NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Last updated: May 13, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
NBA Playoff Action Heats Up
The Eastern Conference semifinals saw the Cavaliers force Game 6 espn.com against the Pistons after Donovan Mitchell matched an NBA playoff record with 39 second-half points in a 112-103 victory on Monday, evening the series at 2-2 following earlier Detroit success, though Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff later deemed the free throw disparity unacceptable espn.com from their Game 4 loss. In the other East matchup, the 76ers face an offseason of turmoil espn.com after being swept by the Knicks, a result that saw Daryl Morey dismissed as team president, though Doc Rivers is reportedly retained, while Joel Embiid's return wasn't enough to prevent a sweep espn.com as Jalen Brunson's 33 points closed out the 3-0 series lead for New York espn.com. Meanwhile, the Western Conference semifinal between the Spurs and Timberwolves remained tense, with the Spurs taking a 3-2 series lead espn.com over Minnesota, though Anthony Edwards maintained a defiant stance, asserting that his squad was not "too worried" despite facing elimination espn.com; Victor Wembanyama, who was cleared to play in Game 5 after an incident, avoided discipline for elbowing Naz Reid espn.com, while his French counterpart, Rudy Gobert, prepares to face his longtime friend for a pivotal contest espn.com.
The Oklahoