Category: NBA

LeBron James talked about steps he’ll take before deciding whether to play again next season, but is there one missing from the list?

Spending time with his family. Talking to his 12-year-old daughter; his 19-year-old son; and his wife. Reflecting on this past season and deciding what’s in his best interest. And ...

What he didn’t cite explicitly is how his role changed this past season, during which he averaged 20.9 points, the fewest since he averaged the same in his rookie season.

Opinion: If this is it for LeBron James, appreciate how unprecedented he was

"I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment, that's for damn sure," James, 41, told reporters after the Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-110, Monday, May 11 and got swept in the Western Conference semifinal playoff series. "Especially, I was put into some positions that I've never played in my career before, actually in my life.

"I've never been a third option in my life."

This season, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerged as the NBA’s highest-scoring backcourt, and in March, Lakers coach JJ Redick officially asked James to accept the role of the team’s third scoring option.

He agreed.

With James in that role, the Lakers thrived.

That is, until Doncic suffered a hamstring injury in February and Reaves strained his oblique muscle April 2, during 139-96 loss to the Thunder.

Suddenly James was the Lakers’ No. 1 option again, and he led them past the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series.

"So to be able to thrive in that role (as the team’s third option) for that period of time and then have to step back into the role that I've been accustomed with over my career, over my life ... that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career," he said.

More: Has LeBron James' tenure with the Lakers been a failure? Fans weigh in.

But would it be cool to go back to being the third option next season, which would be his 24^th in the NBA?

It could be a complex assessment.

When asked about the love for the game, James said, "I don't think it ever goes away."

More imporantly, James said, is maintaining his love for "the process." That entails arriving for games 5 1/2 hours early to start getting ready. And arriving three hours before practice.

"...giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play," he said.

James played a co-leading role Monday night, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Reaves had a team-high 27 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.

James took 18 shots. Reaves took 16 shots. Luka remained sidelined.

The highlight of James' eight-year tenure with the Lakers, he said, was leading the Lakers to the NBA title in 2020. He mentioned competing for championships again Monday.

“I think that's a motivating factor, it's always been since I've – probably the first time I touched the postseason in ‘06 – was like, how can I compete for a championship?" he said.

Does accepting the role of third option give James and the Lakers third best chance to win an NBA title?

Is it something he thinks is in his best interest?

Would he still love showing up 5 1/2 hours before games and three hours before practices?

The process of figuring it out all out has officially begun.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is LeBron James willing to be Lakers’ third option again?

After the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night, Luka Doncic took to Instagram to announce he will not be joining the Slovenian national team this summer. Instead, he shared that he plans to devote his time to his daughters.

The message, initially written in Slovenian and later translated into English, emphasized that being a father to his two daughters is his top priority. Doncic explained that over the past eight months, it has been challenging to spend time with them as he works toward a joint custody agreement with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes. The couple shares a three-year-old daughter, Gabriela, and a five-month-old daughter, Olivia.

“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life. As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer,” Doncic wrote in the post. “Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months.”

When Mike Schmitz was hired as the Dallas Mavericks’ new general manager under the newly minted head man Masai Ujiri, he was hailed as a master talent evaluator.

Now, with the Mavericks landing the No. 9 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft after Sunday’s Draft Lottery, we turn our eyes toward some of the moves he had a hand in as assistant GM for the Portland Trail Blazers and some of his hotter takes on incoming NBA talent during his time analyzing the draft for DraftExpress and ESPN.

This year’s draft is full of electrifying, potentially franchise-shifting talent at the top, but there are tiers. It’s levels to this shit, as a wise man once said. The Mavs will not be operating on the tippy top level if they keep the ninth pick and select from the leftovers after the top two tiers are all but gutted. It is, on its face, a disappointing result given the season Mavericks fans just endured.

As Ujiri himself said in a recent sit-down interview with Mavericks Chief Comms Officer Gina Miller, “[The NBA Draft Lottery is] a moment where we’re all human beings. You feel it. You know what the odds are, but you still feel like you are the one [to move up].”

And when it doesn’t happen, like for the Raptors in 2025 or for the Mavs this year, you may find yourself kicking rocks with your head hung low on a lonesome stretch of highway as a tumbleweed drifts by.

But at the very least, there are smart people in charge now. They are formulating a plan. These are people who have an actual vision; they’re not manufacturing one for spin after dropping a nuke on the thing you love.

So here are some of Schmitz’ Greatest Hits. Play these on repeat as you wonder how the Mavericks deal with the 2026 offseason.

The 2018 NBA Draft

Schmitz was all-in on Luka Dončić in the run-up to the 2018 NBA Draft, as he worked as an analyst for ESPN. The headline clipped and shared across social media in the days since his hiring in Dallas reads, “There has never been an NBA draft prospect like Slovenia’s Luka Dončić.”

The first-round draft results from that year are pure comedy with the benefit of eight years’ hindsight. The great debate for many was Ayton or Dončić at No. 1, which has proven over the last eight years to be a complete laugher.

Schmitz called Dončić a “unicorn.” He called the Mavericks the “clear winner” of the draft after all the cards were turned in. He referred to Dončić as a “historic” prospect with unparalleled skill, basketball IQ, and winning experience for his age. He heard the criticism of Dončić’s athleticism and tried to convince the masses that it didn’t matter.

He was 100% right. The deceleration move that Dončić befuddled better athlete after better athlete with has been mimicked and copy-catted to death in the years since.

The 2020 NBA Draft

Morning after draft hot takes:

-LaMelo will be the best player to come out of this draft

-Okongwu will be the best big

-Avdija will be the best INTL

-Tyrese Haliburton went way too low

-Maxey will go top-10 in a re-draft

-Bolmaro will be the 2nd best INTL from 2020 pic.twitter.com/E2G1M3fhdr

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) November 19, 2020

Schmitz’s soothsaying after the 2020 NBA Draft should be a case study for talent evaluation. He nailed it all in the above post on what was then Twitter (ah, simpler times), save for underselling Anthony Edwards and Franz Wagner a little bit.

LaMelo Ball has proven out. Deni Avdija has proven out, and Schmitz’s hand in bringing Avdija to the Trail Blazers will be covered later. Okongwu has proven out, fresh off a season where he averaged 15.2 points and nearly eight rebounds a game. The Tyrese Haliburton nod was downright psychic. The specificity with which he described Tyrese Maxey’s potential may be the most impressive item on his list, and these last two citations should encourage Mavs fans the most. Picking from a less-than-optimal spot, Schmitz can spot the dog among more highly touted also-rans.

This unique talent could also serve Dallas well at the 30th pick.

Early Wembanyama adopter

Schmitz is such an international talent geek, it’s delicious. Mavs fans in particular, what with the team’s penchant for going and getting great players from overseas, should be salivating at the thought of his finger anywhere near the trigger.

He was among the earliest adopters of one Victor Wembanyama, releasing the following assessment in 2020, three years before The Alien was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs: “The prototypical NBA center is shrinking as the league gets smaller. But Wembanyama is different. Not only does he put a lid on the rim like Rudy Gobert, he also shows the floor-spacing potential of a young Kristaps Porzingis, with a far better handle and passing feel.”

Wembanyama was just 16 at the time Schmitz wrote that. It’s a bit harder to miss Wembanyama, what with his singular frame and skillset, but Schmitz still gets points for being one of the first to recognize the paradigm shifting nature of his potential arrival on the scene.

Spot-on assessment of Jalen Williams

Really enjoyed breaking down film with Jalen Williams. Impressive feel for the game with a really unique trajectory. Undersized PG in high school. Was only 6-3 when he arrived at Santa Clara. Now one of the biggest sleepers in the draft at 6-6 with length and a refined skill set. pic.twitter.com/79UT3K0DjA

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) May 11, 2022

Schmitz called Jalen Williams the steal of the 2022 draft a month before the picks were in.

“Easy to see him generating substantial 1st round buzz during the pre-draft process,” Schmitz said of the 6-foot-6 prospect with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He did exactly that and has since proven to, indeed, be the steal of that draft class.

He just seems to have a track record for being in on guys who go on to over-achieve. Schmitz is a seeker. He’ll find you a dude.

Bringing Avdija and Camara to Portland

As then-assistant GM, Schmitz theoretically had at least some input into the trade that netted the Blazers Avdija’s services in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick in the 2024 draft (which ended up being Bub Carrington), a 2029 first-round pick and two second-rounders. This was highway robbery.

Avdija’s jump in production during the 2025-26 season is something many predicted after a couple of seasons playing in Washington. Many Mavericks fans and analysts wished the team could have put together a package for Avdija rather than Daniel Gafford on deadline day in 2024. But Schmitz not only predicted Avdija’s ascension years earlier, he was also part of the team that put together a package to fleece the poor Wizards of the prospect he knew was about to arrive. Chess moves.

A year earlier, following Damian Lillard’s request for a trade after 11 seasons in Portland, Schmitz & Co. were still able to command a substantial haul when the Trail Blazers obliged him. They did not, in retrospect, get held over a barrel in the process. They got Deandre Ayton, Jrue Holliday and Toumani Camara, who was considered at the time something of a throw-in piece but has since developed into one of the best defensive stoppers in the league. He was a second-team All-Defensive Team selection a year ago after being drafted 52nd overall in 2023.

The Yang Hansen of it all

Schmitz’s detractors will point to his role in trading for Yang Hansen, whom the Memphis Grizzlies selected with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as evidence that he takes too many risks on international prospects that he likes over surer shots on the draft board. Schmitz was suspended for two weeks without pay by the NBA in April after the team self-reported that Schmitz and his fellow co-general manager, Sergio Oliva, made illegal contact with Yang in 2023, two years before the youngster from China was eventually drafted by the team. The NBA also fined the Blazers $100,000 for that self-reported violation.

That deal may well go down as a mistake, but the Blazers also secured a first-round pick and two second-rounders in the deal. The jury is still out on Yang, who is just 20, by the way. The concern here is that the Mavericks don’t have a bunch of draft capital to experiment with in the next few years. They don’t fully own their first-rounders in either the 2027 or 2028 drafts.

Now that we know where the Mavs stand in the draft order, visions of trade scenarios like Yang-for-Coward will no doubt begin to dance in our collective heads? What could the Mavericks get for, say, P.J. Washington and No. 9? How far could the Mavs move up if they found someone interested in Dereck Lively II and the ninth pick?

The onus is on Ujiri and Schmitz to get it right this year. Good thing they’ve both shown a talent for wheeling, dealing and making the pieces fit.

So not much happened in official Celtics news last week. Brad Stevens gave a press conference which, while not quite promising the Wyc Grousbeckian “fireworks” of 2014 that never quite materialized, suggested that the team would be looking to address shortcomings that revealed themselves in the playoff series against Philadelphia.

On the CelticsBlog Slack, there were a host of Jaylen Brown trade scenarios pitched, along with trade scenarios for Derrick White and Sam Hauser. Jayson Tatum even made a surprise appearance.

And I had to ask myself, “Is this what other fanbases do?”

Because I didn’t particularly enjoy it.

Barring injury, the Celtics have been consistent Eastern Conference contenders for almost ten straight years now. They’ve been to the Finals twice, have won once, and have been the most consistently good team in the NBA since Danny Ainge made the widely panned moves to draft Brown and Tatum in back-to-back years.

In short, we have been spoiled. We have been very, very spoiled.

A long summer stretches out before us, with very little to engage our attention as fans. Shoot. We couldn’t even get excited about the lottery, and with the fourth best record in the league, draft chatter is going to be hard to get into, at least for me, because the farther down the draft you go, the harder it is to rank players.

There may be a consensus #1, but there is never a consensus 27^th pick, and basically the predictions at this section of the draft are white noise. This is the part of the draft where I tend to think that ‘character counts,’ and that comes down to interviews and one-on-one sessions that draft predicters aren’t part of.

For example, the Celtics apparently saw something in Baylor Scheierman that suggested he would be a far better defender than writers who focused primarily on clips of his role and style of play at Creighton for their evaluations. That ‘something’ didn’t show up on film from a program where Scheierman was asked to do very little on the defensive end of the court.

So I can’t really get into draft predictions.

The rest of the playoffs are a rather flavorless affair for me as well. Perhaps that’s a knock against me as a basketball fan. To be sure, if my Dad were still around, he’d still be watching, and my younger brothers are both still watching, but even the most amazing plays sort of stop at the back of my eyeballs when I’m watching other teams. I can appreciate good offense and good defense up to a point, but it just doesn’t move me the way watching the Celtics does.

Plus, I really don’t like the Thunder. They’ve taken the place of the Warriors as a team to dislike because of their combination of dirty play and favorable whistles. The difference is that they’ve basically ratcheted the whole thing up to eleven. Lu Dort is…well, let’s just say that he makes Draymond Green look like St. Francis of Assisi, and SGA’s whistle is not to be believed at this point in time.

As Celtics fans, we’re on the outside looking in at both sources of entertainment at this point in the season.

It’s an odd place to be.

As I said earlier, we’ve been spoiled.

Boston’s management has been rock solid—they’ve made moves when moves are necessary, they’ve drafted exceptionally well, and they’ve given us plenty to get excited about.

I’m confident that they know what they’re doing, that they—along with Mazzulla—have a pretty good idea what went wrong against Philadelphia, and they’ll find the right combination of patience and action to move the team forward for next season.

But in the meantime, we as fans have to choose between building castles in the air and twiddling our thumbs. We can either cook up crazy trade scenarios that never really pan out, or we can dive deep into the middle of this year’s draft class to see if we can suss out which player the Celtics are likely to land on with their pick, or we can basically mark time until the draft, free agency, and the summer league give us something concrete to talk about.

The C’s might make a couple trades around the draft, but the reality is that the league year ends on June 30, and the team is so dang close to the tax line that any moves they make will have to be very tightly constrained in terms of salary, and in any case, the draft is still six weeks away.

One of the weirder aspects of the abrupt end to this season is that when it comes to improving the team, we’re now talking about trading guys that we spent the past eight months cheering on.

It was a bit understandable last season when the salary cap situation meant that the C’s were going to have to part ways with a lot of money.

It’s another thing when you’re looking at a guy who deserved legit MVP consideration for what he did for the team and saying, “Yeah, but can we get Giannis if we trade him?”

This is where I have to wonder what it’s like for fans of other NBA teams that get caught in this limbo.

Do they really spend months speculating on roster moves that don’t happen and draft picks that don’t get made?

It all seems rather strange to me. Like, how do you go from rooting for Jaylen Brown to shopping him for Giannis and then, when that doesn’t pan out, back to rooting for him next season?

Perhaps I’m too wedded to the concrete, and I need to spend more time using my imagination—perhaps that’s the key to being a fan of a team that isn’t regularly a contender. Perhaps you have to have the ability to imagine your team being a contender because, in reality, they don’t have much of a shot.

That might be my problem.

I haven’t had to imagine the Celtics being contenders. They’ve just been contenders, period.

I get it, you’re still thinking about the Lakers getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.

It was a valiant fight to the end, Monday’s season-ending 115-110 loss. A thriller for naught.

But now we’ve finally reached the big, beautiful offseason the Lakers have been teasing for months. This pivotal moment that’s had them hoarding assets and fencing off their financial flexibility. All but paralyzed by possibility.

Even after jogging in place all this time, they’ve finally caught up with the can they kicked down the road: All indications are that the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to hit the trade market.

And the Lakers — loaded with trade ammunition and cap space and forever wishing on star players — are going to be expected to make a play.

But they should run a different play.

Read more:Lakers fight to the finish but are eliminated by Thunder

For months, they’ve been signaling as if with a searchlight how much they covet the 6-foot-11 Greek forward. So, of course, they’re going to take a run at the two-time NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, 2021 NBA champion who will earn about $58 million next season, when the 31-year-old will expect a massive, multi-year extension.

They should run the other direction.

The Lakers have stockpiled cap space and picks — as of draft night, they’ll have 2026, 2031 and 2033 first-rounders to offer — like they’re doomsayers outfitting a bunker. If they fill all that available cap space with Antetokounmpo’s salary, they won’t be using it on LeBron James or Rui Hachimura. The Lakers likely also will have to empty their cupboard of those first-round picks.

And, yes, it would be a disaster to dedicate all of that to an aging Antetokounmpo instead of doing the work to build a suitable army of role players to take on OKC’s corps — and to orbit Doncic, the guy who the Lakers already brought in to save the days ahead.

But, wait, you say, this is the Lakers. This is stars shine here.

Sure, but what does L.A. love most? Winners.

You know what constitutes a winning formula in today’s NBA?

Depth. Athleticism. Versatility. Optionality. Think, the 2019-2020 Lakers.

You know what doesn’t win?

Imbalanced rosters. Top-heavy teams. All your dang eggs in one basket. The misfit Russell Westbrook Lakers. These 2026 three-or-D Lakers. And certainly not a flimsy, clunky Luka Doncic-and-Antetokounmpo Lakers.

Sure, those guys are great players. They could figure it out.

But would it be an optimum use of their respective talents?

In Greek: όχι. In Slovenian: Ne.

In Los Angelese: Oh, heck no.

Read more:Plaschke: For the sake of their future, Lakers should bid farewell to LeBron James

Everyone knows to get the best out of a Luka-led team, you surround him with shooters — and Antetokounmpo is 28.5% from deep for his career. But Hachimura — proven playoff riser and certified laser — is a 51.6% three-point shooter in the postseason; the better more-gifted player isn’t necessarily the better fit.

Because everyone also knows Antetokounmpo is at his best when he’s barreling toward the rim with the ball in his hands — during which time Doncic is going to be doing what? Standing in the corner, arguing with the refs?

The last time they waited to catch the big fish, he didn’t bite. Fortuitously. They missed out on injury-prone Kawhi Leonard, who chose the Clippers before the 2019-20 season and left the Lakers to scramble to assemble … a championship roster.

Around James and Anthony Davis — who, fun fact, made just $27 million that season before agreeing to a historic and more cumbersome three-year extension — the Lakers had shooters who could defend, like Danny Green. And defenders who could shoot, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso. Length all over the court. Athleticism in the post: JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard who could play with or for AD.

It’s the blueprint OKC has been using, the same one the Lakers discarded to go big-name hunting, bringing aboard Westbrook by trading away Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and a No. 22 pick.

Talk about a brick.

Similar story in Milwaukee, where Antetokounmpo’s Bucks went all in for Damian Lillard and have nothing but failure to show for it.

So if — or, well, when — the Lakers go in mad pursuit of Giannis, I will have questions.

I’ll question why the Bucks would have the appetite to send another singular, single-name talent to L.A. after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came and won five championships here.

I’ll question whether Giannis wants to be in L.A., our “superficial” city, as he called it.

I’ll question why the Lakers would invest so heavily on an aging, oft-injured star whose game is predicated on athleticism and not the out-of-this-world basketball IQ like 41-year-old LeBron.

And, yes, I’ll question the fit and the function and whether the Lakers have fully missed what’s been happening around them — and to them.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons to even the series confirmed Koby Altman’s vision for the team when he made the blockbuster trade that brought James Harden to town in February.

“It’s hard being the number one option on a championship-level team,” Altman said right after the trade deadline. “The good news for him is he has another number one option right next to him.”

For the second game in a row, the Cavs showed the value of having two guys who can comfortably shift into the number one role.

There’s a trust between Mitchell and Harden that you don’t always see with superstar teammates.

Mitchell has reiterated during this playoff run that he’s more than happy to get out of the way if Harden has it going.

“With the way they’re guarding me, it’s kind of like four on four in a sense,” Mitchell said after Game 3. “They’re not leaving me so he can create the way he can. He gets in the paint, there’s no help.”

Mitchell willingly ceded control of the offense out of the gate, just as he did down the stretch on Saturday. Harden scored or assisted on Cleveland’s first 11 points, which helped them avoid digging a hole at the start of the game, as they did in their previous three games.

That was much needed on a night Mitchell struggled to get anything going early when he tried to. He compiled just four points on 1-8 shooting in the first half. Despite the strong overall start, the Cavs found themselves down by four at the break.

Mitchell determines the ceiling of this team. We’ve seen this repeatedly throughout the playoffs. The Cavs barely scraped by a Toronto Raptors team that they were far more skilled than, partially because they contained Mitchell.

“Toronto was unique in how they sold out on taking him (Mitchell), and James away,” Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 4. “Detroit has a little more comfort in their base defense and what they do.”

Mitchell made a compelling argument that the Pistons should shift out of their base defense.

Mitchell’s game is predicated on getting into the paint. He scored the first five points of the third quarter by getting to his floater in the lane, finding a rhythm he wasn’t able to discover in the first half. And once he gets the defense on its back foot, the outside shot opens up.

A three off a Harden assist, a pull-up triple, and then a step-back with his foot on the line took Mitchell’s strong start to the quarter into the stretch that essentially ended the game.

This all led to a 22-0 run for the Cavs that saw them turn a four-point deficit into an 18-point advantage. Mitchell provided 15 of those 22 points during that span.

In total, Mitchell poured in 21 points on 8-9 shooting in the third quarter alone. That mark tied him with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the most in a quarter for a Cavalier in the postseason.

Anytime your name is mentioned with those two, you’re in pretty good company.

That impressive third-quarter run was only possible because of Cleveland’s defense, specifically Evan Mobley’s.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year reminded everyone how impactful he can be, as he registered five blocks and three steals in what his head coach called possibly the best game he’s seen from him defensively.

Mobley has done a great job of controlling the paint and making life difficult for Detroit’s All-Star center, Jalen Duren.

This was another tough outing in what has been a rocky road for Duren. He was limited to just eight points and two rebounds on Monday.

Both Mobley and Jarrett Allen have done a good job of not ceding offensive ground to Duren. They’ve contained him in the pick-and-roll and have been physical with him when he’s gotten the ball on the block.

Limiting Duren has forced more of the scoring burden onto Cunningham’s shoulders. He wasn’t able to carry it like he needed to on a day when Cleveland’s backcourt had it going.

The Cavaliers won the possession game. They had five fewer turnovers and five more points off opponent giveaways. Additionally, they won the second-chance points battle by five.

Detroit’s two wins have come off dominating both categories. The Cavs have done a much better job of cleaning this up since the series shifted to Cleveland.

Mitchell didn’t stop with an impressive third quarter.

The onslaught continued in the fourth until he put up 43 points. His 39-second-half points tie a league record for the most points scored in a half of a playoff game.

“He’s electric,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said afterward. “You let him get going, we know what he’s capable of. He hit some tough shots, but that’s what he does.”

Part of Mitchell’s effectiveness came from his ability to get to the line. He attempted 15 free throws while the Pistons as a group took just 12. That is something Bickerstaff took issue with, calling the free-throw disparity “unacceptable.”

“Ever since coming to Cleveland, the whistle has changed,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We’re not a settle team. We’re not a jump shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint. … It’s frustrating, but we can’t allow that to be the reason why [we lost]. Because we didn’t play well enough or to the best of our capabilities.”

Mitchell was on the other end of this issue earlier in this series, but has changed how he’s played since initially complaining.

“You can control what you can control,” Mitchell said. “And I can control getting downhill. Like I told y’all, I can’t say something about not getting calls and then shoot jump shots.”

Cleveland’s backcourt has done a good job of finding ways to be impactful at the same time.

Even though Harden didn’t have the same scoring numbers in the second half as he had in the first, he still was orchestrating the offense with 11 assists and finished with 25 points.

The current duo has struck a balance that Mitchell and Darius Garland weren’t able to discover.

One of the common criticisms of the Mitchell and Garland backcourt was that only one of them could be at the top of their game at a time. Something about their styles didn’t mesh as cleanly as it should’ve. While it’s true the pairing disproved some of those concerns last regular season, they were never able to actually do so in the playoffs.

Conversely, Harden and Mitchell have already shown numerous times this postseason run that they can, due to the quick chemistry they’ve developed in just three months.

“You have to learn to play together with somebody like that,” Jarrett Allen said about the current backcourt. “You have to learn how to share the ball and co-exist with two excellent players on your side. I feel like every single game, they learn something different about each other. They’re willing to take a step back and let the other one shine…it’s incredible to watch.”

The Cavs have defended their home court and have evened the series at two. Now, they need to find a way to steal at least one game in Detroit — a place they’ve melted late in the first two games.

So what’s it going to take to get it done in Game 5?

“Everything,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a hostile environment. We need each other. We’ve had two good games to build off of. … It’s going to be a lot of fun. I know we’re ready for the challenge.”

For the first time in five years, the Houston Rockets had no direct stakes in the NBA Draft Lottery.

Sure, indirectly, they’re affected by the Brooklyn Nets’ pick slipping to sixth. Rockets fans will be rooting against the Nets throughout 2026-27. Even if the league flattens the draft odds, a bleaker future for the Nets means a brighter one for the Rockets.

The Nets will likely take whoever the fifth-overall Clippers pass on between Keaton Wagler and Darius Acuff Jr. They’re both fine prospects, but they’re not on the level of an AJ Dybansta, who FanDuel has as the favorite to be taken by the Wizards (number one) at -550. Even being positioned to take Dybansta (or Cameron Boozer, or Darryn Peterson, or Caleb Wilson) would have made the Nets a more attractive destination for win-now veterans looking for a new home.

So, the Rockets did benefit from the draft. Still, it was a foreign feeling for the lottery to shake out without the Rockets’ name being called. For context, here’s the full lottery order:

1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pacers)
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans)
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets

If you’re a pessimist, there’s a negative to be found here. The Grizzlies are likely to walk away with Boozer, and if not, they’ll land Peterson. That means there will be another team in the Rockets’ division with a young player who’d arguably be the Rockets’ crown jewel.

Moreover, the Jazz are suddenly positioned at least as well as Houston. The Clippers got exceedingly lucky here. The Western Conference is an arms race, and the Rockets had better hope they get some weapons via the Nets next summer.

In the meantime, they can still add some intriguing young players.

Rockets set to draft in second round

The Rockets have a pair of second-rounders, with the 39th and 53rd overall picks.

Does that amount to much? History says no. Still, if Rafael Stone is crafty, he can make some hay here. If there’s a guy he especially likes, he could try to package these picks to move up in the second round.

Let’s be honest: This is a side quest. The Rockets are exceedingly unlikely to bring in a franchise-altering talent in this class. Walking away with a solid role player would be a tremendous win.

It feels weird, doesn’t it?

As if the stress of a playoff series was not enough, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office is bracing for potential changes if things go south over the next few games. One of those changes may involve the highest-profile player in the rumor mill, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks (whose owner is Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslem) are listening to offers for Antetokounmpo with just six weeks from the NBA Draft. The Bucks will have numerous offers made for Antetokounmpo’s services, with several of those coming from teams that had interest in him at the previous trade deadline. The Cavs are one of those teams, based on Charania’s report.

The caveat to this is that offers from those teams will likely hinge on playoff performance. Charania says the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Cavs represent the teams that had called about Antetokounmpo a few months ago and would be prepared to do so again this summer. ESPN reported last October that Antetokounmpo desired to play for the Knicks, but that appeared to fizzle.

Milwaukee is reportedly seeking a young blue-chip prospect and/or multiple draft picks, something that only a handful of those aforementioned teams can do. For example, the Lakers would have to get creative with their picks and salary to outdo the Knicks and Cavs, who both have the assets to meet what the Bucks want. New York can send almost anything but Jalen Brunson, while the Cavs could dangle Evan Mobley and draft picks and swaps.

Then the question becomes if the Cavs should push every last chip into the middle to try and win a championship. Moving on from Mobley is the most all-in the Cavs could get, even after sending out Darius Garland last year for a player a decade older — but more ready to win immediately. That gets magnified even more when the Cavs would also likely have to include two first-round picks and at least one pick swap. Suddenly, things are not only win-now, but the Cavs are mortgaging the future too.

Unless the Cavs are constructing something bigger — say, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell with Antetokounmpo and LeBron James for his farewell tour — the front office is taking on a huge risk by potentially trading Mobley and the rest of their picks into the 2030s. That will make a lot of fans uneasy to see the Cavs swing so hard for the fence, but another early playoff exit that doesn’t yield a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals may be the final straw of failure. If the Cavs lose to a team led by their former head coach (and scapegoat) J.B Bickerstaff, someone they fired for being unable to get over the hump, it may be enough to send owner Dan Gilbert into a frenzy to fix the most expensive mess in the league.

Now things can’t, and won’t, be all bad if the Cavs acquire Antetokounmpo and add him to a core of Mitchell and Harden (never mind James, who is a big if). In fact, it would likely make the Cavs the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo, who is still one of the three best players in the league, would have a dynamic scoring backcourt to rely on, and his front-court mate in Jarrett Allen, who would make the paint uninhabitable on defense. The Cavs would be a force on both sides of the ball and one of the most-watched teams in the league. Of course, they would also be a league villain — especially if James dons the wine and gold one last time.

LOS ANGELES – Entering Monday’s contest, it was clear that the Thunder were a better team than the Lakers. Oklahoma City had won every playoff game against LA in blowout fashion and swept the regular-season series 4-0.

The only question left was whether the Lakers would put up a fight in Game 4.

In their most competitive game of the season, the Lakers took the Thunder to the wire in a back-and-forth fourth quarter. In the end, though, the result mirrored the three previous games, but the energy, effort and execution, particularly in the second half, did not.

“You’ve seen these 3-0 games before,” JJ Redick said postgame. “I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could’ve gave in, could’ve let go of the rope. We didn’t.

“I thought the crowd was awesome tonight. I’ve been part of these on both sides where it’s a 3-0 [series] and you’re playing on the road or you’re playing at home and the crowd can just not be great. The crowd was awesome. Our fans were awesome.”

The Lakers showed rather quickly in the first quarter what type of fight they would have as they played some of their best basketball of the series.

Austin Reaves led the charge, going 3-for-3 from the field, and with the Lakers taking care of the ball, they held a lead after the first quarter for the first time in the series.

The Lakers kept on fighting.

Jaxson Hayes was a wrecking ball in the paint in the second half. He was dunking with authority and being a defensive disruptor. LeBron James and Luke Kennard were hitting shots from beyond the arc and, after a Hayes slam late in the third quarter, the Lakers had their first lead since the start of the second.

As the third quarter buzzer sounded with the Lakers up three, the crowd erupted in approval. Reaves was clapping emphatically and Kennard raised his hands up like he was Rocky Balboa standing at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

But in the end, the result was the same. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made some clutch free throws late and Ajay Mitchell continued to dominate scoring in bunches. The Thunder, for the fourth time in this series and the eighth consecutive time this season, beat theLakers and eliminated them from the playoffs.

Sometimes, the attempt at greatness is the reward. It’s part of the process and, while only one team wins the championship every year, there are a handful that commit to the process necssary for greatness. The Lakers fit the bill.

“I think one of the biggest wins for us is the multiple times throughout the regular season and the multiple times towards the end of the regular season with the injuries and during the playoffs, where we could have just laid down,” Redick said.“Tonight would have been an easy night for us to lay down.

“And I don’t know, who the F came up with moral victories. I don’t even know what that phrase means. I don’t believe in it. But, I look at all the small wins along the way as part of the journey.”

They were shorthanded the entire postseason and understood the Thunder just had more weapons, but while the results never went their way, their effort was never in question.

Throughout this series, Hachimura was a playoff riser, delivering some incredible performances. Reaves struggled in Game 1 and overcame those challenges to have some really solid games against the Thunder. And Marcus Smart defended SGA as well as anyone has.

The truth is, they just don’t have the roster necessary to combat the depth the Thunder have. OKC is flat-out the better team.

Austin Reaves on OKC: "They're really f—ing good."

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 12, 2026

While moral victories are worth as much as monopoly money, there is something to be said about having a never-say-die attitude. It’s why the Lakers have had back-to-back 50-win seasons under Redick.

It’s why the Lakers beat the Rockets without Luka entirely while only having Reaves for two games. And it’s why the futures in Los Angeles, even after a disappointing end to the season, remain bright.

Before the game, Redick quoted Dermot Kennedy’s song “Refuge,” saying, “We can’t know the end until it’s over.”

Well, the time has come to put an end to this chapter of the Lakers’ book. So what better way to do it than with the final lines from Kennedy’s record?

“Darling, I’m shaking tonight. Chasing a dream, but I’m tired. If we never make it, at least we can say we died trying.”

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

As LeBron James sat at the podium following the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, he was asked about his future.

He had just completed his 23rd season in the NBA at 41 years old and he will become a free agent this summer.

James has been asked about retirement all season — and if he would return to the Lakers next season or play for another team.

So after finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the 115-110 loss, James addressed the situation again.

“With my future, I don't know, honestly," James said. "It's still fresh from obviously losing. And I don't know. I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously. As it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I'll sit back, like I think I said last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I've decided to do.”

Read more:Plaschke: For the sake of their future, Lakers should bid farewell to LeBron James

James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.

James was asked what his decision process will be like.

“I don't know,” he said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o'clock practice, I'm there at eight o'clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.

“So I think for me, I've always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, or we won a championship. I've always enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I think that would be a big factor."

James has been with the Lakers for eight seasons. He helped the team win an NBA championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Fla.

James was asked what has stood out during his time with the Lakers.

"Obviously winning a championship in 2020 would stand at the top," James said. "That was the reason why I came here, to restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for, winning championships and playing at a high level. ... So that would be at the top.”

After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,Alex Caruso, Lou Dort before walking off the court.

James was asked if those were the last handshakes of his career.

"Last handshakes? No, I don't know. 'Cause I don't, I have no idea,” James said. "None of us even know what the future holds. None of us."

The Lakers know that they could have eight unrestricted free agents in their immediate future.

Read more:Lakers fight to the finish but are eliminated by Thunder

After James, the next biggest potential free agent is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million and become a free agent, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment. The Lakers can pay Reaves a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season.

The Lakers value Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could sign with another team that has salary-cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.

“I take life day by day and I'm just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid's game,” Reaves said. “I make good money. But like I said, don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future. Just day by day.”

Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points on 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He can opt out of his deal that pays him $8.1 million next season and become a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment.

Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their best defensive player, also has a player option for next season at $5.3 million. He hasn't made a decision yet on whether he'll test the free-agent market. According to several NBA executives, a few teams probably will show interest in him.

The deadline to exercise or decline an option is June 29.

Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are also in the final year of their deals.

Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the last five games of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million extension last summer, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.

Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are under contract for next season.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NBA legend LeBron James said he is unsure "what the future holds for me" after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the play-offs.

Widely regarded as one of the best players of all time, 41-year-old James is out of contract in the summer.

He could have played his last game after reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Lakers 115-110 to seal a 4-0 victory in the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final.

"I've got a lot of time. I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them," James said.

"When the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.

"It's about the process - if I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five and a half hours before a game to start preparing."

James is the leading points scorer in NBA history and has won four titles and four Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.

"There's nothing I need to show in this league," he said.

"I've done it all; I've seen it all. Just trying to compete and trying to win championships - that's a motivating factor."

James scored 24 points at Crypto.com Arena in LA, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP, scored 35 points and contributed eight assists for the Thunder.

The Thunder, who beat the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round of the play-offs, will play the Minnesota Timberwolves or the San Antonio Spurs - their semi is level at 2-2 - in the Western Conference final.

In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers earned a 112-103 home win against the Detroit Pistons to level the series at 2-2.

Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points at Rocket Arena for the Cavs, who lost the first two games.

Mitchell scored 39 in the second half, equalling the record - set by Eric Floyd of the Golden State Warriors in 1987 - for the most points in one half of a post-season game.

The Cavs or the Pistons will play the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference final.

I have a confession. I am obsessed with the Spurs. How many of you know exactly what I’m talking about?

My Twitter feed is Spurs- Spurs players, Spurs journalists, Spurs fans, the Jackals, even former Silver Dancers, and some other sports and NBA outlets and pundits.

My Facebook feed is constantly populated by Spurs Sixth Man updates. There is a community of Spurs family that share their favorite moments.

If you saw my Instagram feed, you might assume I was President of the Jacob Tobey Fan Club. (Unofficially, yes, but it’s not a recognized charter…yet.)

So imagine my surprise when I saw this:

Thank you KSAT for the love 💯 #Puro#PorVidahttps://t.co/AUFdMTtqon

— Spurnandez (@RealSpurnandez) May 9, 2026

KSAT 12, San Antonio’s primary affiliate for ABC, posted how two Spurs fans are “spreading love outside of SA.”

Mark Burnett known as @SpursSixthMan has been facilitating multiple social media outlets dedicated to the San Antonio Spurs. For those who frequent Spurs socials, he is the fan who went to the Naismith Hall of Fame when Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker, Pao Gasol, and Becky Hammon were inducted. After procuring their autographs on his arm, he had them tattooed. He also has Wemby’s signature tattooed on his arm.

I ran into him at a game and got a quick photo of him with my daughter.

Mark’s a great guy a wealth of knowledge about the team. He is always head-to-toe Spurs dedication when attending games, and probably most days just hanging around his house.

Ric Fernandez, known as @RealSpurnandez on social media, just infiltrated the Target Center for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He’s another who lives his fandom to the fullest and posts Spurs stories and adventures regularly. He is a military veteran and proud family man, and he reps the Spurs with all he’s got. This is the guy you want to be sitting next to when the Spurs hit that big shot.

We made Minnesota San Antonio territory, yall could never… #PorVidahttps://t.co/3FWvkU15TJpic.twitter.com/Eey5O7u9dI

— Spurnandez (@RealSpurnandez) May 11, 2026

Tattoos. Repping fiesta colors in enemy territory. Living the Silver & Black (and Fiesta) dream.

I’m sure we all have those great personal stories. Share yours, Pounders!

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In a season defined by their resiliency, the Lakers ended the year in a fitting manner.

With their backs firmly against the wall, the team responded with its stiffest punch. LA knocked OKC back on its heels in the third quarter for the first time this series, then went toe-to-toe with them in the fourth.

Even if the final score amounted to the same result as the preceding three contests, the Lakers could head home knowing they went out giving it all they had. Moral victories mean nothing in the playoffs, but LA can have plenty of pride in how its season ended.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

40 minutes, 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-8 FT, -17

The schedule certainly seemed to catch up to LeBron as the series played on, but it still was an impactful showing in Game 4. He was still able to get to the rim, though finishing there was a different story, as evidenced by his final shot of the game — and as a Laker? — late in the game.

He also had a really untimely turnover late after a rebound. But considering what was asked of him at 41 years old? He held up as well as you could hope.

