Oklahoma City secured a 2-1 lead in the West Finals behind SGA (26 pts, 12 ast) and playoff career-highs from Jaylin Williams (18 pts, 5 3PM) and Jared McCain (24 pts). With their 76-23 advantage in bench scoring in Game 3, the Thunder’s second unit now holds a +119 scoring differential over San Antonio through three contests. OKC’s bench is putting up historic numbers.
This is OKC reminding everyone why they’re the defending champs!
Game 4 in San Antonio is a must win for the Spurs or else, the series will be over by game 5 when it shifts back to OKC.
Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points, Jalen Brunson had 19 points and 14 assists, and the New York Knicks moved halfway to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday night.
It’s gonna be a wild night in MSG “if” the Knicks are able to advance to the 2026 NBA Finals!
Here’s a recap of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between Cavs and the Knicks.
Games 3 and 4 will now shift to Cleveland as they try to turn this into a series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a subpar series opener to score 30 points, Alex Caruso added 17 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night in Game 2.
Chet Holmgren scored 13 points and reserves Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each had 12 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished with a 57-25 edge in bench scoring, plus a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
Now that the series tied, next two games will be in San Antonio and will now be a best of 5 series. OKC will try and get back home court advantage as they go to an equally hostile Spurs crowd.
The Cleveland Cavaliers held a commanding 22-point lead over the New York Knicks with just 7:52 remaining in regulation. What followed was pure madness. The Knicks unleashed a furious 30-8 run to close out the fourth quarter and force overtime.
Momentum completely shifted in the extra period. The Cavs ran out of gas, scoring just 3 points, while the Knicks poured in 14 to cap off the largest playoff comeback in franchise history with a 115-104 victory.
Jalen Brunson led the charge for New York, dropping 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, while making his presence felt on the defensive end with 3 steals. He got plenty of help, as every Knicks starter scored in double digits. Mikal Bridges netted 18 points, while OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart all contributed 13 points apiece.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell did everything he could, leading the team with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and a monstrous 6 steals. James Harden and Evan Mobley added 15 points each, but the offense stalled late; Max Strus was the only Cavalier to find the bottom of the net in overtime.
Watch the Knicks end Game 1 with their historic 22 – 11 run.
Cleveland will have just a day to review film and figure out what went wrong before the series resumes for Game 2 on Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.
Victor Wembanyama had 41 points and 24 rebounds, Dylan Harper finished with 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a double-overtime classic to open the Western Conference finals Monday night.
A monster game by Victor Wembanyama, and we have not seen a player produce those numbers in a long time, these are Wilt Chamberlain numbers!!!
This series could be one of those NBA classic games that you get to rewatch over and over again, or a sweep for OKC!
If you missed Game 1 of the WCF, you can watch the extended full game 1 high lights that the NBA just released.
Enjoy!
Game 2 will remain in OKC this Wednesday evening as they look to even the series.
The Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018, dismantling the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 125-94 in a winner-take-all Game 7 at Little Caesars Arena.
Cleveland dominated the glass with a 50-41 rebounding advantage, fueled by big men Jarrett Allen (23 points) and Evan Mobley (21 points, 12 rebounds). Donovan Mitchell spearheaded the Cavs’ offense with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists, while Sam Merrill provided a major spark off the bench, hitting five triples for 23 points. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham was held to just 13 points as the Cavaliers secured a matchup against the New York Knicks for the right to advance to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Game highlights;
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be in New York Tuesday evening.
After a season that saw SGA place himself among the game’s all-time greats – or, in some cases, in a tier all by himself – the Thunder guard just became the 7th player this century and 14th ever to win back-to-back Kia NBA MVP Awards.
Joining Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (2x), Tim Duncan and fellow Canadian Steve Nash as back-to-back winners since 2000, the two-time reigning Kia NBA MVP now leads the Thunder against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
But first, how did SGA bring his game to another level in 2025-26? He…
Set the NBA record for most consecutive 20+ pt games, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record
Became the first player since Wilt (1963-64) with 20+ pts in every regular season game, with a minimum of 50 games
Joined Michael Jordan as the only guards with at least 30+ PPG on 50+ FG% in four straight years
Became the only guard in NBA history to average 30+ PPG on 55%+ shooting
Led the league in total Clutch points, earning Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year honors
Had the highest +/- in the NBA (+788) by more than 100 points
The San Antonio Spurs were well on their way to the Western Conference finals in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went down to their bench to briefly offer his congratulations.
The young Spurs left no doubt they’re already a serious NBA title contender.
Stephon Castle had 32 points and 11 rebounds to highlight another dominant performance from the backcourt, and Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs romped past the Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday night to finish in the second-round series in six games.
Spurs will face the waiting OKC in the Western Conference Finals this Sunday, May 18th.
