Category: NBA

Widely regarded as the best prospect and top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa is one of the most NBA-ready college freshmen ever. He is a rare breed, a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and skill that should translate well to the NBA. He’s good at just about everything and is one of the most highly touted prospects in the past 30 years. At just 19, he’ll enter the NBA as a matchup nightmare for the other 29 teams. Congrats, Washington, you don’t have to be the laughingstock of the NBA anymore.

The basics

Born on January 29, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts, Dybantsa grew up in nearby Brockton (and yes, he’s a Celtics fan). He is of Congolese and Jamaican descent. He originally attended Saint Sebastian High School, where he was named Massachusetts Boys’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year following a prolific freshman season – averaging 19.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. At just 14, Dybantsa led Saint Sebastian’s to the NEPSAC Class A state championship, but lost to Milton Academy by a single point, 77-76.

He then transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, for his sophomore year. In July 2023, he led the Nike Peach Jam in scoring at 25.8 points per game as a member of Expressions Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union team from Boston. Dybantsa ended his high school career at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah.

Dybantsa was named the top overall prospect by ESPN as a high school freshman in the 2026 class and later re-classified into the 2025 class. He officially committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) in December 2024, electing to stay in Utah. He is the highest-ranked basketball recruit to ever attend BYU.

Following a nearly impeccable season at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points (first in the NCAA), 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He added to his accolades, earning first team All-American, the Julius Irving Award, NCAA Scoring Champion, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He has also been named a McDonald’s All-American (2025) and FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (2025). Dybantsa’s accomplishments and incredible freshman season have him primed for the NBA level.

The good

Dybantsa is about as good as they get. If it weren’t for an otherworldly talented draft class, he would stick out ahead of the rest like Cooper Flagg did last season. And also similar to Flagg, the 6’9, 210-pound forward is positionless and can play one through four.

There are several positives to Dybantsa’s game, but the first thing that jumps out is his scoring ability. He led the NCAA in scoring in the 2025-2026 season, with 25.5 points per game – on 51% from the floor. While his outside shooting could use some work – 33.1%, that number showed significant growth over the season, as he became more comfortable shooting from the outside. By season’s end, he was averaging shooting 4.2 threes per game and making 1.4. What makes the BYU prodigy so special is his ability to score in the midrange and inside.  He is particularly dangerous in face-up situations, where he can attack downhill, get to his spots in the mid-range, or create space for pull-ups. In the paint, Dybantsa shot 56.8% (259-456), well above average for forwards and guards. His quick twitch explosiveness and ability to change directions allow him to break down defenders, while his strength lets him overpower smaller matchups and finish through contact. He has an uncanny ability to recognize mismatches and get to his spots on the floor.

Another unique part of Dybantsa’s game is his ability to facilitate. While 3.7 assists per game doesn’t jump off the page, his ability to make the right basketball play and find teammates propels Dybantsa’s game to an entirely new level. He’s the definition of a true triple-threat with the ball in his hands and doesn’t just showcase his game but elevates his teammates’ as well. He’s exceptionally good at live dribble reads like pick-and-roll and double teams. He often commands a lot of attention on the floor, a heliocentric type of player, but is witty and crafty enough to make the right decisions.

The room to improve

There aren’t many true weaknesses to Dybantsa’s game, but one is his outside shooting. With his ability to score at all three levels (three-point, mid-range, inside), it’s not a major problem that he only shot 33.1% from three last season. But the NBA is a more position-less league than the NCAA and many of the NBA’s elite teams have efficient three-point shooting forwards. If Dybantsa wants to be an elite player in the NBA, he’ll need that number to creep northward to that 36-38% mark. Initially, teams will probably leave him with space to shoot, since he’s such a mobile threat getting into the paint. He’ll need to take, and make, those.

While he does have the ball in his hands quite a bit, his 3.1 turnovers per game are high, especially for a forward. Dybantsa does tend to force his shot from time to time, rather than pass out and re-post or make another play. He’s also heavily reliant on his right hand. Mavs fans had the spectacle of watching Cooper Flagg look more ambidextrous than right-handed dominant as he attacked defenses from both sides, often favoring the left. Dybantsa will need to continue to develop his ability to attack with both hands.

Player comparison

Dybantsa is most often compared to two players: Tracy McGrady and DeMar DeRozan. He draws comparisons to McGrady because of his quickness and explosiveness off the dribble, as well as his ability to score from anywhere on the court. At his peak in the 2002-2003 season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. The other comparison is DeMar DeRozan, with Dybantsa’s heavy reliance on his midrange game. At his peak, DeRozan was one of the NBA’s high fliers, showcasing his ability to finish at the rim as well as on the perimeter. His best season in 2021-2022 had him putting up 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

Fit with Wizards and looking ahead

Dybantsa is a seamless fit for an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team. DC went all in at the trade deadline acquiring all-stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Plugging in an elite talent like AJ Dybantsa will create matchup nightmares for teams. Not to mention, the Wizards also have Alex Sarr, the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, who averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. They also have the sixth pick from the 2025 draft in Tre Johnson (12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists), the seventh pick from the 2023 draft in Bilal Coulibaly (11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), and the 24th pick from the 2024 NBA draft in Kyshawn George (14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists).

The Wizards have a great mix of young, raw talent and veterans to not just get out of the basement in the Eastern Conference next year, but make a serious run for a top-six seed.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that they will unveil their all-new uniforms in less than two weeks. On Sunday, June 7th, the Wolves will showcase the new-look jerseys in front of fans at an event at Target Center. Fans can purchase tickets for $1 to attend the event.

The Timberwolves teased the upcoming rebrand on their social media accounts.

🐺⏳ pic.twitter.com/ECPb29h3qG

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 26, 2026

The last time the Timberwolves rebranded was during the 2017 offseason, when they released their new logo in April and, in August, the updated jerseys to go along with it. They traded for Jimmy Butler in June of that same offseason.

The Wolves have desperately needed an updated look since then. Their current set of jerseys has grown stale, while their 90s throwback, Prince, and classic black tree jerseys have been incredibly popular.

It has long been rumored that the Timberwolves would soon be going through a rebrand of both their jerseys and logo. With More Lore and Alex Rodriguez taking full control of the franchise last July, it appears now is the time for them to mold the image and iconography of the franchise as it heads into a new era under their leadership.

Wordmarks for the Wolves' Association (white), Icon (blue) and Statement (black) for next season. https://t.co/UqSY5tFXx3pic.twitter.com/G6n88tlbid

— NBA Uniform Tracker™ (@nbaunitracker) May 12, 2026

“We’ve done a lot of work in the background. think our fan base is gonna be very, very excited,” Rodriguez said last July after he and Lore officially took control of the team. “As far as rebranding, we have good thoughts, and bringing back some of the history of the KG days is something that we’re both very aware that’s important to our fan base.”

“We really want to listen to fans,” Lore added. “That’s how we’re going to build the value system here.”

The new jerseys will not be the first major change that Lore and Rodriguez have made. This last season, they debuted their new ticket platform, Jump, and significantly upgraded the lighting inside Target Center. Lore and Rodriguez also hired Matthew Caldwell away from the Florida Panthers to be their new CEO.

The Wolves as a franchise have already experienced a lot of change since the ownership transfer last July. Next Sunday’s jersey reveal is another step in this journey of the new era of Timberwolves basketball.

With the NBA Draft less than a month away, we continue looking at potential prospects the Suns could have their eye on, especially if they opt to trade into the first round. Today, we turn our attention to the 26^th overall pick, a draft slot currently owned by the Denver Nuggets.

Why 26? Because we’ve explored before what a trade could look like if the Suns decided to do the Nuggets a favor and acquire the Cameron Johnson pick. It’s also a good opportunity to get a feel for who lives at the back end of the first round.

So here are some prospects to be aware of.

Prospects at 26

I struggled a bit trying to figure out who should go in this group. Ultimately, I settled on players who were clearly not worth taking at 17 because better options were almost certain to be available: I calculated that there was a 97% chance that one of Steinbach, Morez Jr, or Stirtz would still be available at 17.

The players in this group have a reasonable chance of still being available at 26, but will almost certainly be gone by the 29^th or higher. Previous player summaries I wrote included Ebuka Okorie, who is projected to go between 19 and 35, and might be a target for the Suns with the 26^th or 29^th pick. Henri Veesaar (whom I also profiled) is also projected to go around 26. If the Suns are set on acquiring an athletic PF, and Morez Jr is off the board,

Christian Anderson (Texas Tech, Sophomore, PG)

Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) is a 6’1” 180-pound point guard. He is evaluated as an elite, high-volume three-point shooter and dynamic playmaker. Projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he has drawn stylistic comparisons to NBA lead guards like Tyrese Haliburton for his offensive brilliance as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and deadly shooting versatility.

Key Statistics

38.3 MPG, 18.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 steals, 47.2 FG%, 41.5 3PT%, 80.5 FT%

Strengths

• Elite Shooting: Blistering deep-range shooter who connects from well beyond the college line. He maintains fantastic shooting splits (over 40% from 3 on high volume), efficiently transitioning between catch-and-shoot and pull-up jumpers.
• Floor Vision & Playmaking: Possesses a high basketball IQ, operating beautifully as a primary pick-and-roll playmaker. He posted over 7.0 assists per game with a strong assist-to-turnover ratio, often generating “attack-and-kick” sequences that collapse opposing defenses.
• Shiftiness: Uses excellent change-of-pace dribbling and a quick release to create separation against larger defenders

Weaknesses

• Physical Profile: Lacks ideal NBA size and weight, making him inherently undersized for NBA lead guard duties. His slender frame limits his ability to absorb contact at the rim and can be a liability against heavier, stronger guards.
• Defensive Liabilities: His size and strength profile negatively impact his defensive metrics. He is mostly limited to guarding opposing point guards (the 1s) and can be targeted on switches.
• Shot Selection: Because of his elite shooting capability, he occasionally settles into difficult, self-created iso-shots instead of keeping the ball moving.

Draft Range

Between 16 and 39, with an average of 21.6 and a median of 21. There is a 30.4% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Anderson is one of those love him or hate him prospects. He’s a bit on the small side in a time where the NBA meta has moved away from small point guards: they tend to be a defensive liability and Anderson’s statistics bear out that trend. He’s an average athlete for the NBA as well. However, he’s a pure PG who can shoot, and the Suns need that in the worst way next to Booker (if they can get it through their heads that the Jalen Green experiment is doomed to failure so long as Booker is the cornerstone of the franchise).

The Suns are going to have to break the bank to re-sign Colin Gillespie, and drafting Christian Anderson might be a far cheaper long-term solution. Anderson’s NBA comparisons (Haliburton) are ones that Suns fans have kicked themselves over for half a decade, and this would be a second chance.

If the Suns aren’t high on Stirtz, and they’re determined to pick a PG, he could go at 17. However, there’s a 30% chance (right now) that he will still be on the board at 26, but very little at 29 or above. That said, a PG doesn’t make sense unless Jalen Green is exiled to the stamp-licking colonies.

NBA Comparisons

Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, and Reed Sheppard

Koa Peat (Arizona, Freshman, PF)

A strong, physically mature 6’7” 235 lbs combo-forward with broad shoulders. He is an agile and fluid athlete who moves well off the ball but relies more on functional strength and timing than elite vertical explosiveness.

Key Statistics

27.8 MPG, 14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 stocks, 52.8 FG%, 35.0 3PT%, 62.3 FT%

Strengths

• Paint Scoring: Highly efficient around the rim. He uses his physicality and body control to carve out space and finish through contact.
• Playmaking & IQ: Possesses a high-level passing feel, often serving as a connective playmaker out of the high post.
• Effort: Displays a strong motor and rebounds well for a small forward.

Weaknesses

• Shooting Mechanics: His perimeter shooting is the biggest swing skill. He struggles with inconsistent release points and mechanics, which were scrutinized during the NBA Draft Combine.
• Spacing Fit: Without a reliable three-point shot, teams will have to weigh whether he is better suited as a small-ball five rather than a traditional modern power forward.

Draft Range

Between 12 and 32, with an average of 22.4 and a median of 22. There is a 26.6% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there, but that number is increasing by the day.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Peat’s draft stock has been crashing after a disastrous NBA draft combine, where his shooting mechanics and physical limitations couldn’t be hidden any longer. During his time at Arizona, his funky-awkward shooting mechanics were noted, and some observers at the combine believed he was in the middle of retooling them there.

He has average at best size for a small forward, and is undersized at PF. He has good vertical and did well in agility drills, but surprisingly did very poorly in the shuttle run. He was miserable in the 3-point shooting drills at the combine as well, and as a result, I could see him falling all the way to the second round as Noah Penda did in 2025.

Peat’s biggest pluses are his age, motor, agility, and overall feel for the game. If he figures out his shooting mechanics, I could see him carving out a niche as a modern Rodney Rogers sort of tweener forward who is a reasonable threat from three. However, that’s a big “if”, and it’s hard to see how he addresses the Suns’ need for frontcourt size and rebounding. If I were Peat, I’d go back to the UofA and work on my three-point shot and try to make the 2027 lottery.

NBA Comparisons

Rui Hachimura

Allen Graves (Santa Clara, Freshman, PF)

Allen Graves is a versatile 6’8”, 226-pound power forward out of Santa Clara who has emerged as one of the most polarizing, analytics-friendly prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. After redshirting his first college year, Graves put together a historic freshman campaign in the 2025–26 season, capturing both the WCC Freshman of the Year and WCC Sixth Man of the Year honors. A former high school point guard who underwent a late growth spurt, Graves plays as a modern “connector” piece. He blends high-level passing, defensive awareness, and efficient perimeter shooting into a unique statistical profile that heavily appeals to front offices utilizing advanced modeling.

