Tobias Harris in first half, Cade Cunningham in second prove too much for Orlando, Detroit wins Game 7

Game 7s have a way of producing unlikely heroes.

Enter Tobias Harris. The Pistons’ veteran wing was solid this season (13.3 points per game) but stepped it up in the playoffs, averaging 20.2 points a night. In Game 7 on Sunday, he found another level. He had 19 points in the first half, including scoring 11 straight in the final 2:30 of the first half, when Detroit took over the game. He would go on to score 30.

“Nobody can say s*** to me about Tobias,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about a player who has heard his share of criticism over the years. “He’s dependable, reliable, prepared for the moment. He’s a leader, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great human being.

In the third quarter, Cade Cunningham took over and made sure Detroit finished the job, quickly turning an 11-point halftime lead into 20, and Game 7 was never in doubt after that.

Detroit cruised to a 116-94 win, and with that, the No. 1 seed Pistons came back from 3-1 down to win a much tougher series than expected against the Orlando Magic, who pushed them to the brink.

Detroit now advances to the second round for the first time since 2008 and will face the winner of Game 7 between Toronto and Cleveland later on Sunday (on NBC). Orlando heads into an offseason where they will face questions about just how well their stars fit together, whether they have the right coach, and whether they should make sweeping changes or run it back.

Paolo Banchero did everything he could for the Magic, finishing with a game-high 38 points including four 3-pointers. The problem is, all the other Magic combined to shoot 34% for the game and 6-of-23 (26.1%) from beyond the arc. It just wasn’t enough.

Especially with Cunningham making plays on his way to 32 points and 12 assists for the night.

Jalen Duren had his best game of the series with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Daniss Jenkins had 16 off the bench for the Pistons. For the Magic, Desmond Bade added 16 points.

This game looked like a Game 7 early, with both teams a little tight in the first quarter — except for Banchero, who had the first 11 Orlando points, including going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Despite that, the Magic shot 8-of-21 (38.1%) in the first, but that was good enough for a 22-20 lead over a Pistons team that was 7-of-20 (35%), including Duncan Robinson starting 1-of-7 from 3-point range, and most of those were quality looks.

In the second quarter that changed, especially for Detroit, which shot 56.5% as a team, knocked down five 3-pointers, and scored 40 in the frame. The Pistons were out and running — Detroit had 12 points off Orlando turnovers in the second quarter, which was aided by Ausar Thompson’s three steals.

The Pistons broke the game open when they closed the first half on a 20-6 run, which included an 11-straight points from Harris (he had 19 for the half), and Detroit led 60-49 at the break despite 23 from Banchero.

Cunningham looked like an All-NBA player in the third quarter and that was it. Game over.

Even if the Pistons had to sweat the first round a lot more than they expected.

Lakers respect the Thunder but insist they aren’t intimidated by them

Austin Reaves loses the ball in front of Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso during a Lakers loss in April 2025. The Lakers and Thunder open their best-of-seven playoff series Tuesday. (Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)

The Lakers understand the daunting challenge they’re about to face against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.

Lakers coach JJ Redick referenced the great Chicago Bulls teams that won back-to-back championships in 1996 and ’97 and the Golden State Warriors teams that won titles in 2015 and ’17 when talking about the Thunder after practice Sunday.

“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Redick said. “It’s just the reality. They’re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”

Read more:An early look at how the Lakers and Thunder match up entering their playoff series

The Thunder had the best record in the regular season at 64-18. They were ranked first in defensive field-goal percentage (43.7%), first in defensive rating (106.5), first in net rating (43.7) and second in points given up per game (107).

They have the league’s reigning most valuable player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to repeat as MVP. He was second in scoring this season (31.1 points per game) and leads the postseason in scoring (33.8).

The Thunder just swept the Phoenix Suns in their first-round series. The Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games.

This season the Thunder beat the Lakers by an average of 29.2 points per game in sweeping the four-game set. So the Lakers are facing long odds to win this series, but they say they aren’t intimidated heading into Game 1 on Tuesday night.

