POWERED BY
The playoffs are heating up. Don’t fall behind!
Today’s Lineup
🔐 Wolves Lock In
Minnesota takes control of the series with an emotional G3 win over Denver.
👽 Playoff ATLiens
The Hawks are halfway to a series win against the Knicks.
☀️ Weekend Playoff Vibes
What to watch over the next couple of days of playoff hoops.
🎉 Happy birthday to Eric Snow and Dino Radja! 🎉
On the debut episode of State of the Game, we teamed up with Stratusphere Gin to bring you the conversations that matter most in the NBA. Enter the 65-game rule.
Many players take pride in suiting up for all 82, while teams are thinking big picture and keeping their stars fresh for a deep playoff run. Both sides make sense, and we're proud to feature voices who have lived the game at the highest level. This is the conversation the NBA and fans need to hear!
We want to know YOUR take! Reply to this email or leave a comment on IG: Do you respect the 82-game grind, or is it smarter to play the long game?
Game Recaps
Wolves handle Nuggets in 113-96 Game 3 win
Minnesota held Denver to 11 first-quarter points and led by 20+ at the break in a Game 3 win that had all the emotion this budding rivalry could take.
Back home for the first time in the series, the Wolves set the tone early with relentless defensive pressure, swarming Denver’s actions and never letting them settle—especially with Aaron Gordon (calf) out. Nikola Jokic (27 PTS, 15 REB) battled through an inefficient night, going head-to-head with Rudy Gobert (10 PTS, 12 REB), and Minnesota made everything difficult around him.
Jaden McDaniels and the Wolves’ perimeter defense stayed aggressive all night, while Minnesota’s balanced offense—led by Ayo Dosunmu (25 PTS, 9 AST) and McDaniels (20 PTS)—kept the pressure on. Anthony Edwards (17 PTS) never fully got going due to foul trouble, but the Wolves didn’t need him to with the way they controlled the game from the jump.
Minnesota takes Game 3 and grabs control of the series heading into Game 4.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Hawks win Game 3 109-108, take 2-1 lead over Knicks
Winners of two straight games in their first-round series against New York, the Hawks might be gearing up for something special in the playoffs.
Atlanta took down New York in Game 3 of their first-round series after building a double-digit lead behind Jonathan Kuminga (21 PTS) that later crumbled, forcing a close game late.
The Hawks had control early and stretched the lead to 15+ by the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back after the break, and a Jalen Brunson (26 PTS) and-one gave them a 108-105 lead with under a minute to play—their first lead since early in the first quarter.
But Jalen Johnson (24 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) and CJ McCollum (23 PTS) hit a pair of clutch shots to give Atlanta the one-point lead with 12 seconds to go. Onto Game 4…
🏀 🏀 🏀
Elsewhere around the NBA:
A big Detroit third quarter powered the Pistons to a 98-83 Game 2 win over the Magic on Wednesday, evening the series at 1-1 with the Motor City’s first home playoff win since 2008. Cade Cunningham led the way with 27 PTS and 11 AST, while Paolo Banchero (18 PTS, 8 AST) and Jalen Suggs (19 PTS) paced Orlando during an inefficient team night on offense.
Scottie Barnes (33 PTS, 11 AST) and RJ Barrett (33 PTS, 6-8 3PT) led Toronto to a 126-104 Game 3 win over Cleveland, cutting the series to 2-1 in the first game back in Canada. Donovan Mitchell (15 PTS) had a quiet night as the Raptors shot 57.5% from the floor and pulled away behind a balanced offensive performance.
SGA led OKC with 37 PTS, and the Thunder beat the Suns 120-107 on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead. Dillon Brooks (30 PTS, 5-9 3PT) was a bright spot on offense for Phoenix, but the Suns weren’t able to keep up with the Thunder when the reigning champs opened it up in the third quarter.
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
OTD in 2016, LeBron's Cavs completed a sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs with a 100-98 Game 4 win. Which of these players was NOT on the Pistons at the time?
This Weekend: What to Watch
After a full week of playoff basketball, the dust has settled, and storylines have been drawn. While the real Enjoyers might have every minute of every game on, here are the matchups we’re EXTRA pumped for this weekend: ⬇️
Tonight (4/24): Celtics @ 76ers Game 3 (7pm ET)
Game 1 of this series was an embarrassing defeat for Philadelphia. Game 2 was a stunning surprise victory behind one of the best rookies in the class. With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 between Boston and Philly shouldn’t disappoint tonight.
Yes, Boston has the edge on paper, but Philly has now proven that they can disrupt rhythm—and that VJ can be him in the playoffs. Can the Sixers slow things down? Will the Celtics’ firepower take control quickly enough? This should be a good one.
Other games: Lakers @ Rockets G3, Spurs @ Blazers G3
🏀 🏀 🏀
Tomorrow (Sat. 4/25): Nuggets @ Wolves Game 4 (8:30pm ET)
Minnesota and Denver have given us so many good late-season and playoff games over the past few years, and with the way this series has gone so far (including the extracurriculars), this should be another entertaining matchup in this new rivalry.
The Wolves’ physicality has disrupted Denver’s normal offensive flow, but the Nuggets have still found ways to generate efficient looks. It’s been possession-by-possession so far this series, and this game likely comes down to which team controls tempo for longer stretches.
Other games: Thunder @ Suns G3, Pistons @ Magic G3, Knicks @ Hawks G4
🏀 🏀 🏀
Sunday (4/26): Lakers @ Rockets Game 4 (9:30pm ET)
Depending on how Game 3 goes tomorrow, this could be the Lakers in a position to complete one of the most unlikely first-round sweeps of the bracket, or the Rockets pushing to even the series after a hot start from Los Angeles.
Through two games, the Lakers have controlled the series by limiting turnovers and capitalizing on Houston’s shooting inefficiency. If that trend holds, L.A. stays in control, but the Rockets definitely aren’t out of this one.
Other games: Cavaliers @ Raptors G4, Celtics @ 76ers G4, Spurs @ Blazers G4
Three in the Key
🛞 Motor City Lovin’
Cade CunningHIM.
⏰ It’s TIME.
Watch Dame relive his crazy 2019 game-winner.
🙌 Keldon!
The 2025-26 6MOTY got surprised by his Spurs teammates.
What We’re Enjoying
Overreacting to early playoff games is a tried and true tradition for basketball fans—watch the guys do it over on Numbers On The Board to stay in tune with every storyline from the postseason so far. ✍️
Signing Off
With the playoffs roaring on, there’s no time like the present to make your personality 100% about basketball and 0% about anything else. Sounds good? Good. Talk soon. ✌️
