Sports
WNBA draft: Mystics, Storm, Lynx and Wings get top marks
The UCLA Bruins made history with six players taken in the WNBA draft on Monday, and two of them will be part of a rebuilding Washington Mystics team that earned our top grade. Center Lauren Betts (No. 4 pick) and forward Angela Dugalic (No. 9) will team up in the nation’s capital after helping lead the Bruins to the NCAA championship on April 5.
The Mystics missed the playoffs the past two seasons, going 16-28 in 2025 and 14-26 in 2024. They have not advanced past the first round of the postseason since winning the franchise’s only title in 2019.
But they got two lottery picks last year in guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen, both of whom were All-Stars as rookies, plus No. 6 Georgia Amoore, a point guard who sat out the season because of a knee injury.
Add in their three first-rounders this season — Washington also picked forward Cotie McMahon at No. 11 — and the Mystics have an intriguing young core. Here is how we graded Washington and the rest of the league on draft night.
Jump to: ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND | LV |
LA | MIN | NY | PHO | POR | SEA | TOR | WAS
No. 4: Lauren Betts, UCLA, C, 6-7
No. 9: Angela Dugalic, UCLA, PF, 6-4
No. 11: Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss, SF, 6-0
No. 19: Cassandre Prosper, Notre Dame, SG, 6-3
No. 30: Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor, PF, 6-1
No. 34: Rori Harmon, Texas, PG, 5-6
Washington fired general manager Jamila Wideman on April 6 and said coach Sydney Johnson would take control of basketball operations with support from the Mystics’ staff. That seemed an odd decision so close to the draft, but it didn’t hurt what Washington accomplished Monday. The Mystics had the most picks of any team, and though it’s unlikely they all find a spot on the roster, their top three should contribute this season.
Betts’ ability to hit face-up shots, along with her low-block offense and top-level defense, made her a strong choice even as so-called traditional centers are less popular picks in the WNBA now. Dugalic is a type of player who seems to be coveted in the WNBA: a big shooter who can do everything well. Her stats don’t necessarily stand out, but you see her value when watching her play. McMahon is undersized as a forward, but she has been preparing for a pro role more on the perimeter. Plus, she’s extremely strong, and that will help her at the next level. Prosper is another big player who can shoot 3-pointers. Littlepage-Buggs is an exceptionally good rebounder, and Harmon was the heart of the Texas team that reached the Final Four the past two years.
There are a lot of options for Johnson. But give this team a little while to jell over the next couple of seasons and we’ll see what it can do.
1:16
Lauren Betts: ‘Can’t wait to see what the future holds’
Lauren Betts chats with Holly Rowe after being selected at No. 4 by the Washington Mystics in the 2026 WNBA draft.
No. 3: Awa Fam Thiam, Spain, C, 6-4
No. 8: Flau’jae Johnson, SG, 5-10, LSU
No. 14: Taina Mair, Duke, PG, 5-9
No. 39: Grace VanSlooten, Michigan State, PF, 6-3
With players such as 6-foot-4 Ezi Magbegor and 6-6 Dominique Malonga on the roster, it might not seem like the Storm needed Fam Thiam. But the 19-year-old has such promise that they didn’t want to bypass her. Plus, can you really have too many talented young forward/centers?
The Storm also needed a point guard, and Mair brings good defense and playmaking. The Storm initially selected Marta Suarez at No. 16, the first pick of the second round. Then they dealt her to Golden State for Johnson, who has a lot of upside as a perimeter scorer and defender. The Storm are in a rebuilding mode, and they got three rookies who should be able to help them. VanSlooten is a reliable post player but does not shoot 3-pointers. Still, she’s not a bad pick for so late in the draft.
0:53
Flau’jae Johnson joined by younger brother on stage at WNBA draft
Flau’jae Johnson’s younger brother almost steals the show after she’s drafted at No. 8.
