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The Associated Press
\nThe New York Knicks\u2019 Jalen Brunson drives past the Atlanta Hawks\u2019 Dyson Daniels on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
CLEVELAND \u2014 The Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers were underdogs going into their first-round playoff series. Both teams will be looking to close things out on tonight in their respective Game 5s.<\/p>\n
Orlando looks to become the seventh No. 8 seed to advance when it plays at top-seeded Detroit.<\/p>\n
The fourth-seeded Lakers, who are without the injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, host the fifth-seeded Rockets, who have missed Kevin Durant for three of the four games.<\/p>\n
Cleveland hosts Toronto with that series tied at two games apiece. It\u2019s the only first-round series where home court has held up. The Cavaliers won the first two before the Raptors evened things over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The Magic \u2014 who are looking to win a playoff series for the first time since 2010 \u2014 have plenty of momentum after winning both games in Orlando. But they haven\u2019t won a Game 5 on the road in the playoffs, going 0-9.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve put ourselves in a position to try to get four (wins), but right now it means nothing. We\u2019ve got the advantage, and right now we\u2019ve just got to make sure we keep that advantage,\u201d coach Jamahl Mosley said.<\/p>\n
Orlando is also looking to be only the second No. 8 seed to win its first-round series after advancing through the play-in tournament. Miami did it in 2023 when it dispatched Milwaukee in five games. The Heat ended up advancing to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Denver.<\/p>\n
Detroit hasn\u2019t advanced past the first round since 2008. Pistons fans can take some solace that they were the last team to come back from a 3-1 first-round deficit as a top seed. And it was against the Magic in 2003.<\/p>\n
\u201cBacks are against the wall. \u2026 What are you going to do? You\u2019re going to fight. You have to fight to the end, so let\u2019s get back to the crib, protect the crib, and take it one game at a time,\u201d Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart said. \u201cThe series is not over and we are going to keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s almost easy to forget the Lakers were widely expected to lose this series handily while playing without their top two scorers, because now they\u2019re unexpectedly facing pressure to close it out at home in Game 5.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you have to kill them. It\u2019s difficult to kill someone. Survival instinct says, \u2018I want to stay alive,\u2019 so you\u2019ve got to be able to kill them,\u201d Lakers coach JJ Redick said.<\/p>\n
Even though Doncic remains out, Reaves could provide a boost. He will be a game-time decision after being sidelined nearly four weeks with a strained oblique.<\/p>\n
76ers extend series<\/p>\n
BOSTON \u2014 Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination, beating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1 in the series before returning to Boston to keep their season alive. Game 6 is back in Philadelphia on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Brunson scores 39<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014 Jalen Brunson scored 39 points, nearly extending his own franchise record for 40-point playoff games, and the New York Knicks routed the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 for a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.<\/p>\n
With their second straight lopsided victory, the Knicks positioned themselves to win the series Thursday night in Atlanta.<\/p>\n
Anti-tanking<\/p>\n
The NBA moved closer to a slightly expanded 16-team lottery, one that will flatten odds of winning the No. 1 pick and try to deter tanking by drastically lowering the chances of winning for the teams that finish with the three worst records.<\/p>\n
The proposal, which was reviewed by the league\u2019s general managers, will be further discussed before it goes the Board of Governors for a final vote that is expected next month. It will not change the current format, which will likely be utilized for the final time when the lottery for this year\u2019s draft is held May 10. This would go into effect next year. <\/p>\n
Top executive<\/p>\n
Brad Stevens earned the NBA\u2019s Executive of the Year award for the second time in three seasons.<\/p>\n
He built a Boston roster that secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Despite parting with four players to avoid a massive luxury tax bill, Boston remains a championship contender.<\/p>\n
Stevens received 11 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives. Atlanta\u2019s Onsi Saleh finished second, and Detroit\u2019s Trajan Langdon was third.<\/p>\n
Guilty plea<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014 Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n PHILADELPHIA \u2014 Alex Cora was offered a managerial position by the Philadelphia Phillies after being fired by the …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n