Key Statistics

22.6 MPG, 11.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8APG, 2.8 stocks, 51.2 FG%, 41.3 3PT%, 75.0 FT%

Strengths

• Advanced Feel & Playmaking: Because of his background as a guard, Graves processes the floor remarkably fast. He functions beautifully as a short-roll processor or an extension piece, consistently mapping out standard 4-on-3 advantages and delivering pinpoint skip passes.
• Elite Statistical Instincts (“Stocks”): Graves possesses an incredibly rare defensive footprint for his position. He tied for the most total steals by a freshman in the country (67), boasting a Steals Percentage of 5.3% and a Block Percentage of 5.8%, indicating a high defensive IQ and lightning-quick hands.
• Perimeter Spacing: He is a highly efficient floor-spacer, sinking 41.3% of his three-pointers during his freshman year. His catch-and-shoot capability makes him a lethal option out of pick-and-pop actions.
• Low-Mistake Value: For a young forward handling the ball, his asset management is elite. He averaged just 0.7 turnovers per game despite acting as an offensive hub off the bench. [1, 3, 4, 5]
• Paint Scoring: Highly efficient around the rim. He uses his physicality and body control to carve out space and finish through contact.

Weaknesses

• Functional Athleticism & Burst: Graves lacks true explosion and vertical pop. He requires a clear runway to finish around the rim, rarely finishing vertical lob threats cleanly and struggling with below-the-rim athletic limitations in dense traffic.
• Lateral Quickness in Space: There are sharp concerns regarding whether Graves can consistently guard NBA-level power forwards out on the perimeter. His lack of foot speed leaves him vulnerable to quick counter-moves when caught on an island.
• Volume and Scaling Concerns: While his efficiency numbers are spectacular, they came in a limited 22.4 minutes per game off the bench. Scouts question whether his 3-point efficiency will sustain if his offensive volume scales upward against tighter defenses.
• Competition: Graves played at Santa Clara against lesser competition than most of the big-name Division I prospects in the draft. It is unclear how well he will perform at a much higher level.

Draft Range

Between 20 and 39, with an average of 26.5 and a median of 27. There is a 53.8% chance he will still be available at 26 if the Suns pick there, but that number is increasing after measuring poorly at the draft combine.

Why the Suns Should Take a Look

Graves has a lot to like, and a bunch of big question marks next to him, especially after the draft combine. On the plus side, he’s only a freshman and about to turn 20 years old. He has a great feel for the game, great handles for a power forward, and shoots a ridiculously high percentage on threes at a high volume of 2.6 per game.

Per Tankathon, he has three skills that grade out as “elite”: steals, assist-to-turnover ratio, and offensive rating. He also has three more where he grades out as “very good”. He has great footwork, positioning, body control, balance, and generally looks “fluid”. Fundamentally, he’s a high skill, low athleticism guy.

And there’s one of the two big red flags on him. Graves did poorly at the combine. He measured only 6’7.75” in socks. Wingspan was below average. So was reach, and wingspan minus height. Average at best vertical, and below average agility scores. He was also only average in the 3-point shooting drills. That said, I think the combine is somewhat overrated: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, David West, Caron Butler, Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward, and DeMarcus Cousins all had miserable combines and went on to long, successful, often Hall of Fame careers.

The final big question is how much his stats are inflated because so many of his games were against the Division I equivalents of Little Sisters of the Poor College for the Deaf and Blind? The answer seems to be “some”. In his five games against ranked opponents (UK, Gonzaga x3, and Saint Mary’s), he averaged 26.2 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 7 RPG, on 42/32/88 splits. Still, those are impressive numbers for a freshman, where he was clearly the best player on the team. He’s likely to have more looks on an NBA team where he’s a 4th or 5th option. And, despite middling size and athleticism, he still grades out as a defensive net plus due to his basketball IQ and footwork.

If the Suns draft 26^th, I’d be hard-pressed to choose between Zuby Ejiofor, Joshua Jefferson, Henri Veesaar, and Allen Graves: it’s possible none of them will be left by 29.

NBA Comparisons

Kyle Anderson and Boris Diaw

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Coming tomorrow, prospects available between picks 29 and 31, if the Suns opt to trade up into the backend of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks were considered the favorites in the Eastern Conference entering the season, but their inspired run to the 2026 NBA Finals has still proven a lot of people wrong along the way. Those who believed the Knicks made a mistake by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and replacing him Mike Brown before the season are eating crow now. Long-time critics of Karl-Anthony Towns’ toughness and defensive ability currently look like fools. Trading five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges won’t seem like the worst deal in NBA history if the Knicks raise a championship banner for the first time since 1973.

There are a long list of skeptics who need to sign an apology form after the Knicks’ dominating run through the East, but maybe it’s no surprise that the top target of “I told you so” blowback from Knicks fans is a woman.

Back in 2023, WNBA head coach Becky Hammon went on ESPN and said the Knicks didn’t have a “1A dude” to lead them to a championship. When co-panelist Kendrick Perkins brought up Jalen Brunson, she said “He’s too small. If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” while noting Steph Curry is an exception. Watch the old clip here:

r5e4hgt54htxe pic.twitter.com/vGLd7Bav07

— Erick Savage (@ErickSavage13) December 21, 2023

Knicks fans are raking Hammon through the coals for this take after the 6’2 Brunson won Eastern Conference Finals MVP. There’s nothing wrong with a victory lap for a fanbase that has been starved for success for decades, but if anything Hammon’s criticism of Brunson shows how much of an outlier he truly is.

Go back through every NBA champion of the last 40 years. How many of them have had their best player be under 6’6? I’m only seeing a couple:

• Isiah Thomas for the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. Thomas was listed at 6’1.
• Stephen Curry for the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2022 (and I’d argue 2017 and 2018 even with Kevin Durant on the roster). Curry was listed at 6’3.

The only other player you can argue for is Chauncey Billups with the 2004 Pistons, but that team was much more a collection of five very good players without any obvious lead dog. Billups wasn’t an All-Star or an All-NBA selection in 2004, though he was named Finals MVP. The only Piston on the All-Star or All-NBA teams was their big man Ben Wallace.

Becky Hammon was right historically speaking, and it only makes Brunson’s run more impressive

Brunson has been carrying his teams to championships on big stages since he was back at Stevenson High School in north suburban Chicago. Brunson led a non-traditional power to three Final Four appearances and one state championship in Illinois, and then committed to Villanova as the No. 19 overall recruit in the RSCI.

Brunson started 39 of 40 games for Villanova as a true freshman as the team won the 2016 national championship on Kris Jenkins’ iconic buzzer-beater. He was mostly a role player on that team behind future Knicks teammate Josh Hart, but his ball handling and timely scoring made him a key cog in a national champion.

Villanova earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament the next season as Brunson significantly raised both his scoring and efficiency as a sophomore. The Wildcats lost to Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, setting the stage for Brunson to fully take over the team as a junior.

Brunson was the best player in college basketball in his junior season, and will Villanova to its second national championship in three years. The 2018 Wildcats were an all-time great college team, but it was Brunson was won national player of the year honors while consistently executing in crunch-time to win another ring.

NBA teams still doubted that Brunson’s game could translate to the NBA. Most thought he’d top out as a nice backup point guard. The Dallas Mavericks drafted him at No. 33 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, but on-ball reps were limited after the team also came away with Luka Doncic with the No. 3 overall pick.

Brunson emerged as one of the league’s best sixth men in his third season, and took another step forward as a starter in his fourth season. The Mavs famously balked at locking him up to a long-term contract the previous summer, reportedly refusing to offer $55 million over four years. After a fantastic run in the Western Conference Playoffs for Dallas that season — including a 41-point explosion against the Utah Jazz in the first round — Brunson accepted a $105 million deal to join the Knicks in free agency.

Plenty of people thought Brunson was a tad overpaid on that contract at the time. It turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the NBA, and set the stage for the Knicks’ first NBA Finals run since 1999.

Brunson hasn’t proven Hammon wrong yet

“If you’re best player is small, you’re not winning.”

The Knicks won the East this season, but that’s not enough to prove Hammon wrong. Whether New York plays the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are going to be the underdog in the series either way. The Western Conference Finals have felt like the real NBA Finals up to this point. The Knicks are pushing back on that with a ridiculous +19.8 net-rating in the playoffs so far. After going down 2-1 in the first round against the Hawks, New York has won 11 straight games — and they’re not just winning, they’re blowing teams out in every game.

I really think the Knicks can win the NBA Finals, especially with the way both OKC and San Antonio are beat up right now. New York is rooting for a long and physical series in the West before a winner is determined. They will be resting the entire time until Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals kicks off on June 3.

The Knicks have four fantastic starters that all feel like All-Star caliber players — even if OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have never received that honor. Josh Hart is one of the best role players in the NBA as their fifth starter, and Mike Brown has done well to tap into the bench, led by Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Miles McBride. As a wise woman once said, though, you need a dude to win it all.

Brunson is showing why he’s been that dude all along.

Rookie WR Denzel Boston has a lot to learn at the NFL level, but has gotten a great first impression of the city of Cleveland. One of the first things Boston needs to learn is that Cedar Point is in Sandusky (this writer’s hometown) and not Cleveland, after a visit to America’s Roller Coast.

Along with TE Harold Fannin Jr. and fellow rookie WR KC Concepcion, Boston is being counted on to help elevate the Cleveland Browns offense. While questions continue around the quarterback position, Boston provides whoever is throwing the football a big target with sure hands.

In speaking to The NFL Network, Boston talked about his first impressions of the City of Cleveland, going to Cedar Point, learning HC Todd Monken’s playbook, and more:

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Browns WR Denzel Boston joined the show to discuss his acclimation, bonding with other rookies and the QB battle. pic.twitter.com/1RJBhwJJ9Q

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 27, 2026

Highlights from Denzel Boston on The Insiders

• On Cleveland

“The city is live, the fans are live. The fans are here to support… A couple of us guys were at the theme park… great first impression.”

• Learning curve

“The biggest learning curve is the playbook… a whole bunch of motions and movements.”

• On QBs

“I’m not really paying attention to what reps are with who… That decision has nothing to do with me; I just go out and ball to make plays for them. For me… I haven’t really had a stable quarterback. It doesn’t affect me too much. Different ball spins, different touches on the ball…”

• On partnership with KC Concepcion

“Our relationship has now gone to a brother kind of thing. We are always hanging out outside of the facility. Learning from each other, pushing each other every day… Make plays off of each other… We are matching each other’s energy all the time.”

• Things he’s working on

“Working on, basically, I’m a rookie. I have a lot to work on. Working on my releases, working on snapping down my hips… Always can work on the hands all the time. Working on knowing that playbook like the back of my hand…”

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What stood out to you about Boston’s interview with The NFL Network?

Looking for more offense against the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault decided to insert Jared McCain into the starting lineup, and it paid off, as McCain scored 20 points.

He scored 18 after halftime, and hit a pair of backbreaker threes in the fourth for a very impressive showing.

Overall, OKC’s performance was even more impressive since Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams are both out currently, and Thomas Sorber is out for the season.

For the Spurs, Mason Plumlee got in for the last two minutes. He had one rebound and burned two fouls, one of which was a hard foul against McCain. Most of us just watch games on TV and forget that getting hit by a 6-11/240 lb. guy is potentially quite dangerous.

Fortunately, McCain wasn’t hurt.

By the way, while Victor Wembanyama is the future of the league, OKC has been dealing with him pretty well. He did score 20 in Game 5, but shot just 4-15, and 12 of his points came from the line. He also had just 6 rebounds.

The series moves back to San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday. It won’t be easy to close the series on the road, but OKC is playing very well.

• Jalen Williams downgraded to out, Jared McCain comes up big for Thunder in Game 5
• Jalen Williams downgraded to out, Jared McCain comes up big for Thunder in Game 5
• Jared McCain scores and draws the foul
• Philadelphia 76ers Get Jared McCain Reality Check After Breakout Game
• Former Sixers guard Jared McCain performs well as Thunder beat Spurs
• How Social Media Reacted to the OKC Thunder Beating Spurs in Game 5
• Jared Mccain Trade looks worse as Thunder roll toward another title
• OKC Thunder Make Massive Change to Game 5 Starting Lineup vs. Spurs
• Thunder fans hyped as pair of Jared McCain triples force Spurs timeouts
• 5 Reasons Why The Thunder Ensured A Game Win 5 Against Spurs
• 3 Takeaways From OKC Thunder Massive Game 5 Win vs. Spurs
• 2026 NBA playoff bracket: Thunder one win from Finals showdown vs. Knicks

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The Los Angeles Clippers are on the clock. They have a potential franchise-altering decision to make on how creative they will get this summer with the rights to the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

A lot will factor into their moves including what they will do with superstar Kawhi Leonard, but it seems a trade is evitable. Their options are either moving on from Leonard and trading him for draft capital or good players, which seems unlikely.

During an appearance on Third Apron Podcast with Yossi Gozlan, Law Murray — the Clippers beat writer for The Athletic — said its plausible they will double down on the Leonard era and draft a solid prospect or trade the No. 5 pick for "ready-now" assets.