No. 2: Olivia Miles, TCU, PG, 5-10
No. 45: Lani White, Utah, SG, 5-11
The Lynx got the No. 2 pick thanks to a savvy trade with Chicago last year — and it paid off because they really needed a good, young point guard, and they got the best one in this draft with Miles. An oft-heard player comparison is Las Vegas veteran Chelsea Gray, who has the ability to make everyone around her better. Miles’ court vision is already pro level, and she can score and rebound, too, as her triple-double prowess in college proved. Defense will be Miles’ biggest need for improvement; she will benefit from working with the Lynx staff.
White might not make the roster, but 3-point shooting is her best strength. She made 72 as a senior shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc.
0:56
Minnesota Lynx select Olivia Miles with No. 2 pick
Olivia Miles is headed to Minnesota after the Lynx select her in the 2026 WNBA draft.
No. 1: Azzi Fudd, UConn, SG, 5-11
No. 31: Zee Spearman, Tennessee, PF, 6-4
Once the Wings’ free agency moves were made, it became clear that they would pick Fudd as a strong complement to Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers in the backcourt. The Wings added veteran posts Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard and retained Ogunbowale. All those moves create a team that should be stronger defensively and hard to guard with so many high-skilled perimeter threats.
Spearman has size and shot-blocking ability, but she didn’t finish shots during her senior season the way she had earlier in her career. Ultimately, this grade is based entirely on adding Fudd, whose 3-point shooting could help the Wings get back to the playoffs.
No. 10: Raven Johnson, South Carolina, PG, 5-9
No. 25: Justine Pissott, Vanderbilt, SG, 6-4
No. 40: Jessica Timmons, Alabama, SG, 5-8
The Fever are guard heavy, so they might have considered pivoting to a post player for one of these picks. But we have no qualms with taking Johnson in the first round. She was the best available defensive guard, one who can guard a variety of players — and she’s a good rebounder at her size, too. She also had her best offensive season as a senior, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 assists. Her energy will fit great with the Fever.
Pissott is an interesting pick because of her 3-point shooting at her size. She made a career-best 95 3s this season, shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc. Timmons is also a good long-range shooter, making 74 3s this past season as she averaged a career-best 16.3 points.
No. 12: Nell Angloma, France, SF, 5-11
No. 15: Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA, SG, 5-11
No. 18: Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA, PG, 5-10
No. 37: Taylor Bigby, TCU, SG, 6-1
Angloma was among the promising young European players expected to be selected in the first round, and the Sun were likely happy she was still available at No. 12. UCLA teammates Kneepkens and Leger-Walker bring strong 3-point shooting and playmaking from the national champions.
The Sun took Serah Williams, who played one season at UConn, with the No. 33 pick, then traded her to Portland for Bigby, who had her best season as a senior at TCU, averaging 8.2 points and hitting 65 3-pointers.
1:10
How Charlisse Leger-Walker made history at the 2026 WNBA draft
Charlisse Leger-Walker is the sixth player selected from UCLA, breaking the record for most players from one team picked in the same draft.
No. 13: Madina Okot, South Carolina, C, 6-6
No. 28: Indya Nivar, North Carolina, SG, 5-10
No. 43: Kejia Ran, China, SG, 5-8
Okot is still developing player with only two years of experience in the U.S. college system. But her propensity for double-doubles and ability to get up and down the court well for her size made her a first-rounder. She was projected to go a little higher in ESPN’s final mock draft, so the Dream’s grade rests on the belief that she is going to work out well for them.
Nivar was a surprise; she spent her first season at Stanford and the last three at North Carolina. She had her best season as a senior, averaging 10.6 points. She has not been a good shooter, hitting 25.4% of 3s and 57.3% of free throws in her career. But the Dream value her defense and energy. Ran has international experience and is known for her defensive skills, too.
No. 20: Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina, SG, 5-8
No. 24: Chance Gray, Ohio State, SG, 5-9
No. 35: Amelia Hassett, Kentucky, PF, 6-4
The Sparks didn’t have a first-round pick, so getting two scoring guards in the second round was what they needed. Latson was draft eligible by age in 2025 and likely would have been picked in the first round then after leading Division I in scoring while at Florida State. But she’s a better all-around player now after her senior season with South Carolina and will be looking to prove that in the WNBA.
Gray played two years at Oregon and then finished with two at Ohio State, averaging 14.7 points this past season while making a career-best 85 3-pointers and shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc. Hassett played just two years in college but stood out with her 3-point shooting, making 55 last season and 99 this season.
