(2/2) The NBA provided the series success data of Game 1 winners since 1984 on Page 127 of its 2026 Playoff Media Guide. The Athletic tabulated that data since 2003 to account to the shift to the best-of-seven format.
(1/2) How important is it to win Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff series? Since 2003, when the league shifted to a best-of-7 format, teams that won Game 1 of a first-round series won the series 76.1% of the time (140 wins in 184 completed series).
Sources: @nba.com and @theathletic.com
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery will be held three weeks from today, on May 10. Here, again, are the Washington Wizards' odds as the team with the league's worst regular-season record:
1st pick: 14.0%
2nd pick: 13.4%
3rd pick: 12.7%
4th pick: 12.0%
5th pick: 47.9%
Anthony Davis still wants to hear what the Washington Wizards' front office is planning to do to improve the team for the 2026-27 season. Story at @theathletic.com:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...
The Wizards' season has ended with a 130-117 loss to the Cavaliers. Washington finishes with a 17-65 record and will have a top-five draft pick in June.
Bub Carrington is now the second player in Wizards/Bullets history to play all 82 games of his rookie season and all 82 games of his second season. The other person: Wes Unseld, who played in 82 games as a rookie in 1968-69 and 82 in 1969-70.
During his pregame question-and-answer session with the media today in Cleveland, Wizards coach Brian Keefe started by expressing his gratitude to Meghan McPeak for her superb work covering the team as its sideline reporter throughout his tenure. Congrats to Meghan as she prepares for her new role!
(2/2) By the way, Towns also played in all 82 games of his third season.
(1/2) Bub Carrington is on track today to play in his 164th straight game to start his career. Per the team's research, he will become the first NBA player to appear in all 82 games of each of his first two seasons since Karl-Anthony Towns did so in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Impressive!
Rookie Juju Reese has played in 12 NBA regular-season games, all of them for the Washington Wizards. Six times, he has recorded at least 11 rebounds in a game. According to Cleaning the Glass, he ranks in the 84th percentile among bigs in defensive-rebounding percentage.
Here is the Wizards' injury report for their season finale Sunday in Cleveland:
Some more three-point shooting improvement: Bub Carrington will finish the season as Washington's leader in three-point makes and three-point attempts. At halftime of Game 81, he's now 162-of-405 from deep this season (40.0 percent).
Bilal Coulibaly is continuing his torrid 3-point shooting tonight, going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc so far. Since the All-Star break, he's made 36 of his 92 attempts from deep (39.1 percent).
A major decision the Wizards' front office will make this offseason will revolve around its coach. Brian Keefe has guided the team through the most difficult stages of its rebuild. Will he be kept as coach and see the fruits of his sacrifices?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/718...
The Wizards lost tonight, dropping to 17-63 with two games to play. Because the Pacers won tonight, one more loss by the Wizards would ensure the Wizards would finish in sole possession of the league’s worst record; in that scenario, they would draft no worse than fifth overall.
The Washington Wizards accomplished perhaps their top goal for the season: making sure they keep their protected 2026 first-round pick. But did they accomplish anything else? A big-picture look at where the Wizards stand, available to all to read:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/718...
(2/2) The pick the Wizards owed to the New York Knicks was top-eight protected this year. Now, with that first-round pick certain not to convey, the Wizards instead will convey their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks to the Knicks.
(1/2) The Wizards have lost 129-98, dropping to 17-62 and guaranteeing that they will keep their protected first-round pick. Even if Washington wins its final three games, it cannot finish worse than third worst in the league standings and cannot fall past seventh in the draft order.
Washington Wizards rookie Will Riley has always sought artistic outlets for his creative mind. And now, that creativity is showing on the basketball court, cementing him one of the potential steals of the 2025 NBA Draft. Story at @theathletic.com:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...
The Wizards have lost in Brooklyn, 121-115. The team that finishes in sole possession of the league's worst record will draft no worse than fifth overall. The bottom of the league standings now looks like this:
Sacramento 21-57
Utah 21-57
Brooklyn 19-59
Indiana 18-59
Washington 17-61
Will Riley has shown many abilities over the last few weeks — one of them the ability to make difficult shots. In 30 minutes so far today, he has 20 points.
Jaden Hardy and Sharife Cooper just entered the game for the first time, with 7:13 remaining in the third quarter. Brooklyn leads 70-66.
The Washington Wizards only played six players in the first half, not playing Jaden Hardy or Sharife Cooper, who are both available. They trail the Brooklyn Nets 59-54 at halftime.
(3/3) The Nets' available players are Ochai Agbaji, Tyson Etienne, Chaney Johnson, E.J. Liddell, Josh Minott, Drake Powell, Trevon Scott, Malachi Smith, Nolan Traore and Jalen Wilson.
(2/3) The Wizards' available players are Leaky Black, Bub Carrington, Sharife Cooper, Anthony Gill, Jaden Hardy, Juju Reese, Will Riley and Jamir Watkins.
(1/3) Based on their injury reports, the Wizards will have eight players available, and the Nets will have 10 players available for their matchup this afternoon in Brooklyn.
Final: Heat 152, Wizards 136
Riley: 31 pts., 5 rebs., 5 steals
Hardy: 19 pts., 2 rebs., 2 assts.
Ware: 24 pts., 19 rebs., 8 blocks
Adebayo: 14 pts., 9 rebs., 7 assts.
Bilal Coulibaly has played with an added edge today. At the half, he has two steals and three blocks. Miami leads Washington 77-57. Bam Adebayo has 11 points in 17 minutes.
Six Wizards have shot over 40% on their three-point attempts since the All-Star break:
+ Kyshawn George: 42.9% (21 attempts)
+ Leaky Black: 42.9% (28 atts.)
+ Trae Young: 42.9% (21 atts.)
+ Tristan Vukčević: 42.3% (71 atts.)
+ Jaden Hardy: 40.9% (115 atts.)
+ Bub Carrington: 40.6% (96 atts.)
The playing statuses of Alex Sarr and Tristan Vukčević have been downgraded to OUT for this afternoon's game in Miami. But Justin Champagnie, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson have been upgraded to AVAILABLE. Today's game is the first game of a back-to-back for the Wizards.