Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Cleveland sports fans are getting severe deja vu with the Cavs down 0-2. But with the series shifting back to their home floor, it's time for Cleveland to dig deep ... again.

Ahead of tonight's Game 3 clash with the New York Knicks, our NBA player prop projections have locked onto the highest-value betting angles on the market.

By analyzing the data against current market lines, we’ve identified where the strongest edges exist.

These Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.

If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

Knicks vs Cavaliers computer picks for Game 3

Knicks	Cavaliers
Hart u12.5 points  -105	Harden o18.5 points -105
Towns o11.5 rebounds -112	Mitchell o3.5 assists -165
Bridges o12.5 points -105	Mobley o8.5 rebounds  -105

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout!

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!

Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/2/bet365.svg" alt="bet365" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Knicks Game 3 computer picks

Josh Hart Under 12.5 points (-105)

Projection: 10.70 points

Josh Hart made the Cleveland Cavaliers pay for sleeping on him in Game 2, dropping a massive 26 points while the Cavs focused on Jalen Brunson. Cleveland won't dare him to beat them again in Game 3. Expect a much more disciplined defensive effort from the Cavs tonight, making the Under on Hart's points prop the smart play.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet hart Now at bet365!/span

Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds (-112)

Projection: 11.77 rebounds

Karl-Anthony Towns is in his bag right now. The New York Knicks' big man has cleared the way in the paint with back-to-back double-doubles, pulling down exactly 13 boards in both Games 1 and 2. Expect him to spearhead the rebounding effort for New York again tonight.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet towns Now at bet365!/span

Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points (-105)

Projection: 13.62 points

While it may seem obvious, Mikal Bridges' points prop presents immense value tonight. With Cleveland’s defense heavily focused on trapping Jalen Brunson and adjusting to contain Josh Hart after his Game 2 outburst, Bridges is bound to see plenty of open looks.

Having already cleared this line in Games 1 and 2 with 18- and 19-point performances, he is in a prime position to stay hot tonight.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet bridges Now at bet365!/span

---

Cavaliers Game 3 computer picks

James Harden Over 18.5 points (-105)

Projection: 20.05 points

The word of the day for James Harden is simple: more. The Cavaliers desperately need him to elevate his game in every facet.

While he put up 15 and 18 points in Games 1 and 2, it clearly hasn't been enough to match a red-hot Knicks squad. Harden has been far too quiet, and it's time for him to pump up the volume to prevent Cleveland from sliding into a familiar, inescapable postseason hole.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet harden Now at bet365!/span

Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists (-165)

Projection: 4.78 assists

New York's defensive game plan starts and ends with making life miserable for Donovan Mitchell. With the Knicks doing everything they can to bottle up his scoring, Mitchell will have to lean heavily into his playmaking to keep Cleveland afloat.

He hasn't cleared his assist prop yet in this series, but the Knicks' suffocating pressure is going to force the ball out of his hands and right into a cashable Over for his assist line.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet mitchell Now at bet365!/span

Evan Mobley Over 8.5 rebounds (-105)

Projection: 8.56

Don’t let a single bad outing scare you off Evan Mobley tonight. While the Knicks limited him to just six rebounds in Game 2, Mobley has otherwise been a cash machine on the boards this postseason.

Back on his home floor, expect the Cavs' big man to play with renewed aggression underneath, making the Over on his rebounding prop a fantastic bounce-back target.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet mobley Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3

Location	Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date	Saturday, May 23, 2026
Tip-off	8:00 p.m. ET
TV	ABC

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

MORE NBA PICKS

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers went down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons on the road in the conference semifinals before winning Games 3 and 4 at home and ultimately stealing the series in seven.

Cleveland will look to repeat that pattern in the Eastern Conference Finals, and my Knicks vs. Cavaliers props dig into the best value plays for this pivotal contest, giving you my best NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

It's all part of our full Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so let's dive in.

Best Knicks vs Cavaliers props for Game 3

Player	Pick
Mikal Bridges	Over 13.5 points	-105
Donovan Mitchell	Over 2.5 threes	-155
Evan Mobley	Over 3.5 assists	+105

Game 3 Prop #1: Mikal Bridges Over 13.5 points

-105 at bet365

The Cleveland Cavaliers strategy to ignore Josh Hart backfired in Game 2, as Hart went off for 26 points. After that outburst, Hart will see more defensive attention, leading to less pressure on Bridges.

Over his last seven games, 31.9% of Mikal Bridges’ shot attempts have been “open,” with defenders 4-6 feet away, and 15.9% have been “wide open,” with defenders 6+ feet away.

Bridges is shooting a blistering 68.3% on 11.7 shots per game in that span, yet he could see even more open looks. I’m willing to bet this one up to 15.5.

Game 3 Prop #2: Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 threes

-155 at bet365

The New York Knicks interior defense has ceded just 40.2 paint points across the team’s nine-game win streak. As a result, opponents have focused on outside shots and attempted the fourth-most three-pointers (37.1).

Donovan Mitchell is just 11-of-38 from deep over his last five games, but nearly a third of those shots were “open” or “wide open.”

Shot quality has been favorable, and Mitchell has shot 36.8% from deep at home compared to 27.5% on the road this postseason. Mitchell can improve when he returns to Rocket Arena, and I’ll climb the ladder to 3.5 triples.

Game 3 Prop #3: Evan Mobley Over 3.5 assists

+105 at bet365

Among centers averaging at least 30 minutes in the playoffs, Evan Mobley ranks fifth in assist percentage (25.4) and seventh in usage (18.8).

Cleveland has struggled to move the ball, assisting on just 57.8% of made baskets, but Mobley has consistently gotten teammates involved with four dimes per tilt.

Cleveland is 6-3 when the big man dishes 4+, and Cleveland’s offense averaged 8.1 more points in those contests.

This is a favorable line that I’ll bet up to 4.5, as Cleveland should emphasize ball movement to get better looks against New York’s stiff defense.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The New York Knicks can move to the brink of the NBA Finals with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks won the first two games in New York. Games 3 and 4 will be in Cleveland. The Cavaliers are favored at home by 2.5 points. The over/under is 214.5.

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

• Date: Saturday, May 23

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

• TV Channels: ABC

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5

• Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers -131 (54.5%) / New York Knicks +111 (45.5%)

• Over/Under: 214.5

Series schedule, results

Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104 (OT)
Game 2:Knicks 109, Cavaliers 93
Game 3: New York at Cleveland (Saturday May 23, 8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 4: New York at Cleveland (Monday May 25, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 5: Cleveland at New York (Wednesday May 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*
Game 6: New York at Cleveland (Friday May 29, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*
Game 7: Cleveland at New York (Sunday May 31, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*

*if necessary

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

After winning a dramatic, double-OT thriller in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs have dropped two straight games and face a 2-1 series deficit heading into Game 4 at home.

Depth and fatigue will be key factors in Game 4, and my Thunder vs. Spurs predictions expect the visiting team to earn a third straight victory.

Here are my best free NBA picks for Sunday, May 24.

Thunder vs Spurs Game 4 prediction

Thunder vs Spurs best bet: Thunder moneyline (+110)

The disparity in bench numbers has been jarring, as the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten 61 points and 121.6 minutes per game from their reserves, compared to just 21.3 points and 60.4 minutes for the San Antonio Spurs.

Victor Wembanyama has averaged 41.7 minutes, and giving him a break isn’t viable. The Spurs are +21 with him on the floor and -38 when he’s on the bench.

With Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox nursing injuries, and Wemby forced into big minutes, fatigue will be critical. I priced this line at -140, so I’m thrilled to get it early at +110.

COVERS INTEL: The Thunder’s 76 bench points in Game 3 are the most in a Conference Finals or NBA Finals game since 1971. Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s by 53 in the win.

Thunder vs Spurs Game 4 same-game parlay

OKC’s defense forced Victor Wembanyama outside the paint in Games 2 and 3. He attempted 25 shots and two three-pointers in Game 1 but combined for 31 shots and 12 triples over his last two. The Spurs need to adjust and get him more paint touches to utilize his size and create kickout opportunities. This is a strong value play at plus-money.

Part of San Antonio’s adjustment has to be more bench minutes. Keldon Johnson scored 20.4 points per 36 minutes while shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc this season. I’ll bet this one up to 9.5.

Thunder vs Spurs SGP

• Thunder moneyline
• Victor Wembanyama Under 1.5 3-pointers
• Keldon Johnson Over 8.5 points

Thunder vs Spurs odds for Game 4

• Spread: Oklahoma City +1.5 (-105) | San Antonio -1.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Oklahoma City +110 | San Antonio -130
• Over/Under: Over 218 (-110) | Under 218 (-110)

Thunder vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Thunder have hit the moneyline in 25 of their last 30 games (+16.40 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Spurs.

How to watch Thunder vs Spurs Game 4

Thunder vs Spurs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

For the first time in the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs trail the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a wild Game One victory, the Spurs lost two straight, including a 123-108 loss at home in Game Three. It was a game defined by the Thunder’s dominance. San Antonio started the game on a 15-0 run, and managed to lose the game by 15, a 30-point swing for OKC.

If you want a stat that sums up a lot of the game, it’s this one: OKC’s bench outscored San Antonio’s bench by 53 points (76-23). When Victor Wembanyama sat out, the Thunder went on huge runs. Even with him in the game, Oklahoma City’s bench was able to score from outside. Meanwhile, the Spurs couldn’t find any consistent offense as they continue to deal with injuries to key players like De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper.

The Spurs enter Game Four needing to win a game to prevent the Thunder from taking a 3-1 series lead. San Antonio is -126 favorites on FanDuel to defend home court and tie the series at 2-2 in Game Four. They’ll need to find a way to score against Oklahoma City’s swarming defense and get contributions from their bench to stay in the series.

Before looking ahead to Game Four, let’s grade the performances from Game Three. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

Victor Wembanyama

39 minutes, 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 8-for-15 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, +4

Wembanyama continues to be the Spurs’ most consistent offensive threat in this series. However, since the Thunder decided to guard him with a big man, Wembanyama has struggled to reach the scoring heights we saw in Game One. He’s being forced to hurt the Thunder on the perimeter, where he isn’t nearly as effective. He keeps getting pushed further and further away from the hoop and is stuck taking some tough shots.

Defensively, Wembanyama has to stick to what makes him great. Too many times, he is being pulled onto the perimeter to contest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mid-range jumpers. While he’s away from the paint, the Thunder can find lanes for drives or kickout angles for threes. It’s also limiting Wemby’s impact on the boards, as he grabbed just four rebounds in the loss.

Grade: B

De’Aaron Fox

31 minutes, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 7-for-14 shooting, 1-for-6 threes, +9

You have to hand it to Fox for playing through what appears to be a significant ankle injury. He went down in the third quarter, and it looked like it might be the last time we see him in the game. But he gutted it out and came back into the game, clearly hampered.

Fox is giving them some nice offensive juice off the dribble, getting into the paint with speed and creatively finishing around the Thunder’s defense. The problem is he didn’t make a lot of his outside shots, which OKC dared him to take, and he turned the ball over four times. If he can play smart with the ball, push the pace, and make some outside shots, the Spurs will have a better chance to win Game Four.

Grade: B

Stephon Castle

35 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 1-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, -17

It looked like Castle struggled to adjust to Fox returning to the lineup. He corrected his turnover issue, but his offense was way off, making just one shot in the game. Defensively, he looks like he may be letting his emotions get the best of him. He is clearly frustrated with the officiating and is fed up with SGA’s ability to get to the free-throw line. He’s fouling too much and complaining about most of the foul calls. Castle is the Spurs’ most physical player, and he’s paying for it a bit with how he guards. He’ll have to play smarter defense if San Antonio wants a chance to win the series.

Grade: C+

Julian Champagnie

35 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4-for-10 shooting, 2-for-8 threes, -4

Not only was Champagnie struggling to hit threes, but he missed several defensive rotations. Champagnie would often overhelp off a shooter to help Wembanyama in the paint (he’s the Defensive Player of the Year and doesn’t need help) or sell out to stop a Gilgeous-Alexander drive and leave a player wide open for a kickout. The Spurs need him to make open shots, and they can’t afford major defensive mistakes. The margins in this series are razor-thin and those miscues will snowball as they did in Game Three.

Grade: C

Devin Vassell

36 minutes, 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 4 fouls, 6-for-12 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, -5

Vassell was arguably the most impactful Spur in Game Three. His shooting was always there when the Spurs needed it, and he was excellent defensively. He’s risen to the moment in this series in a way that makes him look like an untouchable part of the Spurs’ core moving forward.

I also appreciated Vassell sticking up for Castle when he got fouled hard in transition two times in a row. San Antonio has to fight back a bit against some of the physicality they are seeing from OKC.

Grade: A

Dylan Harper

17 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, -13

Harper looks like he is really struggling through an injury, even more than Fox. He doesn’t have the same level of explosion that he had in the first game of the series. That led to a pretty meh night from the rookie, who was inefficient scoring the ball, and didn’t make a huge impact defensively. Harper’s strength and athleticism give the Spurs an advantage in the backcourt. If those attributes are severely hampered by his injury, it’s hard to see them winning this series.

Grade: C

Keldon Johnson

12 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 1-for-5 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, -23

Johnson was borderline unplayable in Game Three. He provided no offense, and he continues to be a liability defensively. It feels like we’ve been saying the same things about KJ all playoffs. San Antonio needs his fire and energy to emerge. In a “must-win” Game Four, maybe we see Johnson return to his Sixth Man of the Year form.

Grade: D

Luke Kornet

13 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-3 shooting, -18

Kornet is in a tough position backing up Wembanyama. When he’s in the game without him, the Thunder are attacking the rim every chance they get. It’s not so much that Kornet is a bad rim defender; it’s just that Wembanyama is so good that it’s almost like a lid has been removed from the rim when he exits the game. That said, Kornet has to hold his ground better to give the Spurs a chance. Wembanyama is already playing more minutes in this series than he has in his entire career.

Grade: D

Harrison Barnes

3 minutes, 0-for-1 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, +2

Barnes hasn’t gotten much run in this series, but I wonder if he may get an increase in minutes moving forward. The Spurs need another shooter and someone who can create some offense on the wing. Barnes has regressed quickly this season and hasn’t shown the ability to be a strong rotational piece in quite some time. But these are desperate times for San Antonio, and Barnes has shown some of the skill set that they need against OKC.