No. 5: Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA, SG, 6-0
No. 21: Latasha Lattimore, Ole Miss, PF, 6-4
No. 32: Tonie Morgan, Kentucky, PG, 5-9
This draft’s success for the Sky depends on two things: Will Jaquez live up to the promise of a No. 5 pick, and will Lattimore be the best version of herself that we saw in her last two seasons of college? Jaquez brings a ton of energy to an organization that really needs that kind of player; she could quickly become a fan favorite. Lattimore is well traveled; she started her college career at Texas, then played at Miami, Virginia and Ole Miss. Her best statistical season was with the Cavaliers, but she had some good moments this past season with the Rebels, too.
Morgan played just one season at Kentucky after three at Georgia Tech, standing out in 2025-26 with her 7.9 assists average.
0:58
Chicago Sky select Gabriela Jaquez with No. 5 pick
Gabriela Jaquez is selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky in the 2026 WNBA draft.
No. 6: Kiki Rice, UCLA, PG, 5-11
No. 22: Teonni Key, Kentucky, PF, 6-5
No. 26: Saffron Shiels, Australia, SG, 6-2
No. 36: Charlise Dunn, Davidson, SG, 6-1
Rice had her best college season as a senior and played her way into a higher draft slot than expected. She did everything better this season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the free throw line. She wants the ball in her hands to make the right play in crunch time.
Key has potential with her size, but she will need to improve offensively. Shiels and Dunn are big shooting guards from Australia, so Tempo coach Sandy Brondello, the longtime Australian national team coach, knows their ability well.
0:55
Kiki Rice becomes first pick by expansion Toronto Tempo
Kiki Rice is selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA draft.
No. 29: Janiah Barker, Tennessee, PF, 6-4
No. 44: Jordan Obi, Kentucky, SG, 6-1
Without much draft capital — late picks in the second and third rounds — not a lot expected was expected from the Aces. Barker has talent, averaging a career-best 14.3 points this season for the Lady Vols, her third school, having previously played at Texas A&M and UCLA. Obi spent three seasons at Penn, was out injured in 2024-25, then played her last season with Kentucky, averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.
No. 7: Iyana Martin, Spain, PG, 5-9
No. 17: Frieda Buhner, Germany, PF, 6-1
No. 33: Serah Williams, UConn, C, 6-4
Portland has a plan, even though it might not be the most exciting one for the new franchise’s fans. Martin is a promising young European guard, but she won’t make her WNBA debut until 2027. Buhner is another European player most American fans probably aren’t familiar with, but she has international experience, too. Williams’ stats in her one season at UConn — 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds — didn’t stand out the way her numbers in three seasons at Wisconsin did. But there’s enormous difference in playing for the perennially contending Huskies, and that experience should help her in the WNBA if she can make a roster.
0:22
Iyana Martin Carrion becomes first pick by expansion Portland Fire
Iyana Martin Carrion is selected No. 7 by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA draft.
No. 16: Marta Suarez, TCU, SF, 6-3
No. 23: Ashlon Jackson, Duke, SG, 6-0
No. 38: Kokoro Tanaka, Japan, SG, 5-8
This could all turn out OK for the Valkyries. Suarez, who played two seasons at Tennessee and two at Cal, had her best season in finishing her college career at TCU. She averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, and is another big player who can shoot 3s (84 this past season). Jackson hit the most dramatic shot of the NCAA tournament: a buzzer-beater that eliminated LSU in the Sweet 16. She is a disruptive defensive player, although she had a stronger season as a scorer her junior year. Tanaka is a promising young guard who has played on the Japanese national team.
But the Valkyries’ low grade is in large part to how they handled draft night and the questions about it. Taking a popular player like Flau’jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick, then trading her for No. 16 pick Suarez with little explanation initially made it seem as if Golden State wasn’t as sure of what it was doing as perhaps it was. Eventually, the Valkyries spoke to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and gave a better explanation of what happened — the teams agreed upon the trade before the draft picks were submitted — but some damage already had been done.
