Dennis Schröder’s Struggles and NBA Playoff Surprises

The DBB captain delivered his weakest performance since joining the Cavs. The Nuggets’ obvious issues were exploited, and the Hawks secured a late revenge against Steve Kerr.

Three Game 3s and three surprises. The Raptors claimed their first win against the Cavaliers. However, looking at the statistics, optimism should still prevail in Cleveland. This is definitely not the case in Denver, as the Nuggets are causing significant concern and are now trailing against the Timberwolves. The Knicks could also find themselves with their backs against the wall very soon, and many questions already loom.

Key takeaways from the NBA night:

Raptors vs. Cavaliers: The ‘Classic’ Shouldn’t Worry the Cavs…

The favorite secured the first two home games with absolute dominance before the series moved to the underdog’s home court. There, concentration and motivation waned slightly, while the underdog, fueled by their home crowd, fought back against a 0-3 deficit and secured Game 3.

This scenario has played out thousands of times in the NBA Playoffs, and it unfolded again last night in Canada. The Cavs won the first game by 13 points and the second by 10. In the Scotiabank Arena, the Raptors needed to win to prevent a decisive blow, yet they struggled to pull away.

Despite James Harden and Donovan Mitchell combining for 11 turnovers and a meager four out of 17 three-point makes, the Canadians only led 83-81 heading into the final quarter, thanks to a buzzer-beater from Scottie Barnes.

In the fourth quarter, everything clicked for Toronto. RJ Barrett made all six of his shots for 16 points, and Jamison Battle scored all 14 of his points with a perfect shooting record (5/5 FG, 4/4 3FG) in the final period. In the last twelve minutes, the Raptors shot 74% from the field and sank eight of their nine long-range attempts.

During the regular season, Head Coach Darko Rajakovic’s team ranked 21st in three-point percentage, but in the playoffs, after the games so far, they are second. It’s hard to imagine them maintaining this level of shooting. The Cavaliers should be able to plan for the next round with continued ease if they play to their usual standard.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers: …But Dennis Schröder Should Be Worried

However, if Dennis Schröder wants to continue playing, he urgently needs to improve. The DBB captain had to accept significantly less playing time in the first two home games compared to the regular season. In a total of 27 minutes, his shot simply wasn’t falling (2/9 FG, 0/4 3FG).

With numerous assists, focused ball-handling, and defensive effort, he at least justified his minutes at times. In Game 3, this wasn’t the case for the point guard. Schröder was only allowed on the court for 5 minutes and 20 seconds. A brief stint from the end of the first quarter into the early part of the second. Then, Head Coach Kenny Atkinson had seen enough and banished him to the bench for the rest of the evening.

‘I’ll do whatever the team needs. Whatever the coach asks, I’m ready,’ Schröder had declared before the game. In the loss, he clearly did not do what the coach demanded, playing his shortest stint yet in a Cavs jersey.

His demotion was quite «deserved.» At one point, he held the ball too long on an inbound pass, and on another occasion, his foot was out of bounds when catching the ball. Unnecessary and minor errors that a veteran should not typically make.

Another instance saw his drive be quick, but his pass was rushed and slipped out of Evan Mobley’s hands. Schröder managed to recover the ball immediately, only to throw it back hectically to an opponent.

What was too fast offensively was too slow defensively. Rotations often appeared un-sharp, and after a half-hearted double-team attempt, he completely lost sight of his man, Collin Murray-Boyles, and was left wandering aimlessly in the paint.

In games where Mitchell and Harden aren’t shining as usual, Schröder is supposed to step in as a backup. The Cavs have one of the deeper benches in the league, but Atkinson has already indicated he’s ready to trim minutes. With 3 points, 3 turnovers, and 0 assists, along with a plus-minus rating of -8, one can quickly become unpopular.

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets: Gobert Becomes Jokic’s Nightmare

The Nuggets and Timberwolves have, over the past few years, earned the status of one of the major rivalries in recent NBA history. This applies not only to the teams but also to the always spectacular center matchup between Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert. On one side, the best offensive player of recent years; on the other, the league’s best defensive player.

However, while Jokic historically completely disregarded Gobert’s status as a four-time DPOY and poured in 61 and 56 points against him in the past twelve months, Gobert seems to have grown beyond his 2.16 meters in recent duels.

In Game 1, the ‘Joker’ still put up his usual triple-double (25 PTS, 13 REB, 11 AST) with decent efficiency (11/19 FG), but in Game 2, he met his match. He could still score against the rest of the Wolves, tallying 24 points, but against Gobert, he made only one of eight shots. This was his worst playoff shooting output against a single opponent defender of his career.

There was no sign of revenge in Game 3; rather, the nightmare repeated itself. Only one in every three shots against the Frenchman, who ruthlessly blocked him twice, went in. In the end, Jokic had his worst playoff career shooting percentage (27% FG).

The main problem wasn’t just that Gobert could stifle Jokic’s scoring; it was that he could defend him without double-teaming, thus limiting him as a playmaker simultaneously. ‘I don’t think I was able to get anyone going because they never had to send anyone to help. They could guard me with one guy,’ Jokic explained self-critically.

He had a mere 3 assists at the end of the game, after averaging over 10 in the regular season. As a team, the Nuggets had twelve assists – the Wolves had 31. This marked the third time this season Denver scored under 100 points, and the first time with Jokic on the court.

The center appears exhausted, with many shots falling short. This is particularly evident in his three-point shooting, which has been completely off all series (5/24 3FG). Minnesota can sag off, pack the paint, and focus on defending cuts.

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets: Big Talk and Plenty Behind It

The arguably even bigger problem, however, lies on the other side of the court. While there’s hope that Jokic will deliver another bounce-back game and the offense will regain its rhythm, doubts about Denver’s defensive playoff readiness are growing.

Of course, Jokic deserves his accolades on offense, and Jamal Murray doesn’t have a reputation as an elite defender. The absence of Aaron Gordon might have contributed, yet it was a disgrace what Denver defended, especially in the first half.

The Wolves’ guards and wings could walk into the paint at will, with 20 of their first 29 shots inside the three-point line finding the net. By the end, the T-Wolves had twice as many points in the paint (68-34) as the Nuggets.

Given that Anthony Edwards was still hampered and not having his usual impact, it was unsurprising that Ayo Dosunmu (25 PTS) and Jaden McDaniels (20 PTS) were the top scorers. Together, they shot an incredibly efficient 18 of 22 field goals.

McDaniels had already boastfully explained his team’s clever strategy after Game 2: ‘You have to attack Jokic, Jamal, and all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team. You just have to attack them.’

Easier said than done. Dreams (or nightmares) come true that simply.

Hawks vs. Knicks: The Worthy Successor to Young and Revenge Against Steve K.

These seem to be good times in the NBA for players who enjoy a bit of trash talk. After Game 1 against the Knicks, CJ McCollum kicked Jalen Brunson in the groin and then declared that there was no Broadway show at Madison Square Garden.

At least Brunson could feel like the sporting winner at that point, but in the last two games, there have been two (sporting!) gut punches. In both games, McCollum was once again unstoppable against the Knicks’ defense (32 PTS, 23 PTS) and delivered the knockout blow in crunch time. The veteran, who moved to Atlanta in the trade for Trae Young, is making a name for himself as his successor. Also as the new public enemy of the Knicks and their fans.

However, it wasn’t just McCollum who has been playing exceptionally well recently. In Game 3, Jalen Johnson, the Hawks’ supposed future franchise player, also showed that he can continue his usual flirtation with a triple-double (24 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) in the playoffs.

The third hero of the Hawks? Of course: Jonathan Kuminga. The outcast ex-Warrior, who regularly had to watch entire playoff games from the bench under Steve Kerr, is now performing with ease in the postseason. As easily as he scored his 21 points (9/14 FG, 2/4 3FG) on offense, it was actually impressive how much he made things difficult for the Knicks with his defense.

While Kuminga was considered maximally unfocused defensively under Kerr, whose future in Golden State remains uncertain after missing the playoffs, he now appeared focused and engaged. The prime example was the final play of the game. Kuminga defended three players throughout the Knicks’ possession, ran from one side of the court to the other, and won the sprint for the final loose ball.

KNICKS FUMBLE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME

HAWKS GO UP 2-1

O.M.G. 😱🤯

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 24, 2026

‘It’s not difficult for me to sacrifice myself for anyone, anytime, in any way,’ Kuminga said afterward. ‘As long as I’m on the court and contributing to us winning.’ Regards to San Francisco.

On the Knicks’ side, numerous (unpleasant) questions are likely to arise. For New York, the final play was also symbolic and should prompt the thought that perhaps another player besides Jalen Brunson should be taking the last shot.

At the same time, Head Coach Mike Brown not only has to ask whether Mikal Bridges played (20 MIN, 0 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST) but also whether he shouldn’t be spending more time on the bench soon.

NBA Playoffs 2026: Matchups and First Round Standings