By ESPN, 2026-05-04 19:00:00
NBA季后赛开启时共有20支球队，其中4支在附加赛中被淘汰。另有8支球队在首轮结束了赛季征程，剩下8支球队进入次轮，他们每队距离NBA总决赛都仅差8场胜利。
克利夫兰骑士、费城76人和底特律活塞都在周末通过赢下抢七大战才艰难晋级，而俄克拉荷马城雷霆则横扫了他们的首轮对手。
洛杉矶湖人和明尼苏达森林狼能否阻挡西部势不可挡的雷霆和圣安东尼奥马刺？久经沙场的活塞是否仍是东部第一？卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic) 和安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 的伤病又将如何影响西部局势？
ESPN的蒂姆·邦坦普斯 (Tim Bontemps) 采访了两名西部联盟的球探，对每轮系列赛的关键点进行了剖析，我们的NBA内幕专家也回答了那些可能决定谁能晋级分区决赛、谁将打道回府的关键问题。
跳转至系列赛：
雷霆-湖人 | 马刺-森林狼 | 活塞-骑士 | 尼克斯-76人
西部联盟
(1) 俄克拉荷马城雷霆 vs. (4) 洛杉矶湖人
晋级之路：雷霆4-0横扫菲尼克斯太阳；湖人4-2击败休斯顿火箭。
常规赛交锋：雷霆在四次交手中全部获胜，平均比分为125.5-96.25。四场比赛中只有一场分差在个位数。
常规赛结果是否预示着这将是一场一边倒的系列赛？
雷霆在常规赛对阵湖人时展现出了历史级的统治力。四次交手的平均分差达到了29.3分。根据ESPN统计，这是湖人队史单赛季被同一支球队胜出的最大平均分差，也是季后赛相遇球队在常规赛系列赛中的最高平均分差。
四场比赛中最接近的一场是2月9日俄克拉荷马城在客场以119-110取胜，当时超级巨星谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)（腹部伤势）和卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)（腿筋伤势）双双缺阵。最悬殊的一场是4月2日雷霆在主场以139-96大胜，当时奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 和东契奇在第三节因伤退赛，但那时比赛结果早已失去悬念。
目前尚不确定东契奇是否能在本系列赛的任何时间点复出，他仍在从当晚遭受的腿筋拉伤中恢复。作为上一位在季后赛系列赛中战胜过雷霆的超级巨星，他赢得了雷霆的尊重，但俄克拉荷马城联盟顶尖的防守在本赛季让东契奇吃尽了苦头。在对阵雷霆时，他的失误数（10次）与进球数一样多，投篮命中率仅为33.3%；当东契奇在场的59分钟里，雷霆净胜湖人66分。
另一方面，湖人对于这位现任且极有可能蝉联MVP的球员束手无策。吉尔杰斯-亚历山大在他出战的三场对阵湖人的比赛中，在87分钟内以64.2%的真实命中率砍下了83分。 —— 蒂姆·麦克马洪 (Tim MacMahon)
卢卡·东契奇能否及时回归并影响系列赛？
首要问题是，自4月2日以来因2级腿筋拉伤缺阵的东契奇是否还能回归？
据多个消息源告知ESPN，尽管他曾前往西班牙接受多次针对伤势的注射治疗，但在缺阵的一个月里，他恢复比赛状态的进度并未取得实质性突破。据主教练JJ·雷迪克 (JJ Redick) 透露，东契奇周日没有参加湖人备战俄克拉荷马城的首次训练。消息人士告诉ESPN的夏姆斯·查拉尼亚 (Shams Charania)，东契奇未来的状态将被列为“每周观察”。
在没有里夫斯或东契奇的情况下，洛杉矶在首轮对阵火箭时取得了3-1的领先——但火箭并不是卫冕冠军。里夫斯在第四场和第五场回归，虽然显露出明显的生锈迹象，但他依然场均贡献18.5分和4.0个篮板（并在关门战中投中了一个关键球，通过一记转身转篮在火箭起势后稳住了湖人的局势）。
距离5月11日湖人在加密货币网竞技场（Crypto.com Arena）主办第四场比赛还有一周时间，届时距离东契奇受伤将过去五个多星期。这段时间是否足以让东契奇恢复到能够上场的程度？
还有一个同样切中要害的问题：湖人能否在没有他的情况下至少赢下一场比赛，从而在东契奇获准复出时，这轮系列赛还有一战之力？ —— 戴夫·麦克梅纳明 (Dave McMenamin)
球探谈湖人的严重劣势： “我觉得湖人可能只能赢下一场。雷霆更高大，他们的内线球员要优秀得多——切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 和赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein) 对阵德安德烈·艾顿 (Deandre Ayton) 和贾克森·海斯 (Jaxson Hayes)，这完全是错位。
