Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony shares his thoughts on the upcoming Western Conference Finals

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are still the team to beat on their quest for back-to-back titles, even with Jalen Williams hamstring injury keeping him absent so far, but the San Antonio Spurs are reaching for the throne. The upcoming clash between the regular season’s top-two Western powers will begin on Monday in OKC.

 

They played five times before the playoffs, which included an NBA Cup game, with the Spurs winning four of them, but considering how the physicality has been raised 80° since, it’s hard to use those games to gauge which team has the advantage.

 

Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony imparted his wisdom in his interview with D.J. Siddiqi on these matters, saying, “ “Regular season doesn’t mean anything right now. It’s a different brand of basketball. I know people want to put one up against the other, but it’s a different brand of basketball. Nobody’s even thinking about regular season once you’re in the playoffs.”

 

Another thing the Hall of Famer is sure about is that great players can’t be shut down. Much of that has to do with the rules favoring the offensive player since hand checks are outlawed and carrying violations are not always enforced, which is a huge disadvantage for the man back peddling. Nonetheless, when it comes to Victor Wembanyama, the challenge is making it difficult for him for “48 minutes.”

 

The Thunder will try but, Wembanyama‘s height and passing gifts make him a threat to dissect double teams. That’s a lethal combination with three high-level ball handlers that eat up schemes at the point of attack. The challenge gets tougher since he is a good roamer without the ball behind the arc and on the baseline. He’s shown he can be dormant while he waits for his teammates to get going, then he turns into a supernova.

 

Guarding Wemby presents even more problems because he can dribble up court, and pull up from long range. Setting early pick up points against that are not the same as sending them at someone like Kevin Durant, who is still close to seven feet, but not skyscraper big.  The playoffs have made it clear that using bully-ball to bother Wembanyama gets canceled out by his length.

 

On the other side, one thing the Thunder could try is to make Wembanyama work by limiting Isaiah Hartenstein’s minutes on the floor with him. While Hartenstein has a nice jump hook from the short to mid range area, Wembanyama can complicate things for OKC by sagging off to the middle like he did against Portland and Minnesota successfully. If Chet Holmgren is playing center, it will force Wembanyama to guard a real scoring option.

 

As the stakes rise with each round and coverages get tighter, this could be a tough series for Luke Kornet because he is a slower-footed disruptor, most ineffective outside of the lane. It’s not what the Spurs want to do, but this could mean Wemby playing close to 40 minutes a game because he’s a much stronger against screen rolls, especially if they are coming from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

 

Anthony said Wembanyama is the best defender in the NBA — it helps that he’s got major help because opposing ball handlers have a quality disruptor switched on to them at every turn. Still, the Thunder are capable of matching San Antonio’s defensive potency and bring their own edge to that side.

 

All of the talent featured in this Western Conference Finals could create a classic series that will be remembered for decades. Make no mistake: this series will be the equivalent of two heavyweights facing off in a title eliminator. 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The three Cavaliers deserving the most credit for the Game 5 win in Detroit

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The Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Pistons in Detroit, coming back from a 15-digit deficit to win Game 5 in overtime. It looked like it would be a quick series because Detroit seized the first two outings, but now it shifts back to Cleveland for the sixth confrontation.

 

It’s not over but the winner of a Game 5 after being tied 2-2 advances 81.5 percent of the time.

 

Props in order: James Harden, who has taken relentless criticism for his playoff performances, came through with his best game of the series, which included a combined 18 points between the second and third quarters. He kept putting pressure on the defense by getting to the line, which took pressure off Donovan Mitchell, who didn’t step up until overtime. 

 

Harden’s play of the night was recovering an offensive rebound off his own missed free throw while the Cavs were up three points with 24.4 seconds left. He even cranked up his defense after Cade Cunningham locked him up, by putting pressure on the ball and forcing misses. 

 

Additionally, Evan Mobley found his groove in the second half, finding shooters and cutters out of the short roll, plus he scored on two rim strikes and two 3-pointers, which included the shot to cut the deficit to two points with 82 seconds left of the fourth quarter. 

 

And mad Max Strus was the perfect release valve, nailing six 3-pointers, and had one pivotal play of overtime when he stripped Cunningham in Detroit’s territory and flicked the ball to Mitchell for a pick-6. Coach Kenny Atkinson quickly mentioned that play when asked about one that stood out to him. 