"The best case is the Clippers just keeping Kawhi and making it work, because Kawhi is clearly the best of those players," Murray said. "And I don't think that draft capital is worth trading him for the dudes who would be coming back. Like the floor of those dudes are in the basement. That's a problem."

With the Clippers picking No. 5, they need to find a replacement for their former starting center Ivica Zubac, who they traded during the season to the Indiana Pacers.

In addition, they need to find a player who is young, athletic and a playmaker who can both score and facilitate the Clipper offense. They went out and got a player who does that in Darius Garland who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for James Harden.

The Clippers have been linked to a number of guard prospects in this year's draft class.

USA TODAY Sports' Bryan Kalbrosky has the Clippers going with Kingston Flemings, the 19-year-old guard out of Houston, with the draft's fifth overall selection. Kalbrosky doesn't expect it to take long for Flemings' name to be called. The Houston guard stands at 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan.

"The Clippers received this pick from the Indiana Pacers and when they are on the clock at No. 5 overall, look for them to potentially call on Houston freshman Kingston Flemings. The All-Big 12 guard has several games when he has recorded at least three steals, notching eight against Arizona State earlier this season," Kalbrosky wrote. "He scored 42 points against No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 24. Flemings helped lead Houston to the Sweet 16, and with highs as high as his were this season, it will not take long for him to hear his name called on draft night. Flemings measured with a 40.5-inch max vertical and elite speed across all his agility testing."

Here are sports experts' mock draft predictions for the Clippers:

Experts' share Los Angeles Clippers mock draft selection

USA TODAY Sports: Kingston Flemings, Houston, point guard

CBS Sports: Keaton Wagler, Illinois, point guard

ESPN:  Keaton Wagler, Illinois, point guard

Bleacher Report: Darius Acuff Jr., Akansas, point guard

NBAdraft.net: Darius Acuff Jr., Akansas, point guard

Yahoo Sports: Keaton Wagler, Illinois, point guard

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles Clippers mock draft 2026 first-round predictions

In the NBA, overcoming a 3-2 deficit is notoriously difficult. But it has been done.

In 1969, the Boston Celtics trailed the Los Angeles Lakers. After dropping the first two games, the Celtics tied the series before falling in a 3-2 hole.

The Celtics won the final two games, giving Bill Russell his swan song. Russell started is career with the Celtics in 1956 before retiring after the 1969 Finals. From 1966-1969 he served as player-coach. Over 13 seasons, Russell and the Celtics won 11 titles.

The 1969 Finals was also the first year to offer a Finals MVP. The winner was Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the only time that the MVP award was given to a player on the losing team.

The 3-2 comeback has happened a couple of others, though it is not common. Two games can be daunting.

The Spurs return home for Game 6. And that should be the only thing on their mind. They need a full team effort to force a Game 7. They have a plan which requires flawless execution.

The good news they know what needs to be done, and they have the skills to accomplish it.

Go Spurs Go!

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Good morning, BBN!

Today is the day we find out exactly which players will stay in the NBA Draft and which will officially declare for it.

Obviously, all eyes are on Milan Momcilovic for Kentucky.

If the Cats can convince him to come back for this year, that gives BBN the spark plug it needs to get excited about the coming season.

However, it looks like the Arizona Wildcats have become a contender for Momcilovic because they believe Koa Peat will stay in the draft. St. John’s has also been heavily in the mix.

If the Cats can’t land Momcilovic, their options are looking tigher and tigher to fill their last roster spots.

Allen Graves was another one to potentially watch out for, but with first-round projections, it seems he’ll be staying in the Draft, same with Tounde Yessoufou.

For what it’s worth, Mike Rutherford of Card Chronicle and SB Nation thinks Momcilovic returns to school and signs with Kentucky.

A big day for BBN. Do you think Momcilovic stays? If he doesn’t, do you think he’ll commit to UK?

Tweet of the Day

Top performers from the Elite 11 regionals🎯

(via @CharlesPower)

Read: https://t.co/ip0XmBzkW5pic.twitter.com/G46LMfyBdo

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 26, 2026

Things you love to see.

Headlines

Change of Direction Leads Cats Into NCAA Tournament – UK Athletics

Bat Cats have rallied; now, anything is possible!

Wildcats Set for Start of NCAA East First Round on Home Turf – UK Athletics

Good luck, UK Track and Field!

Sources: NCAA denies reinstatement for Texas Tech QB Sorsby – ESPN

This is probably the most intriguing case I’ve seen in sports in a while.

Jessica Pegula suffers first-round upset by Kimberly Birrell in French Open – Yahoo Sports

Exciting match!

It’s time for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be the MVP: Thunder need SGA to step up vs. Spurs – CBS Sports

You’ll know if he did this morning, but I’m excited to see SGA, hopefully, step up.

Texans give star WR Nico Collins raise in reworked deal – ESPN

Well-deserved.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT World Cup squad is officially revealed– Yahoo Sports

Excited for the World Cup!

‘They were not going to tank’: Jerome Bettis supports Steelers’ decision to re-sign Aaron Rodgers – CBS Sports

I respect it.

Sources: Kenny Atkinson to return as Cavaliers head coach – ESPN

A tad surprising.

The longer Seattle waits on a Devon Witherspoon contract extension, the pricier it gets – CBS Sports

Agreed, lock him down!

On 7^th Ave., outside the arena that will host its first NBA Finals game in 27 years, fans poured onto the streets with brooms. They climbed streetlamps and scaffolding and withstood a fine rain that fell all night.

On the mayor’s smartphone — with a hat tip to the New York City Department of Sanitation — a well-timed troll was posted in 43 total characters.

In Harlem, a smattering of “Let’s go Knicks” chants could be heard deep into the night Monday, May 25, well after the New York Knicks demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

But now that New York (and its fans) have this time to sit back and scout their future opponent, whom should they prefer to face: the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs?

Though the Knicks appear likely to enter the NBA Finals as underdogs regardless of opponent, the answer is the Spurs, the primary reason being San Antonio’s inexperience in the playoffs.

While the Spurs have been tremendous this postseason and have played well beyond their expected maturity, this is still a young team whose players — at least in most cases — are making their first postseason runs.

That inexperience showed Tuesday, May 26 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, a pivotal game in the series, when San Antonio failed to match Oklahoma City’s desperation and urgency.

The Thunder, the defending champions, understand the effort and grind it takes to compete with consistency. They present a far more formidable test, at least in terms of the intangibles of experience.

And while regular-season results shouldn’t carry too much weight, the Knicks nonetheless topped San Antonio 2-1, including the NBA Cup championship in December.

Elsewhere, and as crazy as it sounds, the Knicks can actually use the Victor Wembanyama matchup to their advantage. Wembanyama might be the toughest to guard in the solar system, but the Knicks are actually well equipped to slow him down.

For one, New York has tremendous defensive versatility because of its size, length and athleticism at wing. Each of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart can defend Wembanyama, though that assignment would likely fall to Anunoby, a second-team All-Defensive selection.

Anunoby defended Wembanyama (and to some success) during their regular-season matchups, but this would be a team effort.

But New York can take different tactical approaches against Wembanyama: when the Knicks want to go smaller, they can deploy Anunoby, and when they want to defend him with size and physicality, they can ask centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson — both of whom outweigh Wembanyama — to throw their size around to make Wembanyama uncomfortable.

The key for both Towns and Robinson, who each can be susceptible to foul trouble, would be to maintain discipline.

On the other end of the floor, New York’s offensive portfolio can pose problems for Wembanyama. If the Spurs would decide for Wembanyama to defend either Towns, Anunoby or Hart, all three can roam the perimeter, which would force Wembanyama to vacate the paint. In this respect, Towns poses the biggest issues with his extensive range.

By drawing Wembanyama out of the paint, Jalen Brunson and other Knicks players would have more space to attack the rim.

Granted, that’s all easier said than done, but the Knicks are playing historic basketball.

This is another case where Oklahoma City — with its active hands, persistence at the point of attack and rim protection with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein — can pose larger problems.

The Thunder also have a deeper team and often play 11- and 12-man rotations.

Either way, whether it’s the Spurs or the Thunder, this will be New York’s toughest test of the postseason, and by a wide margin.

All the more reason why the Knicks should hope that the Western Conference finals extends to seven games. It has been a hard-fought, physical battle, and a series like this can wear on the winning team.

And if the Knicks are to win their first NBA championship in 53 years, against these opponents, they’ll need all the help they can get.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks should be rooting for Spurs as 2026 NBA Finals opponent

“The Rockets are realistic championship contenders after this trade – and that’s the whole reason the deal happened.” – Tim McMahon

“This elevates them to championship contention… Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them in the Western Conference Finals… The Houston Rockets are instant title contenders.” – Stephen A. Smith

“When you put Kevin Durant on any basketball team, immediately they become right into the mix of contenders.” – Kenny Smith

These were just some of the national media reactions to the Houston Rockets acquiring Kevin Durant in a “blockbuster” trade with the Phoenix Suns last summer. The reactions weren’t surprising, as many of them had been clamoring for the deal from the moment the Rockets were eliminated by Golden State in Round 1 of the 2025 playoffs. However one writer, from a humble but legendary blog in its own right, was far less enthusiastic of the prospect of trading away the leading scorer and the defensive heartbeat of a 52-win team that had just increased its win total from the previous season by 19 games, only to lose to a far more experienced team in playoffs.

“Kevin Durant is no doubt one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, and even at the age of 37, he can still get it done. But he is 37, and in the last three seasons, he has missed 62 total games due to injury. Kevin Durant going to a team that will depend on his availability in order to compete for a championship likely will suffer the fate of… well the Phoenix Suns….Keep in mind that whoever trades for Kevin Durant will also have to give a contract extension … Paying a nearly 40-year-old Kevin Durant $60 million… These are the types of moves only bad teams make.” – Nick Stevenson

To be fair, the Rockets extension of Kevin Durant ended up being an average of $45-million per year, which under the circumstances was a very prudent move by them. So, in that regard, I was wrong. The argument could be made I was wrong about the risk of Kevin Durant’s injury history… until I wasn’t.

At the age of 37, Kevin Durant played in 78 regular season games in 2025-2026. That is the most games played by him since the 2013-2014 campaign. In those 78 games, he led the Rockets in scoring (26.0 ppg), he led them in minutes played (36.4 mpg), and he led them in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and true shooting percentage. In the regular seaso,n he was everything as advertised on the court… a bucket. Early on, he even seemed to be willing to take on more of a leadership role amongst the young group surrounding him. Then came February.

Do you believe KDF will address the burner of his @gethigher77 weird how all his friends in search engine are the ones who are responding to it and he goes in chats on it trashing teammates pic.twitter.com/ICzj2f912E

— Tolu-wani (@basedfrog23) February 15, 2026

That’s when the internet became suspicious that KD was using a burner account to trash his teammates. Wherever you land on this conspiracy, the fact that it’s even remotely believable speaks volumes. By that time, the Rockets were in the midst of losing games that they shouldn’t, blowing big leads, and proving themselves to be their most awful in the most critical moments of games. The one thing the national media told us was the reason the Rockets needed KD for was apparently taken as gospel by the coaches and players who seemed to have no other plan in crunch time other than, force the ball to Durant, then stand and watch.

There were some games where the strategy worked out, but early in the season, even when the Rockets were winning games at a high clip, it was clear that simply depending on Kevin Durant to bail you out in clutch situations was not a winning formula against the upper echelon in the league. The Rockets were not winning games against the best of the best because their offense became stagnant, predictable, and too often there was a lack of execution. This problem is not all on Kevin Durant, but throughout the entire season, he unfortunately never became a part of the solution either. The key injuries to Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams were contributing factors as well. Therefore, going into the playoffs it was clear that the Rockets were going to have no choice but to rely heavily on the iso creation of Kevin Durant to win playoff games, until…

On April 17, 2026, the Houston Chronicle reported that Kevin Durant was “Questionable” for the playoff opener against the Lakers, with a knee injury he reportedly got in a team practice, colliding with a teammate trying recover a loose ball going out of bounds. He would indeed miss Game 1 of that series, play 41 minutes in Game 2, scoring 20 of his 23 points in the first half, then would proceed to miss the last 3 games of the series with an ankle injury. As you well know, the Rockets lost the series in six games, averaging 98.6 points per game.

Those are all of the facts, sprinkled with some opinions from myself and others who cover the sport. Let’s be clear, the book is not closed on whether the trade for Kevin Durant was the right move. Not after just one season when Kevin Durant is at least contractually, going to be playing for the Rockets for two more years. However, for 2025-2026, we have to admit that this team and the impact that Kevin Durant would have, fell far short of expectations, or the expectations were unreasonable in the first place.

Whether you are in the camp of the national media who crowned the Rockets immediate contenders, or you were amongst those who were cautious if not skeptical… the fact is none of us are right and none of us are wrong. Not yet anyway, but those of us who were skeptical are very close to looking as if we were right. As more trade rumors continue to surround the Rockets this offseason, with names such as Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown being floated, it’s my opinion that any trade involving Kevin Durant would be an admission that acquiring him in the first place was a mistake. An even scarier thought is any trade that doesn’t include him will mean giving up more young talent for an older player to pair with a now 38-year-old Kevin Durant coming off yet another injury that cut his season short. Needless to say, Rafael Stone has work to do.