“他们拥有那么多外线防守者来给湖人制造麻烦，而且我觉得勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 在对阵火箭的系列赛中已经显露疲态。谁能防住谢伊？他们根本没人能做到。”
专家预测： 雷霆 12，湖人 0
最佳投注建议： 系列赛准确大比分：雷霆 4-0 (+120*)（*赔率由DraftKings Sportsbook提供，可能会有变动）
(2) 圣安东尼奥马刺 vs. (6) 明尼苏达森林狼
晋级之路：马刺4-1击败波特兰开拓者；森林狼4-2击败丹佛掘金。
常规赛交锋：森林狼在常规赛系列赛中2-1领先。森林狼在首场对决中赢了13分，不过当时马刺缺少了维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)。最后两场对决的分差分别仅为1分和3分。
马刺会轻视这支残缺的森林狼吗？
考虑到两队在常规赛的交手情况，这极不可能发生。森林狼进入本轮系列赛时缺少了超级巨星安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和神射手后卫唐特·迪温琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo)，这两名球员整个赛季都让圣安东尼奥头疼不已。迪温琴佐将缺席余下的季后赛，而爱德华兹预计将缺席系列赛的前两场比赛。马刺需要抓住机会。
爱德华兹在常规赛三次交手中场均砍下36.7分，森林狼赢下了其中的两场。事实上，森林狼在过去六场对阵马刺的比赛中赢了五场。因此，尽管伤兵满营，森林狼对于年轻且缺乏经验的马刺来说依然是一个强大的对手。
森林狼前场的体型和对抗能力在常规赛中给圣安东尼奥制造了麻烦，尤其是在大前锋位置上，朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 对阵朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 形成了一定程度的错位。6英尺9英寸的杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 也会给马刺后卫达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 带来挑战，此外还有替补中锋纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid)，他可能主要对位卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)。
鉴于鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) 在首轮对阵尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 时的防守表现，所有目光都将集中在这位老将对阵文班亚马的表现上。但森林狼也有可能尝试让戈贝尔对位卡斯尔，看看这位二年级后卫作为投手是否能惩罚森林狼。 —— 迈克尔·C·莱特 (Michael C. Wright)
森林狼能在爱德华兹回归前偷下一场胜利吗？
关于爱德华兹状态的乐观情绪正在增长。他在周末进行了两次轻量训练，正如夏姆斯·查拉尼亚所报道的，他可能会在明尼阿波利斯的第三场或第四场比赛中重返赛场。森林狼将尝试在没有他的情况下，从备受看好的马刺手中偷走一场胜利，这需要像第六场淘汰掘金时那样的集体努力。
那一晚，麦克丹尼尔斯贡献了32分，并对贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray) 进行了精英级别的防守，让后者仅有17投4中。对阵马刺时，麦克丹尼尔斯将负责防守福克斯和卡斯尔，任务是限制他们的效率，同时在兰德尔身边承担更多的得分重任。
在11月战胜马刺的比赛中，兰德尔砍下22分和12次助攻，撕碎了圣安东尼奥的防线——值得注意的是，当时马刺没有文班亚马。兰德尔的“推土机”风格将面临联盟最佳护筐者的考验，而戈贝尔自身的防守能力也将面临另一种挑战，他将从对阵约基奇的系列赛转向防守文班亚马的任务。
森林狼不需要在没有爱德华兹的情况下为明尼苏达带来四场胜利，爱德华兹决心在这轮系列赛中留下自己的印记。但如果他们能在爱德华兹回归前至少拿到一场胜利，他的工作将会轻松得多。 —— 安东尼·斯莱特 (Anthony Slater)
球探谈经受过考验的森林狼： “我不会看衰森林狼能走得很远，因为他们在对阵丹佛时展现了一切。我真的很怀疑圣安东尼奥的青涩是否会在面对一支真正拥有季后赛经验的球队时暴露出来，而森林狼恰恰拥有这种经验。
“我对圣安东尼奥的投篮感到担忧……我不认为除了文班之外的其他球员是不可战胜的……我仍然认为圣安东尼奥会赢下系列赛，但如果你想要一支更有经验、经过季后赛洗礼的球队，那可能会给马刺制造麻烦。”
专家预测： 马刺 12，森林狼 0
最佳投注建议： 系列赛总场数超过 5.5 (+230)
东部联盟
(1) 底特律活塞 vs. (4) 克利夫兰骑士
晋级之路：活塞4-3击败奥兰多魔术；骑士4-3击败多伦多猛龙。
常规赛交锋：活塞和骑士在常规赛中战成2-2平。
活塞找回状态了吗？
这支东部最佳球队曾一度命悬一线。奥兰多距离晋级次轮仅差23分钟，他们在周五的第六场比赛中曾领先头号种子活塞多达24分。
活塞凭借一次史诗级的防守表现挽救了赛季，他们让魔术连续投丢了23球，创造了季后赛纪录。在此过程中，活塞重新找回了让他们成为60胜球队的那种魔力。
克服重重困难并从3-1的落后中实现逆转，需要活塞审视内心。这需要凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham) 的超级巨星表现，他在活塞最后三场胜利中分别砍下45分、32分和32分，表现极其出色。底特律引以为傲的防守回来了，他们在禁区内让魔术窒息。坎宁安在进攻端也得到了托拜厄斯·哈里斯 (Tobias Harris) 的帮助，后者在第七场砍下30分。杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren) 也苏醒了，贡献了15分15个篮板，这更符合他本赛季全明星级别内线的表现。
“向魔术致敬，他们逼迫了我们，”坎宁安说道，“他们真的让我们开始反思。我认为我们从这个系列赛中进步了很多。我进步了很多。我对自己有了很多了解，对球队也有了很多了解。所以我认为这个系列赛真的会为我们的下一轮做好铺垫，我们会因此变得更好。” —— 欧姆·永米苏克 (Ohm Youngmisuk)
骑士将如何应对又一支强硬的防守球队？
从今年季后赛开始，骑士就反复提及一个词作为获胜关键：力量（force）。他们的目标是成为设定基调、发起挑战条款的一方，以扭转此前季后赛的失望局面。
克利夫兰在首轮经受住了多伦多猛龙的考验，猛龙在常规赛拥有联盟前五的防守，给骑士的明星后场多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell) 和詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden) 制造了巨大的困难。活塞注定会提供更严峻的考验，他们的外线拥有出色的防守者来干扰米切尔和哈登，内线则有足够的体型来干扰骑士的双塔贾勒特·阿伦 (Jarrett Allen) 和埃文·莫布利 (Evan Mobley)——这两位在身体对抗激烈的季后赛系列赛中并非总能应对自如，但在对阵多伦多时挺身而出。
骑士最终战胜了在系列赛结束时缺少两名首发球员的猛龙，依靠的是多伦多无法跟上的得分爆发力。底特律在首轮也展现出了类似的进攻挣扎，如果克利夫兰能找到办法将系列赛变成一场对攻战，这可能会发挥他们的优势。
“要击败这支球队，我们必须在心理和身体上都保持强硬，”骑士主教练肯尼·阿特金森 (Kenny Atkinson) 表示，“他们是头号种子，度过了一个伟大的赛季。他们是夺冠热门。我们作为下路球队（underdogs）进入比赛，这是一个挑战，但我认为这将是一个类似的系列赛（像对阵多伦多一样），需要能够应对他们的压力、篮板、力量和身体对抗。希望上一轮系列赛已经让我们为此做好了准备。” —— 贾马尔·科利尔 (Jamal Collier)
球探谈系列赛的风格碰撞： “活塞是更强硬、更专注、更可靠的球队……克利夫兰的问题在于，他们是否愿意匹配这种强度？他们能否应对身体对抗？这感觉是底特律占据重大优势的地方。
“两支完全不同的球队，一支拥有天赋和得分能力，在顺风顺水时表现出色；另一支则必须死磕到底，保持强硬，并且必须以此方式赢球。就像那句古老的拳击格言：风格决定比赛。”
专家预测： 活塞 7，骑士 3
最佳投注建议： 骑士胜活塞 (+100)
(3) 纽约尼克斯 vs. (7) 费城76人
晋级之路：尼克斯4-2击败亚特兰大老鹰；76人4-3击败波士顿凯尔特人。
常规赛交锋：尼克斯和76人在常规赛战成2-2平。乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 仅参加了四次交手中的两场。
尼克斯是否已经迎来转机，并向我们展示了他们的真面目？
