Category: Sports News

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116-109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18 for the Cavaliers, who will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 21 points.

Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining tied it at 104 before Cleveland, which is unbeaten in five playoff home games, was able to seize control.

Max Strus intercepted an inbound pass by Cunningham at midcourt and made a breakaway layup with 2:28 left.

Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots. The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109.

Robinson was short on a 3-pointer after a timeout and Mitchell made three free throws down the stretch.

THUNDER 131, LAKERS 108

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ajay Mitchell had career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists, and Oklahoma City extended its unbeaten playoff run to the brink of another Western Conference finals with a victory over Los Angeles in Game 3 of the second round.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who coolly improved to 7-0 — both in these playoffs overall, and in their seven games this season against LeBron James and the Lakers. Oklahoma City is the NBA’s sixth defending champion to start 7-0 in the following postseason after three wins over short-handed Los Angeles by a combined 59 points.

Game 3 was remarkably similar to Game 2 in many respects: The Lakers again had to fight desperately just to keep up with the champs into the third quarter, only for the Thunder to run away with their usual merciless efficiency when LA finally faltered. Chet Holmgren had 18 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which outscored the Lakers 33-20 in the third quarter and wasn’t threatened at all down the stretch.

Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

James had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Austin Reaves had 17 points and nine assists. But both stars struggled from the field to a combined 12 for 32, and 21 points from Rui Hachimura weren’t enough to keep LA in contention with the champs.

Luke Kennard added 18 points for the Lakers, who have lost five of their last six games since midway through the first round against Houston.

CLEVELAND — James Harden was the last player on the practice floor after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lone tune-up between Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. Everyone else was hurrying out of the team’s facility to prepare for the flight to Canada later that afternoon.

Harden picked up something while watching film from Game 2 of that series. He noticed that they were defending him a certain way, and he wanted to get as much practice as possible to combat Toronto’s scheme. I couldn’t tell what that specific thing was, only that he was meticulously working on various ways to generate three-point looks when coming off screens on his right.

All players go through individual drills with coaches to varying degrees. That isn’t unique. The level of focus he approached it with was — especially on an off day.

Every time Harden missed a shot or didn’t get the footwork how he wanted coming off the screen, he cursed. Some were under his breath that you would only notice if you were watching. Others you could hear from across the gym.

“There’s a cerebral part of the work he does individually,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said then.

Fast forward two and a half weeks to Game 3 of the second-round series against the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs coughed up what was a 17-point lead in the third quarter, and were trailing at times in the fourth. They needed baskets down the stretch to take and maintain the lead.

Instead of calling his own number, Donovan Mitchell deferred to Harden despite leading both teams in points with 35. And the reason was simple.

“You see the work,” Mitchell said. “He’s worked really hard on his game, and his resume speaks for itself.”

The resume does speak for itself.

Harden is one of the most accomplished guards in NBA history. He’s achieved nearly every individual accolade out there and has climbed the ladder in both all-time points (9th) and assists (12th). Even at 36 years-old, the skills that have allowed him to reach that point are undeniable.

The one hole in his portfolio is a lack of playoff success. His teams have faltered in the biggest moments, and so has he.

Harden has proved all the stereotypes about himself correct in the three months he’s been in Cleveland.

We saw what has led to his numerous postseason shortcomings during the first two games in Detroit. Turnovers, an inability to hit a big shot when his team needed one, and being picked on defensively were all present at the worst times for the Cavs. His play helped turn two winnable games into losses.

The other stereotype that he’s proven true is that he’s one of the hardest-working players in the league.

A week back, I asked Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković what causes certain players to rise in the playoffs while others fall. He attributed it to their preparation.

“I think that work is the baseline,” Rajaković said. “Players that really know that they put the right work in, they’re ready for this stage. … Those guys, they tend to fight through fatigue, through adversity, through whatever the playoffs bring. … I strongly believe it comes down to work.”

We don’t think of Harden as someone who’s fought through adversity, at least not on the court in the playoffs. We typically reserve that kind of thinking for players who we see overcome the obstacles thrown their way to emerge victorious.

At the same time, Harden has overcome obstacles.

He’s bounced back from every collapse and put himself in that position again the next year with the work he’s put in to still be playing at an incredibly high level in his 17th season in the league. Whether that motivation is monetary or for trying to win is unknown, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. The work ethic is the same regardless of the reason.

Sports often present this false binary. Everyone on the victorious team is labeled a winner, while those on the other are losers. There’s no room in between the two opposites.

Yet, if you judged whether someone is a winner by how they respond to challenges and shortcomings, you’d be hard-pressed to find many who have bounced back as consistently as Harden.

“You know the American way is championship or nothing,” Atkinson said before the playoffs. “In our movies, we call the little kid, ‘Hey Champ.’ That’s the thing. Sure, we’d all love to win the championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re not successful.”

Harden isn’t a winner in any way that we would typically define it, and understandably so because he’s fallen short in the playoffs too many times. Making crucial plays late in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals isn’t a big enough stage to alter that, even if his three-straight baskets and game-sealing triple over Tobias Harris after being hip-checked is why the Cavs’ season still has oxygen.

When asked why he wanted the ball late in Game 3 despite previous failures, his answer was simple.

“It’s something that I work on literally every day,” Harden said. “It’s basically repetition, and it’s the confidence to go out there and just do it.”

While this one two-minute stretch won’t change how he’s remembered, this game shows why it’s unfair to label him a loser or someone who will never be a part of a championship. The habits and work ethic that lead to winning have always been there.

And for one night, we saw that pay off in a way it typically hasn’t throughout his career.

“I’m not playing this long, at this high a level without putting the work in,” Harden said. “This is 17 years for me, and I work extremely hard, like, extremely hard on my body, especially since the last few years. … The confidence is always going to be there. It’s always there, and just put me in a position to be successful, and good things happen.”

It was deja vu all over again for the Lakers on Saturday as they battled early, led at halftime and lost in a blowout to the Thunder in Game 3, 131-108. LA now trails the series 3-0.

The purple and gold used red-hot shooting in the first half to hold a 59-57 lead at the break. But just as they did in the two prior games, OKC turned it up to a level in the second half that the Lakers couldn’t match.

Ajay Mitchell took over in the fourth to bury a clearly exhausted LA side, who looked out of gas and out of answers.

The Thunder jumped to a quick lead. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for eight points. LA responded by tying the game behind Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart 3-pointers. LeBron James and Deandre Ayton both had two points as well. 

OKC was winning the points in the paint battle early, 10-4. 

Austin Reaves was off to a slow start, missing all four of his shot attempts. Hachimura, however, continued his incredible shooting from behind the arc, draining yet another triple. Los Angeles was struggling mightily on defense, leaving shooters wide open and giving players easy paths to the rim. 

At the 3:57 mark, the Thunder were up by seven. 

Cason Wallace splashed two 3-pointers that helped OKC get a double-digit lead. Hachimura nailed another three as well, giving him nine points for the game so far. The purple and gold cut the deficit to six at the end of the first. 

Luke Kennard and Reaves both knocked down 3-pointers early in the second quarter. Jared McCain’s instant offense continued with a triple of his own.

Holmgren had an easy time making shots in the paint, scoring six more points. LeBron and Hachimura both knocked down 3-pointers, forcing an OKC timeout.

LeBron tied the game with a 3-pointer out of the break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a triple on the other end before LA responded to jump ahead by four. SGA helped erase that deficit fast, but the Lakers held on to lead by two at halftime. 

Lu Dort opened the third period with a 3-pointer for the Thunder. Deandre Ayton responded on the other end with a shot in the paint. The offense was strong for both teams, as they traded baskets until OKC went up by seven. 

Ayton had been keeping Los Angeles in it with six points in this quarter. 

Oklahoma City was on an 11-2 scoring run. The Lakers started piling the turnovers and were now at 12 for the game. LeBron stopped some of the bleeding with a midrange jumper. 

Kennard and Hachimura combined for five points to help keep the team in it. 

The Thunder kept hitting back at full force, keeping their lead in double figures with 3:11 left in the quarter. Reaves was up to five turnovers. Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero put in great minutes to make it a single-digit deficit until Isaiah Joe responded with back-to-back threes, which gave Oklahoma City a lead of 11 at the end of the third. 

Hartenstein had two easy opportunities in the paint for four quick points to start the final frame. LeBron scored four points, trying to help the Lakers inch closer to make it a game, but they still had an uphill climb as they were down by 12. 

Oklahoma City’s offense was proving to be too much again as LA just didn’t have enough to firepower to match the Thunder’s depth, led by Ajay Mitchell. The Thunder blew the game open, as they did in the preceding games, before the two sides emptied their benches in the final minutes

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Hachimura ended with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. Reaves pitched in with 17 points and nine assists.

Kennard had 18 points off the bench. Ayton logged 10 points with six rebounds. Smart scored 10 points with three rebounds. Adou Thiero played rotation minutes and had a chaotic outing, finishing with four points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes.

Game 4 will be on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble early in Game 3. He played just 10 minutes in the first half and 25 minutes overall. But that was more than enough time for Towns to hurt the Sixers with his passing.

The All-Star center finished with seven assists in Game 3 -- six coming in the second half. It was the continuation of a remarkable passing stretch for Towns. The big man is averaging 7.7 assists in the Knicks' six-game winning streak. That's more than double his average in the opening three games against the Hawks (3.3); it's also more than double his regular-season average (3.0).

