will always appreciate the men and women who yell while they dunk

AND Detroit bringing back Final Countdown?! That is strong work there

Thank you NBC for the pregame intros! 🦚🦚🦚🦚🦚

Suns lost by 35 And it was 16 points closer than Oklahoma City's quarterfinals Game 1 last year vs Grizzlies

Through 3 quarters 29-2 Thunder outscoring Suns off turnovers

Thunder outscored Suns 32-12 in paint and 21-2 off turnovers in first half

Shai and Chet outscored Suns 21-20 in that first quarter by themselves

I plan on using this Suns-Thunder Game 1 to get all of my weekend affairs in order

28 players were selected as NBA All-Stars in 2025-26 Those 28 players averaged 66.6 games played this season

Have you talent or not is the question. The playoffs really expose the way in which some teams have min-maxed their rosters.

LMAO Daryl Morey complained that 3s were worth too much because his squad is a whole brick from 3 to end the season

get you a midrange game in the playoffs or pack for early vacation

Asked LeBron James about how he begins to debrief playoff games

Asked Marcus Smart about the 2018 Celtics that had to play without Kyrie Irving in the playoffs and had to absorb questions about whether Gordon Hayward could return from a broken leg while pushing to Game 7 of ECF and what Smart could take from that team to what Lakers have now

Nearly all of them. Once you get over the “insider stories” part, there’s nothing left. They’re not good conversationalists, not many insights, and they lean on having hot/provocative opinions like the worst journalists do. At the end, it all becomes about personal beefs.

🆕 @theathletic.com The Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 1. But the two teams had the same number of FTs, while the Rockets had more paint points, more 3s, and a lot more forced turnovers and offensive rebounds. Here's how (and why) Lakers must be better www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...

Gabe Vincent played 10 playoff games with the Lakers Luke Kennard has more points tonight in his Lakers playoff debut (27) than Vincent had in his Lakers playoff career (21)

If you talking about Spooky Luke, that jawn not safe for work 🤣

The Los Angeles Lakers won't be swept Final score: Rockets 98, Los Angeles 107 Luke Kennard: 27 points, 9/13 FGs, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5/5 3s, 4/6 FTs make or miss league: Rockets shot 37.6% FGs, Los Angeles 60.6% Rockets attempted 20 more shots in paint, made only 2 more.

Los Angeles calls timeout with 15.8 left to play in order to get one more Laker Girls performance in Lakers lead 107-98

Alperen Sengun has 5 fouls

Los Angeles in bonus last 2:45 of game

LeBron James is burying slender Rockets defenders in the post

Loose ball foul is on Sengun

Jarred Vanderbilt has 5 fouls unrelated: JJ Redick is challenging Deandre Ayton loose ball foul drawn by Jabari Smith Jr.

Los Angeles calls timeout after Luke Kennard missed a drive and Rockets finally ran a decent fast break for once, with Tari Eason making another right corner 3 5:50 left to play. Los Angeles still leads 91-80

Rockets in bonus last 6:54 of game. Their final lifeline

MVP chants as LeBron James misses two free throws

Luke Kennard might as well scream I'M HIM like he's Austin Reaves in Memphis TN lol Belt soundly applied with Los Angeles up 88-72. Kennard forced a Rockets timeout with 7:57 left to play, and we can just about start writing

Reed Sheppard is very much not a primary playmaker

Los Angeles leads Rockets 75-66 through 3 quarters The Rockets have more (offensive) rebounds, more forced turnovers, more 3s, more free throws But they can't make shots inside the arc. A disturbing 13/40 in the paint. Look at this shot chart mannnnnn Ayton: 14/10, 6/7 FGs

Marcus Smart is in foul trouble

At this point, Ime Udoka is calling timeouts as a means of restraint. LaRavia gets credited for transition block of Thompson -- no call Los Angeles leads 73-63 with 68 seconds left in 3rd quarter

And there's the tech on Udoka. Worth noting, Luke Kennard has missed multiple free throws and is favoring the fingers on his shooting hand.

James Capers calls a loose ball foul AND technical foul on Jae'Sean Tate

Jaxson Hayes is still in foul trouble

Tari Eason is in foul trouble

Ime Udoka called a timeout and was quite irritated with Tyler Ford. If this was regular season, he might have went ahead and got a tech. Wasn't happy that Sheppard was called for a penalty foul after an attempted steal of LaRavia. Los Angeles leads 67-58 with 4:02 left in 3rd

Los Angeles in bonus last 5:01 of third quarter

There have been four held balls in this game already

Alperen Sengun is giving strong Baby Sabonis vibes in this game. And the thought comes in 3s: - 3 FGs (out of 11 attempts) - 3 fouls - 3 turnovers Unacceptable Los Angeles leads 60-56 with 6:09 left in 3rd quarter

10-point Los Angeles Lakers lead GONE

Five points to whoever in [REDACTED] Arena decided to bump The Rock's TitanTron over the loudspeakers during the first Lakers possession of the second half lol

Rockets missed 16 of 20 shots in 2nd quarter, including 7 of 8 outside paint They were still able to cut into Lakers lead due to Lakers having more 2nd quarter turnovers (8) than buckets (7/15 FGs) Putrid 2nd quarter from Lakers in terms of game plan discipline, fouls, etc

Los Angeles leads Rockets 50-48 at halftime Deandre Ayton: 12 points, 5/5 FGs, 4 rebounds Lakers only lead by two despite shooting 64.7% FGs while Rockets are down at 36.6% FGs. Don't be shocked if this game turns heavily in favor of Rockets once they start making layups

🗞️ @theathletic.com Bronny James and LeBron James are on the same team www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...

Jaxson Hayes is in foul trouble

Los Angeles in bonus last 2:07 of first half

That Josh Okogie dunk was the first Rockets field goal in more than five minutes

Sengun blocking foul