Read more:Plaschke: Crisis averted, LeBron James to the rescue in Game 6

“You can respect the team but you can’t fear them,” forward Jake LaRavia said. “You can’t come into the game fearing the opponent and then you’re just gonna come in and get punked. So, we respect how good this team is, but our goal is to win — win the games and win the series. So, our mindset stays the same.”

The Thunder have a reputation as a stingy defensive team — they were called for the seventh-fewest fouls per game (19) this season.

“They’re top five in every category that’s disruptive-base: steals, blocks, turnovers forced, all that stuff. And they don’t foul,” Redick said. “They somehow do all of that without fouling, which is one of the most remarkable things, I think, in NBA history.”

Gilgeous-Alexander is famous for drawing fouls. He took nine free throws per game this season, third-most in the league.

“Nobody’s been able to stop him all season,” Redick said. “So, you can hope and pray.”

Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against the Lakers during a Thunder win on April 2. (Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

The Lakers had their own weapon at the free-throw line, but it’s unclear when Luka Doncic might return from injury. The All-Star point guard hasn’t played since sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against the Thunder on April 2.

Doncic was coming off a magical month, becoming the only player in history other than Michael Jordan to score 600 points in March.

Redick had no update on Doncic’s status — he remains out indefinitely.

But the Lakers got by the Rockets with LeBron James leading the way. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the six games. And star guard Austin Reaves, who also was injured in the April 2 game against the Thunder, returned to help beat the Rockets.

Read more:‘There’s no quit.’ Lakers’ leadership, resilience shines through in series-clinching win

Still, few think the Lakers, who advanced past the first round for the first time since 2023, can get by the deep and talented Thunder.

“You could say nobody thought we were going to get past Houston, but everybody in this building believed,” Reaves said. “It’s the same mindset going into this. We obviously know the team that we’re about to face and how good they are and the problems that they can create for 48 minutes. So, we’ll have to lock in every single day, film, whatever it could be, to continue to get better and and pay attention to all the little details like they do.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Pistons run away from Magic in Game 7 to complete comeback from 3-1 series hole

The Orlando Magic were competitive early in Sunday’s Game 7 despite playing without Franz Wagner. But the Detroit Pistons turned up the heat in the second quarter to spark a 116-94 win and secure their first playoff series win since advancing to the Eastern Conference finals in 2008.

Tobias Harris scored 17 of his 30 points in the second quarter as the Pistons closed the first half on a 20-6 run. From there, the second half served as a party in Detroit as the Pistons never relinquished control.

With the win, the Pistons advance to the second round of the playoffs and avoid the ignominious history of becoming the seventh NBA team to lose a first-round series as a No. 1 seed to a No. 8 seed. It’s a prospect that looked like a long shot at best after the Magic dazed the Pistons with a 3-1 series lead.

The Magic looked ready to celebrate the series upset on their home court in Game 6 on Friday as they extended a 60-38 halftime lead to 24 points in the third quarter. But Orlando’s offense went stunningly silent from there.

The Magic missed 23 consecutive consecutive second-half field goals and shot 1 of 20 from the field in the fourth quarter. The result was the lowest-scoring half by a team in NBA playoff history as the Magic mustered just 19 points and allowed the Pistons to rally for a 93-79 win.

That win extended the series and allowed the Pistons to return home Sunday, where they closed out the series with relative ease. Cade Cunningham led the way for Detroit with 32 points and 12 assists while shooting 10 of 18 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3. He was also tasked for much of the game with defending Orlando’s No. 1 option, Paolo Banchero.

A Pistons team that’s frequently struggled to find shot creation outside of Cunningham got what it needed from Harris with his fifth straight 20-plus point effort in the series. Harris’ second-quarter outburst set the tone for the remainder of the game, and he finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals while shooting 11 of 18 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3.

