Starting 5: Portland & Philly forge ties, Lakers go up 2-0

Soaring. Flying. Tying.

VJ Edgecombe & Tyrese Maxey rose up when the Sixers needed it most, beating the Celtics to level the series at 1-1.

Keep reading for more from Tuesday, with the Blazers pulling even with the Spurs and LeBron (somehow) reaching another level to put the Lakers up 2-0.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

LeBron Lifts Lakers: The King comes through again as L.A. tops Houston for 2-0 series lead

Sixers Strike Back: Edgecombe & Maxey take over, Philly evens series in Boston

Blazers Rally: Scoot goes off as Portland takes Game 2 after Wemby exits

Suns at Thunder: Kia Clutch POY SGA and Thunder look for 2-0 edge over Suns

Magic at Pistons: Detroit seeks a Game 2 rebound after Orlando’s stunning opener

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The NBA Playoffs continue tonight on ESPN, as the Pistons host the Magic (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Suns visit the Thunder (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch), with Detroit and Phoenix looking to even the series 1-1.

SGA Wins Kia CPOY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, earning the Jerry West Trophy.

The Kia Sixth Man of the Year will be revealed tonight at 6 ET on ESPN ahead of Magic-Pistons (7 ET). See the full NBA Awards announcement schedule here.

1. LEBRON LIFTS LAKERS PAST ROCKETS FOR 2-0 SERIES LEAD

Two Playoff games shorthanded. Two Lakers wins. One ageless answer.

Lakers 101, Rockets 94: With Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) still out, LeBron James leveled up again, posting a game-high 28 points, 8 boards and 7 dimes.

Marcus Smart added to the fire (25 pts, 7 ast, 5 stl, 5 3s), while Luke Kennard kept rolling (23 pts, 6 reb) as the Lakers edged Kevin Durant (23 pts) and the Rockets to take a 2-0 series lead. | Recap

• Defense First: After seeing a 15-point lead evaporate in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers clamped down in the 3rd, holding Houston to 17 points to regain control
• Takeover Next: Los Angeles never looked back, with James (9 pts), Smart (6 pts) and Kennard (6 pts) combining for 21 of the Lakers’ final 23 points in the 4th
• The Closeout: Smart scored six straight in crunch time, including a massive 3 with 2:23 left that stretched the lead to eight
• The Dagger: With 50 ticks left and the Rockets down five, Smart found James barreling down the lane for a two-handed hammer – bringing the house down and putting the Lakers up 2-0

The King’s Call: Down a combined 56.8 ppg from Dončić (33.5 ppg) and Reaves (23.3), the Lakers have turned to their 41-year-old leader to take control in their two biggest games of the season.

He’s answered with a two-game stretch unlike anything the league has ever seen from a player anywhere near his age.

• The Distributor: In Game 1, James (19 pts, 8 reb, 13 ast) joined John Stockton as the only players 40 or older to dish out 10+ assists in a Playoff game
• The Scorer: In Game 2, James’ 28 points moved him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the highest-scoring postseason game by anyone 41 or older
• The History: His averages across both games – 23.5 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast – are unmatched by any player in their 40s across a two-game span in the Playoffs
• The Absurdity: Only one other player 35 or older has hit those averages across a two-game Playoff span: James, in 2023 and 2020
• “Our group’s leaned on LeBron’s otherworldly experience in this league,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick postgame. “Obviously, we’ve had to do that, and he’s captained this team.”

Up Next: Durant, Alperen Sengun (20 pts, 11 ast) and the Rockets now head home looking to rebound in Game 3 on Friday (8 ET, Prime).

2. EDGECOMBE & MAXEY ERUPT, SIXERS STRIKE BACK

A 32-point loss on Sunday. A tied series on Tuesday.

Two nights after one of their largest Playoff defeats in franchise history, the Sixers came out firing – and leveled the series behind their two young stars.

