Category: Basketball

CLEVELAND — Before Game 6, Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that you would have to “choke the life out of” his team. Those words proved to be prophetic.

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t up for the challenge. They didn’t value possessions like they needed to, and overall didn’t have the attention to detail you need to close out a 60-win opponent. That came back to bite them as they dropped their best chance to go to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2018 with a 115-94 loss in Game 6.

Now, it all comes down to Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday.

The Cavs once again got off to a sloppy start, which has been a trend throughout the playoffs. Turnovers were once again to blame. Good three-point shooting allowed them to close the first quarter just down one, but the giveaways caught up with them in the second.

Detroit pushed its lead to 12 before Cleveland responded. A 7-0 run, capped off by a Max Strus triple, cut the deficit to just three at the break.

The Cavs had all the momentum going into the half. It seemed like they were going to turn things around and take control of the game coming out of the third quarter. Instead, it was the Pistons that did so.

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Detroit opened the third on a 14-4 run to push their advantage back to 13 and went into the fourth up 14.

Cleveland never mounted a serious comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. They weren’t able to bring the deficit below double digits as Detroit cruised to a somewhat stress-free victory.

The Cavs have talked this series about letting anyone but Cade Cunningham beat them. They weren’t able to do so. Instead, it was Cade and also everyone else who beat them.

Cunningham was once again the best player on the court. He got to his spots and was efficient with the opportunities he got. This led to 21 points on 7-19 shooting with 8 assists.

This was in stark contrast with Cleveland’s star guards.

Donovan Mithell wasn’t able to find a rhythm. He had a difficult time finishing when he got into the paint, going 3-12 on shots there, which included going 3-9 on shots in the restricted area. This led to an 18-point night on 6-20 shooting with three assists and as many turnovers.

Turnovers were an issue all evening. James Harden was front and center. It’s difficult to have a functional offense when your starting point guard gives it away eight times. Those turnovers wiped out any good that game came from his 23 points on 6-13 shooting.

This theme carried over in the other position group matchups.

Jalen Duren had his best game of the series (15 points and 11 rebounds), while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley couldn’t get anything going.

Detroit’s role players also significantly outplayed their counterparts. Paul Reed had 17 points, Daniss Jenkins had 15, Ausar Thmopson had 10, and Duncan Robinson — with a bad back — put up 14 points on 4-7 shots.

Meanwhile, Sam Merrill was the only Cavalier outside of the core four with double-digit points. Max Strus, who hit multiple clutch shots in Game 5, had just six points on 2-9 shooting.

Every time you want to believe in the Cavs, they show you that there’s no reason to quite do so yet. We’ll see if they can respond with their season on the line.

Game 7 will be on Sunday in Detroit.

He was playing his best game of the conference semifinals, but Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren suffered a lower leg injury. Thankfully for Detroit, it didn’t keep him out long.

Duren, Detroit’s first-time All-Star, rolled his left ankle Friday, May 15 in Game 6 of the team’s second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The play came with a little more than six minutes left to play in the third quarter, when Duren bumped into Cavaliers guard James Harden, who was playing for an offensive foul. As Harden fell to the court, Duren took a step forward, but his left foot landed awkwardly, leading to the tweak. Duren immediately went down and grabbed at his leg.

He left the floor and went to the bench immediately, where trainers tended to him. After a few minutes on the bench, Duren went through the tunnel, toward the locker room. Several moments after that, Duren returned to the bench, but did not immediately re-enter the game.

Ausar Thompson spikes down the layup attempt by Max Strus with both hands (with replays).

Jalen Duren grabs his ankle and being subbed out. pic.twitter.com/m0Pn8o2PIz

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 16, 2026

After spending the remainder of the third quarter on the bench, where he occasionally stood and cheered, Duren returned to the floor to start the fourth quarter and did not appear to be hindered by the injury. Duren appeared to wear an additional brace to support the area.

The Pistons outplayed Cleveland Friday night, winning 115-94 to force a Game 7.

Prior to Friday night, Duren had been struggling to assert himself in this series, taking a passive approach on offense. With his struggles, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff chose to bench Duren the entire fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5.

Duren played the rest of the game, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, with 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 steal.