Grade: Incomplete

Carter Bryant

10 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, -10

Bryant isn’t quite ready for a series like this. He can’t put the ball on the deck in a meaningful way, and he fouls way too much to be impactful defensively. All the youthful energy in the world isn’t enough to make up for some of those shortcomings against a great OKC team.

Grade: C-

Jordan McLaughlin

2 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, +/- 0

McLaughlin went from being in the rotation in Game Two to playing in garbage time in Game Three.

Grade: Incomplete

Lindy Waters III

2 minutes, +/- 0

Waters got some cardio in for two minutes at the end of the game, but didn’t make an impact.

Grade: Incomplete

Bismack Biyombo

2 minutes, +/- 0

Biyombo touched the floor against his former team, but didn’t do much.

Grade: Incomplete

Kelly Olynyk

2 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, 1-for-1 threes, +/- 0

Olynyk was very involved in his two minutes. He knocked down a corner three.

Grade: Incomplete

Mason Plumlee

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1-for-1 shooting, +/- 0

Plumlee got a shot to go at the rim and a block in his limited playing time.

Grade: Incomplete

Ahead of Saturday's pivotal Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 between the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges said team's mindset is to continue "playing desperate" despite their 2-0 lead in the series.

"We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta," Towns said. "We just got to, obviously, shoot the ball well."

"We just got to keep playing desperate," Bridges added. "I know it's easier for the team that's down 0-2 to play more desperate, but that can't be us. Keep doing what we've been doing. All playoffs, just staying desperate no matter what the situation is. To us, it's 0-0."

While New York has won the first two games of the Conference Finals by a combined margin of 27 points, the contests have been closer than meets the eye. The Knicks trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before Jalen Brunson went on a scoring tear to force OT and steal the win, and they were down again after the first quarter of Game 2, but dominated the second and third quarters to earn the 16-point victory.

One of the keys to the Knicks' first-round and semifinal series wins over the Hawks and 76ers was Towns quarterbacking the offense. After going down 2-1 in the first-round matchup against Atlanta, Towns averaged 8.6 assists and posted two triple-doubles over the final three games. His assist numbers continued to guide the team against the Sixers, averaging 7.5 assists per night in the four-game sweep. 

With Cleveland having a bit more size to match up better defensively against Towns, New York's style of play has changed. Brunson is back in charge of the offense, dishing out six assists in Games 1 and another 14 dimes in Game 2. Luckily that change in playing style does not bother Towns, as the former No. 1 overall pick made it clear he'll do "whatever it takes" to help New York win.

"I've always said I'm willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win," Towns said. "That's the blessing of our group. We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. And I've been happy because we continue to win, so there's nothing to be sad about." 

Towns was asked if he thinks that lack of selfishness helps makes the Knicks' offense more dangerous, saying it shows the team's character and allows for them to be great.

"I think that the guys in the locker room, the characters, they speak so highly on the court and off the court, is what makes us special," Towns said.

For New York to continue its pursuit of reaching the NBA Finals, Towns said the team needs to keep trusting each other and displaying their "cohesiveness." 

"At the end of the day, regardless if we're home or away, it's about us executing and being disciplined in our gameplan. So that's the most important thing," Towns said. 

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

"We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta"

Karl-Anthony Towns talks about the keys to success for the Knicks ahead of tonight's Game 3 in Cleveland: pic.twitter.com/qwQAgJhfuq

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) May 23, 2026

In an effort to calm my nerves before the game on Friday, I went to an art museum.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for other than a distraction. Anything to stop myself from listening to one more increasingly obscure basketball podcast.

The exhibit on display was titled “International Surrealism: 50 Years of Dreams,” something I was passingly familiar with in the sense that if someone asked me if I know what surrealism was I’d say, “sure” and then if they pressed me on it, I’d probably go on to say, “It’s like, when something is surreal.”

Now, as I learned during this rainy afternoon stroll through the Frist Museum in Nashville, the artistic movement grew out of Paris in the 1920s, and its practitioners were super into the teachings of Freud, obsessed with the unconscious mind. However, where Freud was interested in this concept for therapeutic purposes, the surrealists were more like, “sure man, whatever, but what if we actually just used it to unlock the mysteries of the universe? Or at the very least, maybe paint some cool stuff?”

I passed through the galleries, nodding along, armed with my newfound knowledge and ready to be enlightened or inspired. I saw shapes. I saw colors. I saw sculptures. I then turned a corner and was, all of a sudden, alone in a room with Salvador Dalí’s Autumnal Cannibalism.

Like most things with Dalí, it was weird.

This painting…it’s somehow bright and yet muted, vivid and yet enshrouded in this deep grey darkness that pulls everything in the landscape towards it. Two figures, front and center, are locked together in some kind of unholy embrace, consuming each other. It’s somehow violent and peaceful at the same time. They’re melting into each other. I still don’t even know what I was really looking at, but it held me there for a long time, locked in that same embrace.

As the Spurs raced out to that 15-0 lead in the first quarter, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. It was exactly what I wanted. I’d spent two days obsessing with how the Spurs were going to respond to that Game 2 loss and this was the stuff dreams were made of. Our guys were everywhere. The Thunder looked like they couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t a shot that wouldn’t fall. A pass we couldn’t steal. Every single person in the crowd seemed like they were about to exit the physical realm and spend the rest of the game having to astral project into the AT&T Center.

The furthest reaches of my DNA felt like they were on fire. Flames were shooting out of my ears. I could feel my body shaking. I think I’ll remember that stretch of basketball for the rest of my life. I’ve never seen anything like it. When Hartenstein finally hit a floater, I thought to myself, surely, the game has got to be wrapping up soon considering I’ve lived a thousand different lifetimes since tipoff. I’d been to the molten core of the earth. I’d travelled to the outer reaches of the cosmos. I’d traversed through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Surely, Mike Tirico was moments away from telling us, “So long, from San Antonio.”

It had been 4 minutes.

Four. Minutes.

I just wasn’t sure what to do with that information. My brain couldn’t process it. The Spurs had done it, you know? They’d figured out how to beat the Thunder and they’d gone out there and done it. Who cares if they’d taken care of the job in only four minutes? Stop the count. This was over. It had to be.

I spent the rest of the game, as I’m sure most of you did, melting into the floor, the euphoria slowly draining from my body as the cold realization came into focus that this thing was unraveling in front of us. It wasn’t even some kind of spectacular blow up, just a mundane, systematic dismantling of everything we’d built. The Thunder had grabbed ahold of the thread, and walked away.

Lying on the floor, lying on the floor, we’d come undone.

Surrealism, at its core, is the belief that two contradictory things can be simultaneously, uncomfortably true.

Something can be beautiful and horrible at the same time, occupying the same space. Terrifying and comforting. Completely fictional and utterly real.

It can be a pipe, even when it’s not.

I keep thinking about those two figures in the Dalí painting. Huge. Looming over everything. The act of destroying each other is grotesque in nature, but feels at home in their warped reality. Like they were meant to be here all along. The closer you look at it though, the more you realize the endgame. This isn’t a fair exchange between equals, not really. They take from each other, sure, but the darkness is overwhelming the light, threatening to consume it all.

The Spurs and Thunder are devouring each other in these games. It was a fight that, two days ago, felt like it was on equal ground. Today it’s starting to feel like the Thunder are absorbing everything the Spurs have to offer and the Spurs are simply trying to hold their shape.

It doesn’t feel like this can be the end. It doesn’t feel like it should be. Not yet.

