Starting 5: Spurs advance, Knicks win and 76ers stay alive; Key Game 5s await tonight

For the first time in nine years, the Spurs are headed to the Western Conference Semifinals.

One big reason why? No. 1 ⬇️

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Spurs Rise: Wemby accelerates San Antonio’s return to West Semis, as Spurs oust Portland in 5

Sixers Stay Alive: Embiid erupts with Philly facing elimination, forcing Game 6 vs. Boston

Knicks Take Game 5: Brunson’s 39, New York’s clamps earn 3-2 lead over Atlanta

Rockets at Lakers: Houston’s resolve meets LeBron and the Lakers’ closeout push

Two East Duels: Role players rise for rolling Magic & Raptors ahead of key Game 5s

BUT FIRST … ⏰

• Magic at Pistons (7 ET, Prime | Tap to Watch)
• Raptors at Cavaliers (7:30 ET, ESPN | Tap to Watch)
• Rockets at Lakers (10 ET, ESPN | Tap to Watch)

Stevens Wins Exec Of Year: Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens was named the 2025-26 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, his second time winning the award.

See the full NBA Awards results and upcoming announcement schedule here.

1. WEMBY DOMINATES AS SPURS PUNCH TICKET TO WEST SEMIS

It had been nine years since the Spurs last reached the West Semifinals.

They entered Tuesday just 48 minutes from ending that wait.

And Victor Wembanyama made sure they did.

Spurs 114, Blazers 95: Wemby was in peak form (17 pts, 14 reb, 6 blk), swallowing up shots, dunking through traffic and making the absurd look effortless as the Spurs jumped out to a 65-45 halftime lead and never looked back.

De’Aaron Fox (21 pts, 9 ast) sealed the deal with 13 points in the 4th, fending off a late push from Deni Avdija (22 pts) and Portland to clinch the series 4-1, sending San Antonio to the West Semis for the first time since 2017. | Recap

• Rare Tear: Following a monster Game 4, Wemby is the first player to record 15+ points, 10+ boards and 6+ blocks in back-to-back Playoff games in the same series since Patrick Ewing in 1994
• All-Time Company: Since 1974, only four other players have matched the feat: Hall of Famers David Robinson, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elvin Hayes
• “Oh My Goodness!”: That included a vicious swat late in the 4th that brought the Frost Bank Center to its feet – and left Wembanyama’s father in disbelief
• All Cylinders: Julian Champagnie (19 pts, 7 reb, 5 3s), Dylan Harper (17 pts, 3 stl) and Stephon Castle (15 pts, 5 ast) combined for 51 more points as the Spurs never trailed
• The Next Order Of Business? Bang the victory drum – the Spurs are headed to the next round

San Antonio’s rise has mirrored its young superstar: rapid growth, giant strides and results arriving early.

After reaching the West Semis in 2017, the Spurs spent years searching for their next chapter, including a six-year Playoff drought from 2019-20 through 2024-25. They managed just 22 wins in Wembanyama’s rookie year.

Two seasons later, they’re back in the West Semifinals.

Why? Because Wemby hasn’t just been a superstar – he’s been a timeline accelerator.

• Sophomore Jump: After winning Kia Rookie of the Year, Wemby soared in Year 2, earning his first All-Star nod while averaging career highs in points (24.3), rebounds (11) and blocks (3.8)
• Proof Of Progress: Deep vein thrombosis cut Wemby’s season short in February, but San Antonio had already surpassed its 22-win total by the time he was sidelined
• Then, The Breakthrough: Wemby’s Year 3 dominance vaulted him into the Kia MVP race — and the first unanimous Kia Defensive Player of the Year award — as he powered the Spurs to the West’s No. 2 seed and their first 60+ win season since 2016-17

The Ripple Effect: As Wemby ascended, so did the Spurs around him: Castle built on his Kia ROY campaign, Fox shined as the veteran star, Keldon Johnson earned Kia Sixth Man of the Year honors, while Devin Vassell and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper emerged as key pieces.

The Result? A 40-win jump from Wemby’s rookie year – and a rebuild turned title push with a superstar elevating everyone around him.