No. 27: Ines Pitarch-Granel, France, SF, 6-0
No. 42: Eszter Ratkai, Hungary, SG, 5-9
Like Las Vegas and New York, the Mercury didn’t have much to gain in this draft. Phoenix went for potential with two 19-year-old Europeans, and it could pay off. But it’s hard to tell now. Pitarch-Granel is averaging 5.3 points for her French club team. Ratkai is averaging 8.5 points for her Hungarian club.
No. 41: Manuela Puoch, Australia, SF, 6-1
The Liberty look solid with the team they have put together for 2026. With only one draft pick late in the third round, there was little expected impact and not much to grade Monday. Puoch is the younger sister of Nyadiew Puoch, who was drafted No. 12 in 2024 by Atlanta but hasn’t played in the WNBA yet. Nyadiew was picked by Portland in the expansion draft earlier this month.
Just under a month ago, Maryland Terrapins guard Oluchi Okanawa went viral for an intense moment with her coach Brenda Frese in their 74-66 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament.
Now, she is headlining what appears to be a rebuild of the Nigeria women’s basketball program.
Okananwa, the Terrapins star player, was having a dreadful third quarter where she turned the ball over multiple times, missed three free throws and missed a layup before getting yanked by Frese.
What followed turned out to be one of the most viral moments of March Madness. Frese went forehead-to-forehead with the guard in an intense coaching moment, telling her star Terrapin “I believe in you, but you got to want this moment!”
Oluchi went back into the game, immediately scored, got a steal and ended up with 21 points in a remarkable turnaround. She said after the game that she welcomed the intensity of the coaching moment.
“Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart,” she said. “I’ve told her this before, and I’ll keep on telling her this forever. I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day.”
Less than four weeks later, Okananwa is now top of the list on the Nigeria women’s basketball team, as they named a 21-player training camp roster ahead of a series of friendlies against WNBA opposition, part of preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.
Far from routine, the squad named by head coach Rena Wakama, appears to be a clear indication that D’Tigress are fully in refresh season, with a wave of NCAA-based players called up, led by Okananwa and Texas Tech’s Stephanie Okechukwu, the tallest player in the history of NCAA women’s basketball at 7 feet 1 inch.
Both players are part of a total of 15 players on that roster picked from fourteen different US programs. Of those, Okananwa and Okechukwu are the undisputed picks of a bunch spanning Power Four programs, the Ivy League and the junior college ranks.
It is the most concentrated draw on the NCAA pipeline in D’Tigress history and comes in the wake of the departure of former captain Sarah Ogoke, as the NBBF looks to lower the age of the team with players like Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Victoria Macaulay the other side of 30.
Okananwa, a junior, earned AP and WBCA All-America honorable mention honors this season after averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and a Big Ten-leading 74 steals in 33 starts for the Terrapins. She led Maryland in scoring in 28 of 33 games and reached 20 points or more in 14 outings.
With her talent, Okananwa could well be the face and future of Nigeria women’s basketball.
Okechukwu, the 7-foot-1 center from Umunneochi, Nigeria, who attended high school in Japan, signed with Texas Tech in January as the tallest player in the history of NCAA women’s basketball.
She did not play during the 2025-26 season due to NCAA eligibility complications related to her academic transcripts, but remains enrolled at Texas Tech and is expected to compete beginning next season.
Stanford are the only program to contribute more than one player. They are Shay Ijiwoye, a sophomore guard from Phoenix, Arizona, who appeared in 32 games for the Cardinals last season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Her teammate Nora Ezike, a freshman forward from La Grange, Illinois, made her Nigeria debut at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Brno, Czechia, last July, where she opened with 25 points on 8-for-8 shooting in Nigeria’s first-ever U19 World Cup victory against China. She played in nine games off the Stanford bench in 2025-26.
Another addition is Uche Izoje, who may be college basketball’s most compelling origin story. The 6-foot-3 center from Asaba, Delta State, left Nigeria at age 13 to play basketball in Japan, spent two seasons with Chanson V-Magic in the Women’s Japan Basketball League as a two-time All-Star and 2024 Rookie of the Year, then arrived in the United States for the first time to play at Syracuse.