“Just the will and determination,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “I thought it was huge for JD to get going a little bit. It starts with the rebounding part of it, what he was doing defensively for us, his communication, but the 4 offensive rebounds were huge — that means he’s imposing his will on the game. All the other stuff comes from that.”

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Duren injury update, status for Pistons vs Cavaliers

The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.

Man, I drew the short end of the stick on this one, didn’t I? This is the topic in our point/counterpoint series that nobody wanted to touch. Why? Because it’s not an easy argument to make. It’s the basketball equivalent of going to Costco at noon on a Sunday. You know it has to be done, but you still don’t want any part of it.

That said, part of our job here at Bright Side of the Sun is providing holistic perspectives on the different paths available to the Phoenix Suns. The goal is to give you, the reader, a broader understanding of the options sitting in front of this organization. Yesterday, Bruce Veliz laid out the reasoning for why Phoenix should re-sign Collin Gillespie, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Today, I’m here to explain why the Suns should let him walk. Let’s see if I can actually pull this off.

I’ll start by acknowledging that Collin Gillespie turned into a player the Phoenix Suns gambled on and actually hit on. That feels increasingly rare these days. Watching him grow and develop into someone worthy of these conversations has been genuinely enjoyable.

Phoenix isn’t the only organization that recognizes what he is now. Teams around the league are going to have interest in him this offseason, especially because he’s entering his fourth year in the NBA and could still be viewed as a value signing on the right contract.

So you have a desirable asset that opposing front offices are absolutely putting on their boards as a target this offseason. Why would the Phoenix Suns let Collin Gillespie walk?

The only real reasoning I can come up with is one of two things. Either the Suns don’t view him as part of their long-term plans, which I don’t believe is true, or he becomes a little too expensive for their comfort level, which I’m also not entirely convinced happens.

My guess is he lands somewhere in the $12 million range annually, and maybe that becomes the sticking point. Phoenix could find itself prioritizing staying below certain tax thresholds while also deciding that Jordan Goodwin is a bigger long-term priority.

Honestly, the bigger factor might not even be Phoenix. It might be Gillespie himself.

I think Collin is a bench player. A damn fine one, but in the Suns’ current ecosystem, that’s where he is best served. I think continuing to roll out three-guard lineups with Dillon Brooks at power forward is the wrong direction next season. Gillespie makes the most sense as the second-unit leader. If that role and fit aren’t something both sides agree on, then he could absolutely look elsewhere.

This ultimately comes down to what he wants. There are going to be teams willing to give him the Tyus Jones treatment, not financially, role-wise. More minutes. More opportunity. A cleaner path to starting.

The ball is really in Collin’s proverbial court. Does he want to remain a backup in Phoenix for at least another season as the Jalen Green experiment continues to unfold? If the Suns and Gillespie can’t align on role and fit, then he walks. Not because Phoenix necessarily wanted him gone, but because he wanted something different.

The only other scenario where the Phoenix Suns let Collin Gillespie leave is if another team simply offers more than Phoenix believes he’s worth.

If the Suns view him strictly as a backup guard, then you start asking what the proper price point is for that role. Especially if you’re keeping Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. At that point, you’re committing roughly $40 million to reserve players. That’s not necessarily a bad strategy. Depth matters. Bench production matters. You still have to decide if that’s the allocation of money you’re most comfortable with. Do I think that’s ultimately what happens? No. Still, like a rogue shopping cart drifting through a Costco parking lot, I’m simply trying to navigate the thought exercise.

And honestly, that’s what makes this such an uncomfortable conversation in the first place. Collin Gillespie is the kind of player every fan base falls in love with because he earned every inch of his NBA existence. Phoenix found value, development, toughness, and stability in a place where they desperately needed all four. The problem is the Suns are no longer operating in a world where good stories alone dictate decisions. Every roster spot, every rotation role, and every dollar has to align with a bigger vision. If Phoenix and Gillespie see that vision differently, the ending might feel frustrating even if it makes basketball sense.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites, especially sites of the opposing team. Be polite and don’t insult your hosts.

