Category: NBA

The San Antonio Spurs were well on their way to the Western Conference finals in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went down to their bench to briefly offer his congratulations. The young Spurs left no doubt they’re already a serious NBA title contender.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs romped past the Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday night in Minneapolis to finish in the second-round series in six games and reach the conference finals for the first time since 2017. Stephon Castle had 32 points and 11 rebounds in another dominant performance from the backcourt.

The Spurs will face defending champion Oklahoma City in Game 1 on Monday night. The Thunder swept their first two series.

Wembanyama was well guarded by the Wolves in Game 6. He had 19 points, six rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes. But he still served as a constant defensive deterrent in the paint – handling Minnesota’s physical play days after his stunning ejection in Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid in the face – and he dutifully joined the Spurs in transition whenever they had the opportunity to run.

“I had to make a statement coming back,” Wembanyama told Amazon Prime’s postgame broadcast. “I knew there was going to be a certain narrative, but I felt like if I gave in to the physicality and the dirtiness, that would have helped them, and I knew I couldn’t go over the edge again, so I had to beat them by playing basketball.”

The size, smarts and shooting touch of the Spurs guards were too much for the Wolves, who predictably had their hands full with the 7ft 4in Wembanyama.

De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists and rookie Dylan Harper had 15 points off the bench for the Spurs, who set their franchise postseason record for three-pointers made by going 18 for 38.

“I just tip my hat to them,” Edwards said. “They were just the better team.”

The Spurs outscored the Wolves by a whopping 97 points in the series and never once trailed by double digits. The Spurs breezed by the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the first round.

“Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level,” Wembanyama said. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about recovering.”

Edwards had 24 points on 9-for-26 shooting for the Wolves, who got another spark from reserves Terrence Shannon (21 points) and Naz Reid (18 points) but were again flustered by the Spurs and their relentless switch-heavy defense.

“Defensively, man, he’s incredible,” Edwards said of Wembanyama. “He changes every shot at the rim, he goes to the rim every time after every block, whether it’s goaltending or not, he’s going to go up and challenge it. It’s tough.”

This no-show in the elimination game might’ve felt familiar to Wolves fans, who have otherwise enjoyed an unprecedented run of success in the playoffs over the last three years.

Minnesota trailed by 33 points at half-time in a 30-point loss at Oklahoma City in the Game 5 ouster in the Western Conference finals last year and were down by 29 points at the break to Dallas in losing the Western Conference finals in 2024 in a 21-point loss in Game 5.

Cleveland Cavaliers 94-115 Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons dominated the second half, beating the Cavaliers 115-94 in Cleveland to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round series. The decisive game is Sunday in Detroit.

Jalen Duren had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Daniss Jenkins also scored 15 for the Pistons, who have won four games this postseason when facing elimination. They were down 3-1 to Orlando before winning the last three to advance out of the first round.

James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, who suffered their first home loss of the postseason. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley scored 18 apiece.

In this magical postseason run, the Spurs capped off a gritty second round with a victory that was extremely impressive. Of course, the only reward San Antonio has earned through this achievement is the opportunity to face one of the most statistically dominant teams in NBA history (albeit one they’ve enjoyed much success against), but there will be plenty of time to discuss that matchup in the days ahead. In the meantime, let’s dive in to this game’s WILD box score:

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 15, 2026, this group include 1,189 games.

Factors that decided the game

• Unbelievably, Minnesota enjoyed a MASSIVE advantage in the turnover battle, with San Antonio having 11 more that the Timberwolves.
• However, the Spurs’ domination of the glass was nearly unprecedented, as the Silver and Black recorded 31 more rebounds than Minnesota.
• In fairness, that huge TRB differential was almost entirely generated by defensive rebounds, and those were available to the Spurs in abundance because the Timberwolves had a dreadful shooting night.
• Despite taking 18 fewer shots, the Spurs made nine more due to a FG% margin of +17.95 percentage points.
• San Antonio also made six more threes, largely due to a +12.07 percentage-point edge in 3P%.
• On top of everything else, the Spurs enjoyed advantages in volume (+6 FTA) and efficiency (+4.23 percentage points) from the charity stripe. Consequently, San Antonio widened their lead by +6 through free throws.

Rare Box Score Stats

• This box score is BONKERS. One way to tells is that the winner’s (i.e., the Spurs’) grades were average to exceptional in 14 of 17 box score stats, with 12 of those 14 being well above average and four being truly excellent. At the same time, San Antonio was dreadful in the remaining three areas.
• Let’s start with the things that are UNIQUE to this contest in the 1,189 postseason games played since 2012-2013:
  • Timberwolves: No one else has lost by 30+ points while having no more than five turnovers.
  • Timberwolves: No other team has lost by 30+ points with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5:1 or better. Previously a team with a ratio that good had never lost by more than 15.
  • Spurs: No other team has won by 30+ while having a turnover differential of +11 or more. Prior to this game, the highest margin of victory for a winner with a turnover differential at least this bad was 23 points.
  • Spurs: No other winner has logged a DRB margin of +28 or more.
  • Spurs: No other winner has had a TRB margin better than +25 while earning an ORB margin of +3 or worse.
  • Spurs: No other team has won by 30+ points with a FGA differential of -18 or worse.
  • Spurs: No other team has earned a FGM margin of +9 or better while having a FGA differential of – 18 or worse.
• Ok, let’s turn our attention to the stuff is that – while still extremely rare – is not completely unique in the last 14 postseasons. The odds of everything listed below happening have been no better than 1-in-99 games during the reference period:
  • There has been only one other case in which a winner has recorded a TRB margin of +31 or better. That occasion was a 102-79 Washington Wizards victory over Indiana on May 13, 2014.
  • This is just the fifth time that a winner has had 34+ assists and lost the assist-to-turnover ratio battle.
  • Only six other winners have recorded a block differential of +11 or better. Hilariously, Game 1 of this series (in which Wemby alone had 12 blocks) is NOT one of these six cases (the Spurs’ block margin in that game was a paltry +9).
  • This is just the 11th time that a winner has recorded FG%, 3P%, and FT% values as good or better than 55.68%, 47.37%, and 85.19%, respectively.
  • This game marked the 12th case in which winner has a turnover differential of +11 or worse.

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.

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.

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Player Snapshot

• Position: C
• Age: 24
• 2026-27 Contract Status: RFA ($9.6 million qualifying offer)
• SunsRank (Preseason): 5
• SunsRank (Postseason): 6

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

While Mark Williams provides the rim deterrence and verticality this roster craves, his inability to stay on the floor makes him a luxury that a shifting contender has to think twice about overpaying for.

By the Numbers

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BLK	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
60	23.6	11.7	8.0	1.0	0.9	64.4%	1.000%	77.1%	111.3	113.3	-42

The Expectation

Many folks knew what to expect in Mark Williams. A lob threat who could rebound and alter shots defensively. He has an insane wingspan and standing reach, and provides size that this Suns team hadn’t had a ton of in recent years.

The hope was straightforward: Mark Williams would serve as the definitive interior anchor for the future. A physical, high-motor bridge center who could lock down the paint while rookie Khaman Maluach learned the ropes. Phoenix needed a consistent, 60-70 game defensive presence capable of solving the team’s interior rebounding woes and anchoring the backline.

Phoenix handpicked Williams as a trade target moments before drafting Khaman Maluach. The vision was clear. Add more youth, size, and athleticism, and figure the rest out later.

The Reality

When he was active, the physical impact was obvious. Williams is an elite lob threat with a massive wingspan and a legitimate motor. He gave the Suns true verticality, averaging 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting an incredibly efficient 64.4% from the field.

Block ➡️ Bucket

Mark Williams gets it done on both ends! pic.twitter.com/WVaAaaeRke

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 15, 2026

The problem is, we spent the second half of the year holding our breath every time he contested a shot. The same foot and back issues that disrupted his early career caught up with him during the stretch run. Playing in 60 games was technically a personal career high, but the injuries piled up exactly when the stakes were raised. He missed the entire postseason, including the Play-In games. Watching the Suns get physically overwhelmed inside by longer, twitchier teams made his absence in street clothes feel like a recurring structural flaw.

Do we really want to do that to ourselves again?

What It Means

This comes down to resource allocation in a tightening financial landscape. Williams enters restricted free agency with a $9.6 million qualifying offer, giving Phoenix matching rights. If an outside suitor offers a deal in the $16 million to $20 million annual range, matching that sheet means anchoring significant cap space to a big man with major medical red flags. A sign-and-trade makes sense for anything above $18 million per season.

If the Suns move on from Williams, it likely means the following factors were considered:

1. Khaman Maluach may need to be ahead of schedule. At just 20 years old next season, Maluach flashed immense defensive upside in his limited minutes, proving he possesses the raw length and perimeter-switching fluidity that this frontcourt needs. He’s still very raw and may need another year of seasoning, but if thrown into the fire, I think he could survive.
2. Oso Ighodaro’s reliability. Ighodaro played all 82 games, offering an athletic, playmaking counterweight that keeps the offensive flow from stagnating.
3. The cost of replacement-level talent. Functional backup bigs are consistently the easiest assets to secure via low-cost free agency or the draft. Tying up premium money in a non-shooting center who carries availability risks is how a roster stays inflexible and lacking in lateral quickness.

If he returns next season, it’s pretty clear that the Suns need to hold him off from playing in ALL back-to-backs. Not just occasionally. All of them. It’s easy to get lost in the emotion of a season where things seem to be going well.

Defining Moment

January 27th vs. Brooklyn: Williams absolutely dominated the interior, bruising his way to an ultra-efficient 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block on 13 of 16 shooting from the field in a gritty, physical 106-102 win. The 81% clip for a season-high 27 points was a glimpse at just how dominant he could be when involved in the flow of the offense.

It was a showcase of exactly how imposing he can be when his body cooperates.

Grade: B

It’s difficult to go any higher or lower than a solid B. He did his job and made strides with his durability by appearing in 60 games. That should not be glossed over, even if the timing of his injuries could not be worse. By all accounts, he had himself a strong season.

If Phoenix can land him on a team-friendly deal or one that is heavily incentivized with games played or team options in the back-end of the deal, then I’m all for bringing him back. If he prices himself out by commanding a good chunk of the salary cap, then that’s another story.

If a team like Brooklyn or Toronto wants to step up and offer a massive multi-year bag, the Suns should look to leverage their matching rights into a sign-and-trade rather than locking themselves in long-term. With Maluach and Ighodaro on cheap rookie deals, executing a pivot now maximizes Williams’ trade value before his health history complicates the books.

I do believe retaining Mark Williams is something the Suns would like to do so not having him in my top two priorities is NOT me saying he won't be back since so many of you are commenting on this. I do think he will be back. Just believe Collin and Jordan are the 2 most… https://t.co/Ha893NcwiQ

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) April 30, 2026

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Editor’s note: this is the first piece from new staff writer Jeremy Riggs. He’ll be contributing to our NBA draft coverage and beyond. Please give him a warm welcome as we’re excited for him to join our team at Peachtree Hoops.

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As the 2026 NBA Draft approaches and the Hawks look to inject youth and creativity into a backcourt that is still adjusting after the Trae Young era, Ebuka Okorie has been rising up draft boards.

The Stanford freshman did not just announce himself this season. He announced himself with authority, leading the ACC in scoring while turning heads as one of the most productive one and done guards in recent memory. At six foot two and 185 pounds, the 19-year-old from Nashua, New Hampshire (via Brewster Academy) is not the tallest or most explosive athlete on the board. Yet his feel for the game, craftiness as a scorer, and ability to create offense in tight spaces make him a prospect worth serious consideration in the late first round. Here is our full breakdown on Okorie, pulled from film study, the recent combine workouts, and conversations around the league.

Background and College Production

Okorie arrived at Stanford as a three-star recruit who flew somewhat under the national radar. That changed fast. In 31 games as a true freshman, he averaged 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three, and an impressive 83.2 percent from the free throw line. He led the ACC in scoring, set Stanford freshman records for points in a season (719), and dropped eight 30-point games, including a 40-point explosion against Georgia Tech. Those numbers placed him among an elite group of freshmen since 2000 who hit the 20, 3.5, 3.5 threshold.

What stands out beyond the box score is how he carried a heavy load. Okorie operated with a usage rate above 31 percent while posting one of the lowest turnover rates among high usage freshmen in the modern era. He was the engine for a Stanford team that leaned on him night after night.

Physical Profile and Athleticism Measurements

His combine measurements: 6 feet, 1.25 inches barefoot height, 185 pounds, 6 feet, 7.75 inch-wingspan.

Okorie is not a freak athlete in the traditional sense. There is no elite vertical pop or above the rim explosiveness. Yet he is a jitterbug with elite change of pace and burst in short spaces. His wingspan gives him functional length for a guard his size, helping him navigate screens and finish through contact. He is listed at 185 pounds but plays stronger than that thanks to a compact, sturdy frame that holds up in traffic.

Offensive Game: The Real Strength

This is where Okorie shines. He is a shifty, creative ball handler who manipulates defenses with ball fakes, hesitation moves, and misdirection. Watch him in the pick and roll or isolation. He reads angles, uses his body to shield defenders, and finds seams others miss. His driving ability is elite for the class. He attacks with purpose, changes speeds, and finishes with soft touch on floaters, reverse layups, and off-balance runners.

He drew fouls at a high rate and converted at the rim with craft rather than raw power. The pull up game is smooth, especially from the elbows and mid range. He is comfortable stepping into threes off the dribble, and while his 35.4 percent mark from deep was not lights out, it improved dramatically late in the season (46.9 percent in his final 12 games). He is a true point guard at heart, comfortable distributing and running sets, but he can also play off the ball as a secondary creator.

Playmaking and Vision: Real potential

Okorie is not a flashy passer, but he is a smart one. He makes the simple read ahead of the defense and flashes real vision in live dribble situations. His assist numbers (3.6 per game) do not scream floor general, but the tape shows a player who keeps the offense flowing and rarely forces the issue. Low turnover rate for his usage is a big plus.

Defense: Functional but With Limits

On ball, Okorie is pesky. Quick hands, active feet, and that wingspan help him poke away steals (1.6 per game) and stay in front of most guards. He is disruptive in passing lanes and brings energy. Off ball, he is engaged and rotates well for his size.

The concern? He can get overpowered by bigger, stronger guards and some tape suggests that he lacks elite lateral quickness against elite athletes. Versatility on the defensive end will be an area to watch in the NBA.

Areas for Improvement

A quick list:

• Three point consistency and shot selection: He can hunt tough pull ups early in the shot clock. Refining his decision making will boost efficiency. 
• Defensive physicality: Adding strength and learning to navigate bigger matchups without fouling. 
• Lead guard polish: More consistent command of tempo when the game slows down.

None of these feel like deal breakers for a 19 year old who just dominated the ACC as a freshman.

NBA Projection and Fit with Atlanta

There are likely some wary fans when it comes to Okorie due to him not getting as much buzz as some of the prospects. But there seems to be a clear floor and ceiling for a guy who possesses the kind of skill and film that he has.

Ceiling? A starting caliber lead guard on a good team. Floor? A high level bench spark who can create his own shot and defend.

For the Hawks specifically, he offers intriguing fit as the team builds its backcourt long term with young pieces like Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander Walker and not to mention a mentor in CJ McCollum if he is back with the team next season. With the No. 8 pick from the Pelicans already secured and the No. 23 pick via Cleveland in hand, Okorie could be a strong option if Atlanta goes another direction with the higher selection or decides to double down on guards. He can provide rest for the current starters, play alongside them in certain lineups, or grow into a secondary creator who adds scoring punch off the bench.

His ability to score in bunches and draw fouls gives Atlanta another weapon in half court sets, and his youth aligns perfectly with the timeline of injecting fresh talent into a roster that has shown real promise since the midseason reset.

Bottom line: Ebuka Okorie is the kind of player who can surprise people who only look at the measurables. He plays bigger than his size, processes the game at a high level, and scores with real creativity.

If he lands in Atlanta, do not be shocked if he is contributing meaningful minutes sooner than expected. We will be watching closely on draft night.

In Friday Night’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 6 to the Detroit Pistons, 115-94, while Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs moved on, knocking off Minnesota, 139-109.

The Detroit win was no surprise after reports that a wave of illness hit Cleveland. Apparently it was some sort of stomach bug.

The NBA operates at a level of peak athletic performance, and while you might get past one guy getting sick, this sounds worse than that. Just a tough break.

Proctor did not get off the bench.

Plumlee did play for the Spurs for the first time in a while, getting 2 points and 2 rebounds.

So the Western Conference Finals are set with San Antonio facing Oklahoma City.

And that means that whoever emerges from the West has a chance to join former Blue Devils who have won rings: either Plumlee or Jared McCain will play for it all soon.

Here’s the list of Blue Devils who have already done it:

• Jeff Mullins — Golden State (1975)
• Danny Ferry — San Antonio (2003)
• Shane Battier — Miami (2012, 2013)
• Kyrie Irving — Cleveland (2016)
• Dahntay Jones — Cleveland (2016)
• Quinn Cook — Golden State (2018) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020)
• Jack White — Denver (2023)
• Jayson Tatum — Boston (2024)

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the only two guys who have won twice are Battier and Cook.

As we noted Friday about the late Hack Tison, he opted not to play pro ball when Boston took him in the 1965 draft. Had he played, he would have surely won rings in 1967, ‘68, and ‘69.

• Minnesota Timberwolves suffer total collapse against San Antonio Spurs
• Spurs reach Western finals as Pistons stay alive in NBA playoffs
• Spurs oust Wolves in Game 6 blowout, get OKC in conference finals
• Stephon Castle gives the Spurs 32 points in a 139-109 blowout to eliminate Timberwolves in Game 6
• Spurs oust Wolves in rout, set up clash with OKC‘
• Jared McCain trade looks even more lopsided following latest 76ers bombshell
• Bob Myers breaks silence on 76ers’ decision to trade Jared McCain

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Since joining the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs have played in the Conference Finals fourteen times. For six of those, they advanced to the NBA Finals and have won five NBA championships.

Only four Conference Finals appearances took place before Gregg Popovich became head coach. Ten trips with Pop occurred between 1999 and 2017.

2017 was the last time the Spurs made the Western Conference Finals, and it was a pivotal turning point for the organization. In Game 1, Zaza Pachulia slid his foot under Kawhi Leonard, injuring him in a way that altered his career and sent the Spurs into a tailspin for a few years.

This year, the Spurs have been considered “ahead of schedule” by pundits, but as Stephon Castle pointed out last night after the Spurs dominant Game 6 close out in Minnesota, they knew they were ready.

If 2017 was the beginning of the pendulum swing for the storied franchise, this Western Conference Finals represents the Spurs on their upswing, considered to be a contender for years to come.

Their next challenge facing the Spurs is one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. Oklahoma City are the reigning NBA champs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and Finals MVP and was recently named this year’s Clutch Player of the Year. They just went through the Phoenix Suns in round one and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals without a loss.

As Udonis Haslem stated in the postgame show, what happened in the regular season doesn’t matter now, the teams are 0-0, starting from scratch.

The Spurs will have to make adjustments. After being pushed around by the Timberwolves, Victor Wembanyama will face Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren in the paint, forcing him to alter his shot selection.

SGA is NBA royalty and gets to the line quite often. By comparison, Stephon Castle’s aggressive defense has gotten him into foul trouble throughout the playoffs.

When asked about the Spurs inexperience with postseason, Victor Wembanyama simply stated “heart matters more than anything.”

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals takes place in Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

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Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

It’s sad and stony-hearted that the Lakers should unload LeBron James, recoup resources, unload his albatross-like salary, and build a championship contender bolstered by Luka Doncic. Yes, James is still a top-15 player, but unable to lead an ill-balanced team to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers allowed sentimentality toward Kobe Bryant to distort their vision, signing Bryant to a two-year, $48.5-million extension. Bryant missed 39% of the games while the Lakers won 38 times in the two seasons. Abysmal.

The Lakers should use James' $52.6-million salary to sign long, athletic players who can drain threes with regularity.

James might make a great addition to a championship contending team like the Cleveland Cavaliers. Otherwise, thank him for his greatness as a Laker.

Marc D. Greenwood
Opelika, Ala.

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Some legendary athletes, like Jim Brown and Sandy Koufax, retired at the peak of their careers. Other greats, like Muhammad Ali, Johnny Unitas and Willie Mays, waited too long. Memo to LeBron James: Which camp will you choose?

Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach

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After reading Bill Plaschke's article about LeBron James — which closes with the line "Anywhere but here" — I have a better idea. Keep LeBron, get rid of Bill. Let him write anywhere but here.

Tom Irish
Rancho Palos Verdes

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Father Time is as undefeated just as Bill Plaschke is winless with predictions. Many before Bill have buried LeBron James, only to see him rise to the occasion once again and prove them wrong.

If this is in fact LeBron’s last go-round, it’s been epic! Thanks for the memories. If not, let’s see him alongside an injury-free Luka Doncic for a full run to next year’s championship!

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

Thunderous ending

With apologies to the Coen brothers, the Lakers' season can be titled "No Titles For Old Men." Save for the 2020 asterisk bubble title, the Lakers have not won a championship for nearly two decades. LeBron James is now a fancy hood ornament on a broken-down jalopy. The Lakers need a total rebuild, not just a tuneup.

Mark Roth
Playa Vista

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Game 4 was the best game Jaxson Hayes has ever played in a Lakers uniform. If he put forth that effort in every game he could be an NBA starter, and maybe an All-Star, despite the fact his offensive game is limited to lobs and put-backs. Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura also had outstanding games.

LeBron James and Austin Reaves gave great efforts and had good games, but James missed a few too many shots and Reaves had a disastrous eight turnovers. The Lakers gave a heroic effort and with just a bit more luck they could have forced a Game 5.

Ray McKown
Torrance

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Sometimes a team like the Thunder just has your number, to the tune of 4-0 in the regular season and 4-0 in the postseason, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

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The Clippers traded for Paul George in a blockbuster deal with Oklahoma City, sending a massive haul including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to finally build a championship roster, which it did — for the Thunder.

Steve Ross
Carmel

True blue questions

I have questions regarding the Dodgers season so far: (1) How long can we continue to say, "It's still early?" (2) Are the Dodgers digging a hole too deep to get out of? (3) Is their slump real or manufactured behind a hidden agenda? (4) What happened in Philly after they fired their manager? They stopped losing and started winning.

I am a firm believer that players control or help influence their destiny.

Russell Morgan
Carson

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How to fix the Dodgers: (1) Call up power-hitting outfielder James Tibbs to see if he can produce at the major league level; (2) If you get a baserunner with no outs try bunting. It will put some pressure on the pitcher and get a man in scoring position; (3) Try the Tommy Lasorda trick by pulling the batting order out of a hat. It might wake up the bats.

Russell Hosaka
Torrance

New addition

Congratulations on your recent hiring of sportswriter Maddie Lee. Her unique and enjoyable writing style is a welcome addition to the Dodgers' beat and to your sports section.

Richard Larson
Huntington Beach

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Fallen Angels

It's only six weeks into the season and the Angels already have the worst record in baseball. Combine that with the worst minor league system and worst owner and that makes them the winner of the MLB Losers Triple Crown. Sell the team, Arte!!

Mike Gamboa
Buena Park

Built to last

General manager Pat Verbeek and coach Joel Quenneville have put together an exciting young Ducks team that should make deep runs in the playoffs for years to come. Compare them to the Kings, who are old, slow and quickly fading into mediocrity. Phil Anschutz needs to rebuild the entire organization, starting with firing Luc Robitaille. And if he’s not serious about putting together a championship team, he should sell it to someone like Mark Walter or Stan Kroenke, who know how to build winning organizations.

Doug Vikser
Manhattan Beach

Sparking interest

Thank you for running a first page spread and photos about Kelsey Plum and the Sparks schedule and brief previews of the WNBA teams for this season! So great to also see Caitlin Clark back and healthy. Buy your tickets, the WNBA season is here! Go Sparks!

Joan C. Fingon
Ventura

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Kudos to Lisa Leslie for her statue outside the Crypt, but there is one glaring omission of those honored.
Can someone please explain to me why Darryl Sutter, who did the impossible — bringing the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles (twice yet) — has not been honored. It makes no sense!

Jack Wolf
Westwood

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Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When Julius Erving was at UMass, his game was seriously limited by the rules of the day. His number one frustration was that he could not dunk.

It took him a while to sort out who he would play for professionally, largely because of some contractual issues, which we’re not going to get into here, but consider this: he nearly ended up playing with Milwaukee, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson were still Bucks. That would have been incredible. He also nearly joined the Atlanta Hawks, where he would have teamed up with Pete Maravich, which would have sold tickets across the league.

When the issues were hammered out, he had to play in the ABA, first with the Virginia Squires, and then with the New York Nets.

And while there was no TV contract for the ABA, Erving’s play was so off the charts that everyone around the country understood something extraordinary was happening.

Everyone knew. The highlights occasionally made it onto sports news, but there was no cable or anything like that. It was strictly word of mouth.

However, the awareness of greatness in New York was so insistent that it crept into pop culture and ultimately drove the ABA-NBA merger.

Here is some video of young Erving, just killing it.

He’s been somewhat pushed down the list of greats, which is not right, because the guy was clearly special. He built on what Connie Hawkins did, but took it further: Erving was a basketball visionary, and we see the fruits of his vision every night when a game is played. Every exultant dunk is a tribute.

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CLEVELAND — Every time you want to believe the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned over a new leaf, they show you that they haven’t.

After their most inspiring win of the Donovan Mitchell era in Game 5, they laid an egg at home, blowing the perfect opportunity to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 21-point loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Now, they’ll head on the road for a do-or-die Game 7 in Detroit.

Basketball teams often take on the persona of their best player. They’re built to accent that player’s skills and cover up their weaknesses. Throw in the soft power that player typically weilds within the organization, and it’s easy to see how you get to this point.

In many ways, Mitchell’s shortcomings are a microcosm of the team’s as a whole.

When things are perfectly clicking into place, Mitchell’s individual talent — combined with the skilled pieces that by-and-large fit well around him — makes him seem like one of the best players in the world. And by extension, the Cavs can look unbeatable

The second half of Game 4 is a perfect example of this. Mitchell was scoring at will, tying the record for the most individual points in a half for a playoff game, against the best defense in the conference. The Cavs were humming and unsurprisingly also looked like a juggernaut.

However, when things have gotten rocky for Mitchell, that has also happened for the Cavs. James Harden has helped slightly change this dynamic. His stabilizing force in Game 5, combined with Evan Mobley’s skill on both ends, pulled them out of the rut. But it isn’t their jobs to do that every night at this point in their careers.

This is Mitchell’s team. It still goes as he does.

Both the Toronto Raptors and the Pistons were seemingly engineered to keep Mitchell from doing what he does best. They’ve been able to throw multiple rangy defenders at him that can match both his speed and strength in a way that no other opponent in Mitchell’s previous eight playoff runs have. This has made it difficult for him to get to his spots and leaves his scoring too dependent on a streaky jumper.

And when he has an off-night, as he did in Game 6, the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.

The Cavs played their worst basketball with Mitchell on the court. They were outscored by 25 points in the 37 minutes he played, and it felt like more in the arena.

Mitchell put it on himself to lead the team. He took a game-high 20 shots, most of which came off driving into the teeth of the defense. Mitchell’s superpower is his ability to get to the basket and finish seemingly at will. But that skill was absent yet again. Only three of his 11 attempts from the paint fell.

“I can’t dwell on it, I missed shots tonight,” Mitchell said. “Do I think some of them were tougher shots that I could’ve gotten better? Sure, but I can say that about every game. I’m not here to look at the fact I missed shots. It’s the overall force and impact on the game.”

The overall force and impact on the game were the real issues, and have been for four years now.

Mitchell has no offensive counters outside of finding other ways to score.

He isn’t a skilled distributor. Either an inability to see the correct reads or an unwillingness to make the pass has limited Mitchell throughout his career. He’s yet to record more than five assists through 13 playoff games with a paltry assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.15. That’s unacceptable for someone operating that much on ball.

Assists aren’t the only measure of whether someone’s a well-rounded offensive player. However, it’s difficult to argue that someone is if they’re consistently coming up short in this key area.

Combine that with not being an off-ball mover and being a bad point-of-attack defender, and you have a player who’s only valuable on-ball and scoring at a high clip.

These individual issues affect the whole team. It’s difficult for teammates to buy in with off-ball movement if there’s no chance they will be rewarded for their effort. Defense then becomes more difficult if you aren’t getting the energy on the offensive side of the ball. And in the end, this leads to a group that has consistently looked lifeless in the biggest moments and can’t really put their finger on why.

After the game, head coach Kenny Atkinson said that he didn’t think his team met the challenge physically. Harden was asked why they didn’t come out with intensity, and he responded with, “That’s a great question.”

When Mitchell comes out flat, the team consistently has a well. This has happened far too often in the playoffs to conclude otherwise.

Cade Cunningham’s performance was the exact opposite of what we saw from Mitchell.

He wasn’t perfect. Cunningham still turned it over seven times, which is far too many for a player that skilled. But his ability to influence the game in other ways rubbed off on his team.

The Cavs came into this game with an “ABC approach” — anybody but Cade.

Instead of trying to beat that challenge all by himself, Cunningham trusted his teammates when Cleveland double-teamed him. This resulted in eight assists for himself, but also allowed everyone else to find a rhythm. His willingness to move the ball and allow his teammates to take advantage led to Detroit’s offense clicking on all cylinders.

“You just have to make the play that’s there,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

Cunningham doesn’t let up defensively either. He’s been physical at the point of attack all series and has done a good job of making life difficult for Cleveland’s smaller guards.

Add that all up, and you have a team that’s energized on both ends and a star that is influencing the game in a wide variety of ways.

Anything can happen in Game 7.

The series isn’t yet by any stretch. Even though the Cavs blew a golden opportunity to end this series, we know that they can win in Detroit.

But that isn’t going to happen if Mitchell has another bad game like this. He simply needs to be better.

This is his chance to change the narrative.

“Everything we want is on the other side of hard,” Mitchell said. “We had an opportunity, we missed it, and we’ll have another opportunity on Sunday. That’s the mindset.”

Stephon Castle starred as the San Antonio Spurs sealed their spot in the Western Conference finals with a convincing 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Castle led the way with 32 points, while Victor Wembanyama added 19, as the Spurs clinched the series 4-2 to set up a heavyweight match-up against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs met the Thunder - the reigning NBA champions - five times during the regular season and finished with a 4-1 record against them.

Repeating that over the seven-game Western finals would earn the Spurs a spot in the NBA finals.

"We're not even thinking about that right now," Castle said after Friday's victory over the Timberwolves.

"The games ahead are a totally different game. They are rolling right now. They've won eight straight.

"It's going to be tough to knock them off, but we're pretty confident we can do it."

Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 to tie their series and set up a deciding game seven .

Cade Cunningham scored 21 points, while Paul Reed and Jalen Duren added 17 and 15 respectively, as the top-seeded Pistons forced a decider for the second play-off round in a row.

Detroit had trailed 3-1 to Orlando Magic in the previous round before reeling off three straight wins to take the series 4-3.

The Pistons host the Cavaliers in Detroit on Sunday to decide who will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Spurs had a chance to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals Friday night, and they did exactly that with an emphatic 139-109 victory over the Wolves. 

With their backs against the wall, Minnesota changed its defensive scheme to start the game. Instead of playing Gobert against Wemby straight up, the Wolves put him on Castle instead, allowing the Stifle Tower to sag off the Spurs guard and defend the interior. Well, Castle responded by hitting three wide-open triples en route to a 14-point quarter where he shot 5-6 from the field. Defensively, San Antonio also withheld their usual doubles on Ant, but did send help to other players who didn’t expect it coming. 

Offensively, the Spurs played as one. Wemby’s gravity allowed San Antonio’s shooters to get wide-open looks, helping them start 5-11 from three. The three-headed monster in the backcourt also got easy drives to the rim, allowing Fox and Harper to shoot a combined 6-7 from the field. It certainly helped that Minnesota lost confidence in Gobert’s offense, pulling him early in favor of Naz Reid, who hit two early threes to lead all Wolves scorers. Unsurprisingly, Minnesota couldn’t score in the paint due to Wemby’s presence, and after starting 8-15 due to hot shooting, the Wolves then went 2-16 and allowed the Spurs to go on a 20-0 run to start the second quarter, going up 56-27.  

However, this is a game of runs, and we were all reminded of that shortly after. The Wolves answered with a 34-18 run of their own, cutting the Spurs’ lead down to just 13 heading into halftime. Unsurprisingly, Ant was the catalyst, driving fearlessly and finishing around Wemby multiple times while drawing a key foul that led to three points right before the buzzer. 

Still down by double digits, the Wolves switched their defensive scheme once again, putting Gobert back on Wemby. This is when the Spurs rebuilt their original lead, as the good guys went back up by 25 just a few minutes into the third. It was much of the same story, as San Antonio’s shooters remained hot and the guards got to the rim at will, since Gobert sat for large stretches again. Minnesota didn’t manage to go on another run, and the second half was so uneventful that the benches cleared not even halfway through the fourth, with the biggest storyline being that Ant shook hands with the Spurs before the game even ended.

Game notes

• The Spurs are peaking at the exact right time. After an upset in game 1, San Antonio outscored Minnesota by 99 in games 2-6, and only lost game 4 by 5 points with Wemby logging just 12:29. More importantly, the Spurs have experienced fewer and fewer offensive lulls as the playoffs have gone on, and if that continues, the team will be virtually impossible to stop. 
• We are seeing Harper and Castle both take leaps in front of our eyes. They’ve been spectacular all season, but to play at an even higher level in the playoffs is something else. I certainly did not expect Castle to shoot so well from three, even if most were wide open, nor did I think that Harper’s defense was so advanced that he was arguably the best matchup on Ant. Along with Fox, any of the Spurs’ three guards can play at an All-NBA level any night, which is what championship-level teams need from their second options. 
• Speaking of Castle, he is now shooting 44% from three in the playoffs. It makes increasingly less sense for opponents to put their bigs on him, though I still expect OKC to do it since they play two bigs in Chet and Hartenstein. His shooting might be the single biggest X-factor in the Conference Finals. 
• Fox left the game with a minute left in the first half due to an ankle injury. He did return to start the second, though, and didn’t look any worse for wear, finishing the game with 21 points on 8-10 shooting.
• Spurs, OKC, Western Conference Finals. The first of what should be many clashes for perhaps the rivalry of this generation, and a matchup between two teams with dynastic potential. These are two teams that can become all-timers, and are also the only ones who can prevent the other from doing so. Strap in, folks: this will be the best series of the entire postseason. 

