Injuries

Team Pulse

No Luka, No Reaves, No Easy First Pass

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, Lakers fans should track whether Los Angeles can still build organized possessions against a 64-win Thunder team built to punish shaky creation.

Debate

Mazzulla's Lineup Card Was Strange. Boston's Bench Math Was Worse.

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.

Debate

The Sixers Earned Credit in Boston, Not a Blank Check

Philadelphia's Game 7 win deserves real respect, but Tatum's late scratch keeps the next-series trust question open.

Explainer

Houston’s 31-Point Half Left a Summer Problem

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

With Doncic Out and Reaves Back, the Lakers’ OKC Problem Starts at the First Paint Touch

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 Bought Game 7; Scottie Barnes Has to Organize It

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.

Team Pulse

Boston's Game 7 Starts With Tatum's First Step

Game 7 starts with Jayson Tatum's movement, but the bigger Celtics test is whether Boston can still create clean offense while keeping Tyrese Maxey out of rhythm.

Team Pulse

Minnesota’s Wembanyama Problem Starts With Its Rotation

Minnesota's first Spurs problem is the usable rotation around Anthony Edwards: who handles pressure, who spaces around Rudy Gobert, and who keeps possessions alive when Victor Wembanyama bends the floor.

Team Pulse

McCollum’s First Screen Will Tell on Hart’s Back

The Knicks lead 3-2 after a 126-97 Game 5 win, but Josh Hart's lower back contusion matters through the CJ McCollum matchup: can New York keep the first screen under control if Hart is limited or out?

Team Pulse

Barnes, Ingram and the Raptors’ Vanishing Fourth Quarter

Toronto's injury list matters through one floor question: which available creator can still bend Cleveland's defense before another fourth quarter turns empty?

Debate

The Lakers’ 3-2 Lead Has a Houston Problem

Houston has earned a real threat upgrade, but the series only flips if the Rockets can make Game 6 look like another possession-by-possession grind for the Lakers.

Team Pulse

If Franz Wagner Can't Move, Orlando's Margin Moves With Him

Franz Wagner’s calf strain does not make Orlando helpless against Detroit, but it changes the Game 5 watch: movement, turnovers, Paolo Banchero’s shot quality, and whether the Pistons can turn pressure into points.