Chasing History: Legendary Matchup
LeBron James leads L.A. past Kevin Durant and Houston in Game 2, narrated by Jamal Crawford.
The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford here to answer your questions during the 2026 NBA Playoffs as he calls games on NBC/Peacock. This weekend, he will be in Phoenix for Game 3 of the Thunder-Suns series on Sunday (3:30 ET, NBC/Peacock).
Have a question for Jamal? Submit it here.
Which first-round series is the best matchup in your opinion? – from Landon in Burlington, Ontario, Canada
There are some really good ones. I’m going to pick one in the East and the West.
For the West, I love the Lakers-Rockets series because I believe small adjustments can shift the entire series. The Lakers are playing great, LeBron’s at an unreal level and JJ Redick is making all the right moves. But I think it’s Houston’s time to shine when they go home, regroup and make adjustments. So I’m excited about that series.
In the East, it’s Philadelphia-Boston. It’s intriguing because everybody had Boston just blowing everybody out. But losing at home like that changes things. If Embiid can come back, things will get really interesting.
Which player do you think is built for a breakout moment in these playoffs, and why? – from Kishu in Chicago, IL
Jalen Johnson. After watching him up close, it’s clear he has all the tools and unselfishness you need to lead a team. I feel like he’s making that mental adjustment with his physicality and learning when to dominate on offense and put on his scoring hat. So I think he’ll be the guy that kind of breaks out.
Which playoff team this year has the best closer when the game gets tight? – from Sam in Great Neck, NY
Nikola Jokić, because he can close you out from anywhere – in the paint, from mid-range, 3-point or the free-throw line.
And he’s different from closers who only beat you with a shot. He can beat you in so many different ways.
What stood out to you most when calling Game 2 of Hawks-Knicks? – from Devin in Brooklyn, NY
What stood out most was how the Knicks were playing unbelievably early in the game, but they couldn’t really separate and get away from the Hawks. Atlanta stayed right there. And that proved to be enough.
I’ll tell you guys this (and I told my NBC family) … CJ McCollum talked to me before the game, and said, “We’re winning tonight. I promise we’re winning tonight.” So it was cool to see him be instrumental in their win.
CJ WHOA 😳 pic.twitter.com/5AJGSMlazt
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 21, 2026
Seeing how Jayson Tatum has returned from one of the worst injuries in sports in such a short time, what do you like most about how he has changed his style of play? – from Hareth in California
I like that he’s grown mentally. Sometimes when people get injured, they don’t come back the same player athletically, but they come back the same player mentally.
He’s made that adjustment and taken his game a step further mentally. Just how willing he is to bring everybody else along with him, while still being so good. It’s inspiring to see.
Is Scoot Henderson’s Game 2 performance repeatable? How did he adjust his game? – from Sam in Boulder, CO
His physical gifts and physical mentality have helped him in the playoffs. He’s not playing for fouls. He’s just attacking, picking his spots and making his jump shots.
So when he’s doing those three things and playing with confidence, he’s tough to stop. He’s been great for the Trail Blazers. Even Tiago Splitter said that was maybe the best game of his career. That always makes you feel good when your coach says stuff like that about you. It gives you a certain freedom.
Scoot found himself in rare Blazers company after his game 2 performance 🤝 pic.twitter.com/cnNaCaM9WF
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 22, 2026
How else does Wembanyama affect offenses other than blocks, steals and deflects? – from Jace in Santa Maria, CA
He’s hurt right now; hopefully, he’ll be back to full health and ready to go soon.
He changes your entire offense because you have to be so aware of where he is at all times. It’s almost like how Deion Sanders used to be in football. Teams would completely avoid throwing the ball to his side of the field. Wemby’s the same way in the paint.
Wherever he’s at, you don’t even get close to going in there because he’s going to make you think you have a shot, and then attack to block it.
How do you expect Jokić and the Nuggets to adjust for Game 3? – from Caleb in Denver, CO
They were right there. Jokić was missing touch shots that we’ve seen him make consistently for 3 years. They just weren’t going in during Game 2. I think he’ll be more dominant right from the start. He’s played against Rudy before in the playoffs. He knows who he is. Rudy does an excellent job on defense overall, but Jokić is just a different level from everybody who plays the game. So he’ll exude his dominance, and that gives his teammates confidence to do what they do best.
Do you think the Cavs can make it to the East Finals or even the Finals due to how experienced Mitchell and Harden are in the playoffs? – from Farhan in Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Anything’s possible. But I lean more towards the Celtics. I think Boston has everything it needs to get there. They have that championship pedigree that could be difficult for the Cavs to overcome.
You played in the NBA for 20 seasons. What is the one piece of advice you give to young players today about how to keep their bodies and minds sharp for two decades? – from Jack in Sydney, Australia
Stay in love with the game. When you stay in love with it and the process, everything else follows. The ice tubs, the massages, the foam rolls, the acupunctures, eating right, drinking lots of water, not hanging out too much … all of those things are related to your love for the game. When you’re in love with it, you want to be good at it. You want to be able to do it at a high level. You want to be consistent with that approach. Like anything, it just becomes routine, which turns into a way of life.
So stay in love with the game. All the other things become necessary and easy for you when you love it. Like, “Yeah, I know I need to get my extra weights in, because I want to feel better when I’m competing at the highest level.”
What is one skill young guards should master early if they want to last in the league? – from Abudukerimu on X
They should be able to play off the ball. When you get to the league, you’re playing with the best players in the world. So it’s more likely you’re going to play with a team that already has a star or 2 or maybe even three. The more you can fit in with those guys, the better. Play off the ball, catch and shoot, make quick decisions, do the stuff they don’t necessarily need to do – picking up full court, being a leader, coming with positive energy, being somebody who’s low maintenance off the court. All those things go into having a long career as a guard.
Who all-time is the most “silent-but-deadly” player that you can think of? – from Jason in Mukilteo, WA
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Nick Van Exel, Rod Strickland and Mark Price.
How do you separate basketball life and being a family man? – from Yadram on Facebook
Family always comes first. There’s nothing more important. They’re the backbone of everything, and they give you the peace of mind that allows you to go out there and compete at the highest level because you know your family supports you – good, bad, or indifferent.
So that comes first. But basketball for me is a way of life. I’ve loved it ever since I was two years old. The game’s always had a hold on me, and it’s been really cool to see it from different angles. It’s continued to evolve and I continue to want to learn more about the game and see it from new perspectives. So it’s changed over the years, but family’s always first.
When you do the double-behind-the-back dibble move, what in particular do you have to do to sell the defender? – from Derek in Cheshire, CT
It helps when there’s a screen there, because most really good defenders are going to try to fight over the screen. When they do that, you make it look like you’re going the way they’re trying to fight over … then that instant behind-the-back comes.
What was your workout routine in your freshman year of high school? – from Luke in Vermont
Oh wow. You’re going all the way back. Obviously, I was one of the before-practice, after-practice guys. I was always trying to get better, always working on my game.
But the summer was really where the separation came. I would wake up, eat, go to the gym at 10 a.m., and be there until 1. I’d work on my game and play with the group that was there. That group would leave every lunch, and I’d get a quick bite, then come back to that gym at 2, and here comes a whole other set of guys who weren’t there earlier. I’d play with them from 2 to 4. And they would leave.
Then I could jump on my bike and go to another gym to get some more run and shots in. So it was two or three times a day, just different gyms all the time.
