Second-rounder ➡️ Key rotation piece ➡️ Playoff star. Ajay Mitchell’s time is now.
Today’s Lineup
🔥 Ajay’s A-Game
Mitchell leads the way in a decisive OKC win.
🧹 Spring Cleaning
New York breaks out the brooms to send Philly home.
🪄 Pure Wizardry
Washington wins the draft lottery!
🎉 Happy birthday Maurice Harkless and Jack Twyman!🎉
Game Recaps
Ajay Mitchell’s gem fuels Thunder to 131-108 win, 3-0 lead over Lakers
OKC’s dominance this postseason has been a lot like their reigning Finals MVP: consistent.
But on Saturday, it was a different player leading the show for the Orange and Blue— as the Thunder took a commanding 3-0 series lead in their second round series with the Lakers, Ajay Mitchell continued his breakout campaign with a playoff career-best 24 PTS and 10 AST. Mitchell, a 2024 second-rounder who averaged less than 10 minutes per game in last season’s playoffs, has stepped up in a major way for a Thunder team still missing Jalen Williams, averaging 17 PPG over the first and second rounds.
Mitchell also committed zero turnovers and played dogged defense in a game that saw the Thunder pull away behind a 33-20 third quarter. The champs are now 7-0 this postseason with just one game decided by single-digits (a nine-point G4 win over Phoenix) while the Luka Doncic-less LakeShow are on the brink of elimination. What a player, what a team!
🏀 🏀 🏀
Knicks complete sweep of Sixers with 144-114 thumping
Wanna see the Knicks hang 135+ points on historic shooting? Wanna see them do it again?
New York became the first team to punch its ticket to the conference finals with a 30-point win over Philly on Sunday afternoon, sending the Sixers packing with yet another blitzing offensive performance. After winning Game 1 of the series by 39 behind a 51% effort from three, the Knicks completed the bookend with a 30-point dub that saw them connect on 11 threes in the first quarter, tying the mark for the most ever in a playoff game.
By the end, New York had also matched the full-game postseason record with 25 triples, buoyed by several big-time performances— Deuce McBride stepped up in relief of the injured OG Anunoby, connecting on 7 of his 9 looks from deep en route to a game-high 25 PTS. Jalen Brunson was also his usual self, notching 22 and nailing six triples. When New York moved on from Tom Thibodeau after last season’s ECF run, many wondered if they were making a mistake. Now, new coach Mike Brown has them playing for another trip to the Finals. The Mecca!
🏀 🏀 🏀
Elsewhere around the NBA:
Victor Wembanyama got plenty of worthy praise for his masterful G3 performance against Minnesota. But after the big man was ejected for elbowing Naz Reid early in G4, it was time for another one of the West’s young superstars to take the reins. Anthony Edwards did just that, pouring in 36 PTS including 16 in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves tie the West semis at two games apiece. At the start of the series, it wasn’t even clear how much Ant would play. Now, he’s overcome both a nagging knee injury and the Spurs defense to set up a pivotal Game 5 clash on Tuesday night.
We have a series in Cleveland! The Cavs got on the board against Detroit thanks in large part to the heroics of James Harden, who answered his playoff doubters with a loud 19 PTS that included a trio of big-time buckets in the final 90 seconds to push his team over the top. Playoff Spida was exceptional as always, pouring in 35 PTS along with 10 REB, while the Cavs as a whole shot 58.1% to avoid a 3-0 hole. Performances like this are why Cleveland traded for Harden at the deadline. Can he reproduce it in Monday’s Game 4?
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
Pure Wizardry
Washington is officially on the clock.
On Sunday, the Wiz were granted a magical stroke of luck when they won the first overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft, one widely considered to be among the most loaded in recent memory. Let’s break down some key takeaways 👇
Washington brought home the top selection for the first time since 2010, when they selected franchise legend John Wall (who also happened to be their representative at the lottery). Now, they’ll get their choice between a stacked group of prospects including BYU’s AJ Dybansta, and Kansas’s Darryn Peterson.
In the biggest swing of the day, Indiana lost their pick to the Clippers after it fell outside the top four selections. The Pacers had a 52% chance to hold onto their slot (which was dealt with a top-four protection for Ivica Zubac in February), but will now keep their 2031 first-rounder instead as LA slides in at #5.
Utah, Memphis, and Chicago round out the top of the heap, with the latter two making their first top-four selections since 2019 and 2020, respectively. Assuming Dybantsa and Peterson go 1-2, the Grizz and Bulls will each have the chance to nab a highly productive forward from a blue blood program: National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer from Duke, or do-it-all forward Caleb Wilson from UNC.
NOLA’s decision to send their 2026 pick to Atlanta in exchange for Derik Queen during last year’s draft has drawn many eyebrows this season, but it ultimately wound up #8 overall. Still, with an array of high-upside talent likely to be available in the mid-lottery — guys like Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., and Arizona’s Brayden Burries — the Hawks will still have the chance to galvanize a roster that already made the playoff leap this past season.
Full Lottery Order
#1— Washington Wizards
#2— Utah Jazz
#3— Memphis Grizzlies
#4— Chicago Bulls
#5— Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana Pacers)
#6— Brooklyn Nets
#7— Sacramento Kings
#8— Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans)
#9— Dallas Mavericks
#10— Milwaukee Bucks
#11— Golden State Warriors
#12— OKC Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers)
#13— Miami Heat
#14— Charlotte Hornets
Check out the full draft order here!
Three in the Key
♥️ Chicago Love
Kenny reacts to the Bulls jumping into the top four!
😎 New Look Wiz
How many games does this lineup win?
👀 Meet Darius Acuff
The Arkansas guard is gonna be a problem in the league.
What We’re Enjoying
The playoffs are where champions are made, but what do they mean for players’ individual standing? Our guys over at Numbers on the Board debated just that, breaking down the stocks of a few notable postseason names. Give it a watch!
Signing Off
And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, be the friend who reaches out to someone you haven’t heard from in a while. Something as small as a text could make their morning. See you soon!
Walker Carnathan