以15分、29分和51分的优势赢下比赛，表明尼克斯拥有另一个档次，一个除了俄克拉荷马城之外大多数剩余球队都难以企及的高度。本赛季要找到那个档次并不容易，但他们在必须赢球的时候做到了。当分区内其他系列赛都是打满七场的肉搏战时，尼克斯的表现可能表明，他们对比赛的认真程度超出了我们整个赛季对他们的评价。
尼克斯的设计初衷是为了击败凯尔特人，但费城的优势正好攻击尼克斯的弱点——后场的运动能力和速度，这与老鹰截然不同。但尼克斯的进攻在首轮展现了另一层深度，很难想象费城能跟上。 —— 文森特·古德威尔 (Vincent Goodwill)
76人能保持这种势头吗？
在过去的十年里，费城76人就像是NBA版的查理·布朗尝试踢橄榄球（屡试屡败）。在伤病和季后赛灾难性的失望之间，自恩比德进入NBA以来，76人反复发现自己处于结果不利的一方——尤其是在对阵凯尔特人时。但现在，在周六晚上从抢七大战中死里逃生后，费城带着十足的信心和能量投入到了另一场东海岸对决中。
当然，有很多理由让人持怀疑态度。考虑到恩比德和保罗·乔治 (Paul George) 的伤病隐患，人们很自然会担心76人能否保持健康。如果这轮系列赛至少打六场（这看起来很有可能），费城将在21天内打11场比赛，而让六名球员承担重任可能会导致一些损耗。但当泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey) 和恩比德健康时，这是一个毁灭性的挡拆组合，几乎没有球队能阻挡。此外，新秀VJ·埃奇科姆 (VJ Edgecombe) 在关键时刻也显得毫无惧色。 —— 蒂姆·邦坦普斯 (Tim Bontemps)
球探谈最值得关注的关键对位： “我很想看看恩比德和卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 是否会互相防守。球队往往会在这类会投篮的大个子对位中采取交叉防守，但他们也许能防住彼此。唐斯在对阵老鹰系列赛下半程的防守给我留下了深刻印象——那是我见过他在防守端表现最好的一次……
“（但是）纽约在防守马克西时会很吃力。我猜你会尝试让OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby)、米卡尔·布里奇斯 (Mikal Bridges)、迈尔斯·麦克布莱德 (Miles McBride) 或乔什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 去对位他。”
专家预测： 尼克斯 7，76人 4
最佳投注建议： 总场数超过 5.5 (-130)
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA conference semifinals: Previewing the second round
NBA conference semifinals: Previewing the second round
The NBA postseason started with 20 teams, four of which were eliminated during the play-in tournament. Eight more saw their seasons end in the first round, leaving us with eight teams in the second round, each of them eight wins away from the NBA Finals.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons all had to win Game 7s over the weekend to advance, and the Oklahoma City Thunder swept their opening series.
Can the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves stop the juggernaut Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West? Are the battle-tested Pistons still the No. 1 team in the East? And how do the injuries to Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards affect the West?