Spurs Highlights for Game 6;
Spurs BEST PLAYS from 4-2 Series Win vs Timberwolves 🔥
James Harden scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
That was a great comeback by the Cavs!
One more win to advance the Eastern Conference Finals, where the New York Knicks is waiting for them.
Watch the last 20-seconds of the 4th quarter the crazy ending of OT.
Game 6 will shift back to Cleveland this Friday, where the Cavs and closeout the series.
Raul Dominguez, reporting for Associated Press and published on NBA.COM;
Victor Wembanyama atoned for his first career ejection with another huge performance, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round series.
The two wins by the Timberwolves prove that they can only win this series if they can stop Wemby from playing, which is what happened in Game 1 and Game 4.
Even without Wembanyama, Minnesota’s win felt more like a war than a walk in the park. It is a testament to how deep the Spurs are.
Game 5 will be back in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves will look to tie the series and the Spurs will look to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where OKC is waiting for them.
The Los Angeles Lakers led the Oklahoma City Thunder at halftime and had a five-point lead early in the third quarter.
It looked like the Lakers were playing well enough to make it anyone’s game in the fourth quarter. That didn’t happen because the Thunder did what they have done all season – control the third quarter.
The Thunder owned the league’s best third-quarter net rating during the regular season, outscoring opponents by 10.9 points per 100 possessions.
By the time the third quarter ended, the Thunder were up 13 points – and on their way to a 125-107 victory over the Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series Thursday.
Game 3 and 4 will be Los Angeles, which will give the Lakers, especially the bench, some confidence to face the defending champs.
The Knicks defeat the Sixers 108-102, as Jalen Brunson (26 pts) took them home, scoring six of their last nine points to earn a clutch win at Madison Square Garden.
The game included 25 lead changes and 14 ties, as both teams vied back-and-forth for control.
The Sixers ran out of gas late, scoring just three points in the last 6:52 of the game. Tyrese Maxey (26 pts) was their top scorer.
Patrick Ewing and John Starks sat side-by-side on the baseline during the contest, watching New York take a 2-0 lead with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in the offing. Now, the series shifts back to Philadelphia.
So far, one of the best game of the 2026 NBA Playoff. Joel Embiid did not play in the game due to a bruised right hip injury.
Similar to Spurs – Wolves series, Game 3 and 4 will now move to Philadelphia.
Here’s the final 4-mins of Game 2 of the East Conference Semifinals; 76ERS – Knicks
The Knicks defeated the 76ers, 108-102 tonight in New York. Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks with 26 points on 9-21 from the field (1-5 from 3) to go along with 6 assists. For the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey had a team-high 26 points on 9-23 from the field (1-6 from 3). The Knicks lead the series 2-0
Chet Holmgren had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points for the Thunder. The defending champions improved to 5-0 in the playoffs, despite missing 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams with an injured left hamstring for the third straight game. The Thunder shot 49.4% from the field and made 13 of 30 3-pointers.
Oklahoma City will host Game 2 on Thursday.
It was a close game, with OKC holding only a 10-point lead entering the second half. The Lakers even cut the deficit to just four points (64–68) midway through the third quarter, but that’s when the Thunder stepped on the gas. They built a 12-point cushion heading into the fourth and were never threatened again.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 5, 2026
The Western Conference Semifinals kicked off with an absolute classic as the Minnesota Timberwolves steal one from the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 in a nail-biting Game 1. The night was defined by a stunning medical turnaround: Anthony Edwards, previously sidelined with a knee injury, made a surprise return to score 18 points, including 11 in a decisive fourth-quarter surge.
While Edwards provided the spark, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic performance, the Defensive Player of the Year recorded a rare triple-double, setting an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Despite his dominance at the rim, San Antonio struggled to find consistent scoring late in the game.
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 21 points and 10 rebounds, helping the 6th-seeded Wolves maintain their poise after a frantic late-game steal by Devin Vassell. A missed buzzer-beater by Julian Champagnie ultimately sealed the win for Minnesota, handing the 2nd-seeded Spurs a rare home loss to open the series.
You can watch the last 2-mins of the game below;
Game 2 will remain in San Antonio this Wednesday evening.
Game highlights;
ANT MAKES HIS RETURN, WOLVES SECURE WEST SEMIFINALS GAME 1 WIN ‼️
🐜 18 PTS (11 in 4Q) 🐜 8-13 FGM 🐜 25 MIN@Timberwolves will seek a 2-0 series lead on Wednesday at 9:30pm/et on ESPN 🍿
The Detroit Pistons completed a historic comeback on May 3, 2026, defeating the Orlando Magic 116–94 in a decisive Game 7. After trailing 3–1 in the series, the top-seeded Pistons rallied to win three straight elimination games, securing their first playoff series victory in 18 years.
