Hoops Tonight - GAME 4 REACTIONS: Edwards & Wolves beat Spurs w/ Wemby ejected + Brunson & Knicks SWEEP 76ers

Hope you’re having a great weekend. I’m live from Chicago, gearing up for The Herd this week, and tonight we’re hitting two games hard, then zooming out for the draft lottery and some big‑picture targets.

On Victor Wembanyama’s ejection: I get the frustration because he was getting grabbed, but the elbow to Naz Reid’s neck crossed the line. It could’ve been a flagrant one, but a flagrant two was defensible, and it’s a lesson for a young star who’s too vital to risk.

Without Wemby, San Antonio becomes a different team, and Minnesota’s edge shows up late when the game tightens. Anthony Edwards’ shot creation separated him from everyone else in crunch time.

San Antonio’s endgame got a little Fox‑heavy. They need more equal touches for Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, who can get separation when the defense cranks up. With Wemby back, I still lean Spurs in Game Five.

Wolves’ plan when Wemby plays is different. You’ve got to pull him to the rim, spray to shooters, then crash hard when he closes out. There’s a small window on those long closeouts to get extra chances before he recovers.

Knicks–Sixers was a beatdown driven by pace, unselfish passing, and constant off‑ball motion. New York created a pile of clean catch‑and‑shoot threes by running, cutting, and keeping the ball hopping.

Jalen Brunson’s shift off the ball is massive. He’s scoring in more ways with less strain, and the team’s assist rate has spiked. Karl‑Anthony Towns is diming from the top, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges are humming, and Mike Brown’s got them playing above even a strong talent base. I’m done putting a ceiling on them.

Philly’s issue is speed. Joel Embiid can dominate the right opponent, but against a fast, spaced attack he gets dragged into space and the defense unravels. Brunson pick‑and‑rolls either walked into pull‑ups or slipped past him to the rim, and the Sixers lived in rotation.

Should Wemby be suspended, given the elbow and some people citing Draymond‑type comparisons?

No chance. History matters, and this isn’t a pattern with Wemby. Timing matters too; it happened early, he was ejected, and that swung the game enough. Draymond’s past changed his outcomes; Wemby doesn’t have that track record.

Draft lottery takeaways at a high level?

Thunder dodged the nightmare and are in range for a big, switchable forward like Yaxel who fits their read‑and‑react style. Wizards with AJ Dybantsa plus Alex Sarr is a scary frontcourt if they keep the pick. Jazz with Darryn Peterson next to their bigs and Keyonte George is plug‑and‑play two‑way shooting. Boozer to the Grizzlies is intriguing but slow‑footed if paired with Zach Edey. Caleb Wilson’s upside swing for Chicago is real. Watch for a guard‑hungry team like the Hawks to sniff a trade up for Darius Acuff.

On OKC adjustments: once Shai figures out single coverage, should the Lakers flip the doubles back on?

I’d try zone before rerunning a solved look. They’ve barely shown it this series. Start in man, then toggle to zone if needed, because the bigger issues have been the bigs, transition defense, and turnovers, not just Shai’s shot diet.

Are the Knicks the East favorite now, and who’s the better matchup next round?

I’d rather see Cleveland. Detroit’s speed and regular‑season success against New York make that tricky. The Knicks now have that greater‑than‑the‑sum feel—talent plus cohesion and pace—and that’s the recipe that’s winning in this era.

Mitch Johnson said the ejection was fair and asked for better control of physicality on the glass. Thoughts on refs and flopping overall?

This series has gotten too brutal at times; call the fouls, especially in the playoffs. Big picture, refs have mostly stopped rewarding grifts, which I like, but the league needs that standard all season so we’re not unlearning habits in May.

Why did the Knicks’ offense transform so fast? Were they hiding this?

It clicked during the Hawks matchup when off‑ball actions punished weak help, and they doubled down. Brunson bought in because it’s giving him cleaner looks and lifting everyone else. If it stalls, he can still go iso, but right now the whole room believes in this rhythm.

That’s it for tonight. I’ll be back in the morning with a deeper draft‑lottery dive and then live after Lakers–Thunder, late from Chicago. Appreciate you all for rolling with us.