Grade: A-

Rui Hachimura

43 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 5 fouls, 9-15 FG, 4-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, -2

More than one Laker had the game of their life with Rui at the top of that list. He capped off a truly incredible postseason run with the biggest game of his career. No shot was more important than his four-point play with under two minutes to go, but every basket he had felt huge.

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

21 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 3-3 FG, -2

It was a nightmare series for Ayton, who ended it on a sour note. Whatever hopes this team had for him as a center of the future disappeared in this series. He was thoroughly outplayed nearly every second he squared off with Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein.

His player option means he’ll hold the cards at first as to whether he’s a Laker next year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a one-and-done partnership.

Grade: D

Austin Reaves

43 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 8 turnovers, 5 fouls, 8-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, 8-9 FT, -6

Without question, the eight turnovers and five fouls were bad. And yet, there’s an argument to be made that this was both his best game of the series and, subsequently, the best game of his career, given the context.

Fresh off an injury that ruled him out for a month, Reaves returned to play the best team in basketball in a role he wasn’t in when he went down, a nearly impossible task. He carried the Lakers offensively throughout the contest in his Luka-lite role and did so about as well as you could reasonably ask.

And if his final three fell, there’d have been no question this was his best game ever.

Grade: A

Marcus Smart

36 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 5 fouls, 2-8 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +5

It wasn’t a great Smart game. He turned the ball over six times and committed five fouls. And when your starting backcourt has 14 turnovers and 10 fouls, you’re not going to win many games.

But he made just enough of the little plays to make him valuable, then made one really big play with his late and-one layup.

Grade: B+

Luke Kennard

24 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, +15

A relatively quiet night for Kennard, who returned back to his regular form in the playoffs after a strong Game 3. He had a nice reverse layup when the Lakers were rolling, but he also was being picked on relentlessly by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when they shared the floor.

It would have been nice if the Lakers could have gone to someone else in those minutes, but, alas.

Grade: C+

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-8 FG, 6-6 FT, -1

The last Laker to have the game of his life was Jaxson Hayes, who was possessed by some otherworldly spirit in this one. He had multiple huge poster slams and a huge, momentum-shifting block of Ajay Mitchell. Considering he’s spent the vast, vast majority of his Lakers tenure being unplayable in postseason games, this was a welcome, and shocking, surprise.

Grade: A+

Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Maxi Kleber

With 10 functioning fingers, Vando was borderline unplayable this series. In 2:45 on Monday, he was a -12. Thiero was given another chance in Game 4, but two of his offensive possessions included him cutting down the lane in front of a teammate and airballing a 3-pointer, so that, too, was short-lived.

Kleber only came in to set a screen late to help Austin get a good look at the game-tying shot.

JJ Redick

It’s hard to believe the same guy who played five guys in the second half of a playoff game is the one who had the Lakers battling the defending champions to the wire on Monday. Against a team with clearly more talent and depth, Redick schemed the team into a position to win on both ends of the floor.

If there’s any takeaway from these playoffs, it’s that Redick’s errors of last year can be written off as rookie blunders.

Grade: A

Monday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Nick Smith Jr.

Monday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The San Antonio Spurs did what they needed to do in Minnesota. The Spurs reclaimed home-court advantage with a win in Game Three. After losing a winnable Game Four, 114-109, the Spurs will head back to San Antonio to defend their home court and re-take a series lead.

Game Five will be one of intrigue for several reasons. Chief among them is the return of Victor Wembanyama, who was ejected from Game Four after earning a Flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck. Wembanyama avoided d a fine and a suspension, which has drawn some ire from national media talking heads. Now, an already physical series will be played under a microscope, with both teams motivated to beat up on each other, and the officials watching even more closely for extracurricular contact.

What this game and series will ultimately come down to is the performance of each team’s star player. Anthony Edwards has been nothing short of incredible playing on two bum knees, but still scoring 36 points in Game Four. Wembanyama dominated Games Two and Three, and will certainly be looking to bounce back from a regrettable moment in Game Five. Whichever one can out-duel the other may leave San Antonio with a 3-2 advantage.

San Antonio Spurs (2-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)

May 12th, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT

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

Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)

Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles)

What to watch for:

Physicality and foul calls

Despite what most people would say online, the winner of a basketball game is not determined by the referees. That said, they will have a crucial role to play in Game Five. Both sides will come after each other physically, and both will complain when they don’t get the foul calls they think they deserve. Wembanyama’s elbow has escalated the stakes of the physical play in this series. Both teams have been enforcing their will on the other. Whether it be the Spurs’ aggressive point-of-attack defense and tough drives to the rim, or the Wolves’ swarming help defense and dominance on the offensive glass. Whatever team can play physical enough without getting into foul trouble will have a distinct advantage.

Securing the boards

In Game Four, the Spurs allowed the Wolves to grab 15 offensive rebounds for the second game in a row. Granted, they didn’t have their best rebounder in Wembanyama for three-quarters of the game. A lot of the rebounds they are giving up would be out of Wembanyama’s control anyway. Minnesota is grabbing long rebounds off misses or scooping up 50/50 balls while the Spurs are busy blocking out bigger rebounders like Rudy Gobert. San Antonio has to negate the Wolves’ advantage on the glass to reclaim a lead in this series.

Three-point shooting

San Antonio has struggled to shoot from three in both of their losses this series. In Game One, they shot 28% from deep, and they hit just 23% of their deep shots in Game Four. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie have to knock down every wide-open three-pointer they have. If not, they are handing over free possessions to Minnesota. De’Aaron Fox’s shooting has gone cold for most of the series. His offense is of the utmost importance heading into the final games of the series. Fox is questionable for Game Five after sustaining an ankle injury in Game Four. The Spurs will need him and the rest of their shooters to warm up to take down the Wolves at home.