Some may be surprised by his passing. He is not.

"I feel like I've always had this my whole career," Towns said after Game 3 on Friday. "It's just I never had the opportunity to utilize that skill set. It's being utilized. My teammates have been in great positions for me to find them when they're open."

Mike Brown and the Knicks decided to use Towns as a passer on the perimeter starting in Game 4 against the Hawks. That adjustment is one of the reasons why New York has run off six consecutive wins with a 25.8-point average margin of victory. And it's one of the reasons why the Knicks are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks trailed the Hawks, 2-1, when they first implemented the changes.

"The real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta," Towns said. "That's when we really changed our offense. It's been great. It's been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys (on offense) more. We made the right moves."

Towns knows that the Knicks have more work to do. He and his teammates have talked about staying in the moment as they look to close out Philly. But the Knicks may have missed this moment without those offensive adjustments.

"It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord," Towns said. "There's no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed."

The changes were a product of conversations among Brown, his staff and the players.

"I feel like we all had an opinion and we were able to figure out what was best for our team, especially in a spot like that -- down 2-1," Towns said. "I had my opinion. I feel like we've done a great job adjusting to have all of us be our best."

If you go back to Game 4, the Knicks have the No. 1 offense among playoff teams in that span. They also have the second-best defense. In their opening three games, the Knicks ranked sixth in offense and seventh in defense among playoff teams.

Brown calls it an "equal opportunity" offense.

"Anybody can be in any position," he said Friday before Game 3. "Anybody can set screens. Anybody can initiate it, but it's going to take some time to expand on it."

The Knicks are "just scratching the surface" of what they want to implement on offense, Brown said.

They obviously don't have much time left in the season to make significant changes. NBA teams don't practice at this time of year. So maybe the Knicks can make some small changes here or there.

But in a big-picture sense, Brown believes Knicks are just "scratching the surface" on their offensive potential.

"What we're doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we'd be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp," Brown said.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Brown appreciates Mikal Bridges' ability to impact games in ways that may go unnoticed by the casual observer. What does Brown mean by that?

"One of the things is his ability to run, both directions," he said of Bridges. "I mean, he runs like a deer. His game is beautiful, which makes him fast, and it doesn't even look like it. (He) puts a lot of pressure on the defense because of his ability to run. He's got a good feel for what his pace needs to be in half court; he'll sprint into a ball screen and slip out. And when he slips out, he slips with vision.

"And the ball may not go to him for a score or for an assist, but when you generate something like that with pace and you're a threat to slip because you can score from the medium range or get to the rim, the defense has to (adjust). When the defense (adjusts), it opens up other opportunities for your teammates. And then he's always uplifting. He's extremely positive with his teammates.

"Those things are just a few of the things that go unnoticed to others throughout courses of games and throughout the course of year and we appreciate when he brings those to the table."

HART PLAYING THROUGH DISCOMFORT

Josh Hart suffered a sprained left thumb in Game 2 against Philadelphia. He played in Game 3 but will be playing through some discomfort in the thumb for the rest of the season. He said he had an X-ray during Game 2 and he learned he hadn’t broken his thumb. So he returned to the game, finishing out the Knicks' home win.

"It's something I'll revisit in the offseason," Hart said before Game 3. "There's people that played through this."

Hart pointed to Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia's veteran point guard, who did so while leading the Toronto Raptors to a 2019 NBA Finals win.

"They got someone on their team who played through it and won a championship," Hart said. "So it's something that's doable."

Ric Flair just took another shot at Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.

With the Lakers trying to avoid an 0-3 deficit against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, the WWE Hall of Famer took to X yet again to voice his frustration — and direct it towards the injured superstar.

"@lukadoncic, There Is Only One Word That I Can Possibly Say, And That’s DISAPPOINTED," Flair wrote. "46 Million Dollars, And You Can’t Play. OMG, I Would Jump Off The Empire State Building With A Parachute For 46 Million Dollars A Year, And I Don’t Even Know How To Pull The Cord To Open It- But I Would Take My Chances."

.@lukadoncic, There Is Only One Word That I Can Possibly Say, And That’s DISAPPOINTED. 46 Million Dollars, And You Can’t Play. OMG, I Would Jump Off The Empire State Building With A Parachute For 46 Million Dollars A Year, And I Don’t Even Know How To Pull The Cord To Open It-… pic.twitter.com/Q4KsivXySB

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) May 10, 2026

Doncic has been sidelined with a grade 2 left hamstring strain since April 2 and recently revealed that he was originally given an eight-week timeline, which would mean a return isn't likely until the end of the Western Conference finals, should the Lakers get there. Doncic did travel to Spain to undergo platelet-rich plasma injections — a non-surgical treatment that uses a sample of the patient's own blood to accelerate healing in joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, according to Johns Hopkins medicine — in hopes to accelerate his recovery, though he is proceeding under the original eight-week timeline for the time being.

This is the second time this series that Flair has called out Doncic over social media. He previously wrote, "Luka, Please Get In The Game! Take A Shot Of Cortisone And Deal With The Pain! They Are Paying You 50 Million A Year, And You’re Not There! WTF! I Hope @JeanieBuss Trades You Next Year. Nobody Wants A Lame Duck On Their Team!" during the Lakers' 107-90 loss to OKC in Game 1 on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ric Flair takes another shot at injured Luka Doncic

Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles brought all the stars of stage, screen, music, and sports for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

In a parade of power and influence, actor Leonardo DiCaprio sat along the baseline near the Thunder bench, flanked by friend and fellow actor Lukas Haas. To his left sat longtime actors Don Johnson and Noah Wyle, star of the hit HBO show “The Pitt.” 

Leonardo DiCaprio, sporting a new mustache, is sitting courtside for Thunder vs. Lakers Game 3 pic.twitter.com/yTnsrvAKNG

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 10, 2026

Industry executives and producers were well represented as well. Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg exchanged pleasantries with legendary TV producer Dick Wolf.

Across from them sat record producer Lou Adler, who was not joined by his friend Jack Nicholson, but instead his son, Ray Nicholson, star of the horror sequel “Smile 2.”

Longtime Laker season ticket holders Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, and Dyan Cannon cheered on the purple and gold, as did former Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss and her husband actor/comedian Jay Mohr. 

Speaking of comedians, that artform was also well-represented as Byron Allen and Adam Ray shared laughs during the game.

Academy Award nominee James Franco watched the game undetected, whereas Jaafar Jackson, star of the hit biopic “Michael” about his uncle, pop-star Michael Jackson, wanted all the attention in his courtside seats. 

Then there was other sports colliding with the NBA Playoffs, woven into the tapestry of the crowd like they belonged there. Former Laker, Sasha Vujacic, a champion of a different era, chatted up with the referees before the game. Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard took a break from watching Champions League to catch the Lake Show up close and personal.

Former Dodgers and Phillies second-baseman Chase Utley, forever tied to October nights, watched with his children. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, a frequent attendee during the NFL offseason sat one row in front of him. Even Nez Balelo, the CAA super-agent who represents Shohei Ohtani, was in attendance. 

Comedian Adam Ray, actor James Franco, Green Bay Packers LB Micah Parsons, former Dodgers/Phillies infielder Chase Utley, and actor/singer Jaafar Jackson are all at Game 3 between the Thunder and Lakers pic.twitter.com/wBoWOtAPUc

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 10, 2026

Rounding out the list was NBA superfan and real estate mogul, James Goldstein, And reality star Corey Gamble, but without his famous girlfriend Kris Jenner. 

Even LA Mayoral candidate and another former reality star, Spencer Pratt watched the show.

LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is sitting next to Linda Rambis in the second row here during Game 3 pic.twitter.com/KlhfljAkSF

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 10, 2026

Meanwhile, on the court the Lakers and Thunder battled for survival in the best-of-seven series. 

This story will continue to be updated…

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Steve Kerr will be remaining in The Bay for the near future.

Kerr agreed to a two-year deal to remain as head coach of the Warriors, ESPN reported Saturday.

The exact amount of the contract has yet to be disclosed, with league officials telling ESPN that the deal will keep Kerr as the highest-paid coach in the NBA annually.

Last season, Kerr made $17.5 million.

The contract came after three weeks of deliberations between Kerr and Golden State controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, in which they discussed the long-term outlook of the franchise.

“It was never going to be about money,” one team source said, according to ESPN. “We had to make the best basketball decision.”

It was a general consensus within the franchise that Kerr was going to stay with the Warriors since earlier this week.

Kerr re-signing was not always a foregone conclusion, however, as he announced during training camp in October that he would not seek a contract extension, opting to let his final season under contract play out and make a decision after.

The Warriors, who struggled with injuries throughout the year, finished this season with a 37-45 record and lost to the Suns in the play-in bracket.

“I still love coaching, but I get it,” Kerr told reporters the night they were eliminated in Phoenix, according to ESPN. “These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.”

Kerr, who joined the Warriors ahead of the 2014-15 season, has been at the helm of all of Golden State’s success, coaching the team to four NBA Finals championships and holds a career 604-353 regular season record.

The deal also likely will see Kerr coach the final days of Warriors legend Steph Curry’s playing career, who just finished his 17th NBA season.

“I want Coach to be happy,” Curry said following Golden State’s elimination. “I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he’s the right guy for the job.

“I want him to have an opportunity to enjoy what he does. … He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”