Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has proven himself at the highest levels. He stayed in Milwaukee and absolutely willed the Bucks to the 2021 championship, scoring 50 points in an all-timer of a closeout game. Antetokounmpo is a winner.

He has also lost seven straight playoff games.

Antetokounmpo hasn't won a playoff game in three years. He lost Games 6 and 7 to the Celtics in the 2022 second round, played in three of Milwaukee's losses to the Heat in the 2023 first round (missing the Bucks' lone win), missed last year's postseason entirely then fell behind 2-0 to the Pacers in this year's first round.

This is a team stat more than an Antetokounmpo stat. He has averaged 30-15-6 during the skid, and that includes a game he left after just 11 minutes. Remove that, and his averages jump to 34-17-7.

But he is losing at a rare – though not unprecedented – rate.

Kevin Durant lost seven straight between Games 6 and 7 against the Bucks in the 2021 second round, getting swept by Celtics in the 2022 first round and his first playoff game with the Suns. He'll bring another six-game playoff losing streak into his next playoff appearance, wherever that comes.

Several Lakers – including LeBron James – lost seven straight playoff games between getting swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference finals then falling behind 3-0 to Denver the following first round.

Ish Smith once lost 15 straight playoff games!

But that's surely little solace to Antetokounmpo, who called Milwaukee's 2-0 deficit "life or death."

Defensive Player of the Year

Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year.

However, 65% of voters said Mobley did NOT deserve the award.

Mobley won a wide-open race with a mere plurality of first-place votes while getting the most second-place votes and nearly the most third-place votes.

Mobley's 35% is the lowest share of first-place votes for any major award winner since Kawhi Leonard won 2015 Defensive Player of the Year with just 29% of first-place votes.

Nate, Danny and I all thought Mobley deserved the award. Nate's and my second choice, Rudy Gobert, received just a single third-place vote. Danny's second choice and Nate's and my third choice, Ivica Zubac, finished sixth. Danny's third choice, Draymond Green, finished third.

Full voting:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley will earn an extra $45 million over the next five years for winning Defensive Player of the Year, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The award triggers the full 30% super-max, increasing the projected value of Mobley's five-year rookie-scale extension to $269 million.

Great for Mobley.

More complicated for the Cavs.

With Mobley's starting salary now projected at $46 million, Cleveland projects to be $17 million over the second apron with a $137 million tax payment next season. And that's without re-signing Ty Jerome or adding anyone else for above the minimum.

The Cavaliers have their principles locked in for the following season, too, Dean Wade their only impending 2026 free agent. So, they also project to be $15 million over the second apron with a $101 million tax payment in 2026-27, again without adding anyone above the minimum.

Thunder-Grizzlies

Memphis' lead peaked at 29 in the second quarter – just after Ja Morant left the game due to injury, but still making this the second-biggest playoff comeback on record.*

*All games since 1996-97, using only end-of-quarter scores prior.

In Game 2 of their 2019 first-round series, the Clippers overcame a 31-point deficit to beat the Warriors. Golden State still won the series in six.

Detroit Pistons

The last time the Pistons won a playoff home game, Antonio McDyess led them to victory in a different city.

Detroit has now lost eight straight home playoff games – the second-longest streak in NBA history. The 76ers lost eight straight 1968-1971.

The Pistons will try to avoid tying the record when they host the Knicks in Game 4 on Sunday.

Detroit's last home playoff win (and last playoff win at all before this year) was over the Celtics in the 2008 Eastern Conference finals, back when the Pistons still played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. They ended that series with a home loss, lost twice at home while getting swept by the Cavaliers in the 2009 and 2016 first rounds, moved into their new Detroit arena, lost twice at home while getting swept by the Bucks in the 2019 first round then dropped Game 3 to New York yesterday.

Knicks-Pistons

With 0.5 seconds left, New York up two and Jalen Brunson at the free-throw line and the Pistons out of timeouts, the Knicks faced a question: Make or miss?

Each had pros and cons:

• Make the free throw, and Detroit couldn't reasonably win in regulation, but the Pistons would have the inbound pass to set up their shot.

• Miss the free throw, and a 3-pointer would beat New York, but Detroit would have to rush a full-court shot.

The Knicks chose miss.

They got the upside of neither strategy.

Brunson intentionally missed, but the clock ran and final buzzer sounded before anyone touched the ball. Officials ruled the Pistons had imminent possession and gave Detroit the ball on the sideline with the full 0.5 seconds left.

The Pistons turned the ball over, avoiding what could have been a MAJOR controversy.

As Nate noted on the pod, the timekeepers are neutral, not assigned by the home team, in the NBA playoffs.

Officials seemingly adjudicated the situation within the rules. But the most fair solution would've been letting Brunson re-shoot. He was trying to miss, anyway.

Nuggets-Clippers

Nuggets' offensive rating in their Game 3 loss to the Clippers last night:

• First 8 possessions: 250.0

• Rest of game: 78.8

Scoring

As we covered yesterday, scoring is down in the playoffs from the regular season to a historic degree.

Nate was curious: How much is that due to a slower pace, and how much is that due to teams scoring less per possession? The answer: Some of both. Via Basketball-Reference:

• Pace is down 5.8 possessions per game – the seventh-largest drop ever from the regular season.

• Offensive rating is down 1.4 points per 100 possessions – the fourth-largest drop ever from the regular season.

Game 3s

Watch Nate and Danny break down last night's Game 3s:

Alijah Arenas

Alijah Arenas is thankfully out of his coma, communicating and progressing, though he remains intubated, his family told Shams Charania of ESPN.

-Dan Feldman