
By Aidin Ebrahimi, SuperWest Sports
Sports
2025-26 NBA Awards for Players From Schools in West
The 2025-26 NBA regular season is over, with only the Play-In tournament standing between us and the 2026 playoffs!
The Western Conference’s playoff bracket is looking especially spicy, with teams such as the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets all looking to add another championship banner.
And if Luka Dončić can return early, the Lakers and the 41-year-old LeBron James could make a shocking run.
But we’ve heard more than enough about those guys; what about the league’s players from schools in the West? How did they do this season?
I’m back with my final SuperWest report of the 2025-26 NBA season, covering the top veterans, rookies, and everyone else in between.
Let’s dive in and take a look at my SuperWest selections for the best players of the year from schools in the West.
SuperWest Most Improved Player of the Year
Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)
Dillon Brooks was on his way to becoming a secondary star for the Memphis Grizzlies before he spent much of the 2022-23 season feuding with seasoned veterans such as Draymond Green and LeBron James.
That led Green to say, “The dynasty starts after you, not with you,” when asked about Brooks. The Grizzlies finally had enough of Brooks’ antics and traded him to the Rockets.
Brooks spent a couple of seasons as a solid starter for Houston, but it seemed like his potential as a scorer and secondary option would never be realized.
So, when he was traded to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant to Houston trade, nobody really cared.
Most NBA fans expected the Suns to be one of the worst teams in the league, but Brooks proved everyone wrong in his age-30 season.

Brooks put up 20.2 points a night as the team’s second option behind Devin Booker, and the Suns had an unexpected 45-win season in a stacked Western Conference.
Those stats weren’t empty calories, either, as the Suns went 13-13 without Brooks, an absence mostly due to an untimely DUI arrest.
Even with the arrest, he hasn’t been nearly as controversial as he was in his final year with the Grizzlies, and he’ll seek a big payday soon, as his contract will expire after the 2026-27 season.
Also, the Grizzlies completely fell apart and never became a “dynasty”, and one could assume that Brooks had been praying for their downfall for the past few years.
SuperWest Defensive Player of the Year
Derrick White (Boston Celtics, Colorado)
Typically, when a two-way player gets older and realizes that they can’t keep up playing at a high level on both ends of the floor, they’ll choose to focus on the offensive side of the ball, while “coasting” on the defensive end.
The exact opposite of this has happened for Derrick White.
He just had the worst season of his career shooting the ball (52.9 true shooting percentage and 39.4% field goal percentage), but he is still an absolute menace on the defensive end.

White averaged 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season, becoming only the third guard in the 21st century to record more than 95 blocks in a season (joining 2000-01 Tracy McGrady and 2008-09 Dwyane Wade).
White’s advanced stats are also great. He is one of two players under 6’5 with a defensive EPM (per Dunks&Threes) over +2.0 (+2.4), while CraftedNBA has his +2.6 defensive plus/minus in the 98th percentile of all players.
SuperWest Rookie of the Year
Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State)
For the second year in a row, a Memphis Grizzlies player who is a Washington State alum wins my Ex-SuperWest Rookie of the Year award.
As mentioned previously, the Grizzlies are imploding, but at least they have Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells for the foreseeable future.
Coward started the season on the bench, but quickly played his way into the starting lineup following multiple 20-point games.
He was easily one of the most valuable players on the team, as he averaged an impressive +10.1 Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions.

Coward’s first major road bump came in the form of knee and back injuries, which kept him sidelined after the All-Star break.
However, he looked solid once he returned and finished the season strong once the Grizzlies’ fate had been sealed.
Coward put up 15.4 points in just 24.4 minutes per game while shooting 49.6% from the floor in his last 10 games of the year, and his 27-point season finale showed that he can become a star scorer one day.
The only major flaw in his game is his three-point shooting (33.8% on 4.4 attempts per game), and if he can improve that, the sky will be the limit for him.
SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat, UCLA)
From 2025’s Ex-SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year to 2026’s Ex-SuperWest Sixth Man of the Year, Jaime Jaquez Jr., has revived his career beautifully.
In my 2025 awards article, I mentioned how Jaquez’s 41-point performance in the final game of the 2024-25 season could help him regain his confidence, and that’s exactly what happened.
Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a night while shooting 50.7% from the field this season, a huge jump from the 8.6 PPG he put up last season.

He also had an above-average PER (15.7) and VORP above 0.4 (1.1) for the first time in his career. Despite Jaquez’s success, the Heat are reportedly looking to trade most of their core after missing the playoffs.
If Tyler Herro and the modern NBA’s all-time leading single-game scorer, Bam Adebayo, aren’t safe from being dealt, then Jaquez isn’t either.
SuperWest Biggest Letdown of the Year
Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors, Santa Clara)
As a Warriors fan, I am desperately hoping for a Jaquez-type turnaround for Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski famously sent the legendary Klay Thompson to the bench in his rookie season.
Despite a slow start, he ended his sophomore regular season with a bang, averaging 15.1 points while shooting 46.6% from the field and 41.0% from deep in his final 33 games of the campaign.
Unfortunately, Podziemski struggled mightily in the 2025 playoffs, and his struggles carried over into the next season.

Podziemski shot below 40% in 30 games this season, and went 80 games (almost 2,300 minutes) before he had his first truly great game of the year, a career-high 30-point night in a loss to the lowly Kings.
The 2025-26 season was the first time he recorded a negative Defensive Box Plus/Minus (-0.1) and a negative Plus/Minus Net Per 100 Possessions (-0.8).
With Stephen Curry getting older and more injury-prone, Podziemski has to step up next year.
SuperWest Most Valuable Player of the Year
Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics, California)
Kawhi Leonard had the best offensive season of his career, but since the Clippers missed the playoffs after losing to the Warriors in the Play-In, I had to pivot and give the award to Jaylen Brown.
Many expected the Celtics to bottom out due to Jayson Tatum’s injury and the lack of depth in the frontcourt. After a winless start in their first three games, the doubters thought that they were going to be proven right.
But Brown gave his blood, sweat, and tears (and yes, even a bit of his hair) to keep the team relevant.
Brown averaged 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48.0% field goal shooting before Tatum’s return in March to lead the team to a 41-21 record.
And after Tatum returned, the Celtics looked unstoppable, going 15-5 to end the year.

In all, the former Finals MVP had 35 30-point games and had career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and free throws made per game.
Even with the increased volume, he shot the best free-throw percentage of his career (79.5%) while also leading the league in two-point attempts per game (16.0).
He also averaged the highest PER (22.0), Wins Above Replacement (8.9), Box Plus/Minus (3.3), and Win Shares (6.9) of his career.
With Tatum now back and fully healthy, Brown is looking to add another championship and potentially even another Finals MVP to his resume.
Sports
‘Frustrated’ Scotland show growth against Belgium in World Cup bid
That was the story of Tuesday night at Easter Road too. The Scots were dominant, created decent chances but just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net, until McGovern did deep into stoppage-time to level.
In the Hibernian striker – who had six goals in seven games before this one – it does seem the Scots have found the goalscoring forward they’ve been missing.
But in both games she missed golden opportunities too. Though she was not the only one.
Andreatta insists the clinical edge which is still missing will come as “connections grow” between players.
Lauren Davidson was drafted in from the off after her impressive performance and assist off the bench midweek, while Freya Gregory only earned her first cap last year, along with McGovern.
There’s still a bit of a transitional feel about things, but Scotland don’t have time for bedding in.
The players know it. Many have seen this movie before where they canter through qualifying campaigns but panic at the play-offs, which are guaranteed to come.
“Frustration” was the first word Docherty said in her post-match reflection.
She, along with Weir, have been said to have been sharing horror stories of the past in camp this week. Fresh faces, such as McGovern and Miri Taylor have spoken of their importance.
Important to recognise but not be restrained by.
Andreatta has done well in her year to release the squad of their shackles and shift their mentality to one where Scotland leave Belgium with a point and a pang of pain.
A double-header with Isreal is the next challenge, but the overriding focus is getting her side ready to right their play-off wrongs later this year.
Sports
Bruno Fernandes fury explained as potential red card missed in Man United win vs Chelsea
Manchester United are a step closer to the Champions League after beating Chelsea on Saturday night but Bruno Fernandes was left unhappy with an incident late on in the match
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes reacted with fury over a potential missed red card during Saturday’s 1-0 win at Chelsea. Michael Carrick’s side have taken a huge leap towards Champions League qualification after Matheus Cunha’s first-half goal secured all three points at Stamford Bridge.