The Silver and Black return to the hostile confines of Target Center for the first time since the Elbowmania 1 on Mother’s Day with a chance to close out the series and advance to the conference finals against the Oklahoma Thunder, who have been twiddling their thumbs since finishing a sweep of the Lakers on Monday night. The Timberwolves won’t go easily, and the crowd should be frenzied after watching Wemby lose his cool in the first half of Sunday’s game and getting what they believe was a light punishment for the infraction.

The Spurs are coming off of a blowout win on Tuesday night, but with a couple of days off, the Timberwolves have had time to make some adjustments. Minnesota tied the game in the third quarter of Game 5, and they are looking to find out how to duplicate the effort that got them back into the game for long enough for them to steal another game and take the series back to San Antonio for a Game 7, where anything can happen.

The Spurs don’t have any players listed on the injury report for tonight, and they are looking to close out the series and advance to the conference championship on Monday, and not let the rugged Timberwolves beat them up for an additional 48 minutes on Sunday. Dylan Harper has been spectacular for the Spurs in this series, and he supplements Wembanyama’s dominance in the starting lineup by sparking the bench unit to keep pace when Victor sits. Keldon Johnson had his best game of the series on Tuesday, and if he can continue that tonight, it would be very helpful for the visitors. If Julian Champagnie and the rest of the Spurs can unlock their three point shooting it could be a nice night for the Silver and Black.

Look for the Spurs to keep trapping and double teaming Anthony Edwards whenever he has the ball. He’s good enough to beat the double teams enough to still be spectacular, but so long as no one else on the Timberwolves has a big night scoring, it’s a win for the visiting team. LETS GO SPURS!

Game Prediction:

The Minnesota crowd starts out booing Victor Wembanyama, but he wins them over in the second half by rescuing a kitten stuck on top of the backboard. [There’s a unconfirmed rumor that the cat was placed there by Gregg Popovich, but that’s just scuttlebutt.]

San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 6
May 15, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Streaming: Prime
TV: Prime
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

CHICAGO — The impact of the 2026 NBA Draft Scouting Combine on the actual draft is an annual debate.

After years of evaluating players during high school, grassroots and college basketball games, NBA teams gathered in Chicago this week to conduct medical exams and put the best draft prospects in the world through measurements, agility testing, shooting drills and scrimmages. Hundreds of front office executives were at Wintrust Arena, and inevitably a few draft narratives emerged along with the wingspans, vertical jumps and medical reports.

The early speculation is the top-four players in this class are set but the order in which they'll be selected remains up for grabs during the pre-draft process. There's also a promising group of guards projected as the next best available prospects, so much so there could be promising wings and big men capable of jumping into the top-10 and late lottery picks. The late first round outlook could change in the coming weeks, with several players poised to return to college due lucrative NIL opportunities.

USA TODAY Sports was in the building in Chicago during the NBA Draft Scouting Combine sifting through the latest rumors and speculation after the NBA Draft lottery. Some picks have changed based on the intel. Here's our updated 2026 NBA mock draft based on what we learned from Combine workouts and interviews:

SAN FRANCISCO — It took Steve Kerr a week to come to the conclusion.

“I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors,” Kerr said Friday from the top floor of the Warriors’ arena, overlooking a sweeping view of the city the coach couldn’t give up.

In his first public comments since signing a contract extension that will extend his tenure in Golden State for a 13th and 14th season, Kerr expressed excitement about continuing his partnership with Steph Curry, emphasized that he still has a vigor for coaching and acknowledged that some things will have to change next season.

All that was no sure thing following the Warriors’ ouster in the play-in tournament, Kerr explained. Who else but his wife, Margot, helped him see the forest through the trees.

“My wife said something, she said you might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again,” he said. “That was really meaningful to me because I love this team. I love our players. That struck me. … At that point, it was really: ‘What do you guys want to do.’”

Kerr met multiple times with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob over the next two weeks. He looped in Curry and Draymond Green, too, but said that neither had “any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach.

“That’s a credit to them,” Kerr continued. “Our best player isn’t telling Mike or Joe what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he were to go down that path … it usually doesn’t go well.”

The decision was up to Kerr and the front office with whom he touted a collaborative relationship that resulted in a process that “I don’t think actually happens in pro sports, honestly,” Kerr said.

“Where you have these kinds of conversations and genuinely, authentically try to figure out what’s the right thing, you know?”

