Gentry raises red flag after Pelicans drop to 0-4

The Boston Celtics have lost both Games 1 and 2 at home to the New York Knicks after blowing 20-point leads in each. The Celtics were 4-0 against the Knicks during the regular season and were a popular pick to comfortably beat New York in the series to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, the Celtics will need to win four out of five games and are flummoxed that they’re not up 2-0.

“They’re having difficulty coming to terms with what it is happening,” said Brian Windhorst on Get Up in describing the vibes in the Celtics’ locker room after falling down 0-2. “They don’t understand why they’re losing. They believe their process is working. They believe they’re generating good shots. They are doing the recipe that delivered them the championship and 61 wins. And they are not getting the bake out of the oven like they are used to.

“Obviously, there’s variance with shooting this doesn’t make sense to them. They feel like they’re doing a good job on Jalen Brunson. He’s only shooting 35 percent in the series. They want Mikal Bridges taking all those contested jumpers as he made in the fourth quarter. He’s shooting 29 percent in the series, but they’re losing. They’re at a little bit of a loss right now.

The Philadelphia 76ers offseason will get some clarity at Monday’s 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. If the Sixers pick lands in the top-six (Philadelphia is slotted in the fifth spot pre-lottery), they’ll keep the pick. If the pick slides back to seven or later, the 76ers will convey that selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Later in the offseason, Philadelphia will get roster and cap sheet clarity when a trio of veterans make decisions on player options for the 2025-26 season. Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon and Kelly Oubre Jr. all hold player options for the upcoming season. All three players have until June 29 to decide if they are opting in for next season.

The Sixers expect all three veterans to opt in for next season. Oubre carries the largest contract, with his option worth $8.4 million. Drummond has a $5 million option, while Gordon has a $3.5 million option.

The outcome of the options, combined with what happens with their first-round pick, will determine what signing exception the Sixers have access to. The Non-Taxpayer MLE is worth a projected $14.1 million, while the Taxpayer MLE is worth a projected $5.7 million this offseason.