Then again, none of this was the way it was supposed to go in the first place. The Spurs weren’t supposed to be this good, this fast. They weren’t supposed to get the 2 seed. They weren’t supposed to be able to challenge the Thunder. They weren’t supposed to be ready for any of this.

The Spurs are as good as we think they are. The Spurs are not as good as we thought.
The Spurs are flawed.
The Spurs are perfect.

I watched the Spurs go up 15-0 and then I watched them lose 123-108. I’m being asked to tell you which one was real.

The answer, as best I can tell, is both.

Takeaways

• It feels pretty simple really. Guys just didn’t have their legs. I know that’s just my uneducated, guy on the couch analysis but like, were any of you seeing something else going on out there? Shots that normally drop were coming up short. Drives that usually end at the rim were stalling out. Things I’ve seen the Spurs execute all season long, including against this very same Thunder team, just weren’t working. I don’t think there’s an issue with our schemes or our talent or our heart. Like, we’re good on those fronts. We’re just out of gas. Again, it feels pretty simple.
• The Thunder are really good. (barf). They remind me of watching Novak Djokovic play tennis. (barf). Making them bleed only seems to steel their resolve. You can take a set off them, sure, but they have these wells of energy fueled by spite that seem to endlessly spring forth whenever they need them. They are mechanical and brutal and technically perfect. They are taking something beautiful, tearing it down to the studs, and showing us how it works. I hate it. I’m offended to my very core. Congrats to them on the enormity of their success.
• Alex Caruso makes me want to throw rotting fruit at passing cars just so that someone else in the world can experience my pain. That’s right. Every time Caruso hits a three it feels like a moldy peach just slammed into my windshield while I was trying to change lanes on the interstate. If this series goes 7 I might have to go take a walk every time he checks into the game.
• I really wish I had something more substantive to give you from an analysis perspective, but if we’re being real, I do not want to think critically about this thing any more than I have to. I don’t want to see the stats. I don’t want to see the highlights. I don’t want to see the tweets or the pods or the shows. Nothing. In fact, as soon as I hit publish on this thing I’m going to endeavor to never think about this game again for as long as I live. Cheers.

WWL Post Game Press Conference

What goes into the decision to start a recap like this with a total non sequitur?

Well. See. What happened was that the game ended and I immediately sat down at my computer and started typing in an effort to avoid having to sit, think, and process what I had just watched.

So you sat down and started typing your piece, a piece that is, by nature, designed to help Spurs fans process their feelings about the game, in an effort to avoid processing your own feelings about the game?

That’s right.

So it wasn’t intentional to spend 400 words recapping your field trip to the museum instead of the Spurs game, it’s just what came out?

That’s right. Look, I knew I would have to talk about the Spurs eventually, but I also knew I wasn’t ready to do that yet so I decided to let my subconscious take a little walk before we got there. See what that turned up.

Honestly, that feels like it’s pretty in line with something the surrealists would approve of.

Their approval means the world to me.

Speaking of looking for approval, some guy in the comments of your last piece called your writing “middle school girl sludge.” How did that make you feel?

Hey, if I could actually ever write something with half the ethos, pathos, or logos of a middle school girl I’d basically pack up shop and call it a career.

So, really, he paid you a compliment?

It can be both.

First road game of the Eastern Conference Finals for your New York Knickerbockers.

Will the Cavs just bend, or will they molly-break?

Here’s the latest from a wide variety of Knicks-related personalities.

Mike Brown

On the overall Game 2 performance:

“A lot of of guys stepped up; Jalen [Brunson] had a double-double. They’re sending double teams at him, and he has 14 assists. And again, he did what he was supposed to do. KAT with a double-double, 18 points, very efficient shooting and 13 rebounds. Mikal [Bridges] was huge: 19 points, especially catching the ball in the pocket versus their double teams or their tilts. OG was awesome, too. And then, Josh — we had 32 assists on 44 buckets. Josh had seven assists, one turnover, and 33 plus minutes.”

Mikal Bridges

On entering Game 3 with a 2-0 lead:

“We gotta keep playing desperate. Keep doing what we doing, keep playing desperate no matter what the situation is. To us, it’s 0-0.”

On his mental toughness amid his early postseason struggles:

“I know it’s tough, but you gotta be great at whatever you gotta do. A lot of toughness comes from the mental part, and I think I’ve been raised the right way, been coached by a lot of great coaches who talked a lot about mental toughness.”

On his big-game experience having played those in college and past NBA seasons:

“Especially being here last year, just know what it takes, learning from that—you got to be real grateful for be in these moments, and don’t take it for granted. Take every possession by possession, don’t skip a possession, don’t skip a play. Go out there and give all you got, because it’s not easy to get here and you’re not guaranteed to be here all the time.”

On Josh Hart’s toughness:

“Josh is always tough on himself, cause he wants to be great, he really does. That’s gonna be tough sometimes when you struggle. He’s been like that ever since I’ve known him, so I don’t think there’s been a change that he started to change himself if he got upset or anything. I think he’s always been mentally tough and he’s showing it.”

Jalen Brunson

On how defense sparked a sublime transition offense in Game 2:

“I think we were able to get stops and run and get easy baskets. So our offense is definitely — the way we were able to play in transition was a credit to our defense.”

On the Knicks’ growth during the playoff run:

“I think the most important thing is that we’re growing and learning together. No matter what the situation is, whatever the series is or whatever, we’re open to learning, we’re open to getting better, open to figuring out how to win games, trusting each other. So it’s a lot of different things, but I think the most important thing no matter what is that we’re sticking together.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On what the Knicks need to do in Game 3:
“We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta. We just gotta shoot the ball well.”

On Jalen Brunson’s leadership:

“He’s our cap. He knows when we need to be told something and when we don’t need to be told something and let the game play itself out. He’s done a great job, and we have a tremendous belief in him.”

On Mikal Bridges’ role within the Knicks:

“There is little worry in the locker room about Mikal. He does a lot of things that don’t end up on the stat sheet, that he doesn’t get credit for. Right now, the stat sheet’s giving him the credit for it, but we always know the impact he has on our team.”

On staying grounded even being up 2-0:

“We don’t feel any closer than we did last game or any game. In our minds, it’s back to 0-0. We gotta win the next game, it’s the most important game of the year. That’s how we treat it. We’re hungry to go out there and play basketball at the highest level. But we also understand that you can never be satisfied in these positions in the playoffs. The mindset is gonna continue to be 0-0 every single time we step on that court.”

Kenny Atkinson

On praising Donovan Mitchell’s leadership:

“Not just your on court, but your leadership. Your positivity when things were really not going great. Whether we won or lost tonight, we never celebrate you in these things – you don’t want that, you don’t want the praise – but tonight you deserve the praise.”

On leaning heavily on Mitchell:

“I know I leaned on him. That’s the first place to go when you’re struggling, to your leader. We had a lot of conversations, just talking through things, how we can get this thing back on track. And again, he never kind of swayed towards the negative.”

Donovan Mitchell

On staying calm being down 0-2 to New York:

“I’m not sitting here like, oh man, scrambling and trying to figure things out. At the end of the day, we make some shots, we’ll be in good shape. … We’ll make our adjustments. We’ll be at home and protect home court.”

On avoiding discouragement:

“No need to get discouraged. We just got to go to Cleveland and handle business.”

On Cleveland’s experience falling behind in other postseasonseries:

“I think it helps, from a mentality standpoint, this isn’t our first time at it. This isn’t our first time facing adversity, we’ve been to two Game 7s. So being down 2-0, it’s not the biggest challenge. It’s right here, so let’s go ahead and take advantage of it. I understand that they’re gonna make adjustments, we are as well. … It’s really as simple as we have to protect home court, that’s really it.”

On the foundation built through work:

“It’s the work you put in. In tough moments, in anything, life or the game, if you don’t have anything to pull from, if you don’t have a foundation or something that you work hard at – Kenny was stressing that throughout the whole playoffs, it’s like, ‘This is why we work harder. This is why we’ve did the extra sprints. These are all the things that we’ve done.’ This is why you do those things. So you don’t waver.”

Evan Mobley

On the Cavaliers having dealt with adversity before:

“We’ve been here before. We know what it takes.”

Jarrett Allen

On Cleveland’s gamble leaving Josh Hart open:

“Sometimes the plan doesn’t go to plan. He got hot, not even at the three-point line. He did everything on offense for them. Kudos to him for changing the game and having an impact in a different way.”

Dan Gilbert

On rallying Cavaliers fans after going down 0-2:

“OK Cavs fans, feel familiar? Clearly it’s not ideal, but we have done this twice already. We go home, win 2 and then it’s a 3-game series and we win it in 6 or 7. Keep believing. Let Em **C**** Know?”

Jeremy Lin

On supporting Karl-Anthony Towns during the Knicks’ playoff run:

“I haven’t been back to the Garden since Linsanity…Finally could make a game…but Knicks swept Sixers so I didn’t get to go to Game 5…My outfit was gonna be a KAT jersey…I’m a big supporter of KAT.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

On Josh Hart’s Game 2 performance:

“I don’t think anyone in sports in general doesn’t have respect for that guy — even if they aren’t in New York. To be able to come back at a time like this, in the playoffs, and do what he did? That’s kind of legendary.”

On his friendship with Hart in New York:

“We’re just two athletes who understand New York and are trying to learn a little bit more about New York: the excitement of it, the way the city moves and the way the city works. When he has a good game, I’ll hit him up. I was supposed to call him today to see how he’s feeling but I’m late.”

On the possibility of a Knicks-Yankees title year:

“For the city, it would be cool to have a Knicks-Yankees NBA Finals-World Series thing in the same year.”

On bonding with Knicks players:

“Those are my guys over there. It’s pretty cool to have a friendship in the same city.”

Metta World Peace

On predicting a Knicks championship:

“They’re going to win it. I think this is going to be the time. I knew I wanted to see it in my lifetime, and it feels like Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs right now even though [San Antonio’s Victor] Wembanyama is really good. But right now, Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs.”

On his loyalty to the Indiana Pacers:

“With the Pacers, when somebody hold you and your family down, you’re always going to be in debt. So it’s the Pacers, for sure. Because people were trying to really harm me physically, and the city and the coaches and the players, they had my back. So that’s just like Queensbridge-type s–t.”

On what a Knicks title would mean for New York:

“S–t, you already know what it’s going to be. The city is about to be all turned up. It’s about to be turned upside down. Just be ready to pay that big bill, New York City. The energy — it’s time. We’ve been waiting for this.”

On Jalen Brunson’s potential legacy with a title:

“He’d get a statue. He’d be the best Knicks player ever. … If he wins the title in this era, with these players, players playing against him right now like SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] and Wembanyama — it’s never been this difficult.”

On missing his chance to lead the Knicks to a title:

“I wanted to be the one to bring the Knicks back and be a real core piece in my prime. Being the Defensive Player of the Year in the Garden, I just felt like that would’ve been a helluva — if you would’ve come to the Garden with me on the other side in my prime, good luck to you. I’m always going to go back to me, personally. But for the Knicks to win the championship now, you can’t take it away from nobody. You can’t take it away from anybody from New York. You can’t take it away from the players. You can’t take it away from the coaches. You can’t take it away from the owners. You can’t take it away from the fans. We want to see that because we’re from New York.”

Walt Frazier

On James Harden’s legacy in this series:

“This is where Harden is now. He’s come to the fork in the road. Which way is he going to go? His legacy is on the line. If he gets torched again, he’s done. His career is over. This is all people are going to remember, this series. Not what he did in the regular season, but what he did in the playoffs.”

On how Kenny Atkinson should handle Harden:

“So if I’m Kenny Atkinson, I put Harden back in the game [in crunch time]. I don’t punish him, I encourage him. When we were in the playoffs and we were playing the Bullets, Red Holzman pulled me in the corner [and said], ‘Hey, Clyde, forget about offense, just focus on defense on Earl [Monroe]. Forget about offense. Don’t think about offense.’ Explore More If I’m Kenny Atkinson, I go to Harden, and say, ‘Hey, man, I’m putting you back in there. This is why we acquired you. Look at your career. I know what you’ve done, you can do it.’ I leave it all up to him. This is what coach [Mike] Brown did to [Mikal] Bridges. Remember when Bridges was floundering? Everybody said take him out of the lineup. He didn’t take him out; [he] put him out there and now look at what Bridges is doing.”

Rick Brunson

On Jalen being around him daily when coaching began:

“It was new because my dad was there all the time now. He’s here every day with me, and we’re starting to actually work on my game.”

On Jalen’s early seriousness about basketball:

“This was a job for him, this is what he wanted. I didn’t know where it would go from there, but I knew he was serious about it. Most kids play, go home and enjoy the rest of the day. He cared about winning and losing. Losing bothered him. He wanted to be perfect, he wanted to play well, he wanted to win.”

On pushing Jalen in workouts:

“I wanted to see if he would fold or if he would keep coming back. Are you going to give in? Are you going to talk back? Or are you just going to work and keep showing that you can do it? I would always tell him, ‘This is what a college coach is going to do — the difference is I love you, he doesn’t.’”

On Jalen responding to pressure:

“He kept coming back. He wanted to prove me wrong.”

On Jalen’s physical limitations and mental edge:

“He didn’t have the athleticism. He didn’t have the size. So what gets you over? Mental toughness, hard work and being very, very skilled.”

On wanting Jalen under the radar in New York:

“I didn’t want him to be great, just solid. Go under-the-radar but be respected. Maybe he didn’t get credit for the winning, but he wasn’t going to get blamed for the losing. Remember, I’m a father first, coach second.”

On soaking in the Garden atmosphere:

“I want to be around it and embrace it. I want to smell it. I want to be a part of it.”

On watching Jalen’s introductions:

“I take time to look around the arena, and it’s a surreal feeling. That he’s here on this stage, (the fan reaction) never gets old.”

On advising Jalen during a slump in Utah:

“I said, ‘Hey man, everything’s good. You’re playing well, you’re playing a good floor game. You’re just missing your shots, so now you’ve got to concentrate on why you’re missing. You’ve got to do more of everything — exaggerate your follow-through, exaggerate how high you jump, exaggerate the ball coming off your finger. You’ve got to walk that ball to the hole. You’ve got to visualize it. You’ve got to come out in the second half and just get back to who you are. I’ve seen you go 6-for-6, 7-for-7 in a half. You’ve got to block out what happened in the first half.’”

