Bryan Toporek

Baltimore

Senior Quality Editor at Bleacher Report

Co-Host at The NBA Podcast

@BleacherReport Senior Multiplatform Editor / @TheNBAPod co-host / Contributor @ForbesSports and @Liberty_Ballers

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Articles

With $500 Million Roster Looming, Celtics Losing To Knicks Could Be Costly

5 days ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

It's hard to believe the Boston Celtics are trailing 2-0 to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After sweeping the Knicks in the regular season, the Celtics jumped out to 20-point leads in both Games 1 and 2 of this series. They were up 75-55 midway through the third quarter in Game 1 and 73-53 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter in Game 2.
Sixers offseason mailbag: How Celtics’ meltdown could shake up the Eastern Conference

6 days ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images You’ll have to pardon me for a second… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHASorry, sorry. I just got done watching the Celtics become the first team in the play-by-play era to blow multiple 20-point leads in the playoffs. Funny what happens when you have to face full-strength teams in the playoffs for the first time in two years!Yesterday, we asked you for your top Sixers-related offseason questions with the draft lottery fast approaching.
Sixers offseason mailbag: Second-round chaos!

1 week ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder have been the consensus championship favorites for basically the entire 2024-25 season. Naturally, all three lost Game 1 of their respective second-round series and have already given home-court advantage to their lower-seeded opponents. It’s deeply refreshing to watch other teams melt down in the playoffs for a change.
Jalen Green May Be Rockets’ Odd Man Out After Loss To Warriors In 2025 NBA Playoffs

1 week ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

The Houston Rockets' season came crashing to an unceremonious end Sunday. For the fifth time in the past 11 years, the Golden State Warriors knocked them out of the playoffs with a 103-89 road victory in Game 7 of their first-round series. Although the Rockets didn’t advance to the Western Conference semifinals, this season still represented progress for them. Two years ago, they finished with only 22 wins. This year, they finished as the No. 2 seed in the West with a 52-30 record.
Could the Lakers trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason?

1 week ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Bryan Toporek

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Lakers already pulled off one generational heist since the calendar flipped to 2025. Can they do it again this offseason? Speculation is already swirling about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future after the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight season. Making matters worse, Damian Lillard tore his Achilles in the Bucks’ Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers, which jeopardizes his availability at least for next season.
Sixers offseason mailbag: Do they have enough for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with Bucks?

1 week ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images As the dust settles on the Milwaukee Bucks’ third straight first-round playoff knockout, the national media coalesced on one thing: Giannis Antetokounmpo is more at risk of leaving Milwaukee than ever. The Bucks shouldn’t even necessarily wait for him to formally request a trade, either. With that in mind, we asked you for your top Sixers-related offseason questions yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Giannis was front of mind for many of you.
Lakers Doomed Their Title Hopes By Rescinding The Mark Williams Trade

1 week ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

Despite having the two best players in the series, LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers were no match for Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Wolves’ 103-96 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday was the culmination of a trend that crushed the Lakers all series. Minnesota center Rudy Gobert went off for a playoff-career-high 27 points and 24 rebounds along with two blocks as he controlled the paint on both ends of the floor.
Sixers offseason mailbag: The summer of Giannis?

2 weeks ago | libertyballers.com | Bryan Toporek

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images The Sixers now have even more company in the Went Out Sad This Year department. After getting routed in their first two games, the Memphis Grizzlies briefly looked like they’d get back into their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They jumped out to a massive first-half lead in Game 3, but Ja Morant suffered a hip injury shortly before halftime and the Thunder pulled off a historic comeback.
Grizzlies Facing Franchise-Altering Decisions With Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr.

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

The Memphis Grizzlies looked like a dark-horse championship contender for the first few months of the 2024-25 NBA season, but they came screeching to a halt after the All-Star break. They went 12-17 over their final 29 games of the regular season before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Damian Lillard's Achilles Tear Might End The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Era

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Bryan Toporek

When the Milwaukee Bucks fell into a 2-0 hole against the Indiana Pacers in their first-round playoff series, speculation went into overdrive about what it might mean for the long-term future of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks briefly staved that off with a blowout victory in Game 3 on Friday, but they suffered a potentially franchise-altering disaster early in Game 4.