If you believed Kevin Durant made the Rockets instant contenders, then 2025-2026 was a failed season in your eyes. If you were skeptical that 37-year-old with extensive injury history could be counted on to put a team on his back and carry them to a championship, this is still a failed season in your eyes. It is still my opinion that in a perfect world, carrying this team on his back offensively was not what he was brought here for. At least it shouldn’t have been what he was brought here for. He should have been the compliment to Alperen and Amen leading this team. That’s not what happened, and if what did happen was the plan all along, then once again, it’s time to start holding the decision makers for this team to the fire.

Kevin Durant wraps up our player season in review series. It was a very disappointing end to the season, but now is the time to look ahead. Let the offseason truly begin! As always, thank you to the TDS faithful for rocking with us through thick and thin. We will continue to be here with you breaking down all the speculation, rumors, and news when it breaks. Go Rockets!

Entering his third season as a Celtic, Jordan Walsh needed to make a statement. 

After a rough second year in the Summer League and spot opportunities in Year 2, Walsh had a massive opportunity to crack the rotation in Jayson Tatum’s absence. Early on, it didn’t feel like those opportunities were coming Jordan’s way, and then he hit a corner dagger against Orlando on Nov. 9.

That shot set Walsh on the path to a solid season as a 3&D wing, earning 25 starts and 68 appearances, while establishing himself as the team’s go-to defender against opposing stars.

Walsh finished the regular season guarding star-caliber players 30.74% of the time, placing him in the 99th percentile (7th out of 523 players according to BBall Index).  

Let’s look back on Walsh’s season, and what’s to come for the 22-year-old. 

The Regular Season Breakout 

The two biggest things that stood out about Walsh’s season were his defense and his 3-point shooting. 

Defensively, Walsh made a legitimate impact on a team that was ranked fourth in defensive rating and first in opponent points allowed. 

Two nights after the Orlando shot, Walsh guarded Tyrese Maxey in Philly for six minutes, holding him to 1-of-9 shooting. The very next night, it started the chain of 16 consecutive starts. The feeling was that Walsh was quickly establishing himself as a legitimate starting wing for the first time in his NBA career. 

James Harden, Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero were all in the top-5 of Walsh’s list for most common matchups, and he often left with passing marks against his greatest challenges. There were even some Victor Wembanyama minutes (3:24 to be exact). Walsh’s versatility was finally on display. 

As a perimeter player, what was once a huge point of emphasis in his game actually grew into a strength. 

Walsh wasn’t a high-volume shooter by any stretch, averaging 1.8 attempts per game and 125 attempts in total, but when he fired them off, it became a reliable sight to see him drain it. He shot 38% on all threes, 42% on catch-and-shoot looks and 40% from the corners. 

Something that also flies under the radar but was an important part to Walsh’s regular season success was his impact crashing the glass. For a team that heavily emphasized rebounding from all positions after a frontcourt overhaul, Walsh emerged as one of their best glass-crashers from the wings, averaging 4 rebounds per game. 

After Walsh’s string of starting appearances, he saw a drop in his time on the floor as other starting combinations began to take shape, particularly with the return of Jayson Tatum. After Tatum returned on March 6, Walsh had eight DNPs for the month, though he’d finish the season with starts in the last three games. 

Notable season highlights include a perfect 100% shooting night on eight attempts against the Wizards on Dec. 4, which ended with a career-high 22 points, a 6-for-7 shooting night with four threes against the Lakers on Dec. 5, and double-doubles in wins against the Cavaliers (Nov. 30) and Clippers (Jan. 3). 

Limited postseason opportunities mar regular season progress 

A favorite for minutes off the bench after a promising sample size defending Tyrese Maxey, Walsh ultimately found himself ninth in playoff minutes. 

Those minutes fluctuated to as high as 19 in Game 6, and to as low as a shade under 5 minutes in Game 7. 

Walsh played the second most minutes on Maxey behind Derrick White, and Maxey shot 47% with two turnovers and one blocked shot during that matchup. Among all Sixers matched up with Walsh, he held them to a 41% defensive field goal percentage for the series, forced four turnovers and blocked two shots. 

From what we saw, his defensive impact mostly held up, though Maxey proved to be a more difficult assignment than what we saw in the two regular season games where Walsh matched up on him. 

Most disappointing was a significant dropoff in his low-volume scoring efficiency, particularly from the 3-point line. Walsh shot just 2-of-12 on his 3-point tries and was an overall 21% shooter, ending the season with two missed threes and no other counting stats in his brief Game 7 appearance.

With the season on the line and Jayson Tatum out, the Celtics put more trust in Baylor Scheuermann (22 minutes) and Hugo González (13 minutes) to round out the rotation.

Looking Ahead 

What felt like his last chance to crack the rotation ended in restored faith in Walsh’s future prospects with Boston. 

The Celtics have a lot of wing options on the bench, but Walsh has his own identity, and with a club option that’s a team-friendly $2.4 million cap hit, it’s likely the Celtics will retain his services at a low-cost, or look to even extend him now. 

A seismic change could possibly warrant a choice between picking up the options of either Walsh or Ron Harper Jr., but with both displaying different types of upside as rotation contributors, it’s a good bet to assume they both find themselves on the Opening Night roster. 

Walsh needed a chance to show what two seasons riding the bench did for him, and he got it. We saw some promising signs from the 38th overall pick, who is looking like another quality late-draft find from Brad Stevens. 

Following a dominant defensive performance from the Spurs Sunday night to even the series at 2, that same intensity was nowhere to be found in game 5, resulting in a 127-114 loss that has the good guys on the brink of elimination.

With Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams still out, OKC started Jared McCain in their stead. It was a sloppy start for both teams, as they combined for seven turnovers in the first four minutes of the contest. The Thunder made it a priority to get Chet going offensively, leading to him starting 4/4. On the other end, Julian Champagnie hit three consecutive threes — a welcome sight given that he’d been ice cold in the series up to that point. San Antonio’s defensive coverage was similar to that from game 4, gapping against Shai but throwing aggressive traps at certain times, while Wemby was mainly matched up against OKC’s bigs. The Spurs’ bench minutes were a mixed bag, as usual. Carter Bryant scored five quick points before giving five back from defensive mistakes against Shai, who was ice cold until then.

Unfortunately, the turnover issues continued for San Antonio. The young guards lost the ball multiple times by getting too loose around the Thunder’s perimeter hawks, and Castle’s hail-mary passes were picked off on a few occasions too. The Spurs’ offense became stagnant, forcing bad shots with no off-ball movement. Surprisingly, this all happened with Shai getting an extended rest on the bench, and San Antonio didn’t make a run until he checked back in. The Spurs started attacking Shai offensively and used Wemby as a screener to force switches, leading to good shots for the Black & White. However, they didn’t find the Alien on any of those possessions, resulting in him going into the half with just six total shot attempts. On the other end, OKC’s role players began hitting shots again while Shai attempted eight free throws in the second quarter alone, resulting in the Thunder building a 69-58 lead at halftime.