Still, it was no foregone conclusion that Kerr would be back. Speaking after their elimination loss to the Suns, Kerr sounded like a coach ready to step away.

Dunleavy thought so, too.

“There were plenty of nights where I went to bed where I didn’t think he’d be back as coach,” Dunleavy said, but “it became clear as long as he wanted to do it, it made a ton of sense for him to be back.”

Dunleavy said he didn’t broach the subject with Kerr during the season — “not once.” When it came time for them to talk, one demand Dunleavy and Lacob made was for Kerr to sign on for more than another lame-duck season, like he did this past year.

“We needed a multiyear commitment, and Steve unequivocally gave us that,” Dunleavy said, adding that they “fully expect” Kerr to serve out the two-year contract, if not “hopefully more.”

“It’s not just a one-year swan song, ‘Last Dance’ thing,” the GM continued. “That is 100% not what this is about. Joe would not have been good with that.”

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Part of their discussions focused around shifting expectations, given the state of their roster. Curry and Green will be a year older, and they won’t have the reinforcements from Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody to begin the season as the two wings recover from injuries.

Lacob, with his insatiable appetite for success, wasn’t going to let them off so easily.

“We were talking about injuries and how this is the first time we can’t realistically just say, ‘Hey, let’s win a title next year,” Kerr recalled. “He just said, you know, ‘I’m the owner and I can’t help but just say, I expect to be in the playoffs every year and have a shot.”

One topic that Kerr was insistent didn’t come up in talks was his tendency to speak up on sociopolitical issues. It had been reported that Warriors brass hoped he would tone it down.

“That literally never came up,” he said. “That was not part of the conversation at all.”

Mostly, the conversations oriented around how to maximize the final years of Curry’s career and send out the core of their dynasty the right way while also setting a foundation for the future.

As Dunleavy said: “It’s gonna end for them. … It’s not gonna end for us. The Warriors are forever.”

Dunleavy described the Warriors’ 37-45 finish as “underwhelming” and a “disappointment” but chalked up their shortcoming to injuries — Curry also missed two months, in addition to the season-ending knee surgeries for Butler and Moody — rather than roster construction.

That said, there will be some stylistic changes. At the top of the list: taking better care of the basketball after the Warriors committed the third-most turnovers in the NBA.

“We can play however we want,” Dunleavy said. “Just don’t turn the ball over.”

Since putting pen to paper on his new deal, Kerr said he spent the past week reviewing each and every one of the Warriors’ turnovers. He acknowledged that he had room to improve, too.

“I know I have to be better,” Kerr said. “I didn’t have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better.”

The fact that Kerr toasted an extension that reportedly maintains his status as the league’s highest-compensated coach by watching film should tell you exactly where his head is at.

“If I were tired and burned out, I would not be here,” he said. “I love my job.”

And now, he will get to do it for another two years.

“The idea is let’s see how good we can be,” Kerr said. “We think we can still be good. We’ve got to get some guys back from injuries; we’ve got to make some moves; I’ve got to do some things.

“But let’s run it back. Let’s see how good we can be. I think we’re all really excited about that.”

After years in the LeBron James era under Jeanie Buss’s ownership, the Lakers quickly leapt into a new era last year.

Months after acquiring Luka Dončić via trade, the Buss family sold their majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter. In what seemed like the snap of a finger, the franchise shifted into a whole new era on and off the court.

Despite how fast everything moved, Luka and Walter have quickly developed a relationship. In Dan Woike’s recent article on The Athletic, he detailed the relationship between the pair as the new leaders of the franchise.

Dončić has had regular contact with new Lakers owner Mark Walter and has been impressed with the level of communication, league sources said. Dončić has also mentioned how well he thought the Lakers played in March when the team went 15-2.

Both changes came abruptly, but both people have adapted on the fly. Across the league, the stars of a franchise always have a certain bit of power. That could have been diluted as the franchise turned over to new hands, but Luka has maintained a relationship with not just the ownership but the front office as well.

During his exit interview, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka spoke about his constant communication with Luka throughout the season and into the summer.

