NBA Player News

Stephenson had surgery shortly after the season ended, but he’s already back on the floor shooting. This won’t have any impact on Stephenson’s status for the season, though he won’t be much of a fantasy asset in Indiana, barring injuries that move him up the depth chart.

Smith finished Saturday’s defeat with playoff career-highs in points and rebounds, recording his first postseason double-double. He shot 3-of-9 from beyond the arc in Game 1, with the percentage being a few points lower than his mark during the regular season (36.3 percent). Smith is one of many Rockets who benefit from Kevin Durant’s presence on the floor; the veteran scorer did not play on Saturday due to a right knee contusion. If Durant can return for Tuesday’s Game 2, it would be unsurprising if Smith offered a more efficient stat line.

With Kevin Durant (knee) unavailable, Sheppard returned to the Rockets’ starting lineup for Game 1. While the second-year guard has proven himself a competent scorer, he struggled on Saturday. Sheppard shot 5-of-14 from three and 1-of-6 from two, and the eight assists were countered by four turnovers. Regardless of what happens with Durant moving forward, the Rockets will need a more efficient Sheppard if they’re to play deep into the playoffs.

After scoring a career-high 41 points in his final outing of the regular season, Thompson was held to less than half that number on Saturday. While he didn’t have a terrible night shooting the basketball, the Rockets’ guard’s inability to consistently hit jumpers can put him in a challenging spot when the opposition is locked in defensively. The Lakers were able to make Thompson play in a crowd for most of Game 1, limiting his effectiveness as a scorer. Getting Kevin Durant (knee) back for Tuesday’s Game 2 will help the entire Rockets’ roster, not just Thompson.

With no Kevin Durant (knee) in the fold for Game 1, this felt like a spot in which the Rockets would run even more of their offense through Şengün. While he did attempt 19 shots, there were moments when Şengün was not as involved in the offense as he should be. The final stat line was solid, but the Rockets are going to need more from him, regardless of Durant’s availability for the rest of the series. Houston will look to even the series at one game apiece on Tuesday night.

Smart didn’t have the most efficient game, shooting below 50 percent from the field and committing five turnovers. Give the veteran guard credit for dishing out eight assists and recording three “stocks,” so all wasn’t lost for those competing in playoff fantasy leagues. The Lakers host Game 2 on Tuesday night, and they’ll need a cleaner performance from Smart than what he provided on Saturday.

No Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves means that there is more room for Ayton to step up offensively, and he played well in Saturday’s series opener. The 7-footer recorded a double-double on 80 percent shooting from the field while also leading the Lakers in rebounds. When Ayton is engaged early on, he’s usually fine for the rest of the night, which was the case in Game 1. The Lakers will need more of that from him if they’re to have a chance of winning the series.

James made more history in Saturday’s series opener, passing John Stockton to become the oldest player in league history to dish out at least 10 assists in a playoff game. LeBron made a concerted effort to get his teammates going, and the result was a more confident group with all five starters scoring at least 14 points. With it unknown when Luka Dončić (hamstring) or Austin Reaves (oblique) will be healthy enough to play, LeBron will continue to shoulder most of the playmaking responsibilities.

With no Luka Dončić (hamstring) or Austin Reaves (oblique), the Lakers were going to need more production from Kennard in Saturday’s playoff opener. The veteran sharpshooter answered the call, making all five of his three-point attempts and scoring a playoff career-high 27 points. Kennard also shot 50 percent from inside the arc in one of his best performances of the season. The Lakers will need a similar performance from Kennard in Game 2 on Tuesday.

Among the most improved players in the NBA this season, Alexander-Walker struggled in his Hawks postseason debut on Saturday. He shot 3-of-9 from two and wasn’t much better from beyond the arc while offering limited value in the other categories of importance. Given how well Alexander-Walker played throughout the season, nights like Saturday have not been the norm. He’ll look to improve his shooting efficiency in Game 2 on Monday.

After scoring 29 points in his final appearance of the regular season, McCollum got his 2026 postseason off to a good start with another efficient effort on Saturday. The veteran guard shot 55 percent from the field overall and 4-of-9 from three-point range. However, McCollum will need to clean up the turnovers, as he was responsible for five. The Hawks will look to even the series at one game apiece when they visit the Knicks again on Monday.