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps talked to two Western Conference scouts, breaking down the keys to each series, and our NBA insiders answered the questions that could determine who moves on to the conference finals – and who doesn’t.
Jump to a series:
Thunder-Lakers | Spurs-Timberwolves | Pistons-Cavaliers | Knicks-Sixers
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers
How they got here: Thunder swept Phoenix Suns 4-0; Lakers defeated Houston Rockets 4-2.
Season series: The Thunder won all four meetings by an average score of 125.5-96.25. Only one of the four games was decided by single digits.
Do the regular-season results foreshadow a lopsided series?
The Thunder swept the regular-season series against the Lakers in historically dominant fashion. The average point differential in the four meetings was 29.3 points. According to ESPN Research, that’s the largest average margin of victory against the Lakers by any team in a single season and the highest average point differential in a regular-season series between teams that met in the playoffs.
The closest of the four games was Oklahoma City’s 119-110 road win on Feb. 9, when superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal) and Luka Doncic (hamstring) both sat out. The most lopsided was the Thunder’s 139-96 rout at home on April 2, when Austin Reaves and Doncic exited with injuries in the third quarter but well after the outcome was decided.
It remains to be determined if Doncic, who is still recovering from the hamstring strain he suffered that night, will be available at any point in this series. He commands respect from the Thunder as the last superstar to prevail over them in a playoff series, but Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense gave Doncic fits this season. He had as many turnovers (10) as buckets while shooting 33.3% from the field against the Thunder, who outscored the Lakers by 66 points in 59 minutes with Doncic on the court.
The Lakers, on the other hand, had no answers for the reigning and likely repeat MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 83 points on 64.2% true shooting in 87 minutes in the three games he played against them. – Tim MacMahon
Will Luka Doncic return in time to be a factor this series?
The first question is will Doncic, who has been out since April 2 because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain, return at all?
Despite trekking to Spain to receive multiple injections for the injury, as multiple sources told ESPN, his ramp up toward game action has not yet progressed substantially in the month he has been out. Doncic did not practice with the Lakers on Sunday in their first prep for OKC, according to coach JJ Redick, and he will be evaluated on a “week-to-week basis” moving forward, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
L.A. was able to build a 3-1 lead on Houston in the first round without Reaves or Doncic – but the Rockets aren’t the defending champs. Reaves was back for Games 4 and 5, and though he was clearly rusty, he still put up averages of 18.5 points and 4.0 rebounds (and had one of the biggest buckets in the closeout win with a spinning layup that steadied the Lakers in the first half after a Houston run).
There’s still a week before L.A. will host Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, which will be more than five weeks since Doncic’s injury. Will that be enough time for Doncic to ramp back up to be in the lineup?
And, a question that is just as pertinent, will the Lakers be able to win at least one game without him so there is still a series left to fight for if he is cleared to return? – Dave McMenamin
Scout’s take on the serious mismatches for the Lakers: "I could see the Lakers only winning a game. [The Thunder] are bigger, and their bigs are so much better – Chet [Holmgren] and [Isaiah] Hartenstein against [Deandre] Ayton and [Jaxson] Hayes, that’s such a mismatch.
“They have all of those perimeter defenders to give the Lakers trouble, and I already thought LeBron was slowing down as the Rockets series went along. And who is going to guard Shai? They have no one to do that.”
Experts’ picks: Thunder 12, Lakers 0
Best bet: Series correct score OKC 4-0 (+120*) (*Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change)
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
How they got here: Spurs defeated Portland Trail Blazers 4-1; Timberwolves defeated Denver Nuggets 4-2.
Season series: The Timberwolves won the season series 2-1. The Wolves won the first matchup by 13 points, though the Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama. The final two matchups were decided by one and three points, respectively.
Will the Spurs overlook a weakened Minnesota squad?
That’s highly unlikely given what has transpired between these teams during the regular season. Minnesota enters this series without superstar Anthony Edwards and sharpshooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, two players who have given San Antonio fits all season. DiVicenzo is out for the rest of the postseason and Edwards is expected to sit out the first two games of the series. The Spurs need to take advantage.
Edwards averaged 36.7 points in the three regular-season meetings between the teams, with Minnesota winning two. In fact, the Timberwolves have won five of their past six games against the Spurs. So, despite injuries, the Timberwolves remain a formidable foe for the young, inexperienced Spurs.
Minnesota’s size and physicality in the frontcourt posed problems for San Antonio during the regular season, especially at power forward, where Julius Randle presents somewhat of a mismatch against Julian Champagnie. The 6-foot-9 Jaden McDaniels also presents a challenge for Spurs guards De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, along with backup center Naz Reid, who probably will be matched up mostly against Luke Kornet.
Given Rudy Gobert’s defensive performance against Nikola Jokic in the opening round, all eyes will be on the veteran against Wembanyama. But there’s a chance Minnesota could try to match Gobert against Castle and see if the second-year guard can hurt the Timberwolves as a shooter. – Michael C. Wright
Can the Timberwolves steal one before Edwards’ return?
The optimism around Edwards’ status is growing. He went through two light workouts over the weekend and, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, could find his way back in the lineup by Game 3 or 4 in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves will try to steal one from the heavily favored Spurs without him, which would require a collective effort similar to the Game 6 clincher over the Nuggets.
That night, McDaniels provided 32 points to go along with elite defense on Jamal Murray, who went 4-of-17 shooting. Against the Spurs, McDaniels will be defending Fox and Castle, tasked with keeping them inefficient while also shouldering an increased scoring burden next to Randle.
In the November win over the Spurs, Randle had 22 points and 12 assists, carving up a San Antonio defense that, notably, didn’t have Wembanyama. Randle’s bulldozer style will be tested with the league’s best rim protector lurking and Gobert’s own defensive prowess will be challenged on the other end, as he shifts from a terrific series against Jokic to the Wembanyama assignment.
The Timberwolves don’t have to deliver Minnesota four wins without Edwards, who is determined to make his mark on this series. But they’ll make his job a whole lot easier if they can notch at least one before his return. – Anthony Slater
Scout’s take on battle-tested Minnesota: "I’m not going to pick against Minnesota pushing it far, because of everything they showed against Denver. I really wonder if San Antonio’s inexperience will show up when they go up against a real team that has playoff experience, which Minnesota has.
“I have concerns about San Antonio’s shooting. … I don’t think the rest of the team besides Wemby is unbeatable. … I still think San Antonio wins the series, but if you were going to have the more experienced, playoff-tested team, that could give them a problem.”
Experts’ picks: Spurs 12, Timberwolves 0
Best bet: Series total games over 5.5 (+230)
Eastern Conference
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
How they got here: Pistons defeated Orlando Magic 4-3; Cavaliers defeated Toronto Raptors 4-3.
Season series: The Pistons and Cavaliers split the regular-season series 2-2.
Have the Pistons returned to form?
The East’s best team was on the ropes. Orlando was 23 minutes away from advancing to the second round, leading the top-seeded Pistons by 24 points in Friday’s Game 6.
It took an all-time defensive stand, one that smothered Orlando into missing a playoff-record 23 consecutive shots, to keep Detroit’s season alive. In the process, the Pistons rediscovered the mojo that made them a 60-win team.
Overcoming that and a 3-1 deficit required the Pistons to look deep within. It needed superstar play from Cade Cunningham, who was brilliant with 45 points, 32 points and 32 points, respectively, in each of the last three Pistons wins. Detroit’s vaunted defense was back, smothering the Magic inside the paint. And Cunningham had offensive help from Tobias Harris, who had 30 points in Game 7. Jalen Duren came to life with a 15-point, 15-rebound performance that was much more representative of the All-Star big man he was this season.
“Credit to [the Magic], they pushed us,” Cunningham said. “They really made us take a look in the mirror. I think we got a lot better from this series. I got a lot better. I learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about the team. So I think this series really is going to set us up for our next series and we’ll be a lot better for it.” – Ohm Youngmisuk
How will the Cavs handle another physical defense?