The Reds are now 10 points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea, who sit just one place below the final qualification spot for Europe’s elite competition. It means Carrick’s team need a maximum of six more points from their remaining five games to qualify for the Champions League – a competition they have been absent from since 2023.
But Fernandes was far from happy with referee Michael Oliver during United’s win in west London. The Portuguese midfielder showed his displeasure after Blues player Romeo Lavia appeared to step on him after he was fouled.
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If Oliver had deemed that Lavia did stamp on Fernandes, then the Chelsea midfielder would almost certainly have been shown a red card for violent conduct. Instead, no card was shown.
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The incident is unlikely to dampen United’s mood, however. The Reds have been transformed since interim head coach Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim in January.
Carrick’s men have lost just twice all year in the league and look almost certain to seal a spot in the Champions League after a season out of Europe. Fernandes is not getting carried away though.
Speaking to TNT Sports after Saturday’s win, he said: “It’s an amazing feeling for us, we had to bounce back, not just about Leeds, we had two games that we didn’t win.
“We knew we had to make a great performance because Chelsea are good side. It’s important for us because our aim is to be top four, making distance is perfect for us.
“I feel three points closer [to Champions League qualification], we have another game that we have to win. We know we need points to get that place secured and we will do everything possible to be as quick as possible.”
Fernandes is also now just two assists shy of the Premier League assist record. The 31-year-old has five games left to at least equal the 20 assists set by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
He added: “I say every time I want to do better than the season before. I want to improve my game overall.
“I need to improve every week because I want to become a better player and end my career as the best as possible.”
Sports
Noble Yeats death: Tributes paid to former Grand National winner after death aged 11
Noble Yeats, the former Grand National winner, has died after a bout of colic aged 11.
The horse created history in 2022 by pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Grand National history to clinch victory as a 50-1 outsider.
Noble Yeats was connected with amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, with that famous ride around Aintree the last of his career.
“He gave us one of the great days of our lives and fulfilled our dreams,” said Waley-Cohen, who added that “his ability outstripped his looks,” having “grown into a great champion.”
Noble Yeats, without Waley-Cohen now, made two further appearances at the National, finishing fourth behind Corach Rambler in 2023 and then out of contention behind I Am Maximus in 2024.

“He was brilliant for us and was one of those special horses,” Waley-Cohen said, with the horse winning seven of his 24 races and earning more than £750,000 in prize-money.
Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins, also won the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2024 under Harry Cobden, and made his last appearance in 2024 in the Savills Hurdle at Leopardstown, pulling up before the decision was made to retire due to arthritis.
Owner Robert Waley-Cohen, who had purchased Noble Yeats just two months before victory in the greatest race of them all, described the “grim moment” after Noble Yeats’ health took a turn for the worse.
He said: “He looked very uncomfortable on Wednesday, so the vet came out and everybody was up all night treating him and hoping he would pull through, but unfortunately he went the other way.

“He was living the life of a retired horse in the field with [2011 Gold Cup winner] Long Run and [2011 Grand National runner-up] Oscar Time.”
He added: “He was enormous fun at the National and afterwards. The memories of the National are unbelievable – you could not have a better day. It’s the dream of a lifetime to win the National, and to win it with your son made it even more special.”
Sports
“His Mom Makes Food And Brings It To Hotel”: Preity Zinta’s Big Revelation About Punjab Kings Star
Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta heaped praise on star batter Prabhsimran Singh while commenting on a social media post on Saturday. A user shared the inspiring journey of the PBKS opener, and co-owner Preity could not stop herself from reacting to it. She lauded Prabhsimran’s behaviour while also revealing that his mother cooks and brings food to the hotel for the entire team every Indian Premier League season. The player has been a part of the PBKS squad since IPL 2019. He was initially bought for Rs 4.80 crore. The wicketkeeper-batter currently earns Rs 4 crore per season from the franchise.