 

The Pistons were affected by Duncan Robinson’s absence (sore back) by not having a reliable punisher when Cunningham was doubled. It was also impossible to ignore Tobias Harris remembering he’s a mortal, and J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavaliers’ former coach, benching his brawny big man, Jalen Duren, for the third-stringer Paul Reed (remember him Doc Rivers?), who didn’t play scared and logged every minute of the fourth quarter. 

 

Each series is different because of the matchups, but the Pistons can at least tell themselves that they’ve been in this situation before versus Orlando, and believe they are capable of an encore. But the Cavs are undefeated in these playoffs at home. 

 

Additionally, the Cavaliers are on the verge of going to their first conference finals since 2018, which was LeBron James’ last year with the team. A good case could be made that Mitchell has been the organization’s second-best player ever in his four tours with them. 

 

The series is in the equivalent of the championship rounds in boxing — regardless of how much longer it goes, it’s been a delight to witness the Cavaliers-Pistons rivalry reborn.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Victor Wembanyama cost his team in Game 4 and now a disciplinary decision looms

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The NBA probably doesn’t have the stones to suspend Victor Wembanyama for viciously and intentionally elbowing Naz Reid in the throat, but they should. His good reputation will help his case, but chief disciplinarian James Jones has to make sure his penalty is more than a fine because there was potential for catastrophic damage and a big brawl.

 

It was the biggest elbow thrown in the NBA since Metta World Peace (now Metta Sandiford-Artest) brutalized James Harden in 2012 with a strike to the dome. MWP got suspended for seven games.

 

Thank goodness Reid is OK, but if that elbow had flown higher, we could be talking about a fractured jaw with teeth on the court, or a broken orbital bone. It doesn’t matter that Wembanyama was being held and fouled hard because he overreacted.

 

Had he stayed in the game, there’s a good chance the San Antonio Spurs would have taken a 3-1 lead. Anthony Edwards had to go HAM, scoring 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. Now the Minnesota Timberwolves remain dangerous as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5. Keep in mind that the winner of a Game 5 when both teams are tied at 2-2 advances 81.5 percent of the time.

 

Naturally, some will jump to this reality: if it were Draymond Green, he’d get suspended, like he was for one game in the 2023 playoffs, among many occasions, for stomping on Domantas Sabonis’ ribs, after his ankle was held.

 

Wemby waited at the bench for a referee review and appeared to not know the rule, making an ejection mandatory for a Flagrant Two.

 

It’s a decision that will have huge consequences for the series, and no way both teams will be satisfied. Still, the league shouldn’t create any impression that they are soft on hostile acts because things could backfire with more elbows or fisticuffs flying. 

 

As for Wemby, some opponents will back off because he means business when you get rough with him, but others will test his limits to see if he loses his head in an another important game.  

 

Update

Wembanyama was not suspended, nor did he receive a fine. Clearly, preferential treatment was shown. Hard to imagine that Jones would have demonstrated the same lack of discipline if someone had elbowed the NBA’s new golden goose in the throat.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The playoffs are proving again that James Harden is not that guy

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Hopefully, Patrick Beverley is watching the NBA playoffs. And the seat boils wherever Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman is watching round two.  

 

They are down 2-0 to the macho Detroit Pistons, and this series can be submitted as exhibit 319 on why James Harden isn’t on Dwyane Wade’s level. Yes, yes, Harden once upon a time led a team to Game 7 in the Western Conference finals against the Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors, but he never mastered the greatest playoff stat of all: wins.

 

Wade was so great, in fact, that he was able to sacrifice ego and coexist with LeBron James, before his body broke down on him. Flash also came through in big games and retired thrice a champion.

 

Coach Kenny Atkinson should start looking into staggering Harden’s minutes, even at the expense of putting more playmaking responsibilities on Donovan Mitchell, and placing a brighter spotlight on Altman. He rolled the dice for the Beard, a bigger, stronger guard than Darius Garland (now a LA Clipper), but now Harden’s age is catching up to his disappearing act.

 

He’s had four of nine playoffs games with Cleveland, picking up more turnovers than field goals. Mitchell is better off passing to Dean Wade and Max Strus. On top of that, his 3-point percentage has dropped 11.3 points following his 26 regular-season games with the team, and he’s only taken 13 shots in the lane across two outings in Detroit. He’s having so much trouble getting loose that he couldn’t score on Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, the three who logged the most minutes guarding him in Game 2.

