Category: Basketball

Just when you think the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally put things together, they find a new way to disappoint you.

After pushing their lead to 22 points at the start of the fourth quarter, they collapsed over the final eight minutes, as they allowed the New York Knicks to close the fourth on a 30-8 run to send the game to overtime.

The Cavs’ free fall continued in the extra frames. The Knicks dominated overtime 14-3 to come away with what somehow became a 115-104 victory in Game 1.

Like their Christmas Day showcase, starting and finishing games in Madison Square Garden was an issue.

Cleveland couldn’t establish any kind of offensive rhythm after opening up an early 10-4 lead after the first four minutes. They scored just six points for the remainder of the quarter, as they went 2-12 from beyond the arc in the opening frame.

Fortunately for them, the Knicks looked like a team that hadn’t played a game in over a week. They went 1-10 from three, but were able to scrounge together enough offense to take a seven-point lead after the first.

New York pushed the margin to 11 early in the second quarter before the Cavs finally woke up.

Cleveland stormed back in the second quarter thanks to the play of their star guards. James Harden settled the momentum as he scored five points and had two helpers in the second. Donovan Mitchell caught fire, scoring seven points in the final two minutes of the half.

This fueled a 21-8 run, allowing the Cavs to take a slim two-point lead into the break.

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Cleveland hit the accelerator in the third.

Evan Mobley, who wasn’t able to get much going in the first half, got rolling in the third quarter. He took over defensively, deterring shots at the rim and grabbing misses on the glass. This was in addition to consistently beating mismatches on the other end. He had seven points in the third to help Cleveland extend their lead.

Mitchell continued his impressive play in the third. He had 10 points and three steals to keep the momentum going, as he led Cleveland to a 35-point quarter. This gave them a 14-point advantage heading into the fourth.

Cleveland extended their lead to 22 before the Knicks started to fight back.

New York showed why they’re heavily favored in this series. They completely controlled the final seven minutes of the fourth with a 30-8 run

Jalen Brunson, who was held in check for most of the game, came alive. He scored 15 points in the quarter. This forced the Cavs to start sending double teams his way, which allowed New York’s outside shooters to get going.

The Knicks went 5-7 from three in the fourth. This included two huge triples from both Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet.

The Cavs had a chance to tie the game on their final possession. Sam Merrill got a clean look from three, the ball went halfway down, but popped out.

The Knicks dominated overtime. They controlled every aspect of the extra frame, as they were able to cruise to a comfortable win.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson made several questionable decisions down the stretch.

First, he didn’t use his timeouts when the Knicks were going on their run. He waited until it ballooned to 18-1 before deciding to use one. Then, he allowed Brunson to target Harden late in the game instead of subbing him out in situations that he could. And finally, his solution to this was trapping Brunson late, which led to wide-open shooters elsewhere.

Mitchell led the Cavs in scoring. He finished with 29 points on 12-23 shooting to go along with six steals.

Mobley and Harden both had 15 points.

Brunson led all scorers with 38 points on 15-29 shooting with six assists. Bridges contributed 18 points.

Resiliency and an ability to bounce back from terrible collapses have separated this group from previous Cavs playoff teams. They’ve responded well after disastrous Game 6 performances in both series to win Game 7. They also climbed back from a 2-0 hole against the one-seed in the last series.

We know they get back up, but this was a golden opportunity to assert control of this series. They had a chance to steal home court here and make Game 2 a near must-win for the Knicks. Now, they have to pick themselves off the mat and see if they can head back to Cleveland with the series tied at one.

Game 2 is back in Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Tip-off is at 8 PM.

It was perfectly poetic. Everything came full circle.

The Knicks scripted it perfectly. Even the overtime part.

Last year’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals produced an epic Knicks choke, a moment that immediately went down in the worst parts of the franchise’s lore. They spoke Monday about learning their lesson from that game and wanting to right that wrong.

And then, after a three-quarter malaise, they delivered their own comeback for the ages to begin this year’s conference finals. This one will immediately cement itself in the best part of Knicks lore.

They overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in an epic 115-104 Game 1 win over the Cavaliers Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

It was the biggest postseason comeback in franchise history. It was the second-biggest in NBA history, behind the Clippers’ win over the Grizzlies on April 29, 2012.

In the play-by-play era, no team that was down by 20 or more points in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter had ever won.

Now, there’s one.

After going down by 22 points with 7:52 left in the game, the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 44-11 the rest of the way. They shot 71 percent from the field — compared to the Cavaliers’ 22 percent — during that stretch.

“Definitely thankful,” Jalen Brunson said of the fans. “Because they could’ve walked out.”

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The Knicks looked dead in the water, well on their way to a concerning blowout loss. Their win probability on ESPN had reached 0.1 percent. They were bricking in embarrassing style — going just 4-for-23 from 3-point range across the first three quarters.

Then, the real Knicks reemerged. And the floodgates opened.

They rattled off a 30-8 run to end the fourth quarter and force overtime. Brunson had 15 of those points, going 7-for-9 from the field.

Mikal Bridges drilled two huge 3-pointers during that stretch. Landry Shamet — who closed the game and played all of overtime in place of Josh Hart — drilled the game-tying 3-pointer with 45.0 seconds left. The shot bounced high off the rim and fell into the basket, eerily similar to Tyrese Haliburton’s infamous shot last year.

After James Harden reestablished the Cavaliers lead, Brunson tied it again with an off-balance floater off the glass.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson watched it all happen, curiously waiting way too long to call a timeout and leaving Harden on Brunson. Predictably, Brunson cooked him. He scored 11 straight Knicks points.

“Obviously, we don’t get it done if Jalen Brunson doesn’t play like one of the MVP guys in the league,” coach Mike Brown said. “He was phenomenal.”

Added Atkinson: “Brunson obviously took over at the end.”

The Knicks shot 13-for-22 from the field and 5-for-7 from deep in the fourth quarter.

By overtime, the Cavaliers had capitulated. OG Anunoby scored nine of the Knicks’ 14 points in the extra period. Shamet’s 3-pointer gave the Knicks a nine-point lead with 1:49 left. MSG, which had gone quiet for much of the game, was in the type of frenzy that makes this building special.

“This team, all we want to do is make the city proud and bring this city wins,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “To be able to accomplish that on a night where it didn’t seem like it was gonna happen is an honor. It’s truly something special.”

Donovan Mitchell and Harden shot a combined 2-for-13 from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime. They completely fell apart. Mitchell had 26 points after three quarters, then scored just three in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Knicks, after leading by 11 early in the game, were outscored by 21 points in the second and third quarters. Their transformed offense — playing through Towns as a facilitator from the elbows — was being stifled by the Cavaliers big man tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Those rest versus rust debates seemed like they were providing a clear answer for the latter.

But down the stretch, the Knicks’ rest seemed to give them an advantage.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game,” Brown said. “I don’t know if I’ve been part of it.”

These were the Knicks that went on a seven-game tour de force, which is now extended to eight games. The Knicks that had fans — during eight days of rest — as bullish as they’ve been this century. The Knicks that are supposed to be favorites in the series.

They certainly know the crushing feeling now circulating around the Cavaliers. It completely set the tone for the rest of last year’s conference finals and became the defining and lasting memory of their season.

One year later, they completely flipped the script. Perhaps it will set the tone for how this series plays out.

And, maybe, become a defining moment of this season’s continuing magic ride.

The Dallas Mavericks made a major shake-up on Tuesday night, agreeing to part ways with now former head coach Jason Kidd. That move truly closes the book on everything even tangentially related to the Luka Doncic trade and gives Cooper Flagg a truly fresh start after only his rookie year. Further, the move demonstrates that Masai Ujiri was serious when he stated there would be a top-to-bottom evaluation of the franchise.

We previously speculated on the topic of Jason Kidd’s departure but gave little thought to Matt Riccardi’s role at the time. Now it seems he will be joining Jason Kidd on the bus out of town.

Ironically, Riccardi was scheduled to be one of the Mavs’ representatives at the NBA Draft prior to Ujiri joining the franchise. When he intimated after Ujiri was hired that he still intended to be there, it seemed to indicate he was part of the franchise’s future. Now we know he is not.

This isn’t all that surprising, as he was essentially runner-up for the spot Ujiri ultimately claimed just weeks ago. Riccardi started his tenure with the Mavericks in 2022 as the Senior Director of Pro Personnel. The following year, he was promoted to Assistant GM under Nico Harrison, though it is widely believed he was uninvolved in the infamous trade of Luka Doncic. Once Harrison was ousted in November, 2025, Riccardi shared the GM duties with Michael Finley. Together, they orchestrated the trade that shipped Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. That trade, of course, was the beginning of a season of change for the Mavs who looked to undo one of the more difficult times in franchise history, post-Doncic trade. Ironically, he is now a part of that very change he helped to usher in.

Mavs fans everywhere now wait with bated breath to hear what Finley’s front-office fate may be.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — One of the most highly anticipated men's college basketball games for the 2026-27 season is up in the air, with broadcasting rights casting doubt.

Reigning national champion Michigan and Duke had previously announced they would play on Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Vibes changed around the game when Duke announced a multi-year partnership with Amazon Prime, giving the platform exclusive streaming rights to multiple Duke basketball games each season. The game against Michigan is part of the deal.

While the ACC and ESPN were supportive of the deal, the same can't be said for the Big Ten and its broadcast partner, Fox, putting the game's status in question.

Opinion: College sports isn’t broken. Duke just proved it’s for sale. What if Ohio State is next?

The main issue is the Big Ten believes Michigan should get a cut of the revenue from the game, and New York is a Big Ten market, making it an issue for Fox.

"What's the structure of how we got this game made in the first place, and what are we going to do about it?" Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti told the media at the Big Ten spring meetings on Tuesday, May 19.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said his staff knew Amazon Prime would broadcast the game, and made sure it was understood the game needed to go through the Big Ten. Now, he and Duke athletic director Nina King are "working through" ensuring the game takes place.

"Hopefully it'll be resolved. It's a great college basketball game, given who we are, who they are in college basketball," Manuel told reporters. "I love the opportunity to play them, but we just have to make sure everything was right."

The A-listers were out for the start of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden.

The usual Knicks superfans – along with some notable additions – were on hand for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Longtime Knicks fans, actor Michael J. Fox and wife Tracy Pollan, comedian John Leguizamo, “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon and rockstar Lenny Kravitz were in the building. Kravitz was sitting next to Oscar-winning Dustin Hoffman and his son Jake.

“Sopranos” stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa also made the pilgrimage to “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” along with former mayor Michael Bloomberg and Grammy-nominated singer Maggie Rogers.

They joined Timothee Chalemet, Ben Stiller with his wife Christine Taylor, Tracy Morgan and Spike Lee, who are regulars for big games at the Garden

WWE star Danhausen, who “uncursed” the Knicks after they trailed the Hawks 2-1 in the first round and “cursed” the Cavaliers on ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday, was shown receiving a jersey on the court. 

Rapper Fabolous performed at halftime.  

They were all there to see the Knicks begin the next stage of their quest to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, as the franchise has not won it all since 1973.

The Knicks are coming off an impressive sweep of the 76ers in the second round, allowing star OG Anunoby to heal up the hamstring injury he suffered against Philly. Anunoby was back in the starting lineup.

Cleveland, on the other hand, had to grind out a series against the top-seeded Pistons, losing Game 6 but cruising by Detroit in Game 7 on the road.

The Knicks eliminated the Cavaliers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, but both teams have very different rosters this time around.

For the past year or more, Koa Peat’s status as a future NBA Draft first round pick was a foregone conclusion. After Peat’s lackluster showing at last week’s NBA Draft Combine, that assumption is being put to the test.

The Arizona forward has slipped in three post-combine mock drafts, putting to question whether Peat should return to college for another year or stay in the NBA Draft. Peat had one of the worst shooting performances in recent combine history, causing draft analysts to question whether he’s deserving of a first round pick.

Peat went 6 of 25 in the combine’s spot-up shooting drill, 6 of 25 from 3-point range and 15 of 30 shooting off the dribble. The 6-foot-7 Peat tested well in agility drills, but his poor shooting form was the talk of the combine.

“It’s not the results, it’s how it looked,” 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter said this week. “It was a release that just looked funky, uncomfortable, weird. He’s trying to get a little bit more arc on his three-point jumper is what he said. It looks like he’s just remaking it at the wrong time.”

Now that draft analysts have had a few days to digest what they saw at the combine, the verdict is starting to trickle out on Peat’s draft stock: He’s moving in the wrong direction.

NBC Sports’ Raphielle Johnson and Kurt Helin’s most recent mock draft has Peat not listed in the first round. Neither does Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor.

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo released his mock draft today, which has Peat going 27th to the Boston Celtics.

Woo wrote: “Peat was a hot topic at the combine, as teams expressed concern over what appeared to be fully reworked jump-shot mechanics as he struggled in shooting drills. The door remains open for him to return to Arizona, which would give him additional time to solve those issues, with his shot viewed as the primary factor holding him back from having a solid NBA career. Whether he figures it out, his future might ultimately be as a small-ball five, a role that would allow him to use his strength and skill to his advantage while mitigating the potential negative impact of his shot.

If Peat stays in the draft, teams picking in the 20s will have to consider investing in his development, noting his winning history, sturdy frame, and potential two-way versatility, provided he starts to make open jumpers. The Celtics have done a strong job with internal development and could view this as a value opportunity if he falls.”

If the mock drafts are any indication of how NBA franchises view Peat, then his fall presents a valid question of whether he should return to Arizona for a sophomore season or risk not being taken in the first round.

Peat’s deadline for a decision is coming up quickly. Early draft entrants looking to maintain their eligibility have until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST to completely withdraw from the NBA Draft pool.

Arizona will have its answer on Peat’s decision no later than May 27, the deadline to withdraw and maintain college eligibility.

The New Orleans Pelicans hiring team did its best Reggie Evans impersonation this week, scooping up Jamahl Mosley in a ferocious flash. The Orlando Magic fired him as their head coach on May 4, and the Pels signed him as their own two weeks later.

However, the summer’s head coaching candidate that Brooklyn Nets fans care most about remains available as does one of the team’s fan favorites are still out there — with at least one team still considering them.

This week on his substack, Marc Stein reported that Jordi Fernandez’s No. 2 and longtime friend, Steve Hetzel, along with former Nets forward Jared Dudley remain head coaching targets for the Portland Trail Blazers. They also seem to have some new competition hailing from the Twin Cities.

“League sources tell The Stein Line that the Blazers, meanwhile, have expressed interest in Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori in addition to previously reported candidates Jared Dudley and Hetzel,” Stein wrote.

In the same substack, Jake Fischer later confirmed that Hetzel got as close as you could to the NOLA job before it ultimately went to Mosley: the short list. The job is open because new owner, Tom Dundon, had made it clear that another coach with a Nets connection, Tiago Splitter, will not return as head coach. Splitter, who was a Nets assistant and player development coach for five years, was elevated to the top job in Portland the day after head coach Chauncey Billups was suspended indefinitely following his arrest on illegal gambling charges.

“(Splitter) remains a candidate for the full-time post on some level along with various assistant coaches we’ve reported on like Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Greg St. Jean (Lakers) and Brooklyn’s Steve Hetzel, who was a finalist for the New Orleans job,” Fischer wrote.

Hetzel had been an assistant coach in Portland between 2021 and 2024 before joining the Nets. He also has had assistant coaching gigs in Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando. He served as head coach of Cleveland’s G League team early in his career as well as Portland and Brooklyn’s Summer League teams in recent years. He ran the Nets’ team in Las Vegas the last two years.

In addition, Hetzel has been involved in the Nets draft process, having been frequently shown in last year’s SCOUT series that highlighted the 2025 draft process. With another big pick to make in about a month, then two summer leagues after that, we’ll know soon if he’ll be back again helping out here … or elsewhere.

Sir, this is no longer a Wendy's. This is a Wemby's.

Wendy's, like the rest of the world, was impressed with Victor Wembanyama's massive performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The San Antonio Spurs center had 41 points, 24 rebounds and 3 blocks on Monday, May 18 in the 122-115 double overtime win over the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The fast food chain, which is known for their witty banter on social media, quipped on Tuesday, May 19, that they want to salute "the Alien" with a name change and are considering a significant revamp of their menu to honor his French heritage.

"might change my name to Wemby’s and only serve french fries after last night’s game," Wendy's posted on X.

might change my name to Wemby’s and only serve french fries after last night’s game

— Wendy’s (@Wendys) May 19, 2026

After five years, including a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and an NBA Finals appearance in 2024, Jason Kidd is out as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

The team announced Tuesday that it had "mutually agreed to part ways" with the coach.

The decision comes just two weeks after the team hired Masai Ujiri as the new team president. This decision marks a noticeable shift in direction for the franchise as it looks to build around 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

Shockingly, though, Kidd's departure comes after two offseasons in which he had been extended, per ESPN. So, how much money was left on his contract as head coach?

Here's what we know about Jason Kidd's contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Jason Kidd is out in Dallas, the Mavericks announced on May 19.

The Mavericks said they had "mutually agreed to part ways."

"Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals," Ujiri said in the team's statement. "As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team."

Ujiri was brought on as team president on May 4 this year, and already he has made a move that will drastically alter the team's future. During his introductory press conference, Ujiri was noticeably noncommital when questioned about Kidd's future as head coach. Just two weeks later, Kidd is gone. ESPN reports that Kidd was kept out of the loop regarding Ujiri's hiring.

There’s no rest for the weary. The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks after two straight seven-game series. We’ll see if the Cavs are up for the challenge.

Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!

Go Cavs!

NEW YORK (AP) — OG Anunoby was in New York's starting lineup Tuesday after missing two games with a strained right hamstring, putting the Knicks back at full strength to begin the Eastern Conference finals.

Anunoby was hurt late in Game 2 of the Knicks' second-round sweep of Philadelphia and sat out the next two games. He returned to practice during New York's lengthy wait between rounds and fully participated during the final three practices leading into this series.

Anunoby injured his other hamstring two years ago, also during Game 2 of the second round, missed the next four games and was able to play only five minutes in Game 7. He said the pain this time wasn't as bad.

Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

OG Anunoby is back.

The Knicks’ best performer during their dominant postseason is officially active and starting Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden, returning Anunoby to action for the first time since injuring his hamstring 13 days prior.

Entering Tuesday, Anunoby had been a two-way force in the playoffs, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a team-best 1.9 steals, while shooting 61.9 percent from the field (a team-high 53.8 percent on 3-pointers). 

Anunoby, whose hamstring injury two years ago played a large role in derailing the Knicks’ postseason run, was a full participant in recent practices and declared he was feeling better every day, while noting that the injury he suffered in Game 2 against the 76ers wasn’t as severe as the one that sidelined him two years ago against the Pacers.

The Knicks’ second-round sweep of the 76ers — combined with Cleveland’s seven-game series against the Pistons — gave the 28-year-old an unusually long time to rest and rehab, unlike when he rushed to return for Game 7 of the 2024 conference semifinals against Indiana and was removed after hobbling through five minutes.

It is unclear if Anunoby will be on a minutes restriction in Game 1.

The 6-foot-7 forward struggled in his most recent return from an injury, having missed four games with a right toenail avulsion before the All-Star break. Anunoby was uncharacteristically out of rhythm in his first game in 15 days — shooting 3-of-13 (1-of-8 3-pointers) for eight points with zero rebounds in 32 minutes — and also failed to contain Cade Cunningham, who put up 42 points and 13 assists in Detroit’s 15-point win despite largely being guarded by the Knicks’ top defender.

The Dallas Mavericks announced on Tuesday evening that the organization and coach Jason Kidd have “mutually agreed to part ways”. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Kidd had four years and well over $40 million left on his contract after being extended twice in both 2024 and 2025. Kidd and former general manager Nico Harrison came to the organization as a package deal in 2021. Now, just over a year after making the defining move of their tenure when they traded Luka Doncic, both Harrison and Kidd are now out. 

There was a certain level of speculation about Kidd’s future when Team President Masai Ujiri fielded questions at his introductory presser. In that, Ujiri said he will give the team a “head-to-toe” examination, including at the head coaching position. We now know the results of that exam. As pointed out by Charania, Ujiri and Governor Patrick Dumont decided to “move on” from the coach early in the week.

Upon the release of the news, Team President Masai Ujiri released the following statement:

“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team. We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”

The coach will always have a complicated legacy in Dallas, for numerous reasons. As a player, Kidd unceremoniously left just one year removed from winning a championship to sign with the Knicks. Upon his return to Dallas after a stint in coaching rehab with the Lakers under Frank Vogel, Kidd led Dallas to heights it had never seen before, making its first Western Conference Finals since 2011 in his first year at the helm. After a rough 2022-23 campaign, Kidd helped guide Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to win the Western Conference as the fifth seed, before losing to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals. Outside of those two fantastic years, Kidd failed to lead Dallas to the playoffs in the other three years of his five-year term in Dallas.

Kidd leaves Dallas with a record of 227-223, including an exactly .500 record of 205-205 in the regular season.

Perhaps what Kidd will be remembered most for is his alleged role in the trade of Doncic. That scene on February 2nd from the press conference room in Cleveland is one that will stick in the memory for Mavericks fans forever. We likely will never know the honest truth on who was responsible for what in that, but what can’t be debated is that ownership and the new front office would like to move forward from the ordeal all together. As the Cooper Flagg era begins in earnest, a clean slate is probably best for everyone.

Per the Mavs, Team President Masai Ujiri will be holding a news conference Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. CT at the American Airlines Center to speak on the decision. It also seems logical to assume that Ujiri will heading up the search for the next head coach of the team. As the story develops, we’ll continue to update you on Mavs Moneyball.