Harris closed the series with 23, 22 and now 30 points as the Pistons faced and survived elimination in three consecutive games. His effort on Sunday led a 16-of-33 effort from 3 that paced Detroit’s offense.

“Nobody can say s*** to me about Tobias,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “He’s dependable, reliable, prepared for the moment.”

Jalen Duren was again a presence in the post with 15 points and 15 rebounds. The first-time All-Star who averaged 10.5 rebounds in the regular season cracked double-digits in rebounds for the first time in the series.

The Pistons advance to face the winner of Sunday night’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. The Magic, meanwhile, are left to wonder what might have been.

The Magic had three chances to close out the series and appeared to have it in the bag with their 24-point lead at home in the second half of Game 6. But their historic collapse spoiled their own shot at making history in their favor.

In the end, they didn’t have enough firepower to compete with a Pistons team that finished second in the NBA in defensive rating in the regular season. Wagner missed a third straight game Sunday with a calf injury, leaving the Magic without their No. 2 option who was critical in building a 3-1 series lead.

Banchero kept the Magic afloat with 23 first-half points en route to 38 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Desmond Bane added 16 points while shooting 3 of 5 from 3.

It wasn’t nearly enough for a Magic team that struggled to find offense against a smothering Detroit defense. Orlando shot 41% from the field and countered Detroit’s hot 3-point shooting with a 10-of-30 (33.3%) effort.

The Pistons will host Game 1 of the second round Tuesday against either the Raptors or Cavaliers.

Anthony Edwards reportedly could return to Timberwolves for Game 3 or 4 against Spurs ‘at the earliest’

The Minnesota Timberwolves survived and advanced past the Denver Nuggets despite Anthony Edwards missing two-plus games of their first-round playoff series with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Up next is a second-round playoff matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in which the Timberwolves are expected to need Edwards to have a reasonable chance of pulling off an upset. Per a report on Sunday, there’s a chance Edwards could return to the Timberwolves’ lineup when the series shifts back to Minnesota.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on “NBA Tip-Off” that Edwards traveled with the team to San Antonio, where the series will tip off with Game 1 Monday. Edwards has returned to light workouts, but isn’t expected to play in Games 1 or 2, per the report.

Though the Timberwolves did officially list him as questionable for Game 1 on Sunday afternoon. He’s been cleared for on-court activities, too.

But Charania reports Edwards is “hopeful that he could push to be back in the lineup potentially for Game 3 or Game 4 at the earliest.” Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Minnesota. Game 4 will take place next Sunday.

Charania also noted “Minnesota is going to be conservative” in bringing Edwards back due in part to inflammation in his right knee that sidelined him for the stretch run of the regular season.

But the prospect of Edwards returning in time to impact the series is certainly good news for the Timberwolves, especially considering the initial scare around his injury. Edwards hyperextended his left knee in Game 4, prompting initial fears that he’d sustained a long-term injury.

The bone bruise sidelined him for Games 5 and 6 as the Timberwolves closed out the series, but he avoided more serious ligament damage. And now, with a spot in the Western Conference finals at stake, there’s hope in Minnesota that Edwards could return against the Spurs.

Edwards made his fourth straight All-Star team this season and averaged a career-high 28.8 points, alongside 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He also posted career highs while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% on 8.4 3-point attempts per game.

Jayson Tatum, Celtics decided ‘return to play protocol’ for left knee stiffness meant missing Game 7 vs. 76ers

Jayson Tatum met with the media Sunday following the Boston Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their NBA first-round playoff series and explained why he wasn’t able to play.

In the early afternoon Saturday, Tatum was initially listed as questionable with left knee stiffness. That status changed approximately two hours before tip-off and Tatum was ruled out for the win-or-go-home showdown in Boston.

Tatum confirmed he was feeling tightness in the back of his left knee and was technically still in the “return-to-play protocol,” which requires a progression from light activity (such as an exercise bike or jogging) to non-contact activity, then practice with no restrictions on contact over a 48-hour period.