76ers 111, Celtics 97: VJ Edgecombe (30 pts, 10 reb, 6 3s) and Tyrese Maxey (29 pts, 9 ast, 5 3s) put on a show, combining for 59 points as the Sixers closed the game on a 20-8 run to beat Jaylen Brown (36 pts, 7 reb) and the Celtics, evening the series 1-1. | Recap

• Leading Edge: After falling into an early 26-13 hole, Edgecombe erupted for 16 in the 2nd quarter, as Philly outscored Boston 37-26 to take an eight-point edge into the half
• Jays Respond: Brown and Jayson Tatum (19 pts, 14 reb, 9 ast) willed Boston back, cutting the deficit to two with 6:25 left in the 4th
• But Then, Maxey: The 2x All-Star buried back-to-back triples to spark an 11-0 burst, before Edgecombe splashed another trey, putting Philly up 13 with 3:13 remaining
• Game Time: Moments later, Maxey converted an and-one, then drilled a dagger 3 with 1:09 left to even the series ⬇️

Deciding Factor: After Philly went 4-of-23 from 3 in Game 1, Maxey stressed the need for better looks from deep.

Facing a potential 2-0 deficit, the Sixers answered, going 19-of-39 (48.7%) from 3, while holding Boston to 13-of-50 (26%).

And as the margin beyond the arc flipped, so did the series.

• Winning Formula: Philly and Boston are now 3-3 against each other this season. The team with more made 3s has won in all six meetings
• Winning Swing: The Sixers owned a 57-39 edge in points from 3 last night, an 18-point difference in a 14-point game
• Winning Catalysts: Eleven of Philly’s 19 triples came from Edgecombe (6-9 3pm) and Maxey (5-12 3pm), with the rookie hitting four treys in the 1st half, before Maxey iced the game with three in the 4th

Twin Turn-Ups: With the performance, Edgecombe (20y, 265d) became the youngest player in NBA history to total 30+ points and 10+ rebounds in a Playoff game, surpassing Magic Johnson (20y, 276d).

Maxey closed with 12 points in the final 5:39 – matching his most ever in the final six minutes of a Playoff game – to steal homecourt before the series shifts to Philly on Friday (7 ET, Prime).

• Maxey On The Response: “This is who we are.”

3. BLAZERS RALLY PAST SPURS, EVEN SERIES AS WEMBY EXITS

Game 2 in San Antonio began with 2023’s top draft pick hoisting the Kia Defensive Player of the Year Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.

It ended with that draft’s third overall pick holding up a W.

Blazers 106, Spurs 103: Scoot Henderson led all scorers with postseason career-highs of 31 points and five 3s as Portland struck back from a 14-point 4th-quarter deficit to even the series 1-1.

Victor Wembanyama (5 pts, 4 reb, 12 min) left the game with a concussion following a 2nd-quarter fall. | Recap

• Spurs Respond: In Wemby’s absence, San Antonio used a 20-8 run to regain the lead, before hitting halftime tied at 57. By the 4th, the Spurs had built a 14-point cushion

But the game’s closing minutes belonged to the Blazers, who rallied to deal the Spurs their first Playoff loss after having led by 14+ in the 4th since 2003.

• Rip City Run: Portland started chipping away early in the 4th and locked in with a 16-4 run over the final five minutes. San Antonio was held without a field goal after the 3:37 mark
• Lob To Rob: Nine straight Blazers’ points got them the lead for good, with Robert Williams III (11 pts, 9 reb) punctuating this final charge with an and-one slam from a Deni Avdija lob
• Upper Hand: Up 106-103, Portland sealed the win with one last defensive stand, as Matisse Thybulle got up to contest Devin Vassell’s potential game-tying 3

“Just being aggressive, on both sides of the floor,” Henderson said of Portland’s effort. “Taking the punch to them, and they’re gonna punch back, obviously … So, we gotta be able to weave it and hit right back.”

• Up To Speed: Drafted two spots behind Wemby in 2023, Henderson logged his first 30+ point outing of this season, following his Feb. 6 return from a hamstring injury
• Blazers’ Royalty: His 49 points so far in the series tie Damian Lillard for the 2nd-most since 2000 for a Blazer in their first two Playoff games, trailing only Brandon Roy’s 63

Wemby’s Status: Now in the league’s concussion protocol, Wembanyama cannot return to competition for at least 48 hours (Game 3, at 10:30 ET Friday, falls outside of that window), and must complete the required return-to-participation process before doing so.

