Category: NBA

Kenny Atkinson is taking “looking on the bright side” to another level.

The Cavaliers head coach tried to put a positive spin on their current 0-3 hole to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals by claiming that Cleveland had actually been playing on par with New York, according to the analytics.

Atkinson even went as far as to say the Cavaliers would have won two of the first three games based on the expected score.

“We’ve had success against this team before. We’ve had really good moments,” Atkinson told reporters. “In this series, up [20 points in] Game 1. Even Game 2, take that run out from the beginning of the third quarter, and it’s pretty tight. I think analytically, I think we’ve won I said three out of three, I think we’re two out of three in the [expected score] … we’ve won two out of three. And I know you’re looking confused, but … if you believe in process and all that, take that layer.

“I don’t throw that on them. I see it for myself. We have this feeling, I have this feeling, then I can go to our analytical table … last night, the expected score was like one point or two. Us shooting way below expected, them shooting way over.”

The comments were certainly interesting, considering the Knicks are on the verge of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, and the Cavaliers are coming off a Game 3 effort that saw them shoot just 29 percent from 3-point range and go 12-for-19 from the free-throw line.

The Knicks have also won 10 consecutive postseason games — setting a new franchise record in the process — and have beaten their opponents by an average of 22.5 points during that span.

Atkinson did appear to concede that his point may not be a winning one with the fans, who are watching the Cavaliers crash out at the end of a hard-fought season.

“I know when no one wants to hear that,” he said. “I think [the media likes] hearing it. I know the general public, no one wants to hear it. Everyone’s outcome-based, I get that, too.”

A group of Catholic nuns known as the Salesian Sisters made a courtside appearance ahead of Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, bringing both faith and fandom to the Western Conference Finals.

The sisters were seen interacting with players before tipoff, including a moment circulating on social media showing Spurs center Luke Kornet receiving a blessing from two of the nuns.

The Salesian Sisters, based in San Antonio, have followed the Spurs for years and drawn attention during the team’s playoff run for cheering and praying for the team, according to the Salesian Sisters website. Their presence is also tied to their broader mission. The group has said it connects with young people through shared interests, such as sports and uses those connections to build relationships with the community.

The sisters’ appearance in Game 4 comes as the Spurs look to shift momentum in the series, with the group adding both energy and prayer to the playoff atmosphere.

This game, in the landscape of the Western Conference finals, is pivotal.

The San Antonio Spurs cannot afford to fall behind in this series and must protect homecourt. Because if the Thunder win Sunday, May 24 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, San Antonio’s rise could be quelled earlier than it wants.

All eyes will be on the two stars in the series, reigning two-time consecutive Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs.

At the end of the third quarter, the Spurs lead, 78-60.

Here are live takeaways from Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs:

The San Antonio Spurs are fighting for their playoff lives in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs entered the Sunday night showdown trailing 2-1 in the series, and they needed a big game from superstar center Victor Wembanyama if they wanted to even it before going back to OKC. Wemby delivered with an incredible first half — capped by one of the defining shots of his young career so far.

Wembanyama was already dominating the Thunder when he got the ball with the clock ticking away at the end of the first half. The 7’5 French superhuman pulled up from the halfcourt logo at the buzzer and swished the shot to give the Spurs all the momentum (and a 12-point) heading into halftime. Watch the shot here:

I was so sure Wembanyama was hitting a halfcourt shot as soon as he caught the ball. We’ve already seen him pull up from Steph Curry range in the clutch earlier in this series. He has this type of range, and he continues to be prove it.

Wembanyama scored 22 points in the first half, and the Spurs were +16 in his 18 minutes. The Thunder playing without their second and third best creators in Game 4 with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both out with injury, and it sure feels like that’s too much to overcome against Wembanyama with his back against the wall.

The 7’5 guy was already dominating at the rim on both ends. Hitting halfcourt shots with ease is just unfair. It’s the longest shot of his career, but it’s hard to be surprised at this point.

The New York Knicks have taken a 3-0 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks will have the opportunity to close the series out in Game 4 on the road at Rocket Arena on Monday, May 25.

It’s a deep hole for the Cavs to try to climb out of. No team in the league’s history has come back to win a series after losing the first three games. In fact, only three teams have even managed to rally back into a series to force a Game 7 after a 3-0 deficit in a series.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson still appears optimistic about his team's chances in the series.

“Analytically… we’ve won two out of three games on the expected (score),” Atkinson said. “I think last night it was one point or two.”

The Knicks have averaged 115 points through the first three games in the series compared to just 101.7 for the Cavs. Cleveland has made 109-of-254 shot attempts, including 37-of-126 from the 3-point line, while New York has shot 129-of-250 from the field and 34-of-96 from long range.

“We were shooting way lower than expected and they’re shooting way over,” Atkinson said. “I know nobody wants to hear that. … Everyone is outcome based.”

The Knicks rallied in the fourth quarter of Game 1, erasing the Cavaliers' 22-point lead by going on a 44-11 scoring run from the 7:52 mark in the final period of regulation and into overtime to secure the victory.

More: Knicks close in on NBA Finals: Takeaways from Game 3 win vs. Cavaliers

When do Knicks and Cavaliers play next?

The Cavaliers will host the Knicks for Game 4 of the series on Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cavaliers' Kenny Atkinson believes Cleveland has analytical 2-1 lead

Jaylen Brown’s first run as the Boston Celtics star earned its flowers on Sunday night.

The names of those voted to the league’s All-NBA first, second, and third teams were unveiled, just as Brown began unpacking another handful of topics during his latest livestream. Brown’s audience got a live reaction from the five-time All-Star, who expressed his gratitude upon discovering he had joined some of the league’s brightest stars as a member of the All-NBA Second Team.

“I’m grateful. God is the greatest,” Brown told his FCHWPO Twitch livestream on Sunday night.

The challenge for Brown this past season was unlike any other. Yet, he handled it tremendously.

Brown assumed responsibilities in the team’s driver’s seat while co-star Jayson Tatum recovered from his ruptured right Achilles tendon. Without Tatum for the first 62 games of the regular season, Brown kept the Celtics competitive as one of the league’s biggest threats entering the playoffs. Boston finished second in the Eastern Conference — behind the Detroit Pistons — with a 56-26 record, salvaging what initially looked like a bridge year in the making.

The door was open for both Brown and offseason newcomers, labeled as “unprovens” by Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, to flourish throughout the season.

Brown averaged career highs in points (28.7), assists (5.1), and two-point attempts (16) across 71 starts. He played over 34 minutes a night, shot 47.7 percent from the field, and took initiative by finding his safe haven in the mid-range, torching opposing defenses with his stellar 58.5 percent shooting clip.

He finished sixth in MVP voting and was a first-time starter in February’s 2026 All-Star Game.

Considering how Brown’s leadership elevated both himself and the team, earning an All-NBA spot shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Still, skepticism looms in Brown’s mind when it comes time for the league to announce its award winners.

“I’m grateful for everything,” Brown said. “I’m not surprised about nothing. I’m grateful for everything. I know who I am. So I get it. I’m surprised I win awards at all sometimes, so I’m grateful, man. It’s a blessing.”

Boston didn’t get far in its postseason pursuit, as the season ended with a historic 3-1 first-round collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers. And while the final result left the season with a bittersweet feel, it didn’t diminish Brown’s appreciation for the Celtics teammates he shared the court with during his 10th NBA season.

“It’s a blessing to be a part of the group that I’ve been on,” Brown said, “especially with the expectations they put on us. The expectation was to not even be a playoff team, and we finished second in the East.”

For the third straight season, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is a member of the All-NBA Second Team.

Brunson got the 2025-26 honor alongside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić made the First Team.

The Third Team was Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Thunder center-forward Chet Holmgren and Pistons center Jalen Duren.

Brunson, 29, averaged 26 points and 6.8 assists in 35 minutes per game in 74 games of New York's 53-29 regular season.

"I don't really want to consider us peaking at this moment," Brunson said Sunday on Zoom. "I still think we have a lot of work to do.

"Us as a team -- I've said this all year -- we just want to get better every single day, and that includes the times that we're in the playoffs because there's still time to learn, there's still time to get better.

"That's how I've always thought about it. I haven't really had the time to, like, kind of wonder where we are as a team. All I focus on is, 'How can we get better from the day before?'"

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant is celebrating another successful season in the NBA with his 12th All-NBA honor of his career.

With his 12th All-NBA appearance, Durant joins an elite club of basketball greats, which includes:

• Jerry West
• Dolph Schayes
• Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Julius Erving
• Bob Cousy
• Shaquille O’Neal
• Karl Malone
• Tim Duncan
• Kobe Bryant
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• LeBron James

Here’s a list of the All-NBA teams that the voters chose:

First: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham

Second: Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell

Third: Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Johnson, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren

In his first season with the Rockets, Durant averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in 78 appearances with the team. It’s the most Durant has played in a single season since the 2018-19 campaign, when he also had 78 appearances for the Golden State Warriors just before tearing his Achilles in that year’s NBA Finals.

To play that long and to still be at an All-NBA level this late into his career is extraordinary and the Rockets should not take that for granted.

While the Rockets may not have moved forward in their quest for a championship after bringing Durant in from a trade with the Phoenix Suns, having him on the roster makes them dangerous on any given night.

TDS community, how do you feel about Durant making the All-NBA team? Let us know in the comments section below.

CLEVELAND — It’s not quite the recognition coach Mike Brown sought, but Jalen Brunson has again been recognized as one of the league’s premier talents.

Brunson was named to the All-NBA second team for the third straight season.

He averaged 26 points and 6.8 assists during the regular season.

“He’s been doing this year after year after year since he got here in New York,” Brown said Sunday. “We’ve had a fantastic season. The numbers that he puts up are off the charts.”

Brown constantly has called for Brunson to be in the MVP conversation, but he got zero votes for the top five places.

“He’s also doing it two ways, and people aren’t talking about him leading the league in charges,” Brown said. “And there are other guys out there that get mentioned a lot and well deserved, well deserved. I’m not discounting them. But one or two of them might be strictly offense. Another one might be better defensively than offensively, you know? And he’s showing his mettle by leading a top three team in the conference not just with his scoring, not just with six to seven assists a game but also leading, leading the league in charges. And that should go a long way, and I hope going forward that the voters really take all of that in consideration.”

Brunson was joined on the second team by Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell.

Ahead of him, Brunson was beaten out by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic on the first team.

The third team consisted of Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Johnson, Jalen Duren and Chet Holmgren.

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is celebrating his third consecutive All-NBA appointment, being named to the second team for a third straight year.

Here’s a look at how all the All-NBA teams shook out.

First: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham

Second: Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell

Third: Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Johnson, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren

Brunson was the final player named to the second team, receiving 49 second-team votes and 50 third-team votes. One voter left him off the ballot completely.

This season, Brunson averaged 26 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting just under 37 percent from beyond the arc. Brunson did all of this while leading the Knicks to 53 victories and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. He has continued his All-NBA level throughout the postseason as the Knicks find themselves one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Towns had a case to join Brunson on the All-NBA list, but the big man came up just short. He was the 17th-highest vote getter, with one second-team vote and 11 third-team votes. Towns averages 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and three assists per game in his second season with the Knicks.

Posting & Toasting community, what do you make of the All-NBA teams? Should Brunson have made the First Team? Who was the biggest snub next to Towns? Chime off in the comments section below.

Knicks wing OG Anunoby "got robbed" of the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive First Team, coach Mike Brown said Sunday in Cleveland during a Zoom with reporters.

"I got one more thing before I'm taking off -- you guys can all print this," Brown, who made the case in early April, said at the end of his media availability. "Great players out there -- I'm not discounting anybody -- but freakin' OG got robbed. He should've been First Team All-Defense -- First Team All-Defense. The versatility that he brings to this team, we're a top five defensive team -- top five defensive team. OK?

"The versatility that he brings -- and everybody always says, 'Oh, you got KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns), you got Jalen (Brunson), blah, blah, blah.' The versatility that that guy brings to this team is off the charts, and I hope the voters get it next time around. I'm happy he's Second Team -- he deserves something -- but it was wrong."

"Freakin' OG got robbed. He should've been First Team All-Defense. I hope the voters get it right next time around. It was wrong."

Mike Brown ends his availability today by making the case for OG Anunoby to be First Team All-Defense 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Z0HSYCirhf

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) May 24, 2026

Before Brown's statement, Anunoby said earlier in the video call that he was honored to be mentioned but "hoping" to make the First Team.

"It was cool to get the recognition, you know," Anunoby said. "... Second Team is cool. I was hoping I got First Team -- I thought I should've gotten First Team -- but Second Team is just as good."

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson, Oklahoma City Thunder center-forward Chet Holmgren, San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert got the nod for the First Team.

"He's been tremendous, obviously, defensively," Brunson said of Anunoby. "And I think him being able to guard 1 through 5 on any given night has really been a big part of who we are and what we're allowed to do on defense because of him. ... Any publicity is good publicity, but I think he was well deserving of the First Team."

Anunoby made the cut for the Second Team with Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.

"There's a lot of great defenders in the league, so to be recognized as one of the 10 premier ones is really cool ... now just focus on the rest of the playoffs," Anunoby said.

The best of the best in the NBA have been honored.

The league announced its 2025-26 All-NBA selections Sunday, May 24, and a pair of players led the way with unanimous selections.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning, two-time consecutive Most Valuable Player, and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić were the only two players to receive 100 first-place votes.

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama nearly made it three, but one panelist gave him a second-place vote.

A panel of 100 media members voted to select the All-NBA teams. Voters were asked to appoint five players to the first team, five to the second and five to the third. Then, the votes were tallied and added up and ranked in numerical order.

First-team votes were worth five points; second-team votes were worth three and third-team votes were worth one.

From the 21st pick in the draft to one of the 15 best players in the league.

The NBA has announced their All-NBA teams for the 2025-26 season, revealing that Tyrese Maxey has been selected for the first time in his career. He joins Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, and Jamal Murray for those honors.

Leading the league in minutes per game, Maxey averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a night. He did so on 46.2/36.7/89.2% shooting splits, earning his second All-Star selection back in February. Maxey becomes the first Sixer to make an All-NBA team since Joel Embiid’s MVP year back in 2023 and the first non-Embiid Sixer to earn the honors since Ben Simmons in 2019-20.

Maxey’s spot on an All-NBA started to be penciled in at the very start of the season when Maxey came out of the gates hot, averaging 32 points per game over the first month and a half of the season. His production tailed off a bit as his workload caught up with him, and suffered a finger injury in March that put him in danger of missing the 65-game threshold for awards.

He returned a week early, clearing that benchmark by five games and navigating his team through the Play-In tournament as the Sixers again lost Embiid to a freak injury right before the playoffs.

Had his production been able to withstand his heavy workload, he only averaged a measly 26.5 points per game since the calendar flipped to 2026, there was definitely an argument for him to make second team. He was the leading third-team vote getter and received 36 votes for second-team.

This is also the first step in another leap Maxey can make, this one being financial. ESPN’s Bobby Marks has already run the numbers as Maxey will be eligible for the Super-Max extension in the 2027 offseason should he make an All-NBA team again next year.

Draymond Green is certainly known to have his opinions, but a social media beef has caught everyone off guard. 

The Warriors star and NBA analyst for “Inside the NBA”bizarrely told a Knicks fan to “Watch your mouth before I crush those dirty ass kids in your banner” in response to a remark she made on X. 

The user, @HanaHoops, has an old photo featuring two young girls in her X profile banner.

It’s unclear if it’s an old photo of herself or others. 

The social media user had originally posted, “COME OUTSIDE BITCH” and tagged Green, in a likely chirp related to his commentary on “Inside the NBA.” 

The reply didn’t seem to bother @HanaHoops, who replied to Green’s comment on Sunday, asking if he was “hacked or something?” 

“Im actually crying bruh why would he say that,” she also wrote on X. 

She also posted about it on TikTok, where she screenshotted and shared the exchange and captioned it, “When you get in a random Twitter beef with Draymond Green.” 

Green seemed plenty busy on social media Sunday, also taking aim at a fan who had said that the hooper could get on the Knicks bandwagon. 

That offer was not met with much appreciation. 

“Why would I? I got more rings than y’all. I don’t need to be on anyone’s bandwagon,” Green wrote on X. 

Green has been complimentary of the way the team has played through the playoffs and even said that three was “no one playing better than the New York Knicks.” 

They’ve been consistently good on both sides of the basketball. They’re really connecting the game, they’re using their defense to fuel their offense,” Green said about the Knicks. 

The Knicks are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.