• “It’s like no one else,” said Fox on Wemby’s impact. “It’s between probably him and Steph – those are the only types of guys that have the type of gravity that they have… but with Steph, you can’t just throw the ball to the moon.”
• To The Moon: Up next for the Spurs? The winner of Wolves-Nuggets (MIN leads 3-2)

2. PHILLY FIGHT: EMBIID POWERS SIXERS BACK HOME FOR GAME 6

Facing elimination in Boston, the Sixers turned to Joel Embiid. He turned the series back to Philly.

76ers 113, Celtics 97: Down 3-1 and facing a 13-point 3rd-quarter deficit, Embiid (33 pts, 8 ast) willed Philly back to take a two-point lead into the 4th.

Then the floodgates opened. Embiid, Tyrese Maxey (25 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) and Quentin Grimes (18 pts, 4 3s) ignited a 28-11 4th-quarter blitz, as Philly raced past Jayson Tatum (24 pts, 16 reb) and Boston to force Game 6 in Philadelphia. | Recap

Twenty days ago, Embiid underwent emergency surgery for an appendectomy – the latest setback in a season full of injury frustration.

But he battled back. And in just his second game back, Embiid – laboring through exhaustion and a separate knee injury – embodied Philly’s fight, sparking the rally that saved the Sixers’ season.

• Unleashed: After going 0-for-5 from 3 in the 1st half, Embiid went into attack mode: post-ups, putbacks, drives, dunks – whatever Philly needed – to fuel a 20-8 burst that flipped the game
• Then, The Run: With Philadelphia up 97-94 with 7:03 left, Embiid found Grimes for 3, then buried a tough fadeaway before adding two free throws
• Just Like That: A Maxey bucket and a VJ Edgecombe triple capped a 12-0 strike, ballooning a 3-point lead to 15 with 2:25 left – and sending Boston south for Game 6
• “Every single time I’m on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible,” said Embiid postgame. “I want to do whatever it takes to win.”

Complete Close: Embiid scored 18 points in the 2nd half on 7-of-10 shooting (without taking a single 3), while Maxey and Grimes added 12 apiece as the trio outscored Boston 42-40 after the break.

• Right On Time: It’s Embiid’s first 30+ point Playoff game since 2024 and the second-highest scoring elimination game of his career
• Maxey Magic: Maxey is the first Sixer to post at least 25/10/5 in an elimination game since Billy Cunningham in 1971
• Lockdown Finish: Meanwhile, Philly’s defense held Boston to 11 points in the final frame – the Celtics’ third-fewest 4th-quarter points in a Playoff game in the play-by-play era
• “We weren’t rattled,” said Embiid of the rally. “We just kept playing our game … now, we gotta keep going.”
• Up Next: Down 3-2, Philly hosts Boston on Thursday (8 ET, Peacock) as it looks to force a Game 7

3. KNICKS’ DEFENSE BACKS UP BRUNSON’S 39 FOR 3-2 LEAD

The Knicks found a winning formula for back-to-back Ws and a 3-2 series lead.

Knicks 126, Hawks 97: Jalen Brunson went off for a series-high 39 points with 8 assists, putting Atlanta away with 17 in the 4th, as New York held Jalen Johnson (18 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast) and the Hawks under 100 points for the second straight game.

OG Anunoby (17 pts, 10 reb) and Karl-Anthony Towns (16 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) supported with key double-doubles, giving the Knicks a chance to close out the series in Game 6 in Atlanta. | Recap

• Tone Set: New York took off early, grabbing the lead for good less than four minutes in, on the way to a 35-22 1st quarter and 65% shooting
• Early & Late: Brunson’s (65.2 FG%) 17-point 4th was the 10th 15+ point Playoff quarter of his Knicks career, which ties for the 3rd-most in the NBA since 2023
• Two-Way, Two Wins: New York’s defense backed up its offense, as Atlanta was held under 100 points in consecutive games for just the second time this season
• How? Slowing CJ: The Knicks again focused on Hawks’ leading scorer CJ McCollum (20.8 ppg), holding him to 6 points Tuesday and 0-for-6 from 3 over the last two games

“We were tied together, we were on a string,” Brunson said of the defense. “We had everyone’s back. If something… fell apart, we were there for each other.”

• Advantage, Knicks: The winner of Game 5 in a series tied 2-2 has gone on to advance 81.5% of the time
• What will it take to close out? “The right mindset,” Brunson said. “[Game 5] is over with. We won. It’s 3-2 now … we gotta flush it and be prepared for Game 6.”
• Up Next: The series goes back to Atlanta Thursday (7 ET, ESPN)

4. TONIGHT OUT WEST: ROCKETS VISIT LAKERS, LOOK TO FORCE GAME 6

The Rockets had their backs against the wall. And they played like it.

Facing the prospect of a First Round sweep, Houston extended its season, holding the Lakers to under 100 points in Game 4 for the first time all series.

“Guys have pride,” said coach Ime Udoka. “We wanted to give ourselves a chance.”

Tonight (10 ET, ESPN), they return to Los Angeles with the chance to keep climbing back from what was a 3-0 series deficit. Kevin Durant (ankle) is day-to-day, but won’t play in Game 5.

Even without the 16-time All-Star on Monday, the Rockets found a way.

• Youth Movement: 23-year-old Amen Thompson and 21-year-old Reed Sheppard pitched in 23 and 17 points, respectively, as crucial cogs in the team’s 115 points
• Chipping In: Tari Eason tallied a game-high five steals and eight rebounds to complement 20 points of his own
• “Reading how the offense is shifting when I’m on defense,” Eason said. “Who’s catching the ball, where they’re catching the ball, if they’re in an uncomfortable position.”

A pregame speech from Alperen Sengun rallied the Rockets. He backed up his words with 14 points in the first half, and his teammates followed suit.

• “He was just letting us know he didn’t want to go home,” Thompson said. “I was proud of him taking that leadership role and pulling us all back in there.”
• Sticky Fingers: Houston pestered Los Angeles’ ball-handlers throughout Game 4, racking up 17 steals – the most by any team in a game since 2022

LeBron James knows the risks of getting too comfortable with a 3-1 series lead. He famously led the Cavaliers back from that deficit to defeat the Warriors in the 2016 Finals.

• Voice Of Reason: James took accountability for Monday, having scored 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting, calling his eight turnovers “unacceptable”
• Big Boost? Austin Reaves (oblique), who averaged 23.3 ppg this season but hasn’t played since April 2, expressed cautious optimism about returning for Game 5

5. IN THE EAST: NO. 8 MAGIC CAN ADVANCE; KEY GAME 5 IN THE LAND

Going home was good for Toronto and Orlando.

After both lower seeds took two straight in their own buildings, the Raptors have managed to dig out of a 2-0 hole, while the Magic have placed themselves on the brink of history.

Tonight, they head into a pair of Game 5s on a roll — and back on the road.

• A Great No. 8? Up 3-1 on Detroit after taking Games 3 and 4 in Orlando, the Magic look to become just the seventh No. 8 seed in NBA history to beat a No. 1 seed
• Carrying Momentum: Tied 2-2 back in Cleveland, Toronto eyes its third straight win to take control of the series
• Unsung Heroes: While both teams’ stars have kept them in games, key role players have burst onto the scene to put the Magic and Raptors over the top

The Magic’s Jamal Cain – an undrafted 3rd-year guard who grew up 10 minutes from Detroit’s old stadium, The Palace at Auburn Hills – electrified Orlando in Game 4, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins writes:

“Franz Wagner suffered an injury to his right calf midway through the third quarter, forcing Cain to serve as a primary defender on Pistons point guard extraordinaire Cade Cunningham.

Cain not only helped to frustrate Cunningham… [he] delivered one of the most emphatic — and most consequential — dunks of the NBA postseason.

…The sequence changed the tenor of the game. | Read More

Now, top-seed Detroit must respond at home, where the team flexed an East-best 31-9 advantage this season.

• Turnaround Team: The Pistons also proved their resiliency throughout the year, posting a 17-5 record after losses
• “Back’s against the wall,” Isaiah Stewart said of Game 5. “You gotta fight to the end… Protect the crib and take it one game at a time.”

In Toronto, the rise of rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and the defense of Jamal Shead were a handful for Cleveland in the Raptors’ two wins.

• Blanketing Bigs: Murray-Boyles limited Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to only eight combined field goals in Games 3 and 4
• Silencing Stars: Shead, the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year at Houston, has held Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to a combined 7-of-17 shooting, while forcing 12 TOs head-to-head
• “The things that I do, we need it times 10,” Murray-Boyles said of his energy and effort. “We need that more and more… as we keep playing these really tough games.”

With homecourt on their side, the Cavs will call on Mitchell – whose 28.1 career Playoff ppg ranks 7th all-time (min. 10 GP) – to make it happen.

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