The 2026 NBA playoffs will continue Friday with a triple-header of pivotal Game 3s. Can the Boston Celtics bounce back on the road after a surprise defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers? Do the Houston Rockets have any hope as their series with the Los Angeles Lakers shifts back to Texas? And how will the San Antonio Spurs fare against the Portland Trail Blazers if Victor Wembanyama is unable to play?
Ahead of Friday’s action, let’s take a look at each game and make some predictions.
NBA games today: April 24 playoff schedule
Odds via FanDuel, all times ET
- Game 3: Boston Celtics (-7.5) at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. — Prime Video
- Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets (-9.5), 8 p.m. — Prime Video
- Game 3: San Antonio Spurs (-2.5) at Portland Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. — Prime Video
76ers vs. Celtics Game 3 prediction
The Sixers could have given up after getting crushed by 32 points in Game 1, but they responded with a brilliant performance in Game 2 to even the series and steal homecourt advantage. But was their winning formula on Tuesday replicable? They got 30 points from rookie VJ Edgecombe and shot 19 of 39 (48.7%) from 3-point range, while the Celtics shot 13 of 50 (26%) from behind the arc. In NBA history the Celtics’ 13 3s were the fewest of any team with 50 or more attempts in a playoff game.
Over the last four seasons, the Celtics have routinely suffered inexplicable playoff losses, often due to ice-cold 3-point shooting nights. Most of the time, they’ve bounced right back, and you would expect them to do so again on Friday. Just as the Sixers had extra motivation in Game 2, the Celtics will be juiced up heading into Philadelphia with a chance to regain control of the series. Pick: Celtics -7.5
Rockets vs. Lakers Game 3 prediction
The general consensus after Game 1 of this series was that Luke Kennard’s output wasn’t sustainable and the Rockets would look much better with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Well, Durant returned for Game 2 and the Rockets still lost, in part because Kennard again went off. Now, the Rockets return to Houston for Game 3 down 2-0, and Durant is back on the injury report due to an ankle injury and Austin Reaves — out since April 2 with an oblique injury — has been upgraded to questionable.
No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 series deficit, so this is essentially a must-win game for the Rockets, who are nearly double-digit favorites. That is a massive line for a team that’s failed to reach 100 points in either of the first two games, has 39/29/72.7 shooting splits for the series and appears out of ideas on offense. The Rockets should win this game, but they’ve shown absolutely no reason to trust them to win by double digits. Pick: Lakers +9.5
Spurs at Trail Blazers Game 3 prediction
This series completely flipped early in the second quarter of Game 2 when Victor Wembanyama drove to the basket, got tripped up and slammed face-first into the ground. He was diagnosed with a concussion shortly after leaving the game, and the Trail Blazers pulled off a late 14-point comeback to even the series at 1-1. Now, as the action shifts to Portland with Wembanyama’s status for the remainder of the series up in the air, the Trail Blazers have a chance to take control of the matchup.
Wembanyama is officially listed as questionable for Friday and did travel to Portland with the Spurs, but it would be a surprise if he’s cleared to play in Game 3. Assuming that Wembanyama is out, that would obviously be a major blow to the Spurs. During the regular season, San Antonio was 50-14 when Wembanyama played and 12-6 when he did not — the difference between a 64-win pace and a 54-win pace. The Spurs are still a very good team without him, but they’re much more vulnerable, particularly against a Trail Blazers team that lives in the paint. Pick: Trail Blazers +2.5