Unfortunately, the third quarter couldn’t have started any worse for the Spurs. OKC came out on fire, scoring nine unanswered points to go up by 20, while San Antonio looked lifeless at both ends. McCain, in particular, came alive, scoring nine points in just four minutes after being played off the court in the first. Still, San Antonio refused to go away. The Spurs started playing with more intention, involving everyone on offense and creating good looks. In just a few minutes, San Antonio had cut the lead down to just seven, forcing OKC to call a timeout.

The teams traded blows after that, with the game becoming surprisingly sloppy. Turnovers became an issue again, as both sides tried to outrun the other to no avail. Wemby still had trouble getting good positioning on the offensive end, and the Spurs’ shooting went ice cold. Meanwhile, the Thunder regained their footing and made threes, a number of which were created from offensive boards. With OKC already up double digits, the Spurs couldn’t muster up a final run, resulting in Mitch Johnson taking the starters out with two minutes left and waving the white flag.

Game notes

• The Spurs did a great job of hunting McCain and Jaylin Williams (the big), especially in the first quarter. They basically forced OKC to sub McCain out less than 10 minutes into the game, as he wasn’t able to provide the necessary secondary ballhandling on offense and was giving San Antonio easy drives to the rim. Unfortunately, this didn’t continue into the second half, as McCain got loose for nine quick points in the third. The Spurs will need to get back to what they did in the first if they want to take OKC’s role players out of the series again like they did in game 4.
• The Carter Bryant experience is something to behold right now. He scored five quick points at the end of the first with a dunk and a step-back three, before leaving Shai of all people to help on an OKC role player, giving the MVP an open three and his first points of the game. Right after that, he then fouled Shai with 20s left for no reason, sending him to the line for two more points. Unsurprisingly, Barnes checked in for him soon after. The rookie giveth and the rookie taketh, I guess.
• This was perhaps the worst playoff game of Wemby’s career so far. He finished with 20 points on 4-15 shooting and had just six rebounds, while registering a -8 — the first single-game negative for him in this series. The Alien looked completely gassed and barely got positioning around the rim offensively, even when OKC put wings and guards on him in the third. Let’s hope he can regain some juice in a do-or-die game 6 Thursday.
• The only players with average or better performances were Castle and KJ. The former led all Spurs scorers with 24 on 7-11 shooting, and was the only consistent player even though some of his turnover issues resurfaced (though he finished with “just” 3). Meanwhile, KJ was somehow the only rotation player with a positive plus/minus of +3, and he finished with 15 on 7-13 shooting. I’ve been very tough on Big Body throughout this playoff run, but he deserves his due for keeping the Spurs somewhat in this game and refusing to give up regardless of the score. We’ll need to see a similar (if not better) performance from both if this series is going back to OKC for game 7.

Play of the game

Even in a bad game (for him), Wemby never fails to amaze.

COUNT IT 😤

📺@NBAonNBCpic.twitter.com/jqYwPdQMZH

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 27, 2026

Next game: in San Antonio on Thursday

The Spurs will play game 6 in Frost Bank Center on Thursday at 7:30mst. This team has risen to the challenge every step of the way, and I’m confident they’ll do it again to force a game 7 back in OKC.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from another trip to the NBA Finals.

The Thunder overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, May 26, in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, 127-114, to seize a 3-2 lead in the series.

By no means was this a clean game exemplary of Oklahoma City’s ability, but the Thunder adjusted to San Antonio’s plan to get Victor Wembanyama going, frustrating him to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 32 points, though the Thunder had three different players score at least 20.

Here are takeaways from Game 5 of the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Spurs:

The Spurs need Victor Wembanyama to be far more assertive

And San Antonio needs him to work in the paint. Wembanyama loitered along the perimeter far too much to be forceful on offense. Granted, Oklahoma City adjusted its physicality on Wembanyama, but his response to that, for the most part, was to avoid the low block.

In Game 5, Wembanyama took just 9 shots in the paint, making four of those. The Spurs have been at their best in this series when Wembanyama’s presence in the paint opens up the rest of the offense.

“We’re going to need to,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said when asked if there was more the team could do to get Wembanyama going. “He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws. Yeah, he’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure.”

When Wembanyama settles, it also seems like the rest of his teammates do, too. San Antonio lacked juice throughout the entire game, and it was only when he activated them during an impassioned huddle on the bench that the Spurs showed some fight.

“I think they send so many bodies at him it’s hard at times, and I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win,” Stephon Castle said of Wembanyama. “But yeah, he’s our best player, so we need him to be aggressive. And him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”

With their season on the line, Wembanyama will need to be the one to spark the Spurs.

When Thunder perimeter shots fall, they’re tough to beat

In Game 4, a 21-point Oklahoma City loss, the Thunder hit just 6-of-33 (18.2%) shots from beyond the arc. Tuesday night, the Thunder embraced efficiency from deep and didn’t force their looks. This time, they fell.

Oklahoma City hit 14-of-32 (43.8%) from beyond the arc. And while that was only two more 3-point conversions than the Spurs hit, San Antonio had to strafe the rim with 41 attempts to get there.

It’s not just the shot making, it’s what it does for the entire offense. That creates better spacing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to attack the rim and it gets role players going.

Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein deliver steady minutes

And steady is all Oklahoma City needs.

The pair combined to score 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting (70.6%). They also cleaned the glass, scooping 26 rebounds, nine of which were offensive.

This was a good sign, in particular for Holmgren, who had been struggling to score in the series. The Thunder actually started the game poorly, missing some easy looks. Holmgren, however, hit all four of his shot attempts in the first quarter and was a stabilizing force.

“He was really good,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Chet has all the tools, and everybody in our building and the league knows that. He’s a hell-of-a player. And as a player you’re going to go through ups and downs. I don’t ever worry about Chet just because I know how much he loves the game, how much he cares and how much he works.”

The longer this series goes, the better it is for the Knicks

The New York Knicks might eventually be underdogs in the NBA Finals, regardless of their opponent. Yet, they’ll have a clear and decisive advantage in at least one area.

By the time May wraps up, the Knicks will have played just eight games of basketball in the month. New York entered its decisive Game 4 blowout against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a completely clean injury report.

And now the Knicks are afforded the luxury of scouting these two teams from home. All the while, the Spurs and Thunder are expending enormous energy to prevail.

“This is up there with the best of them,” Holmgren said when asked where this series ranks on a list of physical ones he has played. “Our last three series last year were all just bloodbaths, both teams just beating each other up, and I’d say this is up there with that.”

The NBA season is a grind. These players began their preparations for this season in late September when training camps opened. This added rest will go a long way.

And, if the series goes to seven, that’s even better for the Knicks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thunder vs Spurs Game 5 takeaways as OKC moves one win from NBA Finals