Most important day of the Knicks season is here, fellas.

As will be the case again on Thursday, Saturday, and all the way every other day through mid-June.

Feels good.

Mike Brown

On the Cavaliers’ four All-Stars:

“Back in the day, when I was with (Gregg Popovich), he said, ‘You need three All-Stars to win a championship.’ Well, they’ve got four, James being the fourth one has added a dimension to their team that not many teams have. Not many teams can say, ‘Hey, we got four All-Stars on our roster.’ And that fourth guy in James is a playmaker and a scorer, so he presents a problem when you have that, and Donovan Mitchell and everybody else, and then they have the shooting.

“It’s a different team, and [Harden] makes it different because of the experience that he has, especially in the playoffs and in big moments. And being a Hall of Fame-caliber player.”

On the need for setting the tone early in Game 1:

“You always want to hit first, second, third and obviously last. Trying to do that is gonna be big. We’ve talked about it before with the starts of our games. Our guys have done a better job in the playoffs.”

On managing rest vs. rust heading into the series:

“You worry about all those things. But at the end of the day, we’ve had a chance to rest, too; and they’ve had to play 14 games in 29, 30 days. So it could go either way. You just hope that when we step out there, our competitive spirit is at an extremely high level and you don’t ease into the game at all, because they’re a dangerous offensive team. They’re very potent with their shooters and playmakers. And they have size and toughness and all that. So there’s a lot of things to worry about. But that’s why it’s good that you’ve got to go play the games.”

On making Cleveland’s stars work defensively:

“We have to put pressure on them in all phases: starting with transition and ending with the ability to offensive rebound. You want to make all of their guys, especially guys who play-make and do a lot for them — you want to make them work as much as you can, but that’s not gonna be our focal point. The focal point is to take the best possible shot that we can get because it’s hard to score in the playoffs. But we do want to make those guys work, starting with transition. So we have to be conscious of trying to play the right way against this group.”

On facing Kenny Atkinson in the conference finals:

“We know each other well from our time in Golden State together. He’s a great person and obviously a really good coach.

“We probably gained more knowledge of how we’re coaching our teams based on the times we played against each other this year more than in the past.

“Kenny’s done a phenomenal job. He’s got those guys playing at a high level. To sit back and watch those guys take both their series to seven games and find the resiliency to win just shows how experienced that team is when it comes to the playoffs. There’s no panic in them, starting with Kenny on down.

Josh Hart

On New York City’s choices:

“Did they put street signs up this year?”

On internal expectations entering the series:

“For us, in that locker room, we’re just locked-in on being there every single game, making sure we’re continuing to get better and we’re a finished product at the end. So I don’t know anything about the bar being raised or expectations or anything like that. The expectations that we have for ourselves as a team or individual are always high. But we always want the fans to have some fun, man.”

On lessons from last year’s playoff collapse:

“Obviously in the playoffs you never want to give away games that you should win. You can never relax. Especially the style that the NBA is played now; you see 10-, 15-, 20-point leads dwindle in four, five minutes. So it’s just that mentality of, it’s never over. Play until there are zeros on the clock. You can’t give the games away.”

On the nine-day break before the conference finals:

“Obviously would rather not have a nine-day break. You’re in a good rhythm and then obviously you’ve got to sit there and wait and those kind of things. Ideally, a three- or four-day break, that’d be nice. It’s good points and bad points.”

On Madison Square Garden’s atmosphere:

“They always come out and show love. Definitely the best atmosphere in the league.”

On guarding Donovan Mitchell again after doing so in 2023:

“I don’t think I learned anything about myself. I’m a good player. I’m a good defender. And as a competitor, you want to have tough matchups like that to compete against the best. He’s an extremely talented offensive player. He takes tough shots, but he has the talent and the ability to make those tough shots.”

Jalen Brunson

On learning from last year’s Eastern Conference Finals loss:

“I mean, I’ve thought about it. But like every journey, every year is different. You’ve got to kind of restart and reset. Yes, you learn from it. You’re very disappointed in the result. But you move forward.

“I think it happened this year as well when we played Atlanta. We let our foot off the gas; even in Game 1, we won, but also in Game 2, we lost. So, it’s something that we need to continue to get better at. And I think we have. But we can’t be satisfied.”

On respecting Donovan Mitchell before the series:

“I have the utmost respect for him. Got to know him really since my first year, we had mutual friends. The dude works really hard, loves the game. I think he approaches it the right way, so I have a lot of respect for him.”

On Cleveland’s challenge in the conference finals:

“That’s a tough team, very well coached, a lot of guys over there with playoff experience. They’re going to be a tough out.”

On James Harden’s impact on Cleveland’s offense:

“He’s able to create a lot of offense for them. It’s like a pressure release for Donovan, as well. Donovan does so much for the team and then you have James in there and you have a whole other person you have to worry about, so they have so many different weapons, so many different options and ways they can beat you. They’re really dynamic.”

Kenny Atkinson (Cavs Head Coach)

On returning to Madison Square Garden for the conference finals:

“I’m a New Yorker. Going back to the Garden, I worked for the Knicks and I know everybody there. I have a ton of family, my whole family is there, basically. It’s special.”

On facing the Knicks in the conference finals:

“They’re rested and they’re a juggernaut right now. It’s hard to blow out teams in the playoffs like they’ve been blowing out teams. Point differential means something in this league.

“They’re playing great basketball, but we’ve got to try to go in there and steal Game 1 somehow.”

Carmelo Anthony

On believing the Knicks are the most complete team in the East:

“The Knicks is the most complete team in the East. All the s*** that people was talking about, and I kept telling y’all fans. Chill out. Relax. Stay Melo.”

On predicting a Finals appearance:

“I like the Knicks in the finals. This is the year that I think the Knicks get to the finals.”

Zohran Mamdani

On the rising ticket prices during the Knicks’ playoff run:

“We have seen sports become more and more of a luxury commodity, and that is not what it always used to be. I am still confident and hopeful of a championship this year. I do wish, however, that all of these tickets were far more affordably priced.”

“I think that there are many New Yorkers for whom the game is something that is celebrated across the entire city. When the Knicks do well, you feel it across this whole city. And it’s not just for those who can afford to go to the game.”

Alan Hahn

On the Knicks’ current level of play:

“I think this is the best I’ve ever seen them. I’ve been covering them for over 20 years in various ways. I’ve never seen them play an offense like this consistently. What they’ve done in the playoffs in this transformation with how they played, it’s remarkable. Of course, you need to see more proof of it as a series gets deeper. As you go deeper, it gets harder, right? But when in the playoffs do you see teams consistently blowing out their opponents in the first two rounds and not say that’s a championship-level team?”

On the Cleveland matchup compared to Detroit:

“That’s the one thing. It’s hard not to look at their struggles against Detroit and Detroit seems to just have a different kind of level against the Knicks. They really didn’t get over losing to the Knicks in the first round and you could see that in every game they played this year. They just had a different type of intensity, almost to a point where even the Knicks were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, it’s January. What are you guys doing?’ I would never say that Cleveland’s easier. But I think matchup-wise, it’s way more intriguing because it’s two really good offensive teams. So how do you solve them defensively is going to be the biggest story in this series.”

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We had an incredible series opener out West last night — what will be in store for us when the ECF begins tonight between the Knicks and Cavaliers?

Our basketball experts weigh in on how Game 1 will go with their favorite NBA picks for tonight's matchup at Madison Square Garden.

Cavaliers vs Knicks Expert Picks Tonight

Pick	Odds
Jon Metler: Brunson o6.5 assists	+120
Jason Logan: CLE 1Q +2	-115
Joe Osborne: NYK -7	-115

Odds courtesy of bet365.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 assists

Price: +120 at bet365

Nobody is happier that the Cavaliers won Game 7 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals than Jalen Brunson, because now he gets to face much weaker point-of-attack defense instead of the menace that is Ausar Thompson.

Brunson won’t even need many screens to initiate offense and create shots for his teammates; he can break down this defense off the bounce on his own while also putting significant pressure on the drop coverage of Jarrett Allen, which should create even more potential assist opportunities.

One angle I really love for Game 1 is the scheduling spot: The New York Knicks have had several days off, while the Cavaliers are coming off a grueling seven-game series with only one day of rest. That should also lead to plenty of transition opportunities for Brunson to attack a fatigued Cleveland defense and generate easy assists. This prop is trading at +120, but I price it closer to -145.

Jason Logan's expert pick: Cavaliers 1Q +2

Price: -115 at bet365

The Knicks have been chilling for some time now, having last played on May 10. While that rest edge works in New York’s advantage over the course of the series, it could leave the Knicks flat in the first 12 minutes of Game 1.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, are coming off a do-or-die Game 7 win on Sunday and bring that mentality and momentum into MSG. Cleveland is playing its best basketball, having won four of its last five, while (more importantly) proving it can win on the road in the playoffs.

I’m not sure what the full 48 minutes bring for Cleveland, but I like the Cavs to come out swinging in Game 1 and cover the first-quarter spread.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Knicks -7

Price: -115 at bet365

The Knicks are in a very similar spot to their Game 1 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, when they caught a visiting team coming off an emotional (and unlikely) Game 7 road win — and rolled to a 39-point victory.

Statistically, New York has been the best team in the playoffs so far, leading the postseason in net rating. Since Game 4 of their first-round series, the Knicks are 7-0 with an absurd average margin of victory of 26.4 points. The long layoff is worth noting, but if any team welcomes it... it's New York, after breaking down physically the past few seasons. This team is fresh and ready to come out aggressively tonight.

More Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 1 picks

• Cavaliers vs. Knicks  Game 1 prediction
• Cavaliers vs. Knicks  Game 1 props
• Cavaliers vs. Knicks  Game 1 computer picks
• Jalen Brunson picks for Game 1
• Free NBA picks
• Best NBA betting sites

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

RJ Luis is reportedly back in college basketball.

According to multiple reports, the former St. John's guard and 2025 Big East Player of the Year has reportedly agreed to sign with Will Wade and LSU in Baton Rouge for the 2026-27 men's college basketball season.

Luis, who has been out of college basketball for over a year, is currently ineligible to play for the Tigers after he signed a two-way NBA contract with the Utah Jazz and an Exhibit 10 deal with the Boston Celtics after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

REQUIRED READING: Yam Madar, a 25-year-old former Celtics draft pick, commits to LSU basketball | Report

The 6-foot-7 guard played for Rick Pitino at St. John's for two seasons and was one of the top guards in the Big East. In his junior season with the Red Storm, Luis led the team to a No. 2 seed in the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament and a Big East Tournament title. He earned a second-team All-American nod after averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Here's what to know on Luis' eligibility status and situation at LSU:

Is RJ Luis eligible to play at LSU?

As things stand right now, no, Luis is not eligible to play for LSU in the 2026-27 season, as he has signed an NBA contract.

Luis also isn’t the first player to navigate this kind of eligibility challenge after giving up his college status and signing an NBA contract, though. The final decision in Charles Bediako’s eligibility case at Alabama offers a meaningful indicator of how Luis’ situation could unfold.

After initially receiving a temporary restraining order to play for the Crimson Tide, Bediako had it reversed by Tuscaloosa County Judge Daniel Pruet in February. Bediako had declared for the NBA draft in 2023 and went undrafted, leading him to sign a G-League contract and play 82 games across three seasons in the G-League.

He played in five games for the Crimson Tide before his restraining order was reversed. Due to the wording of Bediako's initial TRO, the NCAA was unable to make Alabama forfeit the games in which Bediako played. The Crimson Tide made the NCAA tournament as a 4-seed, losing to eventual national champion Michigan in the Sweet 16.

It is worth noting SEC commissioner Greg Sankey asked the court to rule against Bediako and Alabama.

According to Sports Illustrated, the NCAA sent out a memo last week to reaffirm its position that it will not reinstate eligibility to those that have "entered an agreement with, competed on or received compensation from" NBA teams.

NCAA eligibility rules for NBA signees

Here is what NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement amid Bediako's eligibility case in December:

"The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract). As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenses bylaw to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not at a disadvantage compared to their international counterparts. Rules have long permitted schools to enroll and play individuals with no prior collegiate experience midyear."

Wade has slowly built his roster at LSU after being hired away from North Carolina State on March 26, with all nine of the Tigers' remaining players from their 2025-26 roster entering the transfer portal. The Tigers have since landed Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate, Michigan State guard Divine Ugochukwi, Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr. and UTSA guard Austin Nunez in the transfer portal.

LSU also reportedly landed Israeli guard Yam Madar, a 2020 NBA Draft pick by the Celtics, on May 18.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RJ Luis commits to LSU - what NCAA says about NBA signees' eligibility

The Cleveland Cavaliers are four games away from the NBA Finals. Here’s how they can get ‘em.

1. Clean the Glass

Everyone remembers 2023. If you don’t, I’ll quickly remind you.

The Cavs were thumped 4-1 by the New York Knicks in this core’s first playoff run together. Primarily, the Cavs found themselves being thrashed on the offensive glass.

A lot has changed since then.

For starters, the Knicks have traded out some bruising rebounders like Julius Randle, Isaiah Hartenstein, and RJ Barrett for more finesse-oriented players such as Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby. That hasn’t made them a bad rebounding team by any means (they’re still an elite defensive rebounding team), but it’s changed them from being a grit-and-grind squad to a team that relies on skill. They don’t live and die on offensive boards as much as they did in the past.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has made plenty of changes of their own. Both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have come a long way since taking those lumps and have turned in the best two rounds of their postseason careers. And, players like James Harden and Max Strus give the Cavs a better chance at gang-rebounding than either Darius Garland or Cedi Osman provided back in 2023.

Yeah, like I said, a lot has changed. But some things stay the same. Winning the possession battle will be a key here.

The Knicks rank 5th in offensive rebounding percentage out of 16 teams to reach the playoffs this season. This is still one of their strengths. As for the Cavs, they’re just 14th in defensive rebounding percentage — meaning they’ve been getting beat on the glass for most of the postseason.

That could spell trouble. Though it’s worth noting that Detroit ranked 2nd in offensive rebounding for the season, while Toronto was 13th. The Knicks had a much more favorable route from this perspective, facing the 76ers (10th in offensive rebounding rate) and the Hawks (20th).

The final dose of context here is that Cleveland actually ranks first in offensive rebounding among 16 playoff teams. For all they might give up defensively, they’ve made up for it by pounding the other side of the glass.

The Cavs have grown since their last meeting with the Knicks, and they have since beaten two opponents who are more similar to the ‘23 Knicks than the current New York team is from a stylistic standpoint. Still, all of this will be put to the ultimate test in the ECF.

2. Feed the Bigs

If you think the Cavs are at their best when they feed the bigs, then you and Dan Gilbert are on the same page. Gilbert had dinner with Kenny Atkinson before Game 7 against the Pistons and reminded him of how important Jarrett Allen is to the team’s success.

In other words, Dan is a Fro truther.

I can’t blame him. It’s always felt like ‘Cavalier basketball’ was synonymous with the two bigs dominating on the inside. Allen’s dominant showings in both Game 7s this postseason are a great example of this. The pressure he puts on the rim can break the back of any opponent if the Cavs guards keep them involved.

Obviously, it’s more complicated than this. Opponents can shrink the floor and effectively remove the pick-and-roll from Cleveland if they have the personnel. We saw both Detroit and Toronto succeed at blitzing these actions and keeping the Cavs from consistently tapping into their full potential.

I’m not sure if New York has the bodies to replicate this.

Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are worth worrying about. Mikal Bridges, depending on his screen navigation, can cause problems too. But Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are walking bullseyes. The Cavs have not had two targets more ripe for picking in screening actions.

Towns isn’t mobile enough to switch onto the perimeter. He’s also not the best drop defender in the world, either. Add that Brunson is prone to dying on screens, and the Knicks will be working hard to keep those two from ever being in the same defensive sequence together. The Cavs, of course, will try to make that happen as often as possible.

Above all of this — New York’s rim protection is questionable, at best. Opponents have shot above 70% at the rim in the playoffs versus the Knicks, which is the fourth-highest percentage out of 16 teams. The Cavs, led by Allen and Mobley, are the third-best rim-finishing team in the postseason. This could be a massive advantage for Cleveland in this series.

On the other end, New York is sixth in rim accuracy and first in rim frequency. Meaning, the Cavs will have their hands full, too. Though I think the Allen/Mobley frontcourt is more equipped to handle this than anyone in Atlanta or Philly (with all due respect).

Winning on the glass is one thing. But being the more forceful and impactful frontcourt is another. The Cavs bigs have a chance to own both paints. The more they seize control of the interior, the better chance Cleveland has at reaching the NBA Finals.

3. Donovan Mitchell’s Balance

Our final key could be the biggest one. What version of Donovan Mitchell appears in the ECF?

Mitchell can score in bunches; that much has been proven. He’s had some of the most prolific scoring games in playoff history. But those haven’t always translated to winning. And, that approach hasn’t been sustainable for long playoff runs. Mitchell is more likely to burn bright and quick than he is to go the distance with that score-first mentality.

That’s why the Cavs need him to strike the proper balance between passing and scoring. It all comes down to decision-making.

Mitchell has to make reads on the fly. Is the help overcommitting? Make the right pass, even if it’s not going to lead directly to an assist. Hitting those ‘singles’ and letting the offense flow from there is crucial. Otherwise, things can get jammed up in a hurry.

The Cavs beat Detroit in Game 7 largely behind Mitchell’s processing speed as a passer. This isn’t his greatest strength, but it’s a muscle he’s been able to occasionally flex. He has strong playmaking chops when he makes an effort to act like a point guard. Taking on that role, for long stretches at a time, will ensure the Cavs offense can keep up with anything New York does.

Mitchell’s time to score will come. Every game will have a moment that calls for him to become assertive. In Game 7 versus the Pistons, it was the third quarter when the rim pressure from Cleveland’s bigs, combined with Sam Merrill’s hot shooting, opened the floor for Mitchell to score 15 of his 26 points in the closeout game.

Being process-oriented means making the right play at every turn. That requires patience and a trust that the correct process will eventually break the dam on any given night. Mitchell will have to take this approach if he wants this team to advance to another round.

Neither Dusty May nor the Michigan fanbase have completely ruled out another season of Morez Johnson Jr., whose name remains in the NBA Draft. However, after testing incredibly well at the NBA Combine, and based on various outlets’ draft projections, it feels likely the Wolverines will need to look elsewhere for that final roster spot for the 2026-27 season.

Let’s take a quick look and see where Johnson is at on big boards and mock drafts:

Bleacher Report: No. 17

Jonathan Wasserman had this to say on Johnson, whom he compared to the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart:

“MorezJohnson could have only helped himself at the NBA combine. After measuring 6’9″ barefoot, 250 pounds with a 7’3.5″ wingspan, he surprised with 17-of-25 makes in the three-point star drill, got up for a 39.5″ max vertical and one of the top lane agility times.

NBA teams understand his offensive limitations, but they also value what he does well and believe that physicality, finishing, defensive versatility and motor are sure to translate.

He could wind up earning lottery consideration if he continues to shoot well during workouts.“

Tankathon: No. 18

NBC Sports: No. 19

Kurt Helin, who has Johnson paired up with the Toronto Raptors at 19, said, “Morez helped his cause at the NBA Draft Combine, showcasing a combination of size (6’9″ with an 8’11” reach) and athleticism (a 39-inch vertical leap). He also shot well from 3 at the combine, something he didn’t get to show at Michigan. Johnson is a high-energy player who was one of the locker room leaders of a national champion; he’ll fit in with whatever is being built in Toronto.“

USA Today: No. 20

Mark Giannotto has the San Antonio Spurs selecting Johnson at 20. Along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, this feels like an ideal landing spot for Johnson (and anyone really) to develop his skills before transitioning into a more relied-upon player.

CBS Sports Best Available: No. 21

ESPN Best Available: No. 26

Additionally, 247Sports’ Zach Shaw had this to add regarding Johnson’s showing at the NBA Combine:

“A case could be made that Johnson elevated his draft stock more than any other player at the NBA Draft Combine. Scouts likely were impressed by Johnson’s toughness, physicality and aggression on both sides of the court before the combine thanks to his strong season at Michigan, but there aren’t too many players with wingspans greater than 7-foot-3, weighing more than 250 pounds and posting testing results like a 10.59-second lane agility time, a 39-inch vertical leap and 17 of 25 3-pointers. Most of the players who do check those boxes aren’t on rookie contracts, but max ones.”

You could argue that without having a lottery guarantee, Johnson could benefit from another year with May and turn into a surefire lottery selection next summer. But even if he expanded his offensive repertoire and continued to wreak havoc on the glass and the defensive end, he will probably never fit the mold of a No. 1 scorer or upper-echelon draft prospect.

Additionally, consistently landing in the Top 20 of these mocks should make this a relatively easy decision for Johnson and his camp. The overwhelming odds are this point are that Johnson will stay in the draft and leave college basketball on top of the mountain as a national champion.

For years, the joke amongst Lakers fans has been that good shooters come to LA and immediately forget how to make threes. The list of 3-point marksmen who have donned the purple and gold and became Rajon Rondo-esque shooters is a lengthy one.

Fortunately for this year’s Lakers, Luke Kennard bucked that trend. Technically, his shooting did drop from the ridiculous 49.7% he shot with the Hawks to a measly 44.8% in LA. He found a role under head coach JJ Redick and became a vital role player for the team before the playoffs even began.

Thrust into his new role in the postseason, he responded with one of the best games of his life against the Rockets, creating a special moment for both him and the Lakers. While the rest of his playoffs were up and down, it was still a memorable time in purple and gold.

After the season, Kennard spoke about his season with the Lakers and how it differed from his previous eight seasons.

“When I first got traded here, it was, ‘How can I make an impact?’,” Kennard said. “Like I want to make an impact. I want to go win and be a part of something special. I think just playing for the Lakers and playing with some of the greats of the game, you don’t take it for granted. I sure didn’t and it’s an honor and I’m blessed to be in the position that I was in.

“I think for me as a player, just to be a part of an organi organization like this is something special. You see it firsthand…I’ve been honored and been blessed to be a part of this organization.”

Kennard is set for free agency this year, so it could be a brief cameo with the team. If it is, it was a memorable one. On top of his out-of-body experience in Game 1, he also knocked down a game-winner against the Magic during the team’s incredible March run.

After spending multiple seasons with the Clippers, it’s nice that Kennard got to play with the real team in Los Angeles. He certainly had more memorable moments in his three months with the Lakers than he did in two-and-a-half seasons with the Other Team.

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

When Jayson Tatum returned to TD Garden 298 days after rupturing his achilles tendon, the unprecedented return generated one of the loudest moments you’ll ever hear from the Garden faithful. 

A putback dunk, a corner three, and a crowd just waiting to go berserk. It was a defining moment to an already illustrious career: a testament to his strength, both mental and physical, as the Celtics added the one major piece that could propel them into the contender’s conversation. 

That optimism ran through the rest of the regular season, which saw Tatum steadily regain his form as one of the game’s premier two-way talents. Even as the postseason ended on a sour, collapsing note with Tatum cautiously sidelined with the season down to its final lifeline, it’s hard not to look at the bigger picture of Tatum’s 2025-26 return, and just how miraculous his comeback was. 

The Regular SeasonReturn 

Tatum’s first two games back against Dallas and Cleveland showed an understandable level of rust, but it was his 24-point effort in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs where we saw his takeover tendencies begin to reshape. His point totals went from 15 to 20 to 24 in those first games back, and his 15-point, 12-rebound statline against the Mavericks was one of 10 double-doubles in his 16 regular season games. 

It took some time for Tatum to develop confidence in certain respects, particularly firing pull-up threes around the screen and finishing hard at the rim, but certain areas of his game didn’t skip a beat. He was immediately one of the league’s most impactful defensive rebounders, an exceptional playmaker with an ever-expanding grasp of how his gravity opens up the game for others, and he became more and more confident as a scorer as his minutes increased. 

As a rim-finisher, his 69% finishing within 3 feet was the first time under 70% since his first All-Star season in 2019-20. He did however shoot a career-best 46% from 10-16 feet during his 16-game sample, topping his previous best of 44% from his rookie year. 

Things came together in his last six games, where he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists on 45/37/78 splits. In Charlotte, he scored a season-best 32 points on 52% shooting, following it up three days later with a 25/18/11 triple-double in a 147-129 beatdown over Miami. 

For the regular season, he averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, shooting 41% from the field and 33% from three. 

Postseason Promise, and Postseason Pain 

Out of the gate, Jayson’s Game 1 performance was as well-rounded an outing as you’re going to find in his playoff career. He dropped an efficient 25 points, grabbed 11 boards for another double-double, and finished with 7 assists with just a single turnover to his name during a blowout 123-91 win. 

Even as Philly’s offense caught fire from three in the second quarter of Game 2, Tatum’s performance was trending in the right direction to keep Boston within striking distance, though he shot just 3-of-9 from the field in the second half while the team as a whole was just 35% as the 76ers ran away with it to tie the series at 1-1. 

In their next two games, we saw him deliver two elite second halves, first in a clutch win in Game 3, where he drilled two massive threes late and hit four of his five fourth-quarter shots to send Philly off their home floor with a 108-100 defeat. Tatum and Jaylen Brown both scored 25 points in that game and stepped up as they hit the 5-under-5 mark with a scrappy Embiid-less 76ers team. If there’s a game to rewatch with fond memories this postseason, it’s this one. 

In Game 4, he bounced back from a 1-of-7 shooting start with 25 second-half points as Boston again blew out the 76ers, knocking down seven of his nine shots and five of his six 3-point tries. He finished the 128-96 win with 30 points and 11 assists, putting Boston just a game away from advancing to what would have been an Eastern Conference Semifinals rematch with the Knicks. 

But things quickly fell apart. 

Both Games 5 and 6 were double-digit defeats, the first a particularly tough pill to swallow as Boston let a 13-point third quarter lead slip away as the 76ers muddled their offense and relied on the interior dominance of Embiid to come back and win. 

Boston relied heavily on the Jays just to maintain that third quarter lead, with the two stars scoring 19 of the team’s 29 points in that period, though neither managed a single bucket during a horrid fourth quarter that saw Boston shoot 14% from the field while a potential series-clincher slipped away. 

Game 6 was an even worse experience, trading a blown lead for a near wire-to-wire loss led by a combined 53 points between Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Tatum had rare positive efficiency in the game, though on just 6-of-13 shooting for 17 points to go with 11 rebounds. 

The worrying defeat set Boston up for what would be their first blown 3-1 lead in franchise history, a game in which Tatum was put on the injury report shortly before tip-off. 

It wasn’t up to Tatum to sit for Game 7 with what was called left knee stiffness, but his absence was felt, even as the Celtics put themselves in position to win during a stunning 109-100 season-closing loss. 

A Look Ahead 

A full, healthy offseason awaits Jayson Tatum this summer, a major victory despite a bitter end to a season of overachievement. 

With a step back to look at the full picture, Tatum’s return was in itself a major milestone, but how he played in that return further displayed how moldable his playstyle is for a player of his caliber, slotting right into an ecosystem of mostly new rotation players that had the Celtics fighting for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. 

That smooth ride didn’t stop when Tatum worked himself back into his usual role as a showrunner, and early in the first round, it truly felt like we were seeing Tatum back at full strength. 

But his workload was perhaps too big to place on someone who had a little over a month to acclimate to essentially a new team from the one he last led. 

Next year’s roster will see some changes, but however big or small they end up being, one constant is Tatum getting a full offseason to ramp up with that group. What was once considered a career-killing injury now has an example in Jayson that a return to play is possible within the next season, a concept that felt truly foreign in the days following his devastating injury. 

Tatum’s story faced the most difficult chapter of his career, but the page has turned, the future feels bright, and the Celtics will have their franchise player ready to go for opening night next October.

With the 2025-26 season long since in the books, let’s take a few moments to look back at the performance of each member of YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles this year. While we’re at it, we’ll also take a look back at our player previews and see how our preseason prognostications stack up with how things actually played out. We’ll run through the roster in order of total minutes played going from lowest to highest, and today we talk about a freshman who we got to see more of than maybe we expected this season……

Adrien Stevens

Freshman — #10 — Guard — 6’4” — 210 lbs. — Potomac, Maryland

* — Notes a Top 500 national ranking per KenPom.com
** — Notes a Top 300 national ranking per KenPom.com

WHAT WE SAID:

Reasonable Expectations

I want to start this with what the BartTorvik.com projections say for Stevens, because we’re going to get out of pocket as to what his ceiling this season might be pretty quickly. Okay? So, listen. The Torvik algorithm says that, based on the other abilities and histories of the returning players and how the freshmen fit in around them when taking the average production of a player with the same recruiting rankings into account, that maybe we’ll see Adrien Stevens for seven minutes a game this year.

That’s rounding up on what 17% of 40 minutes is, and that’s what he’s projected to do. Seven minutes, 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, maybe an assist.

Think about it: He’s probably not going to be playing a lot of point guard in place of Sean Jones or Nigel James, right? So, that means he’s fighting for playing time at the 2, maybe the 3. Chase Ross is absolutely starting in one of those places, and then there’s Zaide Lowery and Damarius Owens to try to figure out the other spot. After that, there’s fellow freshmen Ian Miletic and Michael Phillips to compete with for minutes. You can see why the algorithm isn’t 100% fired up about Stevens as a major contributor here.

Now, there’s a certain amount of reason to believe that Stevens is going to play more than this season, and we’re going to talk about those reasons in the Get Excited section. I think those are valid reasons to at least believe that Stevens is going to play more than seven minutes a night. How much more? Well, we’ll have to wait and see, but…. okay, let’s just get into it, shall we?

Why You Should Get Excited

I’m going to wander back to Ben Steele’s report in the Journal Sentinel from Marquette’s open practice at the end of July.

[But the biggest freshman eye-opener was Stevens, the 6-foot-4 guard who was not afraid to mix it up defensively. He led the team in deflections over the summer, a sure way to get playing time for Smart, and also in total wins in all the drills that MU coaches track.]

Led the team. Not the freshmen, the team. Not just in deflections, but in wins in drills, however that’s counted from drill to drill.

Shaka Smart, talking to the media about what they saw from Stevens in the practice:

[“He’s got some real toughness and physicality and a great body for a freshman,” Smart said. “He can get his hands on the ball.

“He’s really done a good job, particularly in the second half of the summer, buying into the advantages for him that he can press on a daily basis. Heat on the ball. Physicality on the ball. Getting his hands on the basketball. And being someone that, even though he is a freshman, uses his body to his advantage.”]

Chase Ross, who knows a thing or two about making a steal here and there:

[“I hope Stevie don’t watch this, but I think (Stevens) can be (as good) if not better than Stevie,” Ross said. “And y’all seen what Stevie did last year.”]

Okay, so. Expecting First 30 Games Of College Basketball Adrien Stevens to instantly be better than Last 34 Games Of A 135 Game Career Stevie Mitchell is a bit much. I’m going to presume that Ross’ point was that Stevens’ ceiling is ultimately higher than Mitchell’s. Down the road. Eventually.

buuuuuuut also Stevie Mitchell had a steal rate of 3.6% as a freshman according to KenPom.com, and if he had the minutes to qualify, that would have been top 90 in the country. The way to get on the court for Shaka Smart is to play defense. It seems very clear that doing that is not going to be a problem for Adrien Stevens. The question is what his freshman year ceiling is on that end of the floor, and if he’s the guy leading the team in deflections over the summer AND Chase Ross thinks he has a brighter future than Stevie Mitchell on defense….. well. I’m very curious to see what we get from Stevens in 2025-26.

Potential Pitfalls

A whole summer’s worth of being the most pesky defender and biggest drill winner is indicative of Stevens’ abilities relative to his teammates. That’s probably a sign that things are going to work out for him. If he’s beating out the rest of the team, then that should push him towards minutes, right?

The flipside of that coin is that he’s putting up these deflection numbers and drill wins against his teammates. That’s not the competition that he has to be able to defend to actually get minutes, and the fact of the matter is that we’ve seen guys look interesting and possibly successful in the open practices/scrimmages before and then they don’t quite pan out to a notable role on the team, or even come close to what we thought was their best case scenario. Getting familiar with your teammates’ abilities and finding ways to beat them over and over again in summer practices isn’t a perfect indicator of success, and if Stevens can’t get it done against Indiana and Maryland in the third and fifth games of this coming season, it might be a minute before we see him again.

Part of the reason Shaka Smart said the things about Stevens that we listed up above is because that’s what he saw from him in his high school and club circuit games, not just what he did this summer. That should be encouraging, but until we see the rubber hit the road in November, we have to acknowledge the possibility that maybe this doesn’t quite work out this year.

As we sit here in May looking back at the 32 games of Adrien Stevens’ freshman year at Marquette, it’s easy to declare what we saw from him to be an unqualified success. That’s almost assuredly where we are going to end up when get to his season grade, but the fact of the matter is that up until the point where head coach Shaka Smart swapped Stevens into the starting lineup, he appeared to mostly just be “a freshman who was able to take on playing time right away.”

Through Marquette’s first nine games, Stevens played in all of them, landing mostly somewhere between 14 and 20 minutes with a surprise 30 minute outing in Game #9. He averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, and he was shooting just 32.3% from behind the three-point line. That three-point shooting was cratering his overall shooting percentage because Stevens was finishing at the rim really well — 7-for-11 on twos through nine games — but he had taken nearly three times as many shots behind the arc than inside of it. That 64% on twos wasn’t enough to make his overall shooting look better than 41%.

This was fine. Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember anyone clamoring for a lot more Adrien Stevens than we were getting at that point. Perhaps immediately at that moment as Zaide Lowery managed to go 0-for-7 in 15 minutes against Valparaiso and after three missed layups in the first two minutes of the second half, Lowery didn’t play again in that game and was, in retrospect, officially on his way out of the program. I can see why right at that exact moment, there may have been a “well, it’s time to let Stevens have all of Lowery’s minutes” thought, but it wasn’t a prevailing and insistent idea. Again, tell me if I’m wrong, but there’s nothing about Stevens’ 5/2/1/1 and 32% three-point shooting that said “yes, please, much more.” To make matters worse? Marquette’s defense was actually better with Stevens on the bench. The net differential between offense and defense was about the same with or without him, but through the first nine games, ignoring garbage time, the defense was better with Stevens on the bench. That’s not really a knock on a freshman in his first nine games, just saying what the numbers say, and if his defense was his calling card coming out of the summer workouts, that’s a problem.

And so, as Zaide Lowery’s departure from the program began, it was Stevens that benefitted. This may be because Smart and his staff couldn’t bring themselves to trust Damarius Owens at that point of the campaign as we discussed in his review. Going into the year, I would have figured that Stevens would be fighting with Lowery and Owens for minutes, and as we hit the 10th game of the season, neither of the other two guys had the backing of the coaching staff. That meant it was time to see if Stevens could hack it…. and I think it worked out pretty well.

Once Adrien Stevens became a starter, it seems like the more regular playing time helped him settle into playing Division 1 basketball. Over the final 23 games of the season, Stevens averaged 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His three-point shooting went through the roof, connecting on 39% of his nearly five attempts per game the rest of the year, and in 20 games of Big East competition, he hit on nearly 42% of his tries. That made him the fifth most accurate shooter in the entire conference based on KenPom.com’s qualifying math. Stevens was still taking more than twice as many three-pointers as two-pointers, but since he was taking more twos, his shooting percentage did come down…. to 56%, and that is absolutely better than fine when mixed with nearly 40% three-point shooting. Even his 54% in BE competition was okay because anything over 50% is super when you can hit 42% of your three-pointers.

The other part about all of it is that Stevens started becoming a big impact player on both ends of the floor. For the final 23 games of the season, Marquette was +13.6 points per 100 possessions with Stevens in the game according to Hoop Explorer….. and -2.0 with him on the bench. Stevens boosted Marquette by nearly seven points per 100 trips on offense and nearly nine points per 100 possessions on defense. I don’t know if we can quite click it over to calling the defense elite with Stevens on the court as they were averaging 100.4 per 100 possessions…. but HE says that was #37 in the country. Again, that’s probably not good enough to be elite, but you’re going to win a lot of ball games as a top 40 defense.

If we slice it down to just the final 13 games of the year, from the overtime win over Providence forward, the part of the year where we can say that Marquette looked like a competent Big East caliber team:

+20.8 per 100 possessions with Stevens playing
+6.4 without him

More importantly here though, Marquette was better on both ends with Stevens in the game. Good on offense — #59 in the country — but elite on defense. Just 98.4 points per 100 possessions, and that ranked #26 in the country in that stretch.

Stevens’ own stats in those games: 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.2 steals in 31.0 minutes per game. 37.7% three-point shooting, 55.6% two-point shooting.

For the final third of the season or so, Adrien Stevens had turned himself into a perfectly competent if not good Big East caliber starting guard. I don’t know if there was ever really a Light Goes On moment for him, just a “we’re going to keep trusting you to do stuff, and maybe here’s some more stuff” and he just kept on doing the stuff. You really can’t expect much more from a freshman.

BEST GAME

Adrien Stevens picked up his first KenPom.com game MVP award for Marquette’s 78-56 road win over Providence on March 4th, and it’s hard to argue with that as his best game. Season/career high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting which including 5-for-8 from long range, four rebounds, an assist, and four steals. If you wanted to say the road win over Georgetown where he had 16 points as MU had to get through a 16 point victory over the Hoyas without Royce Parham, I’d listen to the argument. Same for his 6-for-9 three-point shooting game at home against Butler in MU’s 70-55 win that came with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals as well.

SEASON GRADE

For the first — and I presume not last! — time this season, we have to ask the question “How high is too high?”

We started out the year thinking “well, there’s obviously a way for him to earn playing time on this team, the question is how much can he actually get?” Situations that kind of had nothing really to do with Stevens popped the door open to lots of playing time even though he was already an obvious rotation guy from Day 1. Once that door popped open, Stevens went flying through it and established himself as a cornerstone of Marquette basketball for the rest of his tenure in Milwaukee. It’s possible that we’re actually underrating Stevens as a performer this season because Nigel James is over there on the other side of the room saying “hey, check this freshman year out!” and that’s not really Stevens’ fault!

I think that because Stevens landed on “obvious starter caliber guy” by the time the season ended but not any further than that, I have to pin his grade at a 9. He’s not a superstar caliber player, or at least didn’t jump off the TV screen as that this season relative to what we thought he could be this season. He definitely shot past a reasonable expectation for him in 2025-26, so I think a 9 is fair.

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With Game 1 of the Knicks-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, an Eastern Conference scout shares what to watch during the series:

HARDER FOR HARDEN?

The scout notes that the Cavs will play their 15th game in 32 days on Tuesday night. 

"And you play every other day in this series. Harden is in Year 17. You have to make him work." 

The scout suggests the Knicks should try picking Harden up full court with Miles McBride or Jose Alvarado. "Pressure him, don’t make it easy."

On the other side of the floor, the Knicks will certainly use screens in an effort to force Harden to defend Jalen Brunson and others.

"That one is obvious. But the Cavs should be ready for that," the scout says. "What about transition? Push the ball up the floor, make him run or beat him down the floor. He’ll get tired."

GO TO THE MAT TO STOP KAT

The scout credits Mike Brown and the Knicks for adjusting their offense to use Karl-Anthony Townsas more of a passing hub.

"Look at how Mike used Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento. He was in Golden State for Draymond Green." The scout says Towns' role in the new offense is not a facsimile of Sabonis or Green, but there are similarities. 

"He gave Karl the chance to be a passer and they’ve taken off," the scout says. He also credits Brown and the Knicks for using Brunson off-ball and as a screener in the new approach. "Take him off the ball like (Steve Kerr did) with Steph Curry," the scout said. This approach obviously worked well against Atlanta and Philadelphia. The Knicks are 7-0 since they made the change on offense. But the scout notes that the Cavs have different personnel and can challenge Towns in different ways.

"I just think they can pressure him with (Evan) Mobley. It won’t be as easy for him to find (open teammates). I’m not saying they should change anything. I just think the Cavs will make it tougher because they have seen it on tape and because Mobley is better than anyone they saw in the first two series."

PREDICTION

The scout thinks the Knicks should go to the double-big lineup featuring Towns and Mitchell Robinson often in Game 1 to test the Cavs. He points out that Cleveland is not a great rebounding team and the Knicks can exploit them on the offensive glass.

But on the other side of the floor, the scout says the Cavs will make life difficult for Brunson.

"The Knicks will switch some pick and roll, and Brunson will be left in a tough spot." The scout notes Sam Merrill or Max Strus should be able to get open looks via pick and roll action that involves Brunson.

"This is going to be tough for Jalen," he says. "I know the Knicks have been defending (well), but they haven’t seen an offense like this."

The scout thinks the Knicks should start with Mikal Bridges on Harden to disrupt Harden’s passing and start with Josh Hart defending Donovan Mitchell.

"You can put OG on (Jarrett Allen) and then you can switch pick-and-rolls," the scout says. "I just think (the Cavs) have so many more weapons than the Hawks or Sixers. This is going to be much tougher for (the Knicks’ defense)," the scout predicts.

"If you want me to make a pick I’ll take Knicks in seven. Tough series, but the Knicks should be able to get through. I have to think the Cavs will slow down; they’ve played a million games. So they will be a tough out, but I’m taking the Knicks."

The Spurs and Thunder aren’t just battling for a trip to the NBA Finals; they’re launching what could become the league’s defining rivalry of the next decade.

Monday night in Oklahoma City, the two best teams in the NBA played until the building ran out of clock ... twice. Victor Wembanyama dropped 41 points and 24 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander answered with 24 points and 12 assists, willing the defending champions to stay in it. They traded punches through regulation. Then through a first overtime. Then a second. When it was finally over, the San Antonio Spurs walked out of Paycom Center with a 122-115 win and a 1-0 series lead.

The place was stunned. The league was locked in. And that was only Game 1.

Three years ago, the Spurs were a punchline. A franchise in full rebuild mode, tanking its way to Wembanyama while the rest of the league watched and waited to see if the hype was real. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder were doing what they always do: quietly assembling pieces, drafting well, and letting Gilgeous-Alexander drag them into relevance while the big-market teams looked the other way.

Fast-forward to May 2026, and the two best teams in the NBA are staring each other down in the Western Conference Finals. SGA just won his second consecutive MVP award. Wembanyama, who publicly pleaded his case for why HE was this season's MVP and may have felt motivated after his counterpart hoist the trophy in his face ahead of Game 1, won the Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously. The conversation isn't whether this series matters; it's whether the rest of the league even has a prayer of stopping what's coming.

Because here's the thing: Monday night wasn't just a playoff game. It was the opening act.

How We Got Here

The Thunder went 64-18 this season. The Spurs went 62-20. That's the first time two 62-win teams have met in the playoffs since the 1998 NBA Finals, when Michael Jordan dropped the most famous shot in basketball history over Bryon Russell. The company this series keeps tells you everything you need to know about what we're watching.

Oklahoma City has been the alpha of the West for two years now. They won the championship in 2025, and rather than take a step back the way most repeat contenders do, they got better. SGA is operating at a different altitude these days -- he won this year's NBA MVP by 73 first-place votes over Nikola Jokić. Let that sink in for a second. In a league with Jokić, Giannis, and a 22-year-old alien in San Antonio, SGA lapped the field.

But the Spurs spent this regular season doing something nobody saw coming: They owned the Thunder. San Antonio went 4-1 against OKC in 2025-26, including a stretch in December where they beat them three times in a matter of weeks. They had the Thunder figured out before the Thunder had time to adjust. That doesn't happen to Mark Daigneault's team. It just doesn't. And yet, here we are.

Game 1 felt like a continuation of exactly that. The Spurs dominated the paint — 52 points inside to OKC's 38 — crashed the offensive glass relentlessly, and converted 15 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points. OKC kept punching back, and Caruso's ridiculous performance kept it close, but San Antonio had an answer every time the Thunder threatened to pull away.

The Matchups That Change Everything

The easy headline is SGA vs. Wembanyama. And yes, that matchup is everything. Two of the three best players on the planet, operating on opposite ends of what basketball can look like at its highest level. SGA is artistry and efficiency at guard. Wembanyama is a 7-foot-4 science experiment who blocks shots from angles that shouldn't be physically possible and then steps back and drains a 3 on the other end.

But the reason this rivalry has legs isn't just the two stars. It's the rosters around them.

Look at OKC. Chet Holmgren. Jalen Williams. Ajay Mitchell, who emerged as a legitimate weapon while Williams was out with a hamstring injury. Cason Wallace. Lu Dort. And then there's Alex Caruso, who on Monday reminded everyone that he can completely take over a game off the bench by scoring 31 points, 8-of-14 from deep. This team doesn't have a weak link, and they play with a level of trust and cohesion that takes years to build. They are a machine.

Now look at San Antonio. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harperare 21 and 20, respectively, and already making cases for why they should start in a playoff series. Harper, in particular, was extraordinary Monday night — 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven steals in double overtime on the road. That's not a kid finding his footing. That's a star announcing himself. De'Aaron Fox, who sat Game 1 with right ankle soreness, is the savvy NBA veteran who steadies the whole thing. And surrounding all of them is Wembanyama, who isn't just the best player on the floor most nights; he's the reason every offensive possession looks a little different, every shot chart skews a little weird, and every defensive scheme requires a new answer.

The Spurs became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series with three different players aged 22 or younger, each leading them in scoring at least once. Think about that. They eliminated the Timberwolves with Castle, Harper, and Wemby all having their moments, each stepping up when it mattered. That's not luck. That's something.

What the Regular Season Told Us

Oklahoma City's Achilles' heel this season, to the extent they had one, was the Spurs. San Antonio figured out how to push pace against a Thunder defense that doesn't allow it. Fox, Castle, and Harper were consistently beating OKC into the paint in transition, something essentially nobody else was doing against the best transition defense in the league. The Spurs were also limiting Wembanyama's 3-point attempts against OKC (13% of his attempts against them, versus 32% against the rest of the league), forcing the Thunder to make different calculations on every possession.

That's not an accident. That's scouting. That's a coaching staff in Mitch Johnson — himself a Coach of the Year finalist — that had a plan and executed it. The flip side is that OKC is 8-0 in these playoffs and counting. They swept the Suns. They swept the Lakers. They're not exactly bleeding right now. Oh, and they added Jalen Williams back in Game 1 to the rotation after sitting out the last six games with a hamstring injury.

That matters enormously. Williams put up 26 on Monday night and gives the Thunder another high-level shot creator and a switchable defender capable of going body-to-body with Castle, Harper, and Fox. OKC's already terrifying lineup just got more dangerous. And yet, even with Williams, even with Caruso going nuclear from three, even with SGA running the show, San Antonio still found a way to win on the road in double overtime.

How Daigneault adjusts, and whether the Spurs' defensive game plan holds up for a full series, is the central question going forward.

Why This Is Just Getting Started

Both rosters are young. Both stars are in their primes or barely approaching them. SGA is 27. Wembanyama is 22. Castle, Harper, Williams, Mitchell, Holmgren — almost all of them are under 25. There is no natural expiration date here. No aging superstar is being squeezed for one last run. This is a rivalry that will be going strong in 2030 and probably beyond.

And the front offices running these things? They may be the two best in the league.

Sam Presti has quietly assembled one of the most ridiculous collections of draft capital in NBA history. Even after spending picks to acquire Jared McCain at the trade deadline, OKC still holds first-round picks in 2026, 2028, 2029, 2030, and 2031, along with a mountain of second-rounders stretching all the way to 2032. They have the 12th and 17th picks in this year's draft alone, and who's to stop Presti from packaging them to move up rather than sit put? The guy turned a 2021 draft night into Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Jaylin Williams. He traded up in 2023 and landed Cason Wallace, who is now the sixth man on a championship team.

Brian Wright in San Antonio has been quietly just as impressive, and his fingerprints are all over what the Spurs are building. He went out and got Fox without giving up Castle, Wembanyama, or even Devin Vassell, a trade that had the rest of the NBA rubbing its eyes. The Spurs came out of that deal still sitting on 36 future draft picks over the next seven seasons, the most of any team in the league. That's more ammunition than OKC. They have unprotected Hawks picks, swap rights with Sacramento, swap rights tied to Boston, and second-round picks coming from seemingly everywhere. San Antonio's cap situation stays manageable through 2029, even if Castle and Harper both get max extensions. Wright has built this team with room to grow, room to maneuver, and room to make a run at a player if the right deal ever presents itself.

Two small-market teams with generational stars and front offices that never stop working. That's not a recipe for one good run; that's a recipe for a decade of this.

The Western Conference hasn't had a true defining rivalry since the Warriors ran roughshod over everyone. Before that, it was the Spurs themselves putting together a dynasty that lasted two decades, with different looks and rosters but the same foundation. The league craves this. A legitimate, high-level, evenly-matched rivalry with generational talent on both sides.

The Thunder and the Spurs are delivering it right now, in real time -- one double OT instant classic at a time. Whoever wins this series will be favored to cut down the nets in June. And whoever loses will spend the summer sharpening their swords for the next one.

Because if Game 1 told us anything, this rivalry isn’t going anywhere, and the next chapter is already inevitable.

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Next time Alex Caruso is on the bench, please no photos.

During a tense moment in a thrilling Game 1 that featured a career-best game from Caruso — but an even better one from Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs won 122-115 to take a 1-0 series lead in the Wester Conference finals — the veteran Thunder guard bizarrely shoved away a cameraman.

At the end of regulation with the teams tied at 101-101, Wembanyama had a chance to win the game with a layup when Chet Holmgren came flying in for a block to extend the game.

As a camera person came over to the Thunder bench to capture the team as it readied for overtime, Caruso aggressively pushed the camera away.

A second hand — belonging to someone wearing something blue — also blocked the camera moments later before the shot shifted to Wembanyama.

It is unclear why Caruso reacted the way he did.

Caruso had a monster Game 1, tallying 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range.

He was also tasked with guarding Wembanyama for most of the game despite being a foot shorter than the Spurs’ 7-foot-4 center.

Alex Caruso didn't appreciate the NBC camera entering the Thunder huddle to end regulation. #NBApic.twitter.com/hcJlfYWBe9

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 19, 2026

Wembanyama put up one of the best performances in basketball history Monday night, playing 49 minutes and going 14-for-25 from the field with 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks.

He also drilled a 3-pointer from 30 feet at the end of the first overtime to tie the game at 108-108, just as it looked like Oklahoma City had finally put San Antonio away.

“Wemby played 48 minutes, had 41 points, 24 rebounds and 3 blocks, changed 20 other shots and made a must-make 30 footer from the Curry spot, and by the end of the game the OKC fans looked like they’d just been strip-searched — anyway he’s our player of the game,” Ringer founder Bill Simmons posted on X after the shocking Game 1.

Game 2 on Wednesday will be nearly must-win for the Thunder as they attempt to slow down Wembanyama, who looked unstoppable Monday night.

WOW. What an incredible way to start this series, and what a statement game from Wemby. Furthermore, even though this game was close, it was actually characterized by some HUGE box score differentials for each team. In other words, this wasn’t a game in which the Spurs collected the win by registering lots of tiny margins; rather, San Antonio won because their big box scores wins slightly outshined OKC’s. Let’s dig into the details:

Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of May 18, 2026, this group include 1,191 games.

Factors that decided the game

• The battle for offensive opportunity in this game was characterized by big rebounding and turnover differentials. On the one hand, the Spurs enjoyed excellent DRB and ORB margins of +15 and +6, respectively. However, OKC had eight fewer turnovers, which played a big role in mitigating the advantage in offensive opportunity that San Antonio might otherwise have gained.
• The Thunder actually outscored the Spurs from the field; both teams made exactly 41 shots, but OKC logged four more made threes, resulting in a point differential from the field of -4 for San Antonio.
• Ultimately, the free throw line played a massive role in this game. The Thunder committed seven more fouls than San Antonio, which gave the Spurs an excellent FTA margin of +10. Furthermore, the Spurs were a fantastic 27-of-29 in their attempts, and consequently outscored OKC by 11 from the charity stripe.

Rare Box Score Stats

• As you can imagine, Wemby’s stat line from last night doesn’t grow on trees. Let’s go over some of the most notable elements:
  • First of of all, since the 1996-1997 postseason, no other player has recorded 41+ points and 24+ rebounds in a true playoff game.
  • Over the same period, Victor’s performance last night was the just the 11th time that a player logged 24+ rebounds in a game, and only the third time that a player has done so with 15+ defensive rebounds and 9+ offensive boards.
  • Finally, only one other player has recorded 40+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 3+ blocks in a true playoff game since the 1996-1997 postseason. That player is Shaquille O’Neal, and he did it three times.
• Now let’s turn to the team box score. For all stats below, the reference period is all postseason games since the start of the 2012-2013 postseason (1,191 games in total):
  • San Antonio logged just the second team performance by a winner or loser that included 27+ made free throws on no more than 29 attempts. Interestingly, the only other time during this period was a 99-111 Dallas loss to Houston on April 21, 2015.
  • Steals and blocks were a dime a dozen in this game. In fact, only 7 other games during the period have included at least 40 stocks (steals + blocks).
  • On the theme of stocks, there have been only five other contests during the period in which a winner had 18+ stocks and a negative stock differential.
  • Only 21 other winners have logged FGM and 3PM differentials no better than +0 and -4, respectively.
  • This is just the 33rd time that a winning team has recorded a TRB margin of +21, and just the 7th time that a winner combined such a good TRB margin with a FGA differential of -5 or worse.
  • Only 12 other winners have had 23+ turnovers.
  • This contest marked the 47th time that a winner has had at least eight more turnovers than its opponent, and just the second time that a winner has had such a bad TOV margin when their opponent had at least 15 turnovers.
  • Somewhat frustratingly, the Spurs have now logged 8+ more turnovers than their opponent THREE times during this playoff run; however, they have won each of those games, so maybe this just works for them!

What are Team Graded Box Scores?

Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).

Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.

Undoing the goodwill of a 3-1 series comeback to beat your biggest rival in a playoff series for the first time in nearly 45 years is hard to do, yet it feels like the Sixers did so in the span of a week.

Getting thoroughly trounced in the second round by the New York Knicks — setting a record for most 30+ point losses in a playoff run in the process — made the fanbase lose the “house money” mentality they were treating the postseason with during the Boston series.

The result of this season was just another in what’s become a long line of second-round exits, but the 2025-26 Sixers showed more fight, heart and camaraderie than any team of the Joel Embiid era. To some extent, their efforts should be celebrated.

With ownership feeling the need for a front office change after the season, it just shows how hard this group had to fight to accomplish what they did. They had to deal with Embiid again being available for less than half the games, a Paul George suspension just as they were gaining momentum, and a front office that not only ignored the team’s plea to improve at the trade deadline, but shipped off a popular young player in the locker room for no player in return.

Through it all, the Sixers were able to win 45 games, make the playoffs and beat a team that won over 50 games in a series for the first time in Embiid’s career.

Every step of the way, the players would cite the resiliency of the group — a cliche that gets thrown around a lot, but not a quality many Embiid-led Sixers teams have had after years of constant roster turnover. Ironically, it was during the disastrous 24-win season where it felt like that element was there for the Sixers. It just took an extra year and retaining 11 players from that team for it to translate to wins.

“You know what’s funny? Our chemistry off the court last year wasn’t bad, like we like each other,” Tyrese Maxey said after a win in January. “I think the biggest thing is we’re healthy. I think we got to the space where it doesn’t matter who’s on the court.”

That chemistry made a noticeable difference in what they were able to accomplish. They became the first group in franchise history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a playoff series. While they were doing so, guys like Maxey made sure to shoutout the guys who weren’t getting playing time in that series, but were being a great support system on the bench.

When he went on the radio to discuss his report that Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse’s jobs may be in jeopardy, Tony Jones of the Athletic said, “… if you knew some of the stuff they went through internally, I honestly thought it was amazing they won 45 games. This wasn’t a smooth year, but I also think it definitely shows how much this group likes each other.”

The conclusive defeat to New York showed how far this current Sixers roster is from truly competing for a title. Now that the offseason is here, there’s plenty of time to debate the best way to try to get back to that, but it’s important to remember no one had expectations in that ballpark before the start of the season. No one, this blog included, knew what to make of their preseason over/under win total.

At the beginning of the year, any fan would have signed up for a season that both netted a record over .500 and Embiid feeling like he has his left knee situation figured out. They would have been over the moon at the prospect of a VJ Edgecombe rookie season so promising he started every game he appeared in and was a major contributor in wins — and one that culminated in a 23-point performance in Game 7 against the Celtics.

The existential threats of Embiid and George’s contracts make it harder to get excited about a Maxey-Edgecombe led future. The fact that those two guards aren’t exactly on the same timeline makes it tricky as well. The next president of basketball operations the team brings in will have their work cut out for them, but this year’s team showed how much easier it is to watch a team that both fights and cares.

There’s no doubt that Luka Doncic is one of the most influential international players the NBA has ever seen. Every time he whips a no-look pass through traffic, or shoots a fadeaway three-pointer while falling out of bounds the crowd erupts. 

But the reaction is just part of the story. And according to a new study, Doncic isn’t even the most influential international player in the NBA today. 

That honor would go to Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

A new study from Betsson ranked Doncic as the second most popular and influential basketball player from Europe over the last five years. 

The study ranked the best European basketball players based off of their team’s winning percentages, global popularity, and positive fan sentiment on social media. The dataset was from 2020 to 2025, and included Google Search volume. 

Giannis finished atop the rankings with a staggering overall score of 96.66 out of 100 behind a 61.9% win percentage, massive global search traffic and a social media positivity score of 61%. 

Doncic was second, posting a 57.2% win rate while generating more than 368,000 monthly Google searches. More telling was Doncic’s 62% positive fan sentiment rating, the highest among every player listed in the study.

Doncic recently finished fourth in the NBA MVP voting and did not receive a single first-place vote. He’s the first NBA scoring leader to not receive a single first-place vote since James Harden in 2020. Many fans are outraged by that fact and believe it’s partly due to his unpopularity among other fanbases. But his positive fan sentiment rating in this study would say otherwise. 

Three-time NBA MVP and 2023 NBA Champion Nikola Jokic finished third, while Victor Wembanyama landed fourth thanks to his exploding popularity despite a lower team win percentage that’s sure to change over the next five years.

Are American Superstars Washed? See poll below. International players have now won 8 MVP's in a row. pic.twitter.com/XNUxq5n7ci

— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) May 17, 2026

Other notable players on the list included Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert, Lauri Markkanen, Domantas Sabonis, Ivica Zubac, and Deni Avdija.

Every player on the list has become a household name, not only winning on the court, but sparking conversations worldwide off the court. 

As noted by the graphic below, international players are dominating the NBA landscape like never before. The last eight NBA MVP winners have been international players. That trend looks like it’s going to continue as Doncic enters his prime and Wembanyama continues his rise in the sport on both sides of the ball.

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Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama felt some type of way going into his Western Conference finals debut after losing out on NBA MVP honors to Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After putting up playoff career highs in points (41) and rebounds (24), Wembanyama said it was personal for him when asked about Gilgeous-Alexander after San Antonio’s 122-115 double-overtime road victory Monday night in Game 1 against Oklahoma City.

“Was that in your mind at all knowing that Shai had gotten that award and you were in the top three for it — and did any part of tonight feel personal, some of your facial expressions kind of looked like you were really going for it,” Wembanyama was asked in his post-game press conference.

Wemby on whether Game 1 was personal after watching Shai win MVP pic.twitter.com/dTSTEuOMTo

— ESPN (@espn) May 19, 2026

“Yeah, for sure, everything you just said,” Wembanyama said.

The French phenom did not elaborate further.

Gilgeous-Alexander was named MVP for the second straight year Sunday, beating out Wembanyama and Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Wembanyama used it as motivation for his historic Game 1 showing — highlighted by monster dunks and the occasional muscle flex.

His deep game-tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in the first overtime forced a second extra stanza.

Wembanyama’s 41 points and 24 rebounds put him in elite company, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to tally 40-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in their Conference finals debut.

He also recorded three blocks.

Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper had 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals, and also made playoff history.

Harper, a Franklin Lakes, N.J. native, became the first rookie to notch 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus steals in a playoff game since Magic Johnson in 1980.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, had an off night and vowed he will be better after scoring 24 points on an inefficient 7-of-23 shooting performance, including 2-of-7 from 3.

Game 2 is Wednesday at Oklahoma City.