In her debut college season she averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and a conference-leading 2.6 blocks per game, capping a standout debut season by winning ACC Rookie of the Year and going on to score 23 points in 25 minutes against Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma called her “the best player we’ve seen this year.”
Miami freshman forward Danielle Osho, a four-star recruit from Dacula, Georgia and a two-time Georgia state high school champion, also earns a call-up. Osho averaged 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in her first college season with the Hurricanes.
Despite the seemingly overwhelming number of NCAA-related rookies, the squad is held together by an experienced core of vets that include Kalu, Amukamara, Macaulay, Nicole Enabosi and Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah.
But they are also missing just as much experience, including the leadership of captain Amy Okonkwo, who signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings after averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals across eight appearances in her WNBA debut with the franchise in 2025.
Elizabeth Balogun is in a similar position with the Toronto Tempo. Murjanatu Musa is also absent, competing instead with Basket Landes at the EuroLeague Women’s Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain, where she is in the running for the MVP in only her first season in that competition.
Despite this influx of largely young and untested players, Kunayi-Akpanah says the objective for those three games in the States is clear.
“These aren’t just exhibition games,” she said. “These are games for us to test our plays, our systems and how we communicate under pressure. Basically, everything we’ve been building. All is to arrive in our best shape for the World Cup in September.”
D’Tigress face the Los Angeles Sparks on April 25, the Minnesota Lynx on April 27, and the Indiana Fever on May 2 as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIBA World Cup, which begins September 4 in Berlin, Germany.
Nigeria qualified as AfroBasket champions, but were still required to take part in World Cup qualifying tournament where they went 2-3.
Still, those results were sufficient to maintain their eighth-place standing in the FIBA Women’s World Rankings with 700.3 points and D’Tigress remain the only African nation ranked inside the global top 10.
Full training camp roster:
Promise Amukamara, Shay Ijiwoye, Donanu Regina, Jerni Kiaku, Ezinne Kalu, Oluchi Okananwa, Gabby White, Nora Ezike, Victoria Macaulay, Vivian Iwuchukwu, Pallas Kunayi-Akpanah, Suzie Rafiu, Danielle Osho, Nicole Enabosi, Maryam Dauda, Rita Igbokwe, Stephanie Okechukwu, Uche Izoje, Vera Ojenuwa, Favour Nwaedozi and Blessing Ejiofor.
D’Tigress College Future:
Shay Ijiwoye – Stanford
Donanu Regina – Barton Community College
Jerni Kiaku – Indiana University Hoosiers
Oluchi Okananwa – Maryland
Gabby White – UVA transferring to UNC
Nora Ezike – Stanford
Vivian Iwuchukwu – USC Trojans
Suzie Rafiu – Columbia University
Danielle Osho – Miami Hurricanes
Maryam Dauda – U South Carolina Gamecocks
Rita Igbokwe – Ole Miss
Stephanie Okechukwu – Texas
Uche Izoje – Syracuse
Vera Ojenuwa – UGA
Favour Nwaedozi – Mississippi State
Notre Dame and Villanova will play a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader Nov. 1 in Rome to open the season.
The universities are promoting the matchups as a chance to celebrate their shared mission and heritage as Catholic schools. The jointly hosted event will include “special programming that brings together academics, athletics and spirituality,” Villanova said in its announcement.
“From academic engagement and cultural immersion to shared worship and athletics, this journey offers a profound opportunity to grow in mind, body and spirit,” said the Rev. Peter Donohue, Villanova’s school president.
The schools said the election of Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar and Villanova alumnus, was the inspiration for scheduling the game.
Those attending the Italian excursion will have the opportunity for a shared Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a planned papal audience with Pope Leo XIV before the games and private tours of the Vatican Museums.
College teams playing overseas is expected to become more common amid a growing influx of international talent. Twenty-three of the 62 players on Final Four rosters listed their hometown as being in another country, and NCAA data shows the number of international players on Division I rosters (888) has more than doubled since 2010.
Games in Croatia and Serbia are in the works and planned for November as part of a new College Basketball International Series launched by Intersport and Rochelle Management Group.
The 2026 NBA playoffs began Saturday, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.