“I think the keyword is that’s an ongoing, collaborative process,” Pelinka said. “It’s not, ‘Hey, I want x, y and z.’ We’re in constant communication with him and his team. I plan on seeing him before he takes off to go home and spend some time with his daughters. We’re going to get together I think Friday or Saturday. So, ongoing dialogue.

“His knowledge is vast and so those dives and collaborations with him are really inspirational and he also does it in a way where he wants to do his job great and he wants to let JJ do his great and let me do my job great. They really are productive conversations through that lens.”

If they’re taking Luka’s opinion and wishes into account, it seems likely that a lob-catching center would be on the way. After back-to-back seasons in LA without a true, starter-caliber big man in that role, the Lakers sound like a team aiming to acquire one.

Whatever moves they end up making, rest assured that Luka has been included in the conversation and, as we saw last summer, might be actively involved in recruiting the players to LA.

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

The Golden State Warriors were able to retain head coach Steve Kerr, inking him to a multi-year deal, but his top assistants won't be back in the Bay Area next season.

Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse will leave the Warriors sideline after their contracts expire and they won't be renewed, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.

Stotts is looking to get back to an NBA head coaching opportunity and wanted to throw his name in the candidacy pool, ESPN reported. Stotts' NBA coaching career spans more than three decades. He took his first head coaching job in the NBA in 2002 with the Atlanta Hawks. His most successful stint came with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012 to 2021, where he coached the team to consecutive playoff appearances, including a Western Conference finals run in 2019.

Stotts joined Golden State in 2024 for his second stint with the team. His first tenure as Warriors assistant came in the 2004-05 season under head coach Mike Montgomery.

"I enjoyed my time with Steve, the staff and players," Stotts told ESPN. "My two years there were fulfilling. Nothing but well-wishes."

Stackhouse joined the Warriors as an assistant with Stotts in 2024. Before agreeing to join Golden State, Stackhouse coached six seasons at Vanderbilt. He was named 2023 SEC Coach of the Year for leading the Commodores to a 22-15 record. He was fired after the following season after a lackluster year.

ESPN reported that Stackhouse, too, is searching for a head coaching opportunity.

Those two weren't the only assistants to cut ties with Golden State. Prior to the end of the season, Chris DeMarco left in January to become head coach of the New York Liberty, moving up Kris Weems in the coaching hierarchy.

Golden State will continue its coaching search to fill the sideline alongside Kerr.

One candidate, ESPN reported, is Willie Green, who began his coaching career with the Warriors in 2016 as an assistant. He's since went on to become an assistant for the Phoenix Suns and head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021 to 2025.

They say that in a tense situation, you should open with a joke. Here is a joke. There are no players on the injury report for the Detroit Pistons, meaning everyone is available to play. It’s just a shame that the only thing that brings everyone back together is a funeral.

End of joke.

Anyway, the Detroit Pistons are facing elimination on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have not lost a game in Rocket Arena during these playoffs. The Pistons have been here before. They trailed the Orlando Magic 3-1 and triumphed. What kind of performance will we see tonight? Hopefully one like in Game 1 of this series, where it was clear that Detroit was the better team. Will we get that tonight? Not based on the last three games. But it’s basketball. Anything can happen.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Watch: Prime Video
Odds: Pistons +3.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (2-3)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2)

James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals tonight.

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!

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached a point in their second-round series with the Detroit Pistons where all the cards are already on the table. It’s unlikely either team will do anything overly shocking in Game 6. It will be more of the same, with minor tweaks and varying execution.

One trick the Cavs have up their sleeves, however, is when and where they choose to trap Cade Cunningham.

Cunningham might carry the heaviest individual load in the league. Detroit’s success on offense relies almost entirely on his shoulders. That’s why his usage is through the roof, with Cunningham attempting the most field goals per game in the playoffs at 21.6.

This can lead to great things. Cunningham was lights out for most of Game 5, scoring 39 points and pushing his team to the brink of a 3-2 lead. But something changed in the final minutes, and the toll of everything Cade had carried up to that point was eventually paid.

The Cavs began sending two to the ball. Cunnigham saw multiple defenders in front of him, with pressure on him as soon as he crossed halfcourt. This forced Cunningham to give up the rock and work harder to get open. That’s a lot to ask of someone who played 48 minutes in Game 5. The results speak for themselves.

Cunnigham struggled against the trap. He scored just 2 points in the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime, shooting 1-4 and turning it over at a key point of the game. Max Strus, who stole Cunningham’s inbound pass in the fourth quarter of Game 3, once again capitalized on Cunningham’s exhaustion by ripping him in the backcourt during overtime of Game 5.

When you’re tired, you make mistakes. The Cavs waited until the perfect moment to ramp up the pressure on Cunningham. The question is, can they find the same luck tonight?

“It’s a feel,” said Kenny Atkinson. “Do you do it after a timeout? You do it to throw them off balance, so do you do it on the first play? To end the game? Obviously, you’ve got to know when to, or not to, go with it.”

Doubling a player like Cunningham comes with risks. You’re giftwrapping the Pistons’ offense a numbers advantage by putting two on the ball. You can get burned in a hurry if Detroit’s role players convert on those scenarios.

That’s why it’s important to deploy this strategy at the right time. Do it too early, and you risk allowing the Pistons to find a rhythym. Do it too late, and well, you’re too late. Mixing up the coverage and keeping Cunningham on his toes is all you can do.

“He’s a great player, we can’t give him one look,” said Aktinson. “So we’re gonna keep mixing it up, and there have been games this series where we didn’t double-team, so it’s a feel.”

The Cavs have an opportunity to eliminate the 60-win Pistons and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. To do so, they’ll have to activate their best defensive strategy at the right moment and deliver the knockout blow.

Here are the NBA playoff games for Friday, May 15, 2026:

• Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder — 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons — 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

In addition, the Washington Mystics play the Indiana Fever tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game is on ion.

Enjoy the games!

Karl-Anthony Towns called his own shot — in order to get better shots for those around him. 

There has been so much written and said about the change the Knicks made with Towns, and the decision to play their offense through him as a facilitator from the elbows.

It has been a central storyline of their unprecedented dominance through the first two rounds. 

But how was that decision reached? 

Towns claimed that when the Knicks trailed 2-1 in the first round against the Hawks, he went to the coaching staff and vouched for the change. 

“You’re down 2-1, obviously it’s not the end of the world but you guys understand the importance of the next game. … You go in there and say how you feel, your feelings, your idea and see if it’s received,” Towns said after practice Friday. “And it was received.” 

It certainly has been.

And across the two years of this core and the one year under coach Mike Brown, it’s unlocked the best version of these Knicks. 

Towns has more than doubled his regular-season average of 3.0 assists per game to 6.6 in the postseason.

It’s allowed those around him — notably Jalen Brunson — to be cutters and screeners off the ball, resulting in better shot quality for them.

It’s made the Knicks offense much more dynamic. 

The Knicks have won seven straight postseason games since then.

They have a point differential of plus-185 points in that span.

Their 125.3 points per game on offense is the most among playoff teams. 

Towns, from the preseason through the entirety of the regular season, was not shy about his thoughts on his role in the offense.

There were constant statements about getting used to Brown’s system and trying to adjust to what Brown wants him to do.

There were a few times he struggled to find answers as to why he was so uninvolved.

It was clear that Towns wanted more, but he kept pointing to the need to sacrifice for the greater good. 

Now, the greater good has been found with Towns as a focal point. 

“I’ve always loved this role,” Towns said of being a facilitator. “I’ve always wanted this role, so [I’m] happy we got to this point.” 

Does he feel vindicated at all? 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

“I’ve always said since the beginning, I’ll do whatever it takes to impact winning,” Towns said. “I’m glad I’ve been able to do that with this changing role and be able to help our team win. That’s the most important thing. And utilize my talent.” 

The Post previously reported that assistant coach and offensive coordinator Chris Jent also played a role in bringing the idea to Brown. 

“You can’t act upon everything,” Brown said Friday. “Because if you act upon everything,  you’re going to be driving yourself crazy and everybody else crazy. It was just something where we were struggling to score [at the time] and I had been thinking about it for awhile and it finally came to me at that point. … I take suggestions from everybody. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to make the decision of yea or nay. The tough part about it is, sometimes when you have suggestions, and there are a lot of good ones out there, a suggestion is one thing, but trying to actually put the suggestion into something that can be real for the group and fit the group, not just that one person, that’s the tricky part. 

“I’ve always been a guy that if you come to me with a suggestion, a lot of times, especially as a coach, you gotta have something to back it up. Some video, some analytics. Tell me how.” 

That last part is important. 

They were small sample sizes, but the Knicks had seen evidence that having the ball in Towns’ hands as a facilitator worked.

“Using KAT sometimes at the end of the [shot] clock, we started using him more [in that role],” Miles McBride said Friday. “And then we kind of naturally started getting into it. Obviously, our coaches are taking notice. It’s kind of what we’ve been doing all year, but I think the more it started happening when, at the end of the clock, guys were [playing] off of him and then we started using it, guys playing off the ball, and then we kind of just started making it a point of emphasis.

“I felt like it was something [Towns] was always capable of.” 

A few factors came together at the perfect time to produce the change that has the Knicks surging.

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As the series shifts back to Minnesota, the Timberwolves return home looking to force a Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs, with our NBA player prop projections identifying several strong value spots on the board for tonight's Game 6.

By breaking down the data and comparing it to the latest market lines, we’ve uncovered where the strongest betting edges lie for this pivotal matchup.

These Spurs vs. Timberwolves predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.

If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Friday, May 15.

Spurs vs Timberwolves computer picks for Game 6

Spurs	Timberwolves
Fox o17.5 points -115	Edwards o26.5 points -115
Champagnie o1.5 3-pointers  -190	Gobert o8.5 rebounds -120
Castle o6.5 assists -110	Dosunmu o1.5 3-pointers  -120

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Spurs Game 6 computer picks

De'Aaron Fox Over 17.5 points (-115)

Projection: 20.02 points

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ up-tempo pace — eighth-fastest over the last five games — should create more scoring chances for the San Antonio Spurs, especially De’Aaron Fox, who’s cleared this points line in back-to-back games.

With San Antonio on the brink of the Western Conference Finals, expect Fox to stay aggressive and surpass this number again.

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Julian Champagnie Over 1.5 3-pointers (-190)

Projection: 2.20 3-pointers

Julian Champagnie has been lights-out from beyond the arc in this series against Minnesota and will look to stay hot as the Spurs push to advance.

He’s cleared this three-point prop in every playoff game but one, and he remains a dependable threat to knock down multiple shots from deep once again.

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Stephon Castle Over 6.5 assists (-110)

Projection: 6.75 assists

Stephon Castle has been a steady playmaker, and his 12-assist outing in Game 3 showed just how high his ceiling is as a facilitator.

With the stakes elevated on the road, expect Castle to embrace the moment, keep the ball moving, and continue setting up quality looks for San Antonio.

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Timberwolves Game 6 computer picks

Anthony Edwards Over 26.5 points (-115)

Projection: 26.92 points

At home this season, the Spurs have struggled to contain opposing starting shooting guards, allowing them to shoot 54.7% from the field — the second-highest mark in the league. That sets up a favorable spot for Anthony Edwards, who’s never one to shy away from a challenge.

Even while dealing with an injury, Edwards has found another gear offensively over the last three games. With Minnesota fighting to keep its season alive, expect him to leave it all on the floor and bring the intensity needed to match the moment.

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Rudy Gobert Over 8.5 rebounds (-120)

Projection: 11.06 rebounds

The Spurs kept Rudy Gobert quiet on the glass in Game 5, limiting him to just five rebounds, and Minnesota won’t survive another outing like that if they want to extend the series.

Gobert has cleared this rebounds line in all but two games this series, and the Timberwolves will need him to bounce back in a big way to control the boards and generate crucial second-chance opportunities.

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Ayo Dosunmu Over 1.5 3-pointers (-120)

Projection: 1.87 3-pointers

At home this season, opposing starting point guards have shot 48.4% from three against the Spurs — the highest mark in the league — making this a strong matchup spot for Ayo Dosunmu, who has been quieter than he was in Minnesota’s first-round series against Denver.

Dosunmu has only cleared this prop once in this series, but if there’s a time for him to heat up from deep, this is it.

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How to watch Spurs vs Timberwolves Game 6

Location	Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date	Friday, May 15, 2026
Tip-off	9:30 p.m. ET
TV	Prime

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