“He is also soft spoken, well behaved and extremely sweet. His mom makes food and brings it to the hotel ( Best Kadi Chawal & Bhartha among other things ) for the entire team every IPL. I never heard him complain or come late when he sat on the bench. Watching him shine fills me up with so much joy cuz nothing is more rewarding than to see a good guy win. Sorry I couldn’t help commenting on ur write up as it popped up in my timeline (sic),” wrote Preity Zinta, reacting to the post on Prabhsimran.
He is also soft spoken, well behaved and extremely sweet. His mom makes food and brings it to the hotel ( Best Kadi Chawal & Bhartha among other things ) for the entire team every IPL I never heard him complain or come late when he sat on the bench. Watching him shine fills me…
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 17, 2026
Table-toppers Punjab Kings will bank on their strong batting to continue their winning run against a struggling Lucknow Super Giants, who are sweating over skipper Rishabh Pant‘s injury, in their IPL 2026 match in Mullanpur on Sunday.
PBKS, the only unbeaten side so far, have looked ominous this season with four wins from five matches, with one game against Kolkata Knight Riders washed out. The Shreyas Iyer-led side boasts a healthy net run rate of +1.067, thanks to their strong batting displays that have powered clinical chases.
The Kings have won nine of their last 11 matches while chasing since the 2025 season, underlining their dominance, and it was also seen in their recent win over Mumbai Indians. It will take something special from LSG to halt the home team’s momentum.
Lucknow, currently seventh in the points table, are reeling from back-to-back losses, and Pant’s elbow injury in the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru has further dented their campaign.
(With PTI Inputs)
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Women’s World Cup qualifying: Lessons to be learned as Wales chase top spot
“It was about the three points but lessons need to be learned,” former Wales striker Gwennan Harries told Match of the Day Wales.
Wilkinson’s side had overwhelmed Albania in a 4-0 win in Wrexham four days earlier, when the hosts’ only frustration was that they did not score more goals.
But the return fixture had a very different look, with Wales struggling for fluency in possession as Albania sat deep but carried a threat on the counter-attack.
“At the minute, we’re probably not seeing Wales at their best and we’ve struggled at times to break down teams who sit back,” said another ex-Wales striker Helen Ward on BBC Radio Wales.
“That’s where a Jess Fishlock can do something magic.
“We don’t have her anymore, so someone else is going to have to take that responsibility.”
The one goal Wales did manage was as scrappy as their performance, Roberts bundling home from a Lily Woodham cross with Albania claiming the ball had gone in off the veteran defender’s arm.
There were other opportunities for Wales, Mared Griffiths coming close on a couple of occasions and Ingle shooting straight at Albania keeper Rajmonda Spahiu having seen an earlier effort ruled out for offside.
Had one or two of those chances been converted, the evening would have had a different feel.
As it was, there was tension in the air right up until the final whistle, with Safia Middleton-Patel making a late save from Fortesa Berisha having earlier seen Ilarja Zarka’s drive rattle the bar.
“I thought Albania were really good,” said Ingle. “They blocked up, made it hard for us.
“They defended really well and they nearly punished us on a few transition attacks, so we were quite lucky at times.”
Sports
Tony Bellew makes Usyk vs Moses Itauma prediction: “Nobody will beat him”
Tony Bellew has considered whether Oleksandr Usyk, who dealt him an eighth-round stoppage defeat in 2018, can be beaten by heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma.
Having become a three-time, two-division undisputed champion, there is little more the Ukrainian can achieve to further cement his greatness in the sport.
He has, after all, beaten Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois on two occasions, respectively, and therefore solidified himself as the greatest heavyweight of this era.
The only way he can go one step further, it seems, is by making his mark on the next generation, which many predict will be dominated by Itauma.
Having become the WBO’s leading challenger, awaiting his mandatory shot at the world title, the 21-year-old has already established himself as a formidable contender.
This much was evident during his fifth-round finish over Jermaine Franklin last month, when Itauma stormed past the typically durable customer in emphatic fashion.
But while the dynamic southpaw has expressed an interest in facing the heavyweight king, Usyk is understandably less eager to present him with this opportunity.
Instead, the 39-year-old is gearing up to face Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23, defending his WBC world title at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.
Even if his next opponent happened to be Itauma, though, former world champion Bellew has told Seconds Out that he doubts Usyk would be defeated.