The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves kicked things off for the Western Conference on Saturday. Jamal Murray, who was a first-time All-Star this season, led all players with 30 points to help the Nuggets take a 1-0 lead. Nikola Jokic added 25 points despite a slow first half. Anthony Edwards kept the Wolves in the game with 22 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-98 in the day’s final game. The Lakers have had to turn to LeBron James at the end of the regular season after losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves indefinitely to injuries, but the Rockets were also without a star. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 because of a knee contusion, and his availability for Game 2 is uncertain.
On Sunday, the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns 119-84 despite an off-game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 25 points but shot just 5 for 18 in 29 minutes. The San Antonio Spurs also opened the playoffs with an impressive performance in their 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
More coverage:
East takeaways | Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: San Antonio showed up at Frost Bank Center outfitted for the occasion, eschewing its usual casual dress code and opting for all-black suits. The Spurs took a business approach into their Game 1 demolition, led by Victor Wembanyama, who enhanced his jaw-dropping physical skill set by deploying it in an intelligent and efficient manner.
Wembanyama, who was making his postseason debut, poured in 21 points in the first half, the highest scoring output in a player’s first career playoff opening half in the play-by-play era, according to ESPN Research. Before halftime, he scored or assisted on 24 points and held Portland’s shooters scoreless (0-of-6) as the contesting defender, helping San Antonio build a 10-point lead at the break that it would never relinquish.
Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history to have at least 30 points and hit five 3-pointers in his postseason debut, joining Kyrie Irving (2015) and Jordan Poole (2022), according to ESPN Research. — Michael C. Wright
Game 2: Trail Blazers at Spurs (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch in Game 2: Portland is the underdog, but its chances to make a mark in this series would increase if the Trail Blazers can supplement Deni Avdija‘s offensive production. Through the first three quarters, Portland had just two scorers in double figures other than Avdija (Scoot Henderson and Robert Williams III), while the Spurs had five players with at least 10 points.
Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan and Jrue Holiday shot a combined 4-of-23 over the first three quarters. So, with San Antonio loading up to slow down Avdija, his teammates should be able to capitalize if they can knock down some of their solid looks.
San Antonio, meanwhile, will look to apply more pressure if it gains a sizable lead in Game 2 after nearly letting Portland back into this contest. The Spurs built a 10-point halftime lead, and the Blazers cut it to two points by scoring the first eight points of the second half. — Wright
Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: A series-opening Sunday afternoon tip in Oklahoma City isn’t a fair fight for a No. 8 seed that had to fight to punch its playoff ticket Friday night.
For the second straight year, the Thunder had all but sealed the victory by halftime of Game 1 in the first round. Oklahoma City, which was a 14.5-point favorite, led by 21 at the half, fueled by scoring 21 points off 10 Phoenix turnovers. It was the largest halftime lead of any playoff game this weekend, but it’s familiar territory for Oklahoma City, which led by at least 20 at the half three times during its title run last postseason.
To their credit, the Suns had a much more respectable showing than the Memphis Grizzlies did a year ago, when the Thunder rolled to a 51-point victory in Game 1. — Tim MacMahon
Game 2: Suns at Thunder (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch in Game 2: The Suns need to find a solution to slow down Jalen Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander’s sidekick who is as healthy as he has been all season after coming off summer wrist surgery and dealing with recurring hamstring issues.
Williams finished with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and six assists in 29 minutes. It didn’t help Phoenix that guard Jordan Goodwin, who took the defensive assignment on Gilgeous-Alexander to start the game, got into early foul trouble. That forced the Suns to switch Dillon Brooks onto Gilgeous-Alexander and use lesser defenders on Williams, whose penetration into the paint created all kinds of problems.
The game got out of reach during Gilgeous-Alexander’s seven-minute rest to start the second quarter, a span in which Williams had four points and four assists. — MacMahon
Game 1: Lakers 107, Rockets 98
Biggest takeaway from Game 1: The Lakers were dealt a terrible hand when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered injuries a couple of weeks before the playoffs began. On Saturday, Los Angeles caught a break when Rockets star Kevin Durant was a late scratch because of a right knee injury. And the Lakers seized the opportunity.