Play of the game

This is why you never test Swipa!

Fox gettin' it done! 🦊

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/h6xkhjgkxF

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Next game: @ OKC on Monday at 7:30CDT

With the series ending in 6, the West finals will officially start Monday. Go Spurs go!!!

MINNEAPOLIS — The San Antonio Spurs were well on their way to the Western Conference finals in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went down to their bench to briefly offer his congratulations.

The young Spurs left no doubt they’re already a serious NBA title contender.

Stephon Castle had 32 points and 11 rebounds to highlight another dominant performance from the backcourt, and Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs romped past the Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday night to finish in the second-round series in six games.

“I just tip my hat to them,” Edwards said. “They were just the better team.”

De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists and rookie Dylan Harper had 15 points off the bench for the Spurs, who set their franchise postseason record for 3-pointers made by going 18 for 38.

They will face defending champion Oklahoma City in Game 1 on Monday night. The Thunder swept their first two series.

“Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level,” Wembanyama said. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about recovering.”

Wembanyama, who bounced back from his stunning Game 4 ejection with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the Game 5 blowout, was well-guarded by the Wolves in Game 6 and had a quiet 19 points in 27 minutes. But he still served as a constant defensive deterrent in the paint, and he dutifully joined the Spurs in transition whenever they had the opportunity to run — which was often.

The size, smarts and shooting touch of the Spurs guards were too much for the Wolves, who predictably had their hands full with the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.

Castle made his first five 3-pointers and finished 11 for 16 from the floor. Fox was 3 for 3 from deep, and Julian Champagnie made four 3s among his 18 points for the Spurs, who outscored the Wolves by a whopping 97 points in the series and never once trailed by double digits. The Spurs breezed by Portland Trail in five games in the first round.

“It shows that we already gained a little bit of experience from our short playoff time,” Wembanyama said. “I feel like we put ourselves in the best conditions, as simple as that.”

Anthony Edwards had 24 points on 9-for-26 shooting for the Wolves, who got another spark from reserves Terrence Shannon (21 points) and Naz Reid (18 points) but were again flustered by the Spurs and their relentless switch-heavy defense. Julius Randle had just three points on 1-for-8 shooting.

“It just felt like we kind of ran out of bullets as this series went on,” coach Chris Finch said.

This no-show in the elimination game might’ve felt familiar to Wolves fans, who’ve otherwise enjoyed an unprecedented run of success in the playoffs over the last three years.

Minnesota trailed by 33 points at halftime in a 30-point loss at Oklahoma City in the Game 5 ouster in the Western Conference finals last year and were down by 29 points at the break to Dallas in losing the Western Conference finals in 2024 in a 21-point loss in Game 5.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 21 points and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons dominated the second half, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference second-round series.

The decisive game is Sunday in Detroit.

Jalen Duren had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Daniss Jenkins also scored 15 for the Pistons, who have won four games this postseason when facing elimination.

They were down 3-1 to Orlando before winning the last three to advance out of the first round.

Cunningham made five 3-pointers as the Pistons went 16 of 36 from beyond the arc. Duncan Robinson, who missed Wednesday’s Game 5 with a lower back injury, had four 3-pointers and scored 14 points off the bench.

Paul Reed also had 17 points as Detroit’s reserves outscored Cleveland’s 48-19.

James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland, which suffered its first home loss of the postseason. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley scored 18 apiece.

SPURS 139, TIMBERWOLVES 109

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephon Castle had 32 points and 11 rebounds to highlight another dominant performance from the San Antonio backcourt, and Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs raced past Minnesota to win the series in six games.

De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists and rookie Dylan Harper had 15 points off the bench for the Spurs. They will face defending champion Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night. The Thunder swept their first two series.

Wembanyama, who bounced back from his stunning Game 4 ejection with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the Game 5 blowout, was well-guarded by the Wolves in Game 6 and had a quiet 19 points in 27 minutes. But he still served as a constant defensive deterrent in the paint, and he dutifully joined the Spurs in transition whenever they had the opportunity to run — which was often.

The size, smarts and shooting touch of the Spurs guards were too much for the Wolves, who predictably had their hands full with the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.

Castle made his first five 3-pointers and went 11 for 16 from the floor. Fox was 3 for 3 from deep, and Julian Champagnie made four 3s among his 18 points for the Spurs, who outscored the Wolves by 97 points in the series and never once trailed by double digits.

Anthony Edwards had 24 points on 9-for-26 shooting for the Wolves, who got another spark from reserves Terrence Shannon (21 points) and Naz Reid (18 points) but were again flustered by the Spurs and their relentless switch-heavy defense. Julius Randle had just three points on 1-for-8 shooting.