“He’s beaten everybody in front of him – there’s nothing more he can do.
“He’s entitled to what he’s doing in this next fight [against Verhoeven] and he’s earned the right to call the shots. He’s the boss.
“Absolutely nobody [will beat him].”
After experiencing the full force of Usyk’s brilliance, albeit in 2018, Bellew is perhaps better-placed than most to give an honest assessment of Itauma’s chances against the Olympic gold medallist.
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Charley Hull shares throwback snap with Welsh golf veteran
Charley Hull caught the people’s attention with her picture on social media. She shared a snap with Welsh professional golfer Mark Mouland on her Instagram story.
She shared the throwback picture on her social media story on Saturday and tagged the golfer in the caption. They posed at the Nailcote Hall Cromwell Course. Hull wore a pink top and black shorts for the outing.
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Away from the field, Charley Hull is enjoying a good time. Her last outing was at the Aramco Championship, where she carded four rounds of 70, 78, 75, and 70. She settled with a score of 5 over in a tie for 15th position.
On April 6, she shared a slew of a few pictures of her outing from the Aramco Championship. She posted the snaps with a sweet caption. She wrote:
“What happens in Vegas… 😏 Fun week at Aramco Championship, nice T15 finish and memories made at Cirque du Soleil 🤸🎪 Next stop, Augusta”
In the post, she added snaps of her playing golf, and also of the outing she enjoyed in Las Vegas.
Charley Hull offers a glimpse of her practice session
Although Charley Hull is not playing in any official tournament this week, she made sure to practice her game. She offered a glimpse of her practice session on her Instagram account on Friday. She shared the post along with a sweet caption.
“It’s always great to be back playing & practising where I grew up as a little girl playing. I love this grass driving range. I really do have the best memories on it as a kid with my Dad & Kevin growing up. Very wholesome. ⛳️ Very impressed with the condition of Kettering golf club for this time of year,” she wrote.
For her outing, Hull wore a black T-shirt and matching pants.
She started her campaign this season on the LPGA Tour at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. She carded three rounds of 70, 71, and 74 to settle in T17 place.
She then played at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, which wrapped up with its finale on February 26. She carded four rounds of 72, 67, 74, and 69 to settle with a score of 6 under. She was tied for 10th place in the event.
This season on the LPGA Tour, Hull also played at the Ford Championship, where she played two rounds of 71 and 70. She, however, struggled with her game and missed the cut.
Meanwhile, in the last season, she played in 16 tournaments and made the cut in 14 of them. She recorded four finishes in the top 10 and won the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Edited by Ankita Yadav
Sports
Steve Nicol names who he thinks will be next Liverpool manager, and who’d be a solid alternative
Steve Nicol has named who he thinks is likely to be the next Liverpool manager if FSG were to sack Arne Slot, along with citing an alternative candidate he’d welcome in the job.
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The Dutchman has come under ever-intensifying scrutiny during a wretched season at Anfield, with Danny Murphy calling for a change in the dugout, and several names have already been mentioned as potential successors.
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The most prominent of those has been Xabi Alonso, given his previous ties with the club and his immediate availability, while Andoni Iraola has reportedly impressed the LFC hierarchy with his work at Bournemouth, who he’s leaving at the end of this campaign.
Nicol makes Liverpool manager prediction
Nicol was asked on ESPN FC whether he’d persevere with Slot or hire either of the aforementioned Spaniards at Liverpool for next season.
He answered: “I like Iraola. I like the way his Bournemouth play the game. Under normal circumstances I would’ve said Alonso, but he absolutely bombed at Real Madrid and you have to take that into consideration.
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“However, if Arne Slot is not going to be there at the start of the season, I don’t see how FSG don’t go with Alonso. I’m going to go Alonso I think, ultimately.
“If something happened with Alonso and he didn’t want it, or they weren’t keen with what happened at Real Madrid, I’d have absolutely no problem with Andoni Iraola next season.”
Do Liverpool stick with Slot, or make a move for Alonso or Iraola?
If Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager over the summer, Alonso would appear to be the outstanding candidate, given his existing connection with the Reds from his playing days and his exceptional work in winning an unbeaten German double with Bayer Leverkusen two years ago.
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Nicol mentioned the 44-year-old’s brief and unhappy stint at Real Madrid earlier this season, but that owes more to the hideously demanding circumstances of working at the Bernabeu than any major failings on the Spaniard’s part.
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Iraola is also marking himself out as a legitimate candidate for a job at an ‘elite’ club with his work at Bournemouth, who as of Sunday morning sit just four points off the Champions League positions in the Premier League, a remarkable feat given how their budget compares to other top-flight outfits.
Furthermore, as football data writer Thom Harris outlined for The Athletic, the Cherries boss is renowned for an aggressive, high-pressing tactical approach which is reminiscent of what Jurgen Klopp implemented with huge success at Liverpool.
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For the time being, the debate as to who takes over in the dugout would appear to be moot, with David Ornstein reporting in recent days that FSG intend to keep faith in Slot even if the Reds fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Should that stance change and they decide to dismiss the 47-year-old, though, either Alonso or Iraola would appear to be solid options (unless they’re hired by other clubs in the meantime).
Sports
LeBron James’ defiance of Father Time won Game 1 for Lakers, who face uphill climb
LeBron James is battling time in more ways than one. His 23-year defiance of Father Time is well-chronicled, and the undefeated conqueror of all athletes seemingly struck a blow at the four-time NBA MVP this week with rumors of a possible retirement growing louder.
But there’s a more immediate battle playing out concurrently. James and his Los Angeles Lakers almost certainly cannot advance deep in the postseason in their current state. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves recovering from injuries, James is the lone star left standing in Los Angeles, and just asking him to beat the Houston Rockets four times singlehandedly is a bridge too far — even with Kevin Durant dealing with a knee injury.
James, right now, is fighting for time. He’s doing everything in his power to keep the Lakers alive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Whether or not they can do so remains to be seen. The Grade 2 hamstring strain keeping Dončić out typically requires more than a month of recovery. Reaves, sidelined with a Grade 2 oblique strain, is on a 4-to-6 week timetable. Eventually, without the two of them by his side, James, 41, will lose this micro battle to Father Time. He is not his 2018 self. He cannot reasonably be expected to will his teams through entire postseasons in his 40s.
But every game he wins, starting with Saturday’s Game 1 107-98 upset, is another few days he’s bought for Dončić and Reaves and another few percentage points of likelihood that they might be able to make it back onto the court in time to offer some support. A championship run — as James has made so clear he’s wanted all year — just isn’t in the cards. But a respectable showing, a chance to sneer at Father Time one more time, is a possibility James is still very much fighting for.
We figured he’d do so in the way that he used to, that his path to staving off the metaphorical reaper here meant turning back the clock. In his last three regular-season games before the throwaway season finale, James averaged 28 points on just shy of 13 assists and eight rebounds per game. He took 18.3 shots per game, just shy of his playoff averages in both his eight-year Lakers stint and four-year Miami Heat run. Though no longer the unstoppable force of nature he was at his peak, James appeared ready to uncork a vintage postseason performance. When asked what the Lakers needed out of him with Dončić and Reaves sidelined, he responded, simply, “everything.“
His Game 1 performance against Houston was marvelous. It wasn’t “everything.” He finished the night with 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and a block, and led the Lakers with an on-court point-differential of plus-11. He was spectacular, but he was measured. He took only 15 shots. Since joining the Lakers, he has taken 15 or fewer shots in just two other playoff games decided by single digits. His defensive lift was relatively light.
The Lakers hid him on Jabari Smith Jr., knowing that he rarely attempts to create his own shots, and Houston’s laughably bland offense did the rest to keep James relatively fresh. He switched and made plays when he needed to, but the key here is that he didn’t need to do all that much.
His teammates and coaches did their parts, of course, but more than anything, it’s a testament to the degree of control James is still able to exert over games mentally. He knew exactly how to ration his energy, when to push and when to react. Of those 13 assists, just three came with James as a pick-and-roll ball handler. His only true layup came as a transition trailer in the final minute. Otherwise, he was backing down smaller players in the post and making jumpers. There weren’t many hard drives to the basket. He didn’t even make a free throw. He spent the bulk of the game operating with his back to the basket, reading the floor and making the right play.
Can he still scale into “everything” LeBron? The regular season data is inconclusive. Those three great games in April came against terrible teams. He’d happily settled into a quieter role when the Lakers were healthy and thriving in March. We’re probably going to find out how far he can take this as the series progresses. The Rockets didn’t have Durant in this game. None of their remaining players had especially good games. There will be adjustments. There will presumably eventually be Durant. Realistically, the Lakers are probably going to need at least one “everything” game from James to win this series, or at least last long enough to potentially get Dončić or Reaves back.
Realistically, the odds of either returning are slim, making this particular round of his bout with Father Time a likely loss (the Lakers are still +185 underdogs at DraftKings even after winning Game 1). The “everything” games are, at best, meant to be a rare treat at this stage. If blemishing that undefeated record means consistently playing like a 25-year-old into his 40s, well, James is probably going to lose on that front as well. We’re talking about someone who once averaged a 33-point triple-double in the NBA Finals. That was never going to remain eternally sustainable.
But Game 1 against Houston is a reminder that James has come as close as feasibly possible to at least forcing a draw against a previously unbeaten foe. He will eventually age out of playing in the NBA. Though based on what we’re seeing now and the rumors of the past week, that will likely happen several years after he actually retires. As long as he does decide to keep playing, though, he has achieved a level of mastery over the mental component of the sport that makes him, in a sense, immune to the ravages of time.
James is not physically the same player he once was. Yet there doesn’t seem to be a realistic degree of physical decline capable of rendering James anything less than, at the very least, a winning basketball player. He’ll be able to make the passes he made on Saturday until he’s 50. He doesn’t need a burst to bully smaller defenders in the post. His understanding of how to manipulate and ultimately undo opposing defensive principles, not just as a passer but as a conductor of possessions, is eternal.
James may not be a superstar forever. He may not have access to those “everything” types of games much longer. But what he did against the Rockets was timeless.
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‘They love a greasy game’: Flyers bring the pain, wobble Penguins in Game 1
PITTSBURGH — The hostilities were renewed before the teams even took the ice.
An hour before the puck dropped on Game 1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers’ first-round rivalry revival Saturday night, the fans started streaming into PPG Paints Arena, packing the stands with black-and-gold sweaters of every vintage. A few minutes in, a minor commotion broke out. A lone orange Flyers jersey punctured the golden throng in the lower bowl.
The dissenter was serenaded with boos, the jeers crescendoing into a chorus, a wave of ill will that rippled from the fans in the immediate vicinity out to the rest of the section, the rest of the bowl, the rest of the rink. A reminder that there remains no love lost between these two franchises. The Flyers admirer stood with his arms raised, unfazed, absorbing it all.
Then his club took the ice, came out of the gates flying, and did the same — battering and pummelling their way to a 3-2 series-opening victory as the hometown fans rained down their discontent.
“They make it hard,” Penguins head coach Dan Muse said as the dust settled on his club’s Game 1 loss.
It wasn’t just the early physicality that got his squad off their game — the Flyers laid the body 17 times in the opening frame — it was the speed, too. The visitors’ ability to pounce on any moment of disconnection and funnel play the other way.
“That’s part of their game — they’ve been doing that for a while,” he continued. “I think we got away from things that worked. Part of that is intensity — everything’s ramped up here in the playoffs. But they’ve been playing that way now for a while, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Give them credit — they came in, they executed their game plan. We need to be better in terms of executing ours.
“We’ve just got to be better in general.”
Much was made in the lead-up to this series opener of the hefty disparity in experience. On one side: a few vets in orange, and a crew of bright-eyed first-timers. On the other, a pack of future Hall of Famers. Ten minutes into this one, it became clear that imbalance would matter little, the Flyers’ few seasoned veterans making their presence known from the jump.
“The Penguins had two or three really good hits, the crowd was going, and (Sean Couturier) went out on that shift and he got somebody,” Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said of his captain’s first time over the boards. “I think it helps settle our bench down, and the young guys, when your captain does that. He answered the bell.”
So too did defender Travis Sanheim, who did a little bit of everything Saturday night — throwing the body, leading the stymying of Pittsburgh’s prolific offence, and scoring a filthy third-period go-ahead goal that saw him dance around Elmer Soderblom, carry the puck into the slot, and whip it past Stuart Skinner’s glove.
“I think Sanny set the tone,” Tocchet said post-game. “In these playoff games, you have to play uncomfortable. You’ve got to do some stuff that you normally do not do. … I don’t know how many minutes he played tonight, like a ton of minutes. And to play physical, that’s hard. And then try to supply offence, kill penalties — it’s a tough night, and he really led the physicality for us.
“And, obviously, hell of a goal.”
The problem for the home side was that Philly’s young guns were no less impactful. Defender Jamie Drysdale opened the scoring midway through the second period, finishing off a sequence spurred by Trevor Zegras.
And the eventual game winner, wired home in the dying minutes of the game, came off the stick of 19-year-old Porter Martone — who’s potted five big-league goals already after joining the squad only three weeks ago.
“It was pretty cool,” the teenager said of his first taste of playoff hockey. “You know, skating out for warmups — I’ve never seen an arena fully sold out. We really built off the energy there. … I think we were all pretty excited going into this game. Being able to play in the playoffs. For me, it’s my 10th NHL game. It’s pretty special.”
The 2025 sixth-overall pick took some time to find his legs in Game 1, before ripping a wrister from the right circle to clinch a 1-0 series lead for his club. For his coach, it’s that ability to rise to the moment even when it all seems to be going off the rails that makes Martone’s potential clear.
“That’s maturity,” Tocchet said. “I explained to the players — there’s going to be some games you don’t have it. For 30, 40 minutes. You know, he was trying to figure out the pace, he had a couple turnovers. He knew it. And then he just gets a goal like that.
“I mean, it’s hard to find guys like that. In the playoffs, you’ve just got to stick with it, and you could have that big moment.”
Tocchet’s former club finds itself still waiting for its moment. Entering Game 1 as the presumptive favourite — one of the most dangerous offensive squads in the league, led by some of the most lethal scorers the game has ever seen — the Penguins found themselves largely unable to break through Saturday night, lacking the flowing, seamless sequences that have defined their offensive success this season.
“We’ve just got to be better. We’ve just got to be better in all areas, to be honest with you,” captain Sidney Crosby said from the Penguins locker room post-game. “Execution, just being a little bit more connected. We just have to be better.”
Continually getting caught up in chippy, physical battles egged on by the visitors didn’t help Pittsburgh’s cause, either.
“We need to play our game,” said Evgeni Malkin, who scored Pittsburgh’s first of the night, beating Dan Vladar five-hole in the middle frame to tie the game. “I think we lost control a little bit in the second period. We started fighting — this is what they want. … We know it’s Philly, we know it’s playoffs, we know it’s coming. I like to play physical, I like hard games. But after whistle, we need to just go away, and play smart.
“It’s the only way. Because they love a greasy game. You know, after whistle, they come and cross-check. But we know it’s coming. We just, everybody, should be a little smarter.”
“That’s going to be part of a series,” added Crosby. “I think we’ve got to stay out of it a little bit more, and trust that when they do it, and they try to stir it up, that they’re going to get penalized for it. That’s more something I think they’re looking to do. We’ve got to stay out of it and trust that they’ll be undisciplined.”
The night could’ve gone much worse for the home side if not for the play of netminder Stuart Skinner, who stymied the Flyers on four breakaways or partial breakaways over the course of the tilt. Still, the two-time Cup finalist’s heroics weren’t enough to salvage this one, the Penguins managing only 17 shots of their own against Skinner’s counterpart. So, the focus shifts to Monday’s Game 2, and a chance to even the series before the battle shifts to Philadelphia.
“You don’t win the series in Game 1,” said veteran Erik Karlsson. “We know that we’ve got a lot better in here. We’ve got to focus on ourselves and find a way to get back to what made us successful throughout the year. It’s the same game out there — a little bit more intensity maybe, but still the same game. And we know how it’s played. We’ve just got to get back to that.”
On the other side of the aisle, the Flyers eye Game 2 looking for more of the same. More of what they brought to Game 1, more of what they’ve been bringing for a while now.
“We’ve been playing some big games for the last month, month and a half,” said Flyers captain Couturier after Saturday’s victory. “Meaningful games. Must-win games. You know, I think we’re up to the test.”
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