Other than the final four minutes of the second quarter, when the Lakers struggled and turned the ball over five times to allow Houston to cut the lead from eight to two points, L.A. played a brilliant offensive game. LeBron James (19 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) ignited the action with eight assists in the first quarter — the most assists in any quarter of his playoff career, according to ESPN Research — and the ball flowed the rest of the night, with all five starters scoring in double digits.
Luke Kennard, who scored a career-playoff-high 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting, was a favorite target of James, but Deandre Ayton (18 points on 8-of-10 shooting) and Rui Hachimura (14 points on 6-of-10 shooting) also made the most of their touches. The Lakers said all week they had rediscovered their belief after their backcourt went down. That belief will only grow going into Game 2. — Dave McMenamin
Game 2: Rockets at Lakers (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch in Game 2: The obvious question for Houston is whether Durant will be available. Without the fifth-leading scorer in league history, the Rockets’ offense was rudderless. Houston shot just 37.6%, with Alperen Sengun missing 13 of his 19 shots, Reed Sheppard missing 14 of his 20, Amen Thompson missing 11 of his 18 and Jabari Smith Jr. missing nine of his 14.
The Lakers had the final five games of the regular season and all week during the play-in tournament to tinker with their game plan to survive without Doncic and Reaves, but the Rockets had to adjust to Durant’s injury on the fly. How Durant heals in the next 48 hours, or how the Rockets game plan for Tuesday if he isn’t available, could well decide the series. — McMenamin
Game 1: Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105
What we learned from Game 1: Playoff Jamal Murray launched early this year. In years past, Murray came up with big games or big shots when the Nuggets had fallen into a hole or needed some heroics. This year, Murray came out of the gate in peak form, propelling Denver with 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds on a remarkable 16-for-16 from the free throw line. Denver needed every one of those points as Aaron Gordon got into early foul trouble and Nikola Jokic started slow with just six points in the first half. Jokic got on track in the second half, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his 22nd postseason triple-double, third most in NBA history behind Magic Johnson (30) and LeBron James (28).
Denver broke open the game with a 14-0 run in the third quarter, during which Minnesota missed nine straight field goal attempts. Anthony Edwards was on the bench for the end of that run as Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch tried to get him some rest before the fourth quarter. Edwards is still managing pain in his right knee and will be doing so for as long as the season continues. He finished with a pedestrian-for-him 22 points in 37 minutes. — Ramona Shelburne
Game 2: Timberwolves at Nuggets (Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
What to watch for Game 2: These two teams have played more times than any two teams in the league the past three seasons. With the win in Game 1, the Nuggets now have a 15-14 advantage. That past is prologue to everything that happens in this series, and it is a fascinating chess match to behold.
Minnesota has to use its length and athleticism to do a better job of containing Murray on the perimeter — without fouling. His 16 free throws is a Denver postseason record (the entire Minnesota team shot 19 free throws), which is a reflection of his aggressiveness and the way the game was officiated. That dynamic has been a major point of contention throughout this rivalry, and it noticeably affects the results each game. It’ll be interesting to see whether that changes in Game 2, because the Timberwolves did well in virtually all the other facets of the game in which they usually thrive — finishing with 54 points in the paint. — Shelburne
‘Saturday Night Live’ alum Tina Fey admits past jokes missed the mark
There’s New Evidence for How Loneliness Affects Memory in Old Age
Prince William’s ally Robert Irwin rejects Prince Harry, Meghan offer
-
Fashion4 days agoFrance’s LVMH Q1 revenue falls 6%, shows resilience amid Iran war
-
Sports7 days agoThe case for Man United’s Fernandes as Premier League’s best
-
Entertainment1 week agoPalace left in shock as Prince William cancels grand ceremony
-
Business1 week agoUK could adopt EU single market rules under new legislation
-
Entertainment5 days agoIs Claude down? Here’s why users are seeing errors
-
Sports1 week agoLamar Jackson hits back at critics with faithful message on social media
-
Fashion1 week agoEnergy emerges as biggest cost driver in textile margins
-
Business1 week agoRoad accidents: a massive economic challenge | The Express Tribune