On challenging Jalen during a game in Toronto:

“He starts yelling back and I said, ‘You need to shut the f–k up and let me coach you. Don’t get too good to let me coach you. Because if you don’t want me to coach you, I won’t say s–t. You’ve got to play harder, you’re bulls–ting.’”

On Jalen’s response afterward:

“Afterward he said, ‘You’re right. I needed that,’”

On what matters most:

“It’s about winning. That’s all I care about. One of my closest friends is the (team) president — I want to win for him; I want to win for myself; I want to win for my son.”

Stephen A. Smith

On being worried about the Knicks’ chances against both Western Conference contenders:

“Because when I look at Oklahoma City and San Antonio, I see the two best teams in basketball. Now, there some that believe that Knicks would lose to OKC. I’m one of those people. But that they would beat San Antonio. I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure and it ain’t because of Wemby. If you got all your ducks in order, if De’Aaron Fox can play… San Antonio and OKC are probably the two best teams in basketball.”

On San Antonio’s guard depth:

“It’s because of Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper and [Julian] Champagnie and Sixth Man of the Year, Keldon Johnson. I mean San Antonio’s got weapons all over the place at the guard spot, maybe not the point guard spot because of De’Aaron Fox being out, Stephon Castle has on-ball responsibilities and he’s had 20 turnovers in the first two games.”

Jaxson Dart

On dreaming of similar success for the Giants:

“I mean, I’ve been dreaming about that since the day I got drafted here. Those are conversations I even had with Coach Harbaugh before he even took the job here. I think everybody in the facility wants that. We’re all supporting the Knicks right now and what they’re doing. It’s been really cool to see. We want that for ourselves as well.”

On New York as the best place to win:

“It was very prevalent last year as well … but this year I think they’re on a whole ’nother level. This is the best place to be to win.”

On attending playoff games at the Garden:

“I would like to … only thing is some of those games are really late.”

One of the most important parts of the bull riding industry is the stock contractors who raise, maintain, and supply the bucking bulls to the arena. The PBR works with many different contractors, each one supplying its own unique bulls. Recently, there has been a new stock contractor to enter the business who has simply left the rodeo community in awe. Her name is Addi Drury.

This 16-year-old has taken over her dad’s ranch, Nothin But try Ranch, and taken the world by storm. Not only is she supplying the PBR with some of the best bucking bulls in the world, she is doing so while re-writing the narrative for what stock contractors will look like. A major part of this impact is her deep love and affection for the bulls, and how she has been able to showcase the sweeter, tamer side of these rank athletes, showing the world that even the toughest bucking bulls are still gentle in nature.

This love for her bulls started at a very young age, as Addi grew up around bulls and the rodeo community. She would always help her dad around the ranch, especially with the bulls. One bull in particular, however, stands out to the pages of Addi’s history: Hard Labor. As a calf, this bull had issues nursing, so Addi would spend hours caring for him. She quickly began to call this bull her best friend, and their bond was undeniable. This sweet, gentle bull, however, was one of PBR’s best bucking bulls. This contrast in personality from home to the arena is one that rodeo fans rarely get to see. However, as Addi began to take on a more present role in the stock contracting, she brought with her a very open display of her level of care for these bulls.

Furthermore, Addi has caught the eye of the rodeo community because, at such a young age, she has already made a prominent name for herself in the arena as a “bull-whisperer”. Her deep love for the animals she raises has opened the eyes of many, allowing them to see the true gentle nature of these bulls when they are outside of the arena. This reinforces the fact that the bulls are not simply animals, but athletes. Just like the riders, they have a job to do, and they love doing it.

Addi does her job extremely well, raising her bulls to be strong-performing athletes. But she does this without removing her caring nature and love for her friends (the bulls) in the process. As she continues her career as a stock contractor, Addi Drury is undeniably laying the foundations for the future of stock contracting. Her openness with her process and level of care has shown the world a new side of the rodeo industry that won’t simply fade away. As new stock contractors move into the arena, we are sure to see a lot more who chose to live and work like Addi: with love and care for her bulls.

The good guys hoped to open their home game in the Western Conference Finals with a win, but alas victory eluded them. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 26 points while Devin Vassell poured in 20 points along with 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

De’Aaron Fox was a sight for sore eyes, although after the game I’m sure his ankles will be even sorer. Here’s hoping ice and elevation helps Swipa remain available for Game 6. He did return to the game after all of Lu Dort’s 220 lbs. landed on that tender ankle.

These highlights are more of a live in the moment and enjoy the 15-0 run to start the game sort of highlights. Like Game of Thrones, Daredevil (Netflix), or The Boys, enjoy the early versions and ignore the second half.

Defense, ball movement, swish, oh my. Devin Vassell, in particular, was playing well this game especially after the hard flagrant foul on Stephon Castle that ignited a moment where I looked in his eyes and could see the Flame of Anor burning in Vassell’s soul as he stepped up to defend his boy.

It was also nice to see Dylan Harper back in the fold. Although it seemed like his minutes were dialed back a bit perhaps due to his adductor injury, the effort and toughness we’ve come to expect was still there.

George Gervin called. He wants to know the best place to get alambre in San Antonio. Tell him it’s Guajillos off of 410. They also have the best salsa I’ve ever had. Ever. He also called to ask who that bad mother shut your mouth is who’s doing his moves.

I want to think even the Iceman was impressed by Vassell’s smooth finger roll that drew the foul. Nothing but ethical basketball played within these walls.

Look, there’s no guarantees in life. Not even taxes. Especially if you don’t pay them! I’m kidding of course. I pay taxes. (Ron Howard voice over: “He does not.”) (nervous laughter) I pay taxes. But take it from me, a person who definitely does not wish to be audited, I guarantee you that Victor Wembanyama will be more aggressive in the paint in Game 4.

As soon as I said to myself that this game was missing something I cannot quite think of, this lob happened. We were missing these lobs from Stephon Castle to Wembanyama like I miss the salsa from Guajillos ever since I moved out of San Antonio. Also salsa macha. I need to learn how to make salsa macha like these two need to find more alley-oop opportunities in the next game.

Fear not, Spurs fans. The boys will need to pick themselves up, dust off their shoulders, and get ready for the next match-up against the defending champions. It’s like at the end of The Empire Strikes Back when Luke and Leia are looking out into space and Luke puts his arm around Leia as a gesture of hope, comfort, and optimism that their group of rebels can face the tough challenge of toppling the empire. It’s exactly like that without the siblings making out scene.

If that analogy doesn’t stew your cereal, perhaps think of the final scene at the end of Game of Thrones Season 6 when Daenerys Targaryen stands before her fleet, army, and trio of dragons setting out for Westeros looking out across the sea with hope and optimism that she will bring order and peace to the realm (gotta fight for peace). It’s exactly like that without the siblings or aunt and nephew . . . ah never mind. I’ll see you all for the next game!

If you missed the game because you were too busy wielding the Flame of Anor, here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs remain at home for Game 4 as they take on the Thunder on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

The Philadelphia 76ers have made many terrible transactions during my lifetime as a fan. (Some good ones, as well. I am old and eventually things pile up on both sides of the ledger.)

I count trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the really bad ones. When the deal went down, it seemed like such an own goal by the organization. Here you had a talented 22-year-old at the nadir of his value coming off a pair of injuries, beloved by his teammates and universally lauded for his work ethic, and you’re shipping him off for draft picks which, in all likelihood, won’t bring back a player of his caliber.