The athletic training staff and Tatum stuck to that plan and that meant being unavailable Saturday, despite the stakes of a Game 7.

If the Celtics had advanced to the second round, Tatum said his status would have been day-to-day and he would have been available to play at some point against the Knicks.

Tatum added that he felt an injury like this may have been inevitable after returning from his torn Achilles sustained last year. (His knee injury was to the left leg, while the Achilles rupture occurred in his right.)

“I guess a little to be expected,” Tatum said, via CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell. “I was away for 10½ months and then came back, and I was playing every other day. I was playing 36 to 40 minutes. So it’s not unusual that something would come up.”

“It was just kind of tough because rehab was just going so well the entire time,” he added. “I guess it was inevitable at some point that I was gonna have to deal with something, and it just kind of came at the worst possible time.”

Tatum’s availability was in question after he left Thursday’s Game 6 in the third quarter with what was called “left knee stiffness” and did not return. Philadelphia went on to win that game, 106-93, to force a decisive Game 7 at TD Garden.

Following the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t seem concerned, saying that Tatum “just got stretched, got some treatment” and appeared to believe that he would play in Game 7. However, neither he nor the medical staff had all of the necessary information to make a considered decision.

The Celtics lost 109-100, and Tatum had averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists during the series’ previous six games. So it’s not unreasonable to speculate that had he been available to play, Boston would have advanced to the second round for a rematch with the New York Knicks.

“All things considered, for me to even be able to come back and play — and play at the level I was playing that, you know, even at 80, 85% — one of my legs is still smaller than the other one,” Tatum said, via WEEI’s Justin Turpin.

“And so now that I get a long offseason to really get back to 110%, I guess that’s the silver lining of it all.”

After returning in early March, Tatum appeared in 16 regular-season games for Boston. He averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 33% on 3-pointers.

Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram in walking boot, ruled out of Game 7 vs. Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram showed up to morning shootaround in a walking boot and was downgraded from questionable to doubtful for Sunday’s Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Just hours later, the Raptors made it official. Ingram was ruled out for the contest and will miss his second consecutive game with a left heel injury that he first sustained early in Game 5 of the opening-round playoff series.

Ingram sustained the injury 11 minutes into Toronto’s Game 5 loss that gave Cleveland a 3-2 series lead. The Raptors played without Ingram in Game 6 and held on in overtime for a win to send the series to Game 7.

But now the Raptors will play Sunday’s winner-take-all game without their leading scorer, leaving Toronto at a significant disadvantage. Ingram made his second career All-Star team this season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.2% from 3.

Toronto will now be left to depend on RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes to carry a heavier offensive load without Ingram around.

With Ingram out, Barnes paced Friday’s Game 6 win with 25 points, 14 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter scored 24 points each. Jamal Shead replaced Ingram in the starting lineup, posting 7 points and 6 assists while shooting 2 of 9 from the field.

The winner of Sunday’s game advances to the second round of the playoffs, and the loser’s season will be over. Tipoff of Sunday’s game is scheduled for 7:30 ET (NBC) in Cleveland. The winner will face the Detroit Pistons, who closed out the Orlando Magic in their playoff series.

Where to watch Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees: Live stream, TV channel, odds for Sunday, May 3

The Baltimore Orioles (15-18) face the AL East-leading New York Yankees (22-11). The Yankees won the series’ first two games by a combined score of 16-6. Scheduled starting pitchers are Trey Gibson for Baltimore, making his MLB debut, and Max Fried for New York, with a 2.09 ERA.

  • Baltimore Orioles: 15-18 (No. 4 in AL East)

  • New York Yankees: 22-11 (No. 1 in AL East)

  • Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

  • Moneyline: New York Yankees -230 (66.7%) / Baltimore Orioles +188 (33.3%)

  • Over/Under: 8.5

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Gibson
New York Yankees: Max Fried (4-1, ERA: 2.09, K: 37, WHIP: 0.80)

Weather: 55°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 47,309 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass