 7, but I don’t feel great about the pick. The Sixers absolutely have a chance.
Magic-Pistons, Game 7: Who wins?
Rohrbach: Pistons. The Magic have to be shell-shocked after blowing a 24-point lead in the second half of what would have been a close-out Game 6 for them in Orlando. I don’t know how they recover from that, especially if Franz Wagner is not available. Meanwhile, a 60-win No. 1 seed at home in Game 7 of a first-round playoff series seems like a safe bet. In this rock fight of a series, though, anything is possible. I just trust Cade Cunningham more than Paolo Banchero.
Titus: Pistons. How do you go 45 real minutes without a field goal? Orlando has been the more physically imposing team, but after a comeback like that, I don’t think the Magic will recover. The Detroit fan base needs this and, led by Cunningham, we’ll see a more prepared and assertive version of the Pistons, who are looking to avoid becoming the seventh team in NBA history to lose as a 1-seed in the first round.
Haberstroh: Pistons. I guess? I’ll take the 60-win team at home, but considering both teams have suffered identity crises every other quarter in the series, I have the confidence of a kindergartener tying their shoes on the first day of school.
Jones: Pistons.The good news for the Magic is it can’t go any worse than shooting 4 for 37 in the second half of Game 6. They can still battle defensively and hope for shot-making in the fourth. The LCA should be rocking, though, and the Pistons should feel a level of freedom. Cunningham’s play has gotten more attention from the Magic’s defense, which has unlocked parts of the Pistons’ offense. Plus, when I was 16, I told my dad there was no way the 8-seed, T-Mac-led Magic would lose to the Pistons. They lost to the Pistons.
Raptors-Cavaliers, Game 7: Who wins?
Jones: Cavaliers. The Raptors have consistently remained annoying in this series. Physical on both ends of the floor, Darko Rajaković has had his team prepared, and Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett have willed the Raptors without Brandon Ingram. While the Raptors have worked to scheme and double James Harden and Donovan Mitchell out of rhythm, I anticipate the Cavs stars will put their stamp on this game. You came together for a reason, and this Game 7 is it.
Haberstroh: Raptors. Harden has lost his last three Game 7s, including a seven-point dud against Denver last year and a nine-point whiff against Boston in 2023. The Raptors’ youth and gnarly defense will serve them well against a Cleveland core that hasn’t been known to stand up against adversity.
Rohrbach: Cavaliers. Man, has Scottie Barnes been a revelation in Toronto. He will have his Raptors playing hard, and that is a scary proposition for a Cleveland team that carries Harden’s big-game woes into a Game 7. But this is what the Cavs have Mitchell for. I just think there’s too much talent in Cleveland, and if the Cavs can harness their effort into one game — at home — they can meet Toronto’s intensity and trust in Mitchell to carry them into Round 2.
Titus: Cavaliers. Toronto stole Game 6, but I think Cleveland will figure it out at home in Game 7. Of course, the narrative surrounding Harden in these moments will be the headlines, but having Mitchell to relieve some of that pressure is key. Toronto’s defense has been great, but this one will come down to experience. The Cavs have it, and I think they get it done in convincing fashion, especially if Evan Mobley keeps playing well.
True or False: The Knicks are the team to beat in the East.
Titus: True. Of course there’s some recency bias here, but it’s more about the inconsistencies or lapses we’ve seen from the top seeds throughout the first round in the East. The Knicks have at least shown the ability to shift their game plan from a more Jalen Brunson-centric offense to one that allows Karl-Anthony Towns to take on more offensive responsibilities. Their depth and flexibility will be important as they navigate these next rounds. They have the wing defenders and the bigs to cover the best of what’s left. Now they just have to execute.
Rohrbach: True? Everyone in the East has looked shaky, including the Knicks at the start of their series, but they seemed to have found themselves — that hard-charging identity that made them so scary for a stint in last year’s playoffs — in Games 5 and 6 of their series with Atlanta. Who is to say whether the Pistons, Celtics or Cavaliers can rediscover what has made them so formidable over the course of a Game 7, but only one team right now knows who it really is.
Jones: Going to lean false, mainly because, uh, the rest of the East has a lot to worry about before they can get to the Knicks. The big positive is the Knicks did get proof of concept of being able to elevate in the playoffs. The defense raised its level as the series wore on. Brunson and Towns were able to find counters. OG Anunoby would not stop making shots. Josh Hart would not stop defending. The Hawks gave them a taste of what they could see going forward. Figuring that out should give the Knicks confidence.
Haberstroh: True. At least with this Karl-Anthony Towns, who just ripped off two triple-doubles. The Knicks center just registered 36 assists in the Atlanta series, which is more than KAT totaled in the entire playoff run last year with the Knicks (24 in 18 games) and more than his first three postseasons runs combined (34 in 16 games). Something changed and so did the title favorite out East.
