Breakdown
Performance
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May 4, 2026
Caps off breakout year Sunday
Black chipped in 11 points (4-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist and five steals across 33 minutes during Sunday's 116-94 loss to Detroit in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Analysis
Black tallied a game-high five steals Sunday, punctuating a breakout 2025-26 campaign. A late-season abdominal strain left him with a reduced workload for much of the postseason, but the third-year guard still averaged a career-high 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.8 minutes per tilt over 64 regular-season games.
April 30, 2026
Increased role Wednesday
Black totaled 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals over 39 minutes during Wednesday's 116-109 loss to the Pistons in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Analysis
Black saw an uptick in both playing time and production off the bench, essentially serving as the fifth starter due to Franz Wagner being ruled out with a calf injury. While it has been a relatively quiet series for Black, his efforts in the loss were much-improved. In his five appearances, Black has averaged just 8.2 points, 2.0 steals and 1.2 three-pointers. Should Wagner be forced to miss additional time, expect to see Black playing upwards of 32 minutes moving forward, and he could replace Jamal Cain in the starting lineup in Game 6.