People argued for the trade (they were wrong), because you can’t even get everyone to agree that the sky is blue anymore, but eventually, things kind of got back to normal. We all have lives and there were still games to watch and the Sixers miraculously beat the Boston Celtics and then got curbstomped by the New York Knicks and I was ready for the offseason with one eye on the draft and some hope about a Tyrese Maxey-VJ Edgecombe backcourt in the future. I would love to never think about the Jared McCain trade and how dumb it was ever again, unless I’m reading some sort of “worst moves of the Daryl Morey era” article once every couple of years.

Except…I can’t.

Because Jared McCain plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are objectively the best team in the league, and currently leading the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. So two or three times per week, my timeline is flooded with stats about McCain scoring 24 points, going toe to toe with Victor Wembanyama at the basket, and quotes from Thunder teammates and coaches (who already won a championship last summer!) glowing about what a tremendous competitor and human being McCain is. It’s tortuous. It’s like if I had a huge scab, but right before it could finish completely healing the wound, somebody rips it off again and pours rubbing alcohol over the entire area. And this happens every couple of days.

If McCain had been traded to somewhere like Sacramento, this wouldn’t be an issue. He probably would have had a couple 25-point games, and people would have said it was a dumb trade, while others said to move on and called them empty stats on a bad team. Ultimately, it wouldn’t have mattered too much and it would have been done in April and we wouldn’t have needed to think too much about it. Instead, McCain was sent to the Thunder (which, again, maybe if the best team in the league wants your guy, you shouldn’t trade him). So we’re probably going to have to watch him through May and often June for the next few years.

Right now, I can’t even watch what is an amazing playoff series for a neutral observer without Mike Tirico asking how people in South Philadelphia are doing (not great, Mike!). And the arguments that Jared couldn’t live up to the physicality of the playoffs and would be played off the floor because the postseason exploits every weakness look increasingly ridiculous by the day. He’ll probably get to hoist the trophy during a parade in Oklahoma City next month and it will be a flashing billboard reading, “the Sixers will never win a title in your lifetime because they keep making boneheaded moves like trading Jared McCain.”

Some of you are probably reading this and nodding along in agreement. I imagine there are others saying, “Who cares? He hasn’t been a Sixer for three months, why are we still talking about this?” For the record, I would love to not talk about it, because that would mean this particular organizational failure wasn’t constantly being thrown back in my face. But with as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder are and project to be for the foreseeable future, it’s probably going to be a long time before Jared McCain isn’t “the one who got away”.

The very first article I wrote for CelticsBlog was titled, “Is Baylor Scheierman a viable starter for the Celtics?” I started that article with a confession: I wasn’t a Baylor believer at the beginning of the season.

That was probably too simple of a take. Looking back, I don’t think I disbelieved in him as much as I had absolutely no clue what drawer to put him in.

With most players, even the imperfect ones, your brain is able to find a quick label. Jordan Walsh is the lanky chaos wing. Hugo González is the endless motor who looks more natural in a locked-and-loaded defensive stance than upright. Sam Hauser is the shooter.

Baylor didn’t give me that kind of shortcut. He came into the season with leftover Summer League shine, a shaggy haircut that inspired strong feelings online, and a game that seemed to change shape depending on the possession. Sometimes, he looked like a shooter. Other times, he looked like a defensive stopper. Most of the time, he looked like someone who had been dropped into an NBA game after spending the afternoon playing pickup at the Y.

By the end of the season, the lack of a clean label stopped feeling like a problem, and more like the point.

Scheierman did not become one of the central stories of Boston’s season, nor did he make some gargantuan leap that forces the Celtics to redesign their plans to account for him. But he did something that matters a whole lot for a team with very expensive stars and very little room to waste cheap contracts.

He made himself harder to ignore.

The weirdness started to work

Scheierman’s season numbers won’t make anyone spit out their coffee. 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.6 minutes per game. But the year-over-year jump tells the better story.

As a rookie in the ‘24-’25 season, he shot 35.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three. This year, those jumped to 45.3 percent and 39.9 percent. His true shooting climbed from 49.0 to 61.6. His minutes went from 12.4 to 18.6 per game. That is the difference between “maybe he’ll figure it out” and “oh, he might actually be figuring it out right now.”

The improvement didn’t arrive in one giant, obvious burst. It felt more like a slow drip over the course of the season. 10 points and 13 loud rebounds versus the (I’m sorry to even be mentioning them) Knicks on February 8. Another double-double in the form of a 16-point, 10-rebound effort on March 8 versus the Cavs. A career-high 30-point night on the last day of the regular season in a feel-good bench-mob victory over the Magic on April 12.

In his exit interview, Scheierman described his season as “a constant level of growth throughout the entire year,” which is exactly the kind of quote that sounds boring until you realize it’s probably the most accurate way to describe what actually transpired. Baylor just kept getting a little more comfortable until the Celtics were using him in real games and nobody had any issues with it.

That matters because Scheierman’s game can be kind of a trust fall. He plays with confidence that occasionally arrives before the justification. I respect it. I fear it. I understand why Joe Mazzulla sometimes looks like he is doing long division in his head before subbing Baylor in.

The funny thing is, the Celtics started trusting him too.

After Scheierman fractured his thumb, his whole celebration package boiled down to a good ol’ fashioned thumbs up. Looking back, there’s something perfect about that. Baylor’s season was not especially loud. It was not smooth enough to be boring or explosive enough to be obvious. It just kept flashing a thumbs up at you until you finally had to acknowledge the play was working.

He gives the Celtics a different kind of wing

The easiest way to undersell Scheierman is to call him another wing in Boston’s pile of wings.

That pile is getting crowded, to be fair. Walsh, Hugo, Hauser, Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr. hovering around the edges. At some point, Brad Stevens may have to decide how many “interesting but imperfect” wing types one roster can reasonably hold before the locker room turns into an airport terminal.

In my opinion, Baylor brings things to the table that the other wings do not, at least not yet.

Walsh and Hugo are more obviously disruptive defensively, but with clear offensive limitations. Hauser has real shooting gravity, but looked a step slower after the championship run. Baylor’s best value might be that he gives you a little bit of everything, all of the time.

He can rebound and push. He can throw the hit-ahead pass. He can come off a pindown and see the next read. He can pump fake, take two funky lefty dribbles and find a pass that wasn’t there half a second earlier. The handle can still get loose. The finishing needs work. There are possessions where his creativity and his body seem to be negotiating in real time.

That last part is what the offseason is for.

In his exit interview, Scheierman said he wants to keep building his strength, quickness and change of direction. He also mentioned finishing at the rim, floaters, slow steps and finding angles. That sounds less like a player trying to reinvent himself and more like one who knows exactly where the loose screws are.

The most interesting part came when he talked about becoming a secondary or third playmaker.

Boston doesn’t need him to become a diet point guard. Nobody is asking Baylor to bring the ball up against playoff pressure while Payton Pritchard stands in the corner wondering what crimes he committed. But if Scheierman can become a wing who hovers around 40 percent from three, rebounds well for his role, and gives you just enough ball handling and passing to punish a rotating defense, that is a very useful player.

Especially on his contract.

Cheap only matters if playable comes with it

Scheierman is set to make $2.74 million next season, with a club option just under $5 million the year after.

Boston already has a massive amount of money tied to Tatum, Brown and White. Pritchard’s next contract conversation is coming. Hauser’s salary makes him both useful and potentially relevant in trade math. Every offseason idea sounds fun until you remember the tax line exists and Brad Stevens and Bill Chisholm are certainly mindful of it.

That is why Scheierman’s season matters beyond the box score.

Cheap contracts are easy to celebrate when you’re looking at a spreadsheet, but they only help if the player gives you more than the number suggests. I looked up NBA players making similar money to what Baylor is earning right now, and you tell me whether you’d rather have Scheierman or these other guys:

• Kobe Brown, Pacers, 1-year, $2.6 million
• Cole Anthony, Suns, 1-year, $2.6 million
• Yanic Niederhauser, Clippers, 4-years, $14.1 million
• Brice Sensabaugh, Jazz, 4-years, $12.5 million
• Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 1-year, $2.8 million

I’ll be honest, I watch a lot of NBA basketball, and there are names on that list that I had never heard before. Perhaps some of you may argue for Thanasis because of who his +1 would be. I respect the hustle, but we’re not going there in this article.

Ultimately, Baylor is a guy who can survive in games that actually matter. Let’s not forget, he started Game 7. When he was asked about that wacky starting lineup after the season ended, he said the group was “super excited” and “super confident” because the Celtics had done it all year. That’s a very Baylor answer. No hand-wringing. No “Gee whiz, what an honor to have started Game 7 against Joel Embiid and Paul George.” Just confidence and on to the next rep.

That approach probably explains part of why Mazzulla trusted him in the first place.

Scheierman said the coaching staff did a good job detailing how the team wanted to play, which allowed him to play freely because he understood what was expected of him. He described himself as someone who has always tried to play hard and do whatever it takes to win. Usually, that kind of quote would be easy to toss into the athlete-speak drawer.

With Baylor, it actually matches the film.

He is not always pretty. In fact, part of the appeal is that he often looks like he’s making basketball look more difficult than it needs to be before suddenly making the right play anyway. But he competes, sees things early, and annoys people on a nightly basis. He has enough swagger to take shots that make you briefly check the score and situation to make sure you didn’t miss something.

The question now is whether the Celtics clear enough room for that to keep growing.

Scheierman does not need to be treated like a future star. That would be unfair to him and slightly stress-inducing for the rest of us. But he also shouldn’t be treated like a random cheap wing who happened to have a decent year. Boston needs low-cost players who can give Mazzulla real minutes. Baylor spent this season proving he might be one of them.

Back in February, I wondered if he could be a viable starter.

I’m less interested in that label now. The better question is whether he can become the kind of rotation player who makes the roster math easier around the stars. After the season he just had, it’s a much easier case to make.

Somewhere along the way, I became a Bayliever. Or a Schei Guy. Still hate my nickname ideas. Still very much workshopping.

Fortunately, the player now makes more sense than the potential nicknames.

The first two games of the series have had a little bit of everything so far for the Knicks. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 22-point lead in Game 1 thanks to a strong game from Donovan Mitchell, only for the Knicks to mount a historic comeback where Jalen Brunson put on a shot-making clinic.

Game 2 was far less dramatic, but it was still an incredibly encouraging one. Brunson, instead of his usual barrage of baskets, helped defeat the Cavaliers with his patience, decision-making, and precision passing as he picked apart Cleveland’s multiple looks. Josh Hart made the Cavaliers pay for their ghost coverage with five threes, which probably felt more like 10 threes to the Cavaliers and their fans. Karl-Anthony Towns, despite going up against some physical coverage, poured in 18 efficient points. OG Anunoby, who was able to play fewer minutes than usual, still ended the game with the highest plus-minus despite scoring a quiet 14 points. And we cannot talk about this series, and really, any playoff game since game six of the Hawks series, without mentioning Mikal Bridges. The much-maligned wing has turned in an impressive postseason for the second straight year, and he’s now looked like the prime version of Bridges that the Knicks had hoped to see when they traded for him two summers ago. He’s defending at an elite level, playing with more physicality on both ends, and is playing not only with an absurd level of efficiency, but a level of confidence and aggressiveness we’ve seldom seen during his Knicks tenure.

While momentum is real and can carry over from game to game, in the playoffs, games can often be treated as a self-contained event. It doesn’t mean that the Knicks can’t, or won’t, transfer their wave of momentum, confidence, and focus onto game three. Or that the Cavaliers, who, regardless of what they tell you, have to feel at least some dejection after losing Game 1 the way they did, and then losing Game 2 to a barrage of Hart threes. But the Cavaliers will also be returning home for the first time since game six of the second round, which took place eight days ago. They may be fatigued after playing back-to-back seven-game series, but they, and their crowd, should have some added juice heading into what for them will be a must-win game.

Is it a must-win game for the Knicks? No. But, during this time of year, one game, scratch that, one play can change everything. Having dealt with injuries and heartbreak over their last few playoff runs, they know that more than anybody. And since their game three loss to the Hawks, they’ve looked like they know it, too. Game after game, practice after practice, despite setting records this league has never seen, the players and coaches have looked and sounded happy, and at times even displeased. They’ve known that defeating the Hawks was expected. They’ve known that dominating the 76ers was just a stepping stone. And they seem to know that advancing to the finals is also not their ultimate goal.

The Knicks enter tonight up 2-0, but they’ll likely continue approaching each game with the required focus and energy as if the series were 0-0, and that should make for another close game between two teams fighting for two different things. One team is looking to crawl their way back into the series and find some life, while the other is looking to come within one game of delivering the final blows and reach the finals for the first time in over two decades.

Prediction

The big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should play better. As should role players Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, and Dennis Schroder. They’ll likely also bank on Hart not making five more threes or Brunson scoring 38 points. And they may be right. But then again, they may not be. That’s the beauty of sports-we never really know until they roll the ball out and play.

What we do know, though, is that despite all the shot-quality data and the “what if” narratives Cavaliers fans have thrown around, the Knicks have straight up been the better team so far. Yes, the Cavaliers had a large lead in Game 1, and were eight minutes of even decent basketball away from winning that game. But it’s not like they were dominating the other quarters. The Knicks have won six of the nine periods (overtime of Game 1 included) in the series, and are a +27 in the series now.

And the Knicks have done that despite shooting poorly from three for the first three quarters of Game 1, Hart being an unwilling shooter before Game 2, the Cavaliers dominating the Knicks on the offensive glass 13-5 in Game 2, and the Cavaliers outshooting the Knicks 32-14 from the free-throw line in that game. The Cavaliers have done some nice things, and some of the Knicks’ flaws and shortcomings this series have been a product of what Cleveland has done. But the same can be said for why the Cavaliers have played the way they have.

I expect a stronger overall effort from the Cavaliers and a better shooting game from their role players. But Brunson is still the best player in the series, Hart knows what he needs to do, Landy Shamet is there if Hart struggles, Bridges, and Anunoby remain elite two-way players who are defending at a high level, and scoring efficiently, Towns realized that he still cannot be guarded if he plays smartly, and patiently, even when he is out there in suboptimal lineups, and maybe most importantly, these Knicks are arguably better on the road than they are at home. Cleveland will be up for portions of the game, but the Knicks, with their hunger higher than ever, keep marching. Knicks win 105-100 to take a 3-0 lead and make it 10 playoff wins in a row.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (2-0) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Time: 8 PM ET
Place: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky