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

Lakers take 2-0 lead over Rockets, while 76ers & Blazers earn road wins to even their respective series on Tuesday night.

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

), 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. |

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. |

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

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.”

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