There are seven former Arkansas basketball players on teams competing in the NBA Playoffs, which began last week.
With the first round of the playoffs underway, here is what to know about the former Razorbacks competing for a championship:
Anthony Black — Orlando Magic
Stats: 9.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 42.3% FG%, 31.8% 3P, 76.1% FT
Season overview: In his second season with the Magic, the former Arkansas point guard has begun to flourish. Black, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has started 10 of the 78 games he has played in and in the regular season ranked fifth in scoring for Orlando with 9.4 points per game. In a play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks, his 16-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist performance helped vault the Magic into the field. Orlando began relying more on Black late in the season and strong play from him in a reserve role could be crucial toward upsetting the second-seeded Boston Celtics.
Schedule
Game 2: Magic at Celtics — Wednesday, 6 p.m. Central on TNT
Game 3: Celtics at Magic — Friday, 6 p.m. on ESPN
Game 4: Celtics at Magic — Sunday, 6 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Magic at Celtics — April 29 (if necessary)
Game 6: Celtics at Magic — May 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: Magic at Celtics — May 3 (if necessary)
Celtics lead series 1-0
★★★
Isaiah Joe — Oklahoma City Thunder
Stats: 10.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 44% FG%, 41.2% 3P, 82.1% FT
Season overview: Joe has been a consistent rotation piece for the Western Conference’s top-seeded Thunder, who won a franchise-record 68 games in the regular season. The sharpshooter ranked 24th in the league shooting 41.2% from three-point range and made a career-high 8 threes during a 31-point outing April 19 vs. the New York Knicks. Joe started 16 of the 74 regular-season games he played in, averaging a career-high 21.7 minutes. He is the definition of a role player as a deadly three-point threat whose 0.23 charges drawn per game ranked sixth in the NBA.
Schedule
Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder — Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Central on TNT
Game 3: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thursday, 8:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies — Saturday, 2:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Grizzlies at Thunder — April 28 (if necessary)
Game 6: Thunder at Grizzlies — May 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: Grizzlies at Thunder — May 3 (if necessary)
Thunder lead series 1-0
★★★
Jaylin Williams — Oklahoma City Thunder
Stats: 5.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 43.9% FG, 39.9% 3P, 76.7% FT
Season overview: Williams is in his third season with the Thunder and has enjoyed some career firsts. He recorded his first NBA triple-double March 7 vs. the Trail Blazers with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He accomplished the feat again 12 days later with a 19-point, 17-rebound, 11-assist outing March 19 against the 76ers. Williams, the 34th overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft, notched his third triple-double in the second-to-last game of the season, proving his versatility is no joke. Williams and his former Fort Smith Northside teammate Joe lead Oklahoma City in charges. Williams is one of 12 finalists for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
Schedule
Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder — Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Central on TNT
Game 3: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thursday, 8:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies — Saturday, 2:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Grizzlies at Thunder — April 28 (if necessary)
Game 6: Thunder at Grizzlies — May 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: Grizzlies at Thunder — May 3 (if necessary)
Thunder lead series 1-0
★★★
Moses Moody — Golden State Warriors
Stats: 9.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 43.3% FG, 37.4% 3P, 79.7 FT%
Season overview: In his fourth NBA season, Moody has seemingly started to put it all together. And for the seventh-seeded Warriors, his presence on the defensive end could be the difference if they are to upset the second-seeded Houston Rockets. Moody, the 14th overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft, has established himself as a strong on-ball defender whose savvy navigating screens is a boost. He started a career-high 34 of the 74 games he played in during the regular season. Moody had a personal-best regular season in many key areas, including scoring (9.8 points per game), three-point percentage (37.4%), assists (1.3 per game) and steals (0.8 per game). He is a key fixture for the Warriors.
Schedule
Game 2: Warriors at Rockets — Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Central on TNT
Game 3: Rockets at Warriors — Saturday, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
Game 4: Rockets at Warriors — Monday, 9 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Warriors at Rockets — April 30 (if necessary)
Game 6: Rockets at Warriors — May 2 (if necessary)
Game 7: Warriors at Rockets — May 4 (if necessary)
Warriors lead series 1-0
★★★
Bobby Portis — Milwaukee Bucks
Stats: 13.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 46.6% FG, 36.5% 3P, 83.6% FT
Season overview: It was a tumultuous regular season for the veteran Portis, who was suspended 25 games for testing positive for Tramadol, a painkiller that violates the NBA’s drug policies. Portis has said it was an unintentional violation, thinking he was taking a different painkiller that is approved by the league. He voiced his frustration with the suspension before being reinstated April 9 after serving the time. The Bucks had their highs and lows without Portis, a fan favorite, in the mix. They went 15-10 without him but didn’t lose a regular-season game after his return. Milwaukee carried an eight-game winning streak into the playoffs. Portis ranked fourth on the team in the regular season scoring 13.9 points per game, and his 8.4 rebounds per game were second most on the Bucks.
Schedule
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers — Tuesday, 6 p.m. Central on NBA TV
Game 3: Pacers at Bucks — Friday, 7 p.m. on ESPNU and NBA TV
Game 4: Pacers at Bucks — Sunday, 8:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Bucks at Pacers — April 29 (if necessary)
Game 6: Pacers at Bucks — May 2 (if necessary)
Game 7: Bucks at Pacers — May 4 (if necessary)
Pacers lead series 1-0
★★★
Stanley Umude — Milwaukee Bucks
Stats: 0.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.2 apg, 19.2% FG, 20% 3P, 50% FT
Season overview: Umude played in 22 regular-season games and averaged 3.9 minutes. He went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft and spent time in the Detroit Pistons organization playing for its G League affiliate and in the summer league. He had a breakout year in 2023-24 with the Motor City Cruise that earned him a two-way contact, and in July 2024 he signed a two-way deal with the Bucks. He played a season-high 16 minutes in the regular-season finale April 13 vs. the Pistons.
Schedule
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers — Tuesday, 6 p.m. Central on NBA TV
Game 3: Pacers at Bucks — Friday, 7 p.m. on ESPNU and NBA TV
Game 4: Pacers at Bucks — Sunday, 8:30 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Bucks at Pacers — April 29 (if necessary)
Game 6: Pacers at Bucks — May 2 (if necessary)
Game 7: Bucks at Pacers — May 4 (if necessary)
Pacers lead series 1-0
★★★
Jordan Walsh — Boston Celtics
Stats: 1.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 36.1% FG, 27.3% 3P, 58.3% FT
Season overview: Walsh won an NBA championship in his first season as a Celtic in 2023-24 and is surrounded on the team by veterans such as Jayon Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. He played in 52 regular-season games and started 1. Walsh, the 38th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, is facing his former teammate Black in the playoffs.
Schedule
Game 2: Magic at Celtics — Wednesday, 6 p.m. Central on TNT
Game 3: Celtics at Magic — Friday, 6 p.m. on ESPN
Game 4: Celtics at Magic — Sunday, 6 p.m. on TNT
Game 5: Magic at Celtics — April 29 (if necessary)
Game 6: Celtics at Magic — May 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: Magic at Celtics — May 3 (if necessary)
Celtics lead series 1-0
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