 

Beverley and some misguided peeps have opined that Harden is superior to Wade, but in reality, he doesn’t even have Reggie Miller’s playoff résumé. Let’s see Harden, age 36, lead his squad to the Finals as Miller did at 34 as the Indiana Pacers’ leading scorer (24.0).

 

The Cavs haven’t lost at home yet in the playoffs, but this could be over in five. Harden has a player option for next year, which he would be wise to take up because no one is likely offering him that base for multiple years. Yet, he always splits town when things get hard, so who knows?

 

Garland wasn’t the answer for this build, but neither was Harden, and Altman plus anyone else who had a part in bringing him in should have known that his regular-season stats are like cubic zirconia masquerading as a diamond. Somehow, that series he lost to Portland mainly because they dropped the first two at home, or the one he lost to the Warriors minus Kevin Durant in Game 6, or he when he played scared versus the Boston Celtics in Game 7, or last year’s no-show in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, wasn’t enough to convince Cleveland’s decision makers that’s who he’s always been. 

 

Harden is not a big-time player when it matters. He once trash talked on-his-last-legs Ray Allen by telling him “This is my time.” Ray is still waiting for him to prove it.

 

Marlins Have Key Rotation Decision to Make After Cutting Paddack

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MIAMI — After declaring support for the status quo on Sunday, the Miami Marlins have reportedly designated Chris Paddack for assignment. News of the transactions was first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and confirmed by MLB.com.

Paddack signed with the Marlins for $4 million to provide a stable veteran presence in the starting rotation this season. Miami has lost every game he started and the one game the Marlins won with Paddack involved a bulk relief appearance against the New York Yankees on April 5. 

Paddack has a 7.63 ERA and 5.00 FIP in 30 ⅔ innings pitched through a season he described as a “roller coaster.” 

“It definitely sucks,” Paddack said on Sunday. “I feel like this year I haven’t been able to allow things to continue over. Right when we think we’re getting in a good place, I get hit in the mouth again.”

This past Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies was his worst start. He lasted just 2.2 innings with seven runs on six hits allowed with three walks and a single strikeout. Six of his seven runs came in the first inning, dooming the Fish before the Phillies starting pitcher ever took the mound. 

“Outside of today, Chris is throwing the ball well,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said on Sunday. “He has probably ran against some tough luck in some outings, but he has thrown the ball and kept us in the games that he’s pitched. [Sunday] it was a tough one from pitch one till it was over.”

A decision will need to be made on who will take his spot. The decision is basically down between their top pitching prospect, and a longtime arm who has been one of the Marlins’ better pitchers since his big league debut. It may come down to scheduling.

Left-handed pitcher Robby Snelling (No. 2 prospect) last pitched on Friday against Durham, earning International League Pitcher of the Week honors tossing five no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in Triple-A Jacksonville’s 12-0 win. His next scheduled start lines up with when the Marlins need Paddack’s replacement to go on Friday against the Washington Nationals.

Snelling is tied for the International League lead in strikeouts (44) while ranking second in batting average against (.116), third in both ERA (1.86) and WHIP (0.90), and 14th in innings pitched (29.0). Snelling has a fastball that touched 100 last season, showing he has the raw stuff to take on Major League hitters. In four spring training appearances this year, Snelling threw 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.

Braxton Garrett is the one who deserves the most to be called up, but is scheduled to start for the Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday against Charlotte. Garrett has a 1.71 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings over five starts. Two of his five starts involved him throwing a combined 14 hitless innings. 

Garrett proved to be a solid pitcher for the Marlins since his MLB debut in 2020. His best season was in 2023, where he recorded a 3.66 ERA with an 8.79 K/9 in 31 outings, as well as starting in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series against Philadelphia.

Garrett, who missed all of last year due to an injury, missed out on the starting rotation during spring training in favor of Janson Junk. That decision has paid off for McCullough as of Monday, as the right-hander went 5.1 innings with, six strikeouts, five hits allowed in a 1-0 loss.

Junk (2.82 ERA) has given up one earned run in the last three starts. That one run was Bryce Harper’s solo home run on Monday.

“I felt Janson overall was really terrific,” McCullough said on Monday. “Outside of that sweeper to Bryce that probably didn’t catch well and just kind of stayed more middle of the plate that he was able to put a swing on. To go out there and to get us to where he got there and one run, you should win that game.” 

Garrett didn’t exceed rookie limits until 2022, when he started 17 games with a career-best 3.58 ERA for the Marlins. Garrett, 28, is signed for $1.53 million this season and isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027 and barring an extension, won’t hit free agency until 2029. 

Should Garrett pitch as scheduled on Tuesday, the logical logistics would point to Snelling getting the call up. If Garrett is scratched, he will most likely return to loanDepot park.

In the meantime, the Marlins will call up right-handed reliever William Kempner from Triple-A Jacksonville to fill Paddack’s spot in the roster, giving the bullpen a fresh arm leading up to a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Kempner has struck out 34 batters in 15.1 innings pitched, but he also allowed 11 runs during his time with the Jumbo Shrimp.

The Marlins (16-19) are tied for second with the Washington Nationals after dropping 3-of-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies and interim manager Don Mattingly. They are welcoming a Baltimore Orioles team that is coming off being swept by the New York Yankees.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Hawks suffered a historic humiliation, Philadelphia forced Game 7 and the Nuggets were eliminated

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Surprisingly, the Atlanta Hawks are not a Doc Rivers team. 

 

One could have looked at Cory Kispert playing, realizing that they had conceded, or checked the scoreboard highlighting a 47-point disparity at halftime. That was the largest lead at intermission in NBA playoff history courtesy of the Knicks sacking State Farm Arena.

 

OG Anunoby unfastened the defense with a scourge of jumpers and the others followed his lead by going to the body without restraint. 

 

A good chunk of the crowd remained seated to get as much of their money’s worth as possible, and other Hawks fans got a headstart on traffic as the team’s starters lasted between nine and 11 more minutes before yielding undignifiedly. Former top pick Zaccharie Risacher started the inconsequential second half, and Jalen Johnson wasn’t as invisible, but it didn’t matter. Former Knicks Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Allan Houston sat next to each other, satisfied with the slaughter. 

 

Philadelphia forces Game 7 

 

Joel Embiid’s presence has changed the series after a rough stretch in Game 4. His playmaking is putting tons of pressure on the Celtics, and he has picked up his scoring accuracy, particularly outside of the lane. On the other side, the Celtics have forgotten how to convert free throws and 3-pointers in their last two outings. Notably, they’ve been awful in the corners, which is the easiest shot in the NBA. 

 

Even if the Celtics, who typically take care of business at home during Game 7s, advance, they’ve been exposed a bit by losing two games at home. Keep in mind that Tyrese Maxey and Embiid went berserk in Game 5, and their combination of speed and strength are a problem for the Cs. Game 7 is on Saturday and the winner will play the New York Knicks.

Nuggets eliminated 

 

What was supposed to be a special season ended coldly in Minnesota with the team undermanned against the depleted Timberwolves, and with Jaden McDaniels, the one who said the Nuggets were all bad defenders, emerging as the best player. It should sting the Kroenke family even more that Tim Connelly, who left Denver for Minnesota almost four years ago, is responsible for two of the last three teams that have eliminated the Nuggets.

 

Imagine if ownership had paid the big bucks to keep Connelly around. 

 

It’s been a stream of shortcomings since the Nuggets won the title in 2023, and they’ve gotten further away from what the golden era of Nuggets hoops. They’re stale and now hungrier, better teams have risen.

 

Minnesota’s pressure prevented Jamal Murray from getting loose like he had in his All-Star regular season. As a result, the team couldn’t generate enough offense around Jokić, even with Cam Johnson having one of his rare high-scoring nights, and they took 19 less shots than Minnesota. 

 

Jokić is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and he says he wants to be a Nugget forever, but putting a contender around him will only get harder. He also shielded coach David Adelman as much as he could from blame, yet he notably didn’t want to make injuries the main excuse for not advancing. 

 

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that they were always at a significant disadvantage without Aaron Gordon’s two-way presence. The concerning part for the team is that injuries have compromised him the last two seasons when he’s been needed the most. Now there’s a big decision to make if he’s still a part of the team’s future, considering everything is magnified to extend Jokić’s prime. 

 

Now the Wolves, without Anthony Edwards (left knee hyperextension), Donte DiVincenzo (torn right achilles) and Ayo Dosunmu (sore right calf), will start round two against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.



Move to 1B Working Out for Marlins’ Connor Norby

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MIAMI — Miami Marlins first baseman Connor Norby has been a jack of all trades ever since he turned pro. He was considered one of the premier second-base prospects in the Baltimore Orioles organization but also played numerous games in the outfield. 

The Marlins acquired the 25-year-old along with Kyle Stowers in a trade for Trevor Rogers in 2024 and were immediately shifted to third base, a transition he said was “not easy.”

“Learning going from second to third was extremely difficult,” Norby said. “I felt like I made a lot of good strides compared to the first month, six weeks that I had over there at the end of 2024.”

Norby posted a .924 fielding percentage during 30 games at third base in 2024 and improved to .954 through 82 games last year. He said he “worked really hard at third this spring,” knowing that he is competing for a full-time spot with a recipient of a Gold Glove as a utility fielder. He welcomed adding first base to his list of positions because the true goal is to “be in the lineup every day and putting up consistent at-bats and having my bat in the lineup.”

“I feel pretty good over there,” Norby said. “I almost treat it pretty much like second base. I just have to cover the base, and I think that’s really helped me a lot. Obviously, we have a really good second baseman, so that helps me even more. He covers a lot of ground, and the transition has been, honestly, not as bad, not as tough as I thought it would be.”

At a new position, 2026 has shaped up to be Norby’s best with a glove, turning in a .985 fielding percentage with two errors in 18 games at first base. It’s the first year that he has a positive run value (1). Norby said it’s about “being comfortable with your feet around the base,” and “knowing how our guys throw.”

“That’s more so the thing that I’m working through the most and getting as comfortable as I can,” Norby said. “But overall, I feel great.”

 The Marlins (15-16) return home for a 10-game homestand, starting with a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Dealing with physicality is a problem for the Cleveland Cavaliers

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The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t advanced to a Conference Finals and Finals since 2018, which was LeBron James’ last year with them.

 

They are tied with the Toronto Raptors and Game 5 is in Cleveland on Wednesday. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Cavs in year four of the Donovan Mitchell experience. Coach Kenny Atkinson says his most important role is making sure his players don’t get too high or too low.

 

In this series, defense and physicality have been the story. The Raptors are a long, fast and athletic team, and while the Cavs are more talented, they are smaller at times and some of their big guys are not significantly powerful, despite their skills.

 

No team has lost at home yet. If that trend continues, the Raptors won’t make it out of the first round, but they’ve tested the Wine and Gold in ways that don’t make it encouraging for their prospects against the Orlando Magic or Detroit Pistons. They’ve had trouble guarding Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles, and they are shooting between 52.3 and 65.9 percent against Cleveland. They are not a super trio but it’s a bad matchup for the Cavs. At some instances it looks like the Cavs are a team of super middleweights competing against light heavyweights. 

 

The Magic are now dealing with Franz Wagner’s calf injury, but they still have Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, two strong, dynamic scorers. The Pistons are down 3-1 in that series and while it looks bleak, it’s not over. If they manage to beat the Magic, they’ll be affected by not having a high-level shot creator next to Cunningham, but the way he, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart can pressure opponents should not be underestimated.  They’ve been the biggest reasons why the Magic are shooting 38.7 percent in the series.

 

Notably, every winner of Game 1 in the first round of the 2025 playoffs won their series. The only team that won Game 1 in this year’s postseason that is behind is the Denver Nuggets, down 3-2 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yet most importantly, since 1984, the winner of a Game 5 when a series is tied a 2-2 advances 81.5 percent of the time, per the NBA’s Facts and Figures.

 

Quick note on the San Antonio Spurs 

 

The Spurs finished off the Portland Trail Blazers in five games. Keep in mind that they missed Victor Wembanyama from early in Game 2’s loss because of a nasty concussion, and won the next one without him on the road, coming back from down 15 points with 17 minutes left in Game 3. They couldn’t be stopped when Wemby came back and now they are sitting pretty, waiting for the winners of the Denver- Minnesota series. 

 

The Nuggets have the mighty Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, but the team struggles to defend the perimeter, and their coverages are even more compromised with Aaron Gordon’s calf injury. And the Timberwolves lost Donte DiVincenzo to a torn Achilles tendon, and it’s unclear when Anthony Edwards will be back after hyperextending his left knee. Edwards was already dealing with knee trouble on the right side. 

 

Regardless of who the Spurs see, they will have the edge.

 



Liam Hicks Emerging as Marlins Breakout Candidate

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Liam Hicks has quickly turned into the Miami Marlins’ next breakout candidate.

The second-year catcher hit his sixth home run of the season in the Marlins 5-4 road loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. He hit six home runs through 119 games as a rookie last year.

Interestingly enough, the most home runs Hicks has hit in a season as a minor leaguer was also six.

“Liam is physically a different individual,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He’s hitting the ball much more.”

Hicks has collected base hits in 11 of his last 13 games. With a .311 batting average so far this season (28-for-90), Hicks is tied with Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin for the highest average among qualified catchers in baseball.

With 27 RBI this season, Hicks leads the Marlins in the category and is second in the big leagues, behind only Cincinnati Reds rookie first baseman and Miami native Sal Stewart (29).

“Liam’s a good hitter,” McCullough said. “He has all the ingredients, the ability to control the strike zone, make a ton of contact, and use the whole field.”

Hicks entered Monday leading MLB in whiff percentage (6.4), in addition to ranking second in strikeout percentage (6.3), and third in squared-up swing percentage (40.3), per Baseball Savant.

Hicks was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round out of Arkansas State in 2021. He was part of a 2024 midseason trade with the Detroit Tigers for veteran catcher Carson Kelly. He was selected by the Marlins in the Rule 5 Draft that year and made the Opening Day Roster last year for his MLB Debut.

“Getting hits in the big leagues is hard,” McCullough said. “It’s probably never been harder just to get a base hit than it is right now. For us, it’s an important thing. You make a lot of contact.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Orlando Magic are close to making history as they have the Detroit Pistons on the ropes

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The Orlando Magic are on the verge of becoming the seventh team in NBA history to beat the first seed as the eighth. Game 4 easily became one of the most important in franchise history considering the stakes and how they handled the rough times that could have flipped the edge like a light switch. 

 

Both defenses were implacable, and as a result, 3-point makes dropped few and far between, and each felt like body shots. 

 

It was obvious the game was headed for classic territory when the Pistons shook off five straight turnovers and quickly climbed out of a 12-point ditch. Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane carried the Magic to a two-point lead at halftime, but the former only played close to seven more minutes because of a calf issue. The third period was also like a mud-wrestling match with bodies bumping and coverages yielding close to nothing. 

 

Wagner’s absence forced Jamal Cain, who had his contract converted to a standard from a two-way on March 20, to step up big-time by playing 17 second-half minutes. He jammed the dunk of the playoffs (so far) by coming up court, viciously baptizing Jalen Duren, and had a mean putback late in the game that were emotional plays that lifted the team.

 

His pressure on-ball and as a helper made him more reliable than Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva, who are not bad defenders but lack Cain’s extra level of physicality. 

 

 Bane had missed his first four shots of the fourth quarter, but redeemed himself and rescued the team, dropping a 29-foot bank-triple on a screen-roll over Isaiah Stewart. Only 76 seconds remained and the Magic held on to their six-point lead to take a gripping 3-1 advantage.

 

The series now returns to Detroit. Keep in mind that the Pistons won 15 more regular-season games yet they tied 2-2 against each other before the playoffs. Notably, Banchero missed one win and Wagner missed the other, but the Pistons did not have Cade Cunningham for the April 6 game because he was recovering from a collapsed lung.

 

The Magic had a turbulent regular season, but turned into the team they were expected to be at the right time. They had belief in themselves and a lot credit goes to coach Jamahl Mosley, whose seat has been boiling since November. He texted a friend of his before Game 1 that they were going to take it, not steal it, and that’s exactly what they did. They then atoned for getting smacked around in the second half of Game 2 by delivering the two most important wins of the season.

 

The Pistons haven’t been able to rattle the Magic because the latter can match their brutishness. That should terrify Detroit that it was true even with Wagner out. His status is in question for the remainder of the series, but the other side has a glaring issue, too: There is not enough shot creation next to Cunningham, forcing him to do too much. Eight of his team’s 20 turnovers were his.

 

The other eighth seeds to upstage the first were the 1994 Denver Nuggets, 1999 New York Knicks, 2007 Golden State Warriors, 2011 Memphis Grizzlies, 2012 Philadelphia 76ers and 2023 Miami Heat. Notably, the Magic are doing it without the favorites facing a significant injury to their best player.