Lead Briefing
Boston's strange Game 7 lineup deserves scrutiny, but the cleaner offseason argument is about how quickly the Celtics ran out of trusted playoff answers once Jayson Tatum was unavailable and Sam Hauser stopped looking like a release valve.
Did Joe Mazzulla overthink Boston's season-ending Game 7 lineup, or was he forced into a bad set of options by Tatum's injury and Hauser's slump?
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Team Pulse
Joel Embiid's ticket plea is not the series itself, but Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia will show whether the Sixers can turn their building into a real pressure cushion against a Knicks team that travels loudly.
Debate
Philadelphia's Game 7 win deserves real respect, but Tatum's late scratch keeps the next-series trust question open.
Team Pulse
The first thing to track in Wolves-Spurs is not whether Rudy Gobert can erase Victor Wembanyama, but whether Wembanyama's range opens the floor for San Antonio's guards.
Team Pulse
After blowing a 24-point lead, Orlando's Game 7 question is whether the Magic can create early paint pressure, keep dry spells from snowballing, and keep Cade Cunningham from owning the fourth again.
Explainer
Kevin Durant's absence explains Houston's Game 6 loss, but the 98-78 exit leaves the Rockets with a colder offseason question about creation depth and offensive dependency.
Team Pulse
The Lakers routed Houston to advance, but the Thunder series starts with a sharper watch item: where Los Angeles creates its first advantage with Luka Doncic still out and Austin Reaves newly back in the lineup.
Team Pulse
RJ Barrett hit the shot that forced Game 7, but Toronto’s first useful watch in Cleveland is whether Scottie Barnes can organize clean offense before Barrett has to rescue the possession.