“He has a concussion, and he’s in the protocol, and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” coach Mitch Johnson said.

4. ON ESPN: SHAI & OKC SEEK 2-0 EDGE VS. PHOENIX

A league-high 175 total clutch points.

Shooting 51.5% from the field in the game’s most nerve-racking moments.

Has not missed a shot in the 4th quarter or OT in a month.

Reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year for 2025-26. Relive some of the pivotal moments Shai stamped his name on this season:

“Those are the moments you live for,” SGA said. “Clock’s winding down, you’re in your driveway, you’re like 7 years old, making a big shot. I worked my whole life for those moments…

“It’s the funnest part of the game.”

• Special Occasion: With OKC leading the league in win margin (+11.1) for a second straight season, Shai led all clutch scorers despite sitting out 26 4th quarters
• Making The Most: In the 42 he played in, 27 of which were clutch games, SGA averaged an NBA-best 7.7 ppg
• “He’s carried us to victories. He’s been the most clutch player in the NBA,” Aaron Wiggins said of SGA. “His lack of … ability to flinch … whatever the challenge might be in front of him, I think, allows for him to be poised in the situation.”
• Clutch Key: OKC was 20-7 in the clutch with Shai (74.1 win%), as he helped them to the 2nd-best clutch record (24-10) of the season
• “As a team, obviously, we take the win, but some of these he’s really pulling out on his own, and we’re behind him,” Wiggins said of Shai’s clutch play
• For Your Consideration: Shai closed his clutch season with an exclamation point, shooting 100% (11-11 FG) from the field in the 4th and OT over the final 13 games

SGA & OKC now look to go up 2-0 on Phoenix tonight (9:30 ET, ESPN), with the Suns turning to their own well-respected closer, Devin Booker.

• Clutch Competition: Booker’s 101 clutch points this season ranked 12th-most in the league, pushing the Suns to 14 clutch wins
• After SGA sat out the 4th in the series opener, can Phoenix put SGA’s clutch cred to the test tonight?

5. MORE ON ESPN: PISTONS SEEK CRUCIAL WIN VS. MAGIC

It’s all in the name.

The Magic reached deep into their hat for Game 1, pulling out a victory against the top-seeded Pistons.

Tonight (7 ET, ESPN), they meet for Game 2. For Detroit, it’s an opportunity to level the series.

“We’ve got to be better – will be better,” said Cade Cunningham. “I’m still very excited about this series and where it’s going to push this team.”

• The Stakes: Teams that fall behind 0-2 at home in a best-of-seven series are just 5-33 all-time in those series (13.2%)
• Detroit Muscle: Stifling defense was crucial for the Pistons en route to 60 wins, becoming the first team in 30 years to average 10+ steals and 6+ blocks in a season
• Tables Turned: But the Magic put on a clinic of their own by forcing 14 turnovers and holding the East’s No. 1 seed to 40.3% shooting Sunday

The Pistons rode a hard-nosed identity to the East’s best record. In Game 1, Orlando answered with toughness of its own – and then some.

• In The Paint: The Magic outscored the Pistons 54-34 in Game 1. Although both teams took 36 shots in that area, Orlando shot 20% better
• On The Glass: Orlando limited Detroit to six offensive rebounds, seven fewer than its regular-season average (13.1), which ranked 3rd in the NBA

The Magic also answered two key Pistons runs with bursts of their own: a 14-5 surge in the 1st half after Detroit cut the lead to 2, and a decisive 16-7 run in the 4th after the Pistons made it a 4-point game.

It resulted in Orlando becoming the first No. 8 seed in the play-by-play era to win a Playoff opener over a No. 1 seed without ever trailing.

• “I think everybody knows we’ve got a really talented team,” said Franz Wagner. “And I think we showed (Monday) that we belong here.”

Want to share Starting 5 with a friend? Send them this link.

Shape the Starting 5.  Email us here.

Don’t have the NBA App? Download it here.