Cade Cunningham lead Detroit with a dominant performance scoring 32 points and 12 assists, while Tobias Harris provided the much needed help to the Pistons by adding 30 points and 9 rebounds. Together, they became the first Detroit teammates to score 30+ points in a playoff game since 1977. Defensively, the Pistons stifled Orlando, limiting them to just 15 points in the third quarter.
While Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 38 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, Orlando’s offense struggled following an injury to Franz Wagner earlier in the series and could not get other Magic player in rhythm to help Banchero.
The second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs (Conference Semifinals) is set to begin on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The first round concluded on Sunday, May 3, featuring a historic night of Game 7s. In the East, both the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers completed rare comebacks from 3–1 series deficits to advance.
Eastern Conference Matchups
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
(3) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
Western Conference Matchups
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) L.A. Lakers
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
The fourth-seeded Lakers took control of Game 6 in the second quarter, built a 25-point lead in the third and advanced to the conference semifinals with a 98-78 victory against the fifth-seeded Rockets on Friday.
Second-year Lakers coach JJ Redick earned his first playoff series victory. “Gratitude, it’s the biggest thing,” Redick said. “It’s been my word for the entire season. Part of my existence in life is gratitude. I’m so grateful to represent the Lakers. I’m so grateful for our players. I’m so grateful for our staff. Doing this is such a collective effort. I wish people understood how many people put their heart and soul into something just to try to go win a basketball game.”
Los Angeles will play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the West finals.
With a stellar first half, the Knicks set multiple postseason franchise records for totals in a half during the play-by-play era.
PTS: 83 (Franchise record in a half) *T-4th most in a half all-time by any team
FGM: 28 (3rd most FGM in a half)
AST: 21 (Franchise record in a half)
STL: 12 (Franchise record in a half)
PT. DIFF: 47 Pts (League record for largest lead at HT) *All-Time
To say that the Knicks destroyed the Hawks would be an understatement. The game technically finished in the 1st half after limiting Atlanta to a 15 pointsm and 21 points, while scoring 40 points and 43 points, in the first two quarters.
NY Knicks will face the winner between Celtics and 76sers, is headed to a game 7.
Paced by the ultra-efficient wing combo of OG Anunoby (29 points, 11-for-14 FGs) and Mikal Bridges (24 points, 10-12 FGs), and a triple-double from Karl-Anthony Towns (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), the Knicks earned a 140-89 Game 6 victory to advance, ending Atlanta’s season.
After suffering back-to-back one-point losses in Games 2 and 3 to go down 2-1 in the series, the Knicks never lost again. They posted one dominant win after another — a 16-point victory in Game 4 in Atlanta, a 29-point triumph in Game 5 in New York, and an emphatic 51-point closeout victory in Game 6 on the road.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points, Tari Eason added 18 and the Houston Rockets avoided playoff elimination for the second straight game with a 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, trimming Los Angeles’ lead in the first-round series to 3-2.
Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves’ return to the Lakers.
Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has missed four of the series’ five games with injuries.
The Rockets’ Game 3 blunder is the only reason the Lakers aren’t the ones on the verge of elimination.
Game 6 will be back in Houston this Friday night.
Game highlights;
Jabari Smith Jr. stepped up big to keep the Rockets season alive!
The Rockets defeated the Lakers, 99-93 tonight in Los Angeles. Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 22 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 three pointers, while Tari Eason contributed 18 points (6-11 FG, 2-6 3P) in the game. LeBron James finished with a team-high 25 points along with 7 assists for the Lakers in the losing effort. The Lakers lead the series 3-2.
Spurs will advance to the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs as they dispose the Portland Trail Blazers 114 – 95 in Game 5 on Tuesday night. Played in front of Spurs homecourt, the Frost Bank Center, the victory sealed a 4-1 series gentleman’s sweep for the Spurs, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and suffocating defense against the Trail Blazers.
De’Aaron Fox led the scoring with 21 points and 9 assists, while Julian Champagnie provided a massive spark from the perimeter, knocking down five three-pointers for 19 points. Victor Wembanyama anchored the interior defense, recording a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds alongside a dominant 6 blocks.
Portland struggled to find a rhythm throughout the contest, trailing by 20 points at halftime. Despite a valiant 22-point effort from Deni Avdija, the Blazers couldn’t overcome San Antonio’s efficiency. The Spurs now look ahead to the Western Conference Semifinals waiting for the winner between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.
DAVID BRANDT – AP Sports Writer and as posted on NBA.com;
The Thunder closed the series with an overwhelming offensive performance – making 17 of 34 (50%) 3-pointers – and their big men played particularly well. The 7-foot-1 Holmgren shot 9 of 16 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds, while the 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.
OKC will face the winner of Lakers – Rockets match for their opponent in 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs.
Cooper Flagg’s rookie stats are; 21 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG on a 46.8 FG%. He beat out his fellow Duke roommate Kon Knueppel for the award.
Tim MacMahon, reporting for ESPN;
Flagg edged Knueppel by 26 points in the voting by a panel of 100 media members. Flagg received 56 first-place votes, with the rest going to Knueppel. Flagg had 44 second-place votes, while Knueppel received 55 second-place votes and one third place.
Flagg has the making of an NBA Supper star and barring injury, the Mavs are in a good place right now, considering what happened to them last year.
Returning from injury with a vengeance, Wembanyama’s 27-point, 7-block performance fueled the Spurs’ 114-93 victory on Sunday. San Antonio are now one win away from clinching the series against Portland. As the video description says “Spurs victory is the second-largest comeback in franchise postseason history in the play-by-play era.”
De’Aaron Fox added 28 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the Spurs, who will return home for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Portland led by as many as 19 points in the first half, even holding the Spurs to just 18 points in the second quarter. However, San Antonio turned the tables in the second half, stifling the Trail Blazers to 16 and 19 points in the final two frames while scoring for 33 and 40 points of their own.
Despite 26 points from Avdija and 20 from Holiday, Portland couldn’t overcome the Spurs’ defensive pressure. San Antonio dominated the hustle stats, out-blocking Portland 10–5 and winning the turnover battle with 13 steals to the Blazers’ 6.
The series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5, giving the Spurs an opportunity to close out the series at home.
The Minnesota Timberwolves pushed the Denver Nuggets to the brink of elimination after defeating them 112–96, Saturday evening. The win was fueled by a historic performance from Ayo Dosunmu, who erupted for a career-high 43 points off the bench—the highest-scoring playoff game by a reserve in 50 years.
AYO DOSUNMU GIVES WOLVES 3-1 LEAD WITH NIGHT FOR THE AGES.
🔥 43 PTS, most he's scored in NBA 🔥 13-17 FGM, 5-5 3PM, 12-12 FTM 🔥 68 PTS in Games 3+4
Dosunmu is the first player since Steph Curry in 2016 to score 40+ off the bench in the NBA Playoffs presented by @Google! pic.twitter.com/myApdo2aRg
What’s impressive about this win is that the Timberwolves did it without two of their starters; Donte DiVincenzo left the game due to a torn right Achilles tendon, while Anthony Edwards sustained a hyperextension of the knee after contesting a layup late in the second quarter.
Even though they’re missing two starters, the Wolves stifled Denver’s offense, holding the Nuggets to 22% from deep. The game ended in a heated skirmish resulting in ejections for Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle. Minnesota now looks to close out the series Monday night in Denver.
The Portland Trail Blazers closed the game on a 16–4 run over the final five minutes to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 106–103 and even the series at 1–1.
Real talk! The Blazers would not have won if Wemby hadn’t fallen to the ground and exited with a concussion. Even without Wemby, the Spurs still managed to build a 14-point lead (93–79) with eight and a half minutes left in the game; however, Portland went on a 27–10 run to close the game with a win.
Here’s a clip of that nasty Victor Wembanyama fall resulting in a concussion.
Victor Wembanyama (concussion protocol) is OUT for the remainder of the game after hitting his head on the court. pic.twitter.com/qP8tAf6osN
Game 3 of the first-round playoffs will now shift to Portland. We’ll see how San Antonio adjusts their game, especially if Victor Wembanyama is on limited playing time.
Another dominant performance from LeBron James, as the Lakers secured a 101–94 victory over the Rockets in Game 2, extending their series lead to 2-0. Once again James flirted with a triple-double, racking up 28 points, 8rebounds, and 7 assists. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard added 25 points and 23 points, respectively. Smart and Kennard also made a 8 of the 13 three-pointers of Lakers.
In the second quarter, Houston attempted a comeback fueled by Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr., but their efforts were undermined by self-inflicted wounds. Kevin Durant struggled with a game-high nine turnovers, and their half-court execution was generally sloppy, preventing the Rockets from closing the gap in the final minutes.
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic (strained hamstring) and Austin Reaves (strained oblique); this latest win will allow them to get more rest. The series now shifts to Houston for Game 3 this Friday, where the Rockets will face a must-win scenario to avoid a 0-3 deficit.
DENVER — — A big early deficit in Denver didn’t bother the Minnesota Timberwolves, who two years ago staged the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history, clawing out of a 20-point hole to beat the Nuggets and advance to the Western Conference finals.
This time, they overcame a 19-point deficit, rallying past the Nuggets 119-114 on Monday night behind 30 points from Anthony Edwards and 24 from Julius Randle to tie their first-round playoff series at one game each.
An epic comeback from the Minnesota Timberwolves and an epic choke job by the Nuggets!
