NBA Games Today: 5 things to watch for in tonights NBA Playoffs triple-header

I have been circling tonight’s slate of NBA Playoffs games for … like two days. But in the manic atmosphere of playoff basketball, that’s spiritually like four months. Here's what we have on the schedule:

• Magic vs. Pistons, 7:00 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime (ORL 3-1)
• Raptors vs. Cavs, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (2-2)
• Rockets vs. Lakers, 10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN (LAL 3-1)

We have three Game 5s, which always peak chaos agents; they can be close outs, last-ditch efforts or 2-2 trench warfare where the victor takes a huge lead with a win. There is gloriously fascinating hoops going on tonight, and I’m here to get you ready for what could be one of the funnier nights of playoff basketball in a long time. 

1. Will the Magic gentlemens sweep (gasp) the No. 1 seed Pistons?

This series has been an exercise in resetting your expectations. For the Magic, they kinda … are who we thought they were, and have posted a bunch of putrid offensive performances undergirded by their total inability to shoot threes. All of that was known. 

But the Pistons have gone from a No. 1 seed barnstorming young team in the East to someone nobody is afraid to play, even if they pull off the 3-1 comeback. Most of their advantages all season have gone up in smoke, like Jalen Duren falling off the map at the worst time, and while they may simply lose the series tonight, they have lost the war of public opinion and respect already.

These teams put together a hysterical offensive performance in Game 4, both shooting under 39 percent from the field and under 27 percent from three. A classic rebounding battle that you might see in the 1950s with George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers. For the Magic, that’s just their game, and they have a chance to radically change the destiny of their season tonight.

2. Can Cade Cunningham fix his turnover problems?

Don’t look now, but Cunningham just recorded the most turnovers in a three-game span in the history of NBA playoff basketball. In games where both teams cannot score, ball security is paramount, particularly from your point guard with an over 30 percent usage rate. 

Worse still is how back-breaking the turnovers feel, since in my mind there are two types: statistical turnovers that show up in the stats but I don’t really notice in the overall flow of the game, and “oh shoot” turnovers that make you go “oh shoot” because they are swinging the game before your eyes. James Harden is a specialist in “oh shoot” turnovers, and Cade has been proficient in the last two games. 

Turnovers are one of those stats that are directly correlated with wins and losses because they are simply negative; unlike a missed shot, there is no potential for success and no positive association with taking a bunch of shots. Limit turnovers = win, and the Pistons need Cade to do that.

3. Can the Cavs big men expose the thin Raptors frontcourt?

The answer to that so far has been, uh, no, they cannot, but they will have to in a crucial, bordering on franchise-defining, Game 5 tonight. The disappearing act that Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been doing in the face of Collin Murray-Boyles small-ball minutes has been shocking — these are two elite defensive big men, and they are allowing CMB to score 17 per game and shoot 65 percent, arguably the single reason Toronto is 2-2 in this series. We could forgive that if Murray-Boyles were shooting threes, but he does not shoot threes. 

On the other end, the only thing Toronto has that resembles a “rim protector” is Jakob Poeltl, who is barely playing because of how effective CMB/Scottie Barnes small ball lineups have been. Partially, Cleveland is struggling against them because they rely on two guards — Donovan Mitchell and James Harden — to get to the rim to score. But their big men should be imposing their will offensively. It is almost shocking how much they are not right now. 

4. What happens if the Cavs lose?

This isn’t a hot take, it isn’t a cold take, it isn’t a take you put in the freezer to save it for tomorrow; it’s honestly not even really a take. This is just reality. If Cleveland loses this series to Toronto, a team that pales in comparison, it would be Armageddon. If they lose in seven, it will be worse than Detroit losing in five, Boston losing in seven, or Houston losing in five. There is no comparison for how bad this would be.

This team has played all its cards. They traded Darius Garland for Harden, are in the most winnable Eastern Conference in years and are still looking at 2-2 series. If they lose, trade everyone. Trade the equipment manager. Trade the stadium. There is no limit to the number of offseason freak-outs they will have if they blow this. 

5. Will LeBron James blow a 3-0 lead?

There are those of us in NBA media who believe a 3-0 comeback is a matter of when, not if, and this is the best prospect for one since the Boston Celtics almost pulled it off against the Miami Heat in 2023. Even without Kevin Durant, I think the Rockets are better than the Luka Doncic-less Lakers, though it is possible that Austin Reaves returns tonight, which may swing that calculation.

I have been less-than-impressed by the Rockets, though they did play a decent style in Game 4, actually using the Lakers’ disadvantages against them, attacking Luke Kennard and letting Jabari Smith Jr. do some creation off the dribble as opposed to Reed Sheppard pick and roll after Reed Sheppard pick and roll. Still, I would guess the Lakers get this done.

But can you imagine the comedy if LeBron blew a 3-0 lead? Michael Jordan stans would emerge from the woodwork like malevolent spirits ready to haunt the rest of James’ career. It wouldn’t be fair, of course, since this team is missing its best player who led the league in usage this year, but history won’t care. If the Rockets come back, LeBron blew a 3-0 lead. Such is life. 

More NBA news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow