Category: NBA

Everything is tied up heading into Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. The San Antonio Spurs played stout defense against the Oklahoma City Thunder on their way to a 103-82 victory in Game Four. Now the Spurs need to win two of the next three games, including one on the road, to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

San Antonio made a major adjustment in the Game Four win. The Spurs doubled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander early and often in the first three games of the series. That may have neutralized SGA’s impact to an extent, but it also led to more open shots for the Thunder’s role players. In Game Four, the Spurs guarded Gilgeous-Alexander 1-on-1 and sent light help on drives. The result was a 19-point game for SGA and a 6-33 night from deep for OKC.

The playoffs are all about adjustments and counter-adjustments. The Thunder will certainly come out with a solution to San Antonio’s defense. They’ll have to do it without key ball-handlers. Ajay Mitchell is out with a calf strain, and Jalen Williams is questionable as he deals with his hamstring injury.

Every playoff game is a “must-win,” but Game Five feels particularly important. Defeating a shorthanded OKC squad on the road with two chances to clinch the series would put the Spurs in a strong position to advance to the Finals. They’ll need another dominant defensive performance to steal Game Five on the road.

San Antonio Spurs (2-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2)

May 26th, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT

Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.

Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Questionable (hamstring)

What to watch for:

Interior scoring

The Spurs outscored the Thunder in the paint 50-36 in Game Four. So far in the playoffs, if San Antonio can control the battle on the interior, they typically can win the game. The Thunder have been good at keeping Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ guards from dominating inside. In Game Four, Wembanyama was able to score through or over Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, while the guards did a better job getting downhill, particularly in the pick-and-roll. Outscoring the Thunder inside again will be crucial to winning Game Five.

Limiting turnovers

The best part about having De’Aaron Fox back in the lineup is the calming presence he brings alongside Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. San Antonio has been much better at valuing possessions since Fox returned to the lineup in Game Three. The Spurs had just 13 turnovers in Game Four. OKC is at its best when it can create turnovers and score easy buckets in transition. San Antonio’s defense is already suffocating enough. They can’t give the Thunder breaks by turning the ball over and letting them get easy shots.

Champagnie’s shooting

Julian Champagnie has been ice-cold in the Conference Finals. He’s shooting 19.4% from three-point range in the series. San Antonio desperately needs him to start hitting shots. The Thunder have loaded up on Wembanyama and the Spurs’ guards. Devin Vassell has taken advantage of the lack of defensive attention. If Champagnie can follow suit, San Antonio’s offense could be set for an explosion in Game Five.

The New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years with a commanding 130-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks continued their fine form as they swept the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals 4-0 and extended their franchise record play-off win streak to 11 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks' scoring with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while the series' Most Valuable Player Jalen Brunson added 15.

The Knicks, whose only NBA titles came in 1970 and 1973, last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 when they lost 4-1 against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brunson, 29, was just two years old at the time, but his father Rick - who is now an assistant coach at the franchise - was a guard on the team.

"It means a lot, but I wouldn't be here without my team-mates, the belief they had in me," said Brunson.

"They give me the confidence. They let me be me. Most importantly, we all believe in each other from top to bottom. It's an honour to play with them."

The Knicks will face either defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder or the Spurs in next month's showpiece, with the teams tied at 2-2 in the Western Conference finals.

Landry Shamet, who scored 16 points and netted all four of his three-pointer attempts, said his side are remaining focused on the "larger goal" rather than dwelling on their victory over the Cavaliers.

"We've got four more wins to try and go get and we know it's going to be even harder. Being in this position with this team, it's pretty special," he said.

If the Knicks continue their unbeaten run and sweep the finals, they will equal the NBA's record play-off win streak of 15 set by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

The Knicks ended the first quarter with an 8-0 run and began the second with 12 unanswered points to lead 50-26.

Shamet's third three-pointer later put the Knicks 61-32 up and they never looked back, overwhelming the Cavs after half-time with 22 turnovers.

Donovan Mitchell top-scored for the Cavs with 31 points.

Game five of the Western Conference finals takes place on Tuesday (01:30 BST Wednesday).

CLEVELAND — Four years later, nobody is questioning that $104 million contract the Knicks gave to Jalen Brunson.

Looking back now, it was a bargain.

Brunson has the Larry Bird Trophy, given to the MVP of the Eastern Conference finals, as proof.

In his fourth postseason as a Knick, Brunson led the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, capped by their emphatic series sweep of the Cavaliers on Monday night.

“The belief that the organization has in me has been amazing, and something I don’t take for granted, and something not a lot of people get the opportunity to do,” Brunson said after notching 15 points and five assists in the 130-93 clincher over the Cavaliers in Game 4. “So I’m very thankful. It’s an honor to be here in this city for this organization with my teammates.”

Brunson set the tone in the series opener, exploding for 38 points and rallying the Knicks from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. Overall, he averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the sweep.

Brunson has changed so much for the Knicks during a short period. In the 21 years before his arrival, they won just a single playoff series. Since his arrival, they have claimed seven and will pursue their first championship since 1973 starting next week, against either the Spurs or Thunder.

Before the game, coach Mike Brown was asked if Brunson’s leadership reminds him of anyone he had coached, and he didn’t hesitate: Tim Duncan and Stephen Curry.

“The aura that those guys have, the quiet strength that they have, is unbelievable,” Brown said.

High praise for the Knicks captain — praise he has earned since he joined the franchise four years ago this summer. 

CLEVELAND - In some ways, it’s fitting that Leon Rose and the Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals after knocking out Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers. 

Rose’s decision to pass on trading for Mitchell was one of the biggest pivot points of this Knicks era. 

Remember: New York had the draft picks and the personnel to obtain Mitchell from Utah. But Rose ultimately decided that he didn’t want to meet Danny Ainge’s asking price. 

At the time, it was a controversial decision. 

In hindsight, it’s one of several pivotal choices by Rose that helped the Knicks ascend to the NBA Finals. 

Instead of trading a package centered around RJ Barrett for Mitchell, Rose and his group moved Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round pick to Toronto for OG Anunoby.

Anunoby has been one of the best players in the postseason. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the Knicks’ closeout win over Cleveland on Monday. 

Instead of using multiple first-round picks to acquire Mitchell, Rose sent most of his draft capital to Brooklyn in a trade for Mikal Bridges. 

Rose took a ton of criticism for the trade, particularly when the Knicks had a chance to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo the following summer. 

So, of course, Bridges made play after play on the defensive end throughout the postseason. He also found ways to attack within the flow of the Knick offense. He and Anunoby have peaked at the best possible time. 

If they’d traded for Mitchell, there’s virtually no way they would have signed Donte DiVincenzo the next summer. And without DiVincenzo, the Knicks would’ve needed to use more draft capital to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota. 

This was another trade that was criticized and questioned, but Towns on Monday hit 8-of-11 shots and grabbed 14 rebounds. 

The Cavs cut the Knick lead to 16 at one point in the third quarter. Towns then went to work, blocking a shot on one end and then knocking down a three-pointer on the other end. Anunoby found Bridges for a wide-open three on the Knicks’ next possession. 

That sequence took the life out of any Cleveland comeback. 

Shortly after the trophy presentation, Rose spent a quiet moment with his family. Like the rest of the Knicks, Rose seemed to see Monday’s win as a major accomplishment -- but not one worth a raucous celebration. 

Maybe that celebration will come in a couple weeks, but the fact that the Knicks are where they are today -- preparing for a trip to the NBA Finals -- is a testament to Rose’s determination and decision-making. 

A few weeks ago, the Knicks executive did not receive a vote from his peers for the Executive of the Year award. It’s a regular-season award, and the Knicks had an uneven regular season. 

But if you took another vote today, the results would look much different. Rose would probably be at or near the top, which is where his Knicks sit after this remarkable playoff run.  

The road to get here wasn’t always easy, but the Knicks are headed to their first NBA Finals since 1999 after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night, and they are peaking at just the right time.

After going down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, New York has rattled off 11 straight wins and has a +272 point-differential over that span. It’s been one of the most dominant stretches not just in Knicks history, but NBA history, and it all starts with head coach Mike Brown who saw his team start playing a this version of basketball towards the end of the regular season.

“Down the stretch, like 6 or 7 games to go, after Landry [Shamet] got back, I started to see us play some good basketball and do more things that were selfless or more sacrificing from the group,” Brown said. “Throughout the course of the season you have your ups and you have your downs, and you have your good and your bad and your adversity that you have to fight through. Sometimes we got through it quickly, sometimes it took us a minute to figure it out.”

The trials and tribulations that the Knicks have faced not just this season but in postseason’s past where they got close to their final destination but couldn’t get over the hump has prepared them for this moment. 

Even Brown, in his first season in New York, saw that the team had what it takes to get the job done.

“From afar, I just felt that this team was ready,” he said. “And I’m just thrilled to death that Mr. Dolan gave me an opportunity and Leon Rose gave me an opportunity to be a head coach again, especially here in New York.”

Brown had been a head coach for the Sacramento Kings for two full seasons and helped turn the franchise around before getting fired in the middle of last season. 

He’s also no stranger to reaching the finals as he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for six seasons at the height of their dynasty. Therefore, he knows what it takes to finish the job and has been doing what he can to set his players up for success.

“Our group is playing good basketball and they’re doing it in different ways,” Brown said. “They’re doing it differently, depending on who our opponent is and when you show that type of versatility on both ends of the floor, it adds to your belief. 

“I’ve said it before, you use the regular season to get ready for the postseason and our guys did a hell of a job with that.”

“This team is hungry and that’s the most important thing,” added Karl-Anthony Towns. “Even with an amazing, historical win we had tonight, the celebrations were minimal. We really want to get back to work. [We] asked coach can we get back to work quick.”

While the Knicks will and certainly deserve to celebrate their incredible accomplishment of reaching their first NBA finals in more than two decades, they know their ultimate goal is still out there.

However, it’s now within their grasps and closer than it’s ever been for them.

“It feels good. We’re excited, we’re happy we won, but we’re also not satisfied,” said OG Anunoby. “We’re gonna celebrate tonight, but then once tomorrow comes, start resting and preparing for the next round.”

If New York is able to defeat either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, it’ll be the franchise’s first championship since 1973. But the way they’re playing right now – the best they’ve played all season – the Knicks should be considered the favorites.

“We’ve gotten to this point because we worked together, we’ve been a team, we’ve been unified,” Towns said. “The collective group has shown up in spots when we need to.”

CLEVELAND — These Knicks remind Clyde Frazier and Spike Lee of the versions in the 1970s.

So to no surprise, both are predicting an end to the 53-year championship drought — regardless of whether the opponent is the Thunder or Spurs.

“The way we’re playing now, I don’t think it matters who we play,” Frazier said after the Knicks beat the Cavs 130-93 on Monday, advancing to their first NBA Finals since 1999. “Their suffocating defense, the ball movement. [Coach Mike] Brown came in wanting to run pace and space. But that was one thing they didn’t do. Now the last 11 games, the way they’re getting up and down the court, Bridges, Hart, they’re just moving and grooving.”

Lee, the original Knicks celebrity superfan, offered similar analysis of a team that has captured a franchise record 11 consecutive playoff games. They steamrolled the Eastern Conference.

“I don’t care about San Antonio. OKC. We’re going to win. May 8, 1970 [the first Knicks championship]. I was at the Willis Reed game. Thirteen years old,” Lee said. “So going to keep it going. This is a team of destiny, heart, drive. … It reminds me of Willis, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Cazzie Russell. I’m going back. I’m old, though.”

Frazier, arguably the greatest Knick in history, fittingly handed the conference finals MVP trophy to Jalen Brunson on Monday. It was a passing-the-torch moment alongside another Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing.

But as Frazier explained, the job’s not finished.

“It’s been a long time. Carrying on a tradition. Passing it down to Jalen so he’s the guy now who has to carry it,” Frazier said. “But you got to capitalize when you get there. So we’re going to stay on him. As Red Holzman would tell us at this point, ‘Hey, Clyde, we haven’t won nothing yet.’ ”

CLEVELAND — Remember when Landry Shamet was buried on the bench?

That feels like another universe.

He drilled all four 3-pointers he took and recorded 16 points in the Knicks’ 130-93 Game 4 beatdown of the Cavaliers on Monday night at Rocket Arena that secured their place in the NBA Finals. He was at the heart of a 58-24 advantage in bench points that the Knicks had.

Across the last six games — Games 3 and 4 of the second round against the 76ers and all four games of this conference finals — Shamet went an incredible 17-for-21 from 3-point range.

“Landry Shamet has continued,” coach Mike Brown said, “to step up big on both ends of the floor.”

Shamet entered the postseason entrenched in Brown’s rotation, but his struggles early in the first round prompted Brown to elevate Jose Alvarado over him. Shamet then exclusively played garbage time until Games 3 and 4 of the second round, when OG Anunoby’s absence due to a hamstring strain reopened the door for him.

Shamet took the opportunity and ran with it.

He played a pivotal role in the historic 22-point comeback in Game 1 of these conference finals, drilling three critical 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime. That comeback set the tone for the series and crushed the Cavs’ soul.

Jalen Brunson did not play a single minute of any of the Knicks’ three closeout games.

Brown was able to pull his starters and empty the bench for pretty much all of Monday’s blowout, just like he did in Game 6 of the first round and Game 4 of the second round.

Karl-Anthony Towns used a personal snub as a chance to praise the overall team.

Towns was not named to any of the All-NBA teams despite his critical role on a team that just secured its place in the Finals. It meant the Knicks had just one player — Brunson — on the three All-NBA teams. Brunson made the second team.

“I think it talks more about our team, you know? That we’re selfless, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes for the development of our team and organization, and winning,” Towns said. “Like you said, you brought up a lot of, I guess, stats and things like that, but it just shows that it’s a collective effort getting the job done every single night in New York, and it speaks volumes to this team.”

Closeout games are the hardest games to win. 

Home or on the road, your opponent is desperate trying to keep their season alive. 

For the 2026 Knicks, though, they continue to be no sweat.

New York has dominated their opponents in general throughout the playoffs, but they’ve been especially stellar when given a chance to send their opponent packing. 

First it was the Hawks in Atlanta, then the 76ers in Philly. 

And on Tuesday night the Cavaliers became the latest team to fall victim, as the Knicks rolled through Game 4 in Cleveland to closeout the Eastern Conference Finals sweep. 

They did so yet again in dominant fashion, establishing an early lead which they never looked back from, en route to a 37-point laugher that saw the benches empties early in the fourth quarter. 

With that, the 2026 Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three closeout games by 30+ points.

Their average margin of victory of 39.3 points is also an NBA record. 

“We don’t want to leave any doubt,” Miles McBride said. “We just want to come out and handle our business.”

“We’ve been playing hard and mixing in a little luck,” Jalen Brunson added. “But most importantly, we’ve been coming in focused and are just locked in on the moment.”

That next moment for them will be the opener of the NBA Finals -- a place the franchise hasn't been since 1999. 

The scalding hot Knicks will be looking to come home victorious for the first time in 53 years. 

Timothée Chalamet may be one of the biggest Hollywood A-listers on the planet at the moment, but the “Dune” actor was every Knicks fan on Monday night after the Knicks swept the Cavaliers to earn their first trip to the NBA Finals in 27 years. 

In images captured after the game by The Post’s photogs, Chalamet was spotted celebrating with Knicks president Leon Rose and taking a picture with him. 

In another photo, the actor was seen celebrating alongside fellow Knicks celeb superfan Spike Lee. 

The two posed for an Instagram Story photo earlier in the day, which was posted to Chalamet’s account. 

In other scenes from the postgame celebration, video showed Chalamet sharing a moment with Mikal Bridges, calling him “The GOAT.” 

“Bro, I got your jersey in my house,” Chalamet could be heard telling him. 

Timothée Chalamet is loving life now that the Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals

This is awesome.

(via @SportsCenter)

pic.twitter.com/emINeUuquc

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 26, 2026

In another moment, he dapped up Jalen Brunson and called him “the king.”

He posted a photo to his Instagram Stories of the team receiving the East trophy with the caption: Knicks to the motherf–king Finals Thats It.”

Chalamet, who got an Eastern Conference championship hat, was among several Knicks VIPs at Rocket Arena. 

Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Fat Joe, Patrick Ewing and Walt “Clyde” Frazier were on hand for the historic Knicks moment on Monday. 

Chalamet’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, also made the trip to Cleveland for the game and the two were photographed having a blast during the game, sitting next to Morgan. 

Knicks owner James Dolan was also there and was seen celebrating the victory with Lee. 

The Knicks embarrassed the Cavs on Monday night, holding a 33-9 advantage in fastbreak points and outscoring the Cavaliers 58-24 in bench points. 

Brunson, who was named Eastern Conference finals MVP, finished the night with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns had a team-high 19 points. 

The Knicks will now have some time before they start the NBA Finals, which are not scheduled to begin until June 3. 

The Knicks are also still waiting to find out who they will face, with the Spurs and Thunder series tied at two.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' season is over. A sweep in the Eastern Conference finals at the hands of the New York Knicks — capped off by a 37-point loss on their home floor, no less — is almost sure to bring a new level of scrutiny to a core that, while talented, has faltered time and time again in the playoffs.

One of the biggest questions facing the Cavs this summer will be James Harden and his impending $42.3 milion player option. But Harden, Cleveland's prized midseason acquisition, has already publicly said he's on board with coming back.

“Yes, 100%, definitely to both,” Harden told reporters after Game 4 when asked if he wants and expects to be in Cleveland next season. “Definitely want to be here. It’s tough ending it not how we wanted to, but I think we found something.”

A slow start to this season led to a blockbuster trade for James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers at the deadline in February in exchange for point guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick. Harden, an 11-time All-Star, averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 26 regular season games with the Cavaliers but struggled down the stretch in the playoffs, something that has reared its head before in Harden's career.

In the four games against the Knicks this series, Harden failed to reach 20 points once. His statline in the decisive Game 4 was as flat as the energy the Cavs as a whole played with: 12 points on 2-of-8 shooting, four rebounds, two assists and five turnovers.

James Harden was asked if the Knicks were better than the Cavaliers

"It was 4-0, but I don't think we had a chance as far as our best shot. They dominated us 4-0. but I don't know if I can necessarily answer that question. Because genuinely I do feel like we're the better team" pic.twitter.com/8CAMItRK2H

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) May 26, 2026

The blame didn't solely lie on Harden; the Cavaliers in general were outplayed and outclassed across the board in such a way that's sure to invite questions about this team's roster going forward.

But Harden made it a point to answer one of those questions early. So did Donovan Mitchell.

“I love it here,” Mitchell said after the game. “I don’t know how else to say it. I said it before I signed the other extension: I love it here. I have no doubt this group can get there. But reports are going to be reports and people are going to be people. I’ll say the same thing: we have unfinished business."

Mitchell's situation is a bit different as he's under contract through next season and has a player option for 2027-28. He is, however, eligible for an extension this offseason and if he doesn't look to re-sign, there's speculation that the Cavs could be open to trading him.

Cleveland has become a home for Mitchell since arriving from the Utah Jazz in the summer of 2022. He's been the face of their post-LeBron era since and after getting the Cavs to their furthest point since 2018, the seven-time All-Star is determined to see it through.

“It was great energy to see in the city when we got to the conference finals. Just to feel that, it was amazing," Mitchell said. "That’s why getting swept like this sucks because even driving in, people were going crazy. I love that. I love that about this place. The city deserves a ring and we just got to keep going.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Harden says he wants to stay with Cleveland Cavaliers

You can make the case that no team in NBA history has played better basketball over an 11-game stretch than the New York Knicks are playing right now.

They are just the fifth team to win 11 consecutive games in a single postseason, and their point differential of +262 is the highest for over any 11-game span, regular season or playoffs.

And now, with their 130-93 demolition of the Cavaliers on Monday, May 25 to sweep the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. Awaiting them is the winner of the Western Conference finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

All that said: can they actually win the NBA Finals?

I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right – Bennett Stirtz is definitely not one of the Big 3 prospects that the Jazz need to consider with their 2nd overall pick. However, players with Stirtz’s combination of ball handling, shooting versatility, and awareness don’t come around often, and deserve to be scouted in the event that the Jazz fall in love and decide to trade into the later half of the first round. You can count on the Iowa guard to consistently make the correct decisions, and he has the skills to then capitalize on the advantages he created. However, analyzing Stirtz is more complicated than the simple reading of his talents would indicate. His coach at Iowa, Ben McCollum, coached a style of play so unlike anything Stirtz will encounter at the next level, that it takes some real work to understand whether or not Stirtz will be able to provide anything close to his impressive collegiate production.

On The Surface

Team: Iowa Hawkeyes

Height: 6’2.5 (barefoot)

Weight: 186

Wingspan: 6’6

Age on draft day: 22.73

Counting Stats: 19.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG (0.3 ORPG), 4.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 48/36/85 shooting splits

Strengths

What Stirtz is good at, he is really good at. His shooting provides a skill that he’ll be able to hang his hat on in the NBA, and his aptitude in this regard far exceeds the raw counting stats. While his near 40% clip from downtown in his junior year at Drake better represents the level of shooting prospect that Stirtz is, no stat can properly quantify the otherworldly touch Stirtz has on his shot. His attempts are often remarkably difficult – with very few other ballhandlers or offensive options on the team, a difficult Stirtz jumper was often the most efficient look for the Hawkeyes. His shot is stable in all sorts of circumstances – against type coverage, off of movement, or after a step-back, and a Stirtz look still feels like it’s going in. Due to the unique construction of the Iowa offense, Stirtz shot off-the-dribble jumpers at 97.4 percentile frequency, and somehow maintained elite efficiency despite that heavy offensive load: 83.7 percentile efficiency during his senior season. Simply put, if you need someone to take a shot at the end of the shot clock, Stirtz is one of the best choices in the class. Naturally, he’s even more efficient on catch-and-shoot shots – his efficiency in this play-type was in the 89.5th percentile. However, due to Iowa’s heavy dependance on their star guard, these shots were not a huge part of his offensive diet, with his frequency being in the 29.7th percentile. There isn’t a roster in the NBA that would rely on Stirtz to the same extent that Iowa did, so it’s easy to expect for his overally efficiency to increase as his difficult shot diet of off-the-dribble looks are replaced with his more effective catch-and-shoot opportunities.

However, even if Stirtz is used more off of the ball in the NBA, it would be a waste of his talents to not let him utilize perhaps his defining skill – in my opinion, Stirtz is the best pick-and-roll operator in this draft class. While he lacks the dynamic speed necessary to take advantage of switches, his understanding of angles, timing, and positioning combined with an exceptionally functional handle and his aforementioned shooting touch allowed him to spearhead consistent offensive production, even without high level offensive teammates. Once again, his assist numbers undersell his talent as a passer. While not outstanding in this regard, his vision and accuracy are sound and versatile – if a teammate becomes open as a result of his pick-and-roll probing, it’s likely that he will recognize this and capitalize. And, if he is the one that the defense sags off of, he is a threat to score from all 3 levels, with his rim finishing (70% efficiency) being perhaps his most underrated trait.

No matter the type of offense he is asked to participate in at the next level, Stirtz will be a solid contributor because he simply knows how basketball works. He moves instinctively off of the ball, he understands when to shoot, and he knows when to make the extra pass – basketball comes easy to Bennett, and so I struggle to see a world where Stirtz is not a key cog in a team that wins games. He’s a cerebral player, and that is evident in nearly every aspect of his game.

A smaller skill but an important one – Stirtz has my vote as the player with the most stamina in the draft class. This past season, he played 37.7 minutes per game, and for each of those minutes the entire opposing defense was honing in on him. He’s a true endurance runner, and I would be fascinated to see how that skill is utilized in the NBA where he won’t be playing every minute of every game as the only offensive option. A unimportant but fun fact; in conference play in 2024-2025, Stirtz pulled a Wilt Chamberlain and averaged 40.3 minutes per game, which is more than the amount of minutes in regulation – he literally never came off the court.

Weaknesses

With that offensive profile, we can be sure that it isn’t talent that is limiting Stirtz’s high-end upside. Unfortunately, Stirtz’s athleticism can sometimes impede his productivity on both ends of the court. He isn’t immobile or ground bound by any means, but he does lack the strength of a Darius Acuff, the vertical pop of a Mikel Brown, and the end-to-end speed of an Ebuka Okorie. While his shooting projection is solid, it’s worrying how much he had to rely on difficult jumpers. This is a symptom of lacking top-end speed or quickness – without being able to separate consistently from his defender, he is sometimes forced to settle for contested shots. He’s exceptionally skilled at those shots, but no one is so skilled as to make these shots more efficient than an open jumper or attempt at the rim. While I still have high hopes in his offensive projection, his highest-end upside is certainly constrained due to his lack of dominant physical traits.

This athleticism deficiency extends to the defensive end as well, although the analysis on his translation is once again made difficult due to his unique collegiate situation. He isn’t a glaring negative like Acuff was this year – he moves his feet well and knows where to be – but you wouldn’t mistake him for a defensive difference-maker either. He was often stationed on the least intimidating offensive option and recuperated in the corner while watching the action go on around him. However, in especially pivotal moments, he showcased some high level processing and quick hands. You would hope that once he reaches the NBA and shoulders a less all-encompassing offensive load that he would be able to maintain that higher-level defensive production, but expecting him to be anything more than a net-neutral in a playoff context is unrealistic.

While concerns about age are sometimes overblown – if a guy can play, he can play – it is worth mentioning that Stirtz is about 3 years older than many of his peers in the 2026 guard class. At this moment, I think Stirtz is a better basketball player than any non-Darry Peterson guard in the draft, and that he has accessible areas of improvement, but his overall room for growth is lower than some of his younger counterparts.

Conclusion/Fit on the Jazz

For all watching the playoffs, it is clear that the Jazz need additional ball-handlers. The Spurs and Thunders have an abundance of riches in regards to their stalwart perimeter defenders, and once the postseason comes around, those defenders are allowed to be more physical than ever. While a projected starting lineup of Keyonte, Peterson, Markkanen, Jackson Jr., and Kessler is intriguing for a number of reasons, that is a lot of playmaking burden resting on George’s shoulders – I would say that lineup features 2 good dribblers and 1 good passer, and it’s not like all of these high-level creators are sitting on the bench either. Bennett Stirtz would provide much needed offensive resilience for when the going gets tough, with his enviable combination of on-ball creation (likely relegated to his minutes with the bench) and off-ball savvy (more useful when playing alongside Keyonte or our pick at #2). Think of all of the strong off-ball options that the Jazz already have – they will be given so many more opportunities for success with another strong passer on the roster who can fit with the singular strong passer we already have (Keyonte George). No matter who we draft at 2 or pick up in free agency, our offense will be able to make room for Stirtz because he’s just good enough at everything. Need a pick-and-roll partner with Kessler? Stirtz is your guy. A movement shooter to capitalize off of Markkanen collapsing the defense? You can count on Bennett. A cog in the blender, or a late-shot clock creator, or a recipient of Nurkic’s top-of-the-key passes? While he won’t replicate the huge offensive usage of his time at Iowa, Stirtz can do all of these plays and more. He won’t be fixing any of our defensive issues on the perimeter, but with a more subdued offensive load and two huge safety nets in the paint, we can hope that he won’t be a complete sieve on that end. Stirtz is a player I would’ve been happy to take at 8 had the Jazz slipped in the lottery, but now could be an elite value play for the Jazz to make a move for in the later half of the first round.

Current Draft Projections (most recent big board/mock draft)

No Ceilings: 18

ESPN: 19

Bleacher Report: 21

CBS Sports: 18

ClutchPoints: 23

What would be some feasible ways to attain Bennett Stirtz? There are two options that immediately come to mind. There are reports that the Thunder are planning to wheel and deal with their 4 picks – they simply don’t have the roster spots to keep them all. Would they be interested in a future pick for #17, in the name of continuing to spread their wealth of assets into the future? Another team that comes to mind is the Detroit Pistons, currently sitting at #21. This seems to be near the back-end of Stirtz’s draft range, but if the Jazz feel like they can get their guy at this spot, I would suggest calling with an offer of their choice of bench piece (Svi and Filipowski in particular could be interesting to Detroit) along with a less-valuable draft pick than the one we would offer to OKC. If I were Detroit, I’d be happy to snatch up Stirtz myself, but after a disappointing postseason run as the #1 seed, I could see there being pressure coming from the top to shore up the rotation with win-now moves.

Is Stirtz a draft sleeper that you would want the Jazz to acquire? What are some trades you can put together to sneak the Jazz into the back-half of the first round? Let me know in the comments!

Charles Barkley didn’t even wait for the final buzzer to tear into the Cavaliers during their season-ending loss, which punched the Knicks’ ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. 

The Cavaliers started off Monday’s elimination game strong before the Knicks overpowered them for over three quarters in what turned into a 130-93 loss for Cleveland at Rocket Arena.

The outcome seemed destined before halftime rolled around, and Barkley took the moment to rail on the Cleveland’s lack of effort. 

“Kids at home, if you want to see what the word quit means: to give up. The verb of that: CA-VA-LI-ERS,” he said on “Inside the NBA” at the half. “This is what you see… They were down 29. This is just effort here. This is just effort.” 

Chuck teaches the kids at home what the word 'quit' means pic.twitter.com/dLcblwyKxY

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2026

Barkley then had the producers play clips to highlight his point about the lack of effort from the Cavs. 

“How do you give up 23 fastbreak points in a half?” Barkley asked. “Players aren’t going to say they quit, but you know what shows? Their actions.

“Lisa [Salters] and Malika [Andrews] were talking about [Cavs players] saying they believe. Well, I believed they were going to get their ass whooped and that’s what’s going to happen.”

The “Inside the NBA” crew didn’t stop there either. 

After the loss, Kenny Smith said that he believed the Cavaliers “took a step backwards because it showed what you’re vulnerable to, to everyone else in the Eastern Conference.”

Smith added that the Cavaliers needed to change their offensive identity for Cleveland to take that step. 

"[The Cavs ] also took a step backwards because it showed what you're vulnerable to, to everyone else in the Eastern Conference."

Kenny Smith believes Cleveland needs to change their identity to be able to compete for a title pic.twitter.com/zOY1LbyBvU

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 26, 2026

The comment was in response to comments from Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, who has taken plenty of criticism this series for not using timeouts in Game 1 as the Knicks mounted a historic comeback, and comments about how the Cavaliers were winning games in an analytical sense.

Knicks fans partied like it was 1999 on Monday night, punctuating a dominant run to the NBA Finals with a one-sided sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers that plunged the Big Apple into jubilant chaos.  

The win ended a 27-year dry spell since their last Finals appearance — and Knicks nation was quick to use the opportunity to make up for lost time.

“The city has been waiting for it since 1999. We’ve been through so many losses and the fans have always stuck close. It’s nice to finally be on the winning side,” Kevin Calle, a 30-year-old human resources manager from New Jersey, told The Post outside of Radio City’s watch party.

“It’s our time. The team is made up of a lot of underdogs. Let’s hope Manhattan makes it out alive tonight!”

While the scene at a Radio City remained under control, Madison Square Garden was plunged into a frenzy where thousands of revelers packed the streets immediately outside The Mecca.

FOLKS ARE GETTING ARRESTED pic.twitter.com/zAVOC7aR3A

— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 26, 2026

Some scaled lamp posts, while others used brooms to perform a ceremonial “sweep” and hoisted themselves onto elevated ledges.

Within an hour of the Knicks’ clinching win — a 37-point drubbing of the Cavs — fans were chanting, “f—k the World Cup!”

MetLife Stadium is set to host several World Cup matches in June and July.

Many in the mob weren’t alive to see the Knicks play the lat time they made the NBA Finals in 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

“It’s the New York summer. There’s a lot of things going on. The Yankees are doing well, but we got the New York Knicks taking it to the moon. Taking it to the moon!’ Juan Pablo Estupinan, 23, told The Post outside of MSG — while even younger fans crowd-surfed above him.

“We’re split in baseball, we’re split on football, but New Yorkers are united with the Knicks,” said Henry Hunt, 23, from New Jersey.

“The crowd is going nuts. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

Knicks diehards who trekked to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 threw their own party outside of Rocket Arena — turning it up right in front of despondent Cavs’s fans.

Knicks fans shutdown 8th Ave while celebrating sweep of Cavs to advance to the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/xHXhekiYfp

— SHO’NUFF (@IAMSHO_NUFF) May 26, 2026

“It’s incredible. I’m on top of the world. There is no stopping the Knicks,” Tara Hochberg, 50, of Long Island, told The Post.

“We want Wemby,” Hochberg and dozens of others chanted, referencing Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama. And the same call echoed outside of The Garden as the Knicks await the winner of the Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Even Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who attended Game 2 in the nosebleed seats at MSG, got in on the action poking fun at the decisive win over Cleveland.

“NYC Sanitation, I’d like to report a sweep,” Hizzoner wrote on X.

Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 130-93 Game 4 win over the Cavaliers on Monday night in Cleveland:

Hero

Remember those questions after Game 1 about Karl-Anthony Towns struggling against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley?

He dominated the Cavaliers big men over the last three games, and was at his best in the clincher, tallying 19 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

In his 26 minutes Monday night, the Knicks outscored Cleveland by 25 points. He also shot 50 percent from 3 (8-for-16) in the series.

Zero

Are the Cavaliers sure they want to pay free agent-to-be James Harden?

He was a mess in this series, and was again a major problem in the final game, limited to 12 points on 2-for-8 shooting.

He also committed five turnovers, and finished with 17 and a minus-55 rating in the four contests.

Unsung Hero

OG Anunoby is all the way back from that right hamstring strain. He threw down two ridiculous dunks that brought the many Knicks fans in attendance out of their seats.

The two-way wing finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Most importantly, he looks like his pre-injury self after a slow start in the Eastern Conference finals.

Key Stat

118: Knicks point differential in elimination games on the road against the Hawks, 76ers and Cavaliers.

Quote

“It’s a magical thing, it’s a historical thing. It’s something that New York has been dying for a long, long time. We’ll enjoy that plane ride, but once we get in those cars and go to our respective homes, it’s going to be back to business.” — Karl-Anthony Towns.