BOSTON — The bottom line is actually worse than any of the top-line numbers. And the top-line numbers were quite bad.

In a 123-91 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers shot 39% from the field and missed 19 of their 23 3-point attempts. They turned the ball over 14 times and were credited with just four steals and...Read more

DENVER — In the hallways underneath Ball Arena after completing his last day of tedious but essential prep for Anthony Edwards, Christian Braun needed to let out some pent-up anticipation.

“I’m tired of waiting,” the Denver Nuggets guard shared with nobody in particular on his way into the locker room. “It’s (expletive) playoff time...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons trailed the Orlando Magic 96-90 with 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter when Cade Cunningham was fouled by Desmond Bane during a lay-up attempt.

Cunningham went to the free-throw line and successfully made both shots, narrowing the Pistons' deficit to four points (96-92) as fans inside Little Caesars Arena ...Read more

DENVER — It’s ho-hum at this point, but Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is officially an MVP finalist, the NBA announced Sunday, and will have a chance to finish top-two in voting for a sixth consecutive year.

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama are the other two finalists. Gilgeous-Alexander ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Given all of the projections going into the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets first-round series, Saturday night’s Game 1 provided an interesting twist: The idea of both teams going into this with the intention of stealing the opener.

So who really was the underdog, anyway?

The Lakers had more star power on their bench than ...Read more

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics entered the NBA playoffs as the odds-on favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

They looked the part Sunday afternoon in their postseason opener.

No. 2 seed Boston steamrolled the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 at TD Garden to take Game 1 of their first-round series. Game 2 of the best-of-seven is set ...Read more

MIAMI — Institutional arrogance is what has made and what has driven the Miami Heat during these three-plus decades of Riley/Arison oversight.

It started with championship-or-bust in the form of Pat Riley’s “winning or misery.” It continued with an organizational refusal to turn to the tank. It has landed the Heat at this juncture of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Above all else, the Los Angeles Lakers were committed to being resilient in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Even if they were missing their starting backcourt, the Lakers were committed to being resilient against the rugged and physical Houston Rockets, who were playing without Kevin Durant, who has a bruised knee suffered in practice. ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The most anticipated news of the UConn men’s basketball offseason came Saturday as star Braylon Mullins announced his decision on social media to put off the NBA draft for a second year in Storrs.

Mullins was projected to be picked anywhere from late lottery to the mid-20s in the first round of the draft after averaging 12...Read more

DENVER — They could not shoot him with a blue arrow. He made Ant-Man look like Can’t-Man.

He jitter-bugged Donte DiVincenzo. He drop stepped Ayo Dosunmu. He left Naz Reid in the rearview. Even when he missed shots, he made the Minnesota Timberwolves miserable.

Instead of talking about winning, they resorted to whining.

“Well, the 16 ...Read more

NEW YORK — For the Knicks, this postseason isn’t just about surviving a round. It’s about making the entire direction of the franchise feel justified.

That was the weight inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. An early exit would darken the summer before it even began. A deeper run could validate the decision to move on from Tom ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers aren't the only team beginning the playoffs with an injured star.

The Houston Rockets will be without Kevin Durant in Game 1 against the Lakers on Saturday, Houston coach Ime Udoka said, after Durant bumped knees in practice this week.

The fifth-seeded Rockets hope Durant's injury will be a "one-game thing," Udoka ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons' playoff experience this season is a complete turnaround from last year's. As the No. 6 seed, they entered the playoffs knowing exactly who they were up against — the No. 3-seeded New York Knicks. It enabled coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his players to begin their postseason practice by focusing on one team's ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The path is narrow, and the odds of following it are long. But, hey, at least it exists. You can find it on a map. That’s more than you usually can say about a seven seed in the NBA playoffs.

Not much of a rallying cry, I know. But let’s keep things in perspective. The Philadelphia 76ers will head to Boston looking to ...Read more

CHICAGO — General manager Jeff Pagliocca isn’t leaving the Chicago Sky’s future success up to lottery luck.

The Sky don’t own their first-round pick in the next two drafts thanks to separate deals with the Washington Mystics. Pagliocca included a pick swap in 2027 as part of last year’s trade for Ariel Atkins, a deal that also ...Read more