From the beginning of this year’s playoff run, the Cavs have repeatedly used one word as their key to victory: force. They aimed to be the team that set the tone, to initiate the terms of condition, a reversal from their previous playoff disappointment.
Cleveland survived its first test against the Toronto Raptors, a top-five defense during the regular season that made everything difficult for its star backcourt, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. The Pistons are poised to provide an even tougher test, with skilled defenders on the perimeter to bother Mitchell and Harden, and size on the interior to disrupt the Cavs bigs, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who have not always responded well in a physical playoff series but rose to the occasion against Toronto.
The Cavs were able to outlast the Raptors, who were missing two starters by the end of the series, by scoring in bursts Toronto could not keep up with. Detroit showed similar offensive struggles in the first round, which could play into Cleveland’s strengths if it can find a way to turn this series into a shootout.
“We’re going to have to be mentally and physically tough to beat this team,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “No. 1 seed. They’ve had a great year. They’re the favorites. We go in there as underdogs, which is a challenge, but I think it’s going to be a similar series [as Toronto] being able to handle their pressure, their rebounding, their force, their physicality. So hopefully this series prepared us for that.” – Jamal Collier
Scout’s take on the series’ clash of styles: "The Pistons are the tougher team, the more focused team, the more reliable team. … The question for Cleveland is, will they be willing to match the intensity? Will they handle the physicality? That feels like a major mismatch in Detroit’s favor.
“Two totally different teams, one with talent and scoring that does well when things are going its way, versus a team that has to grind it out, be physical and have to play that way to win. Like the old boxing mantra: Styles make fights.”
Experts’ picks: Pistons 7, Cavaliers 3
Best bet: Cavaliers over Pistons (+100)
(3) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
How they got here: Knicks defeated Atlanta Hawks 4-2; 76ers defeated Boston Celtics 4-3.
Season series: The Knicks and Sixers split the season series 2-2. Joel Embiid played in only two of the four meetings.
Have the Knicks turned the corner and shown us exactly who they are?
Winning games by 15, 29 and 51 shows the Knicks have another gear, a higher plane than most teams remaining apart from Oklahoma City. Finding that gear hasn’t been easy this season, but they’ve won when they’ve had to. Doing it when every other series in the conference was a seven-game rockfight could show they are taking this more seriously than we gave them credit for through the season.
The Knicks were designed to beat the Celtics, but Philadelphia has strengths that attack the Knicks’ soft spots – athleticism and quickness in the backcourt, certainly different from the Hawks. But the Knicks’ offense unleashed another layer in the first round, and it’s hard to see Philly keeping up. – Vincent Goodwill
Can the 76ers keep this up?
Philadelphia has been the NBA’s version of Charlie Brown trying to kick the football for the past decade. Between injuries and catastrophic disappointments in the playoffs, the 76ers have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong end of results since Embiid came into the NBA – and especially when playing the Celtics. But now, after escaping Game 7 Saturday night, Philadelphia heads into another Eastern Seaboard showdown with all sorts of confidence and energy behind them.
Now, there’s plenty of reasons for skepticism. It’s fair to wonder if the 76ers can stay healthy, given all of the injury concerns around both Embiid and Paul George, in particular. If this series goes at least six games, which feels likely, Philadelphia will have played 11 games in 21 days, and playing six guys heavy minutes could cause some wear and tear. But when Tyrese Maxey and Embiid are healthy, it’s a devastating pick-and-roll combination that few – if any – teams can stop. And rookie VJ Edgecombe has not looked remotely afraid of the moment. – Tim Bontemps
Scout’s take on the most important matchup to watch: "I’m fascinated to see if Embiid and KAT guard each other. Teams tend to crossmatch those shooting big matchups, but they might be able to guard each other. I really was impressed with how Towns guarded in the second half of that Hawks series – that was as good as I’ve ever seen him at that end. …
“[But] New York is going to have its hands full guarding Maxey. I guess you’ll try [OG] Anunoby on him, [Mikal] Bridges, [Miles] McBride, [Josh] Hart.”
Experts’ picks: Knicks 7, 76ers 4
Best bet: Over 5.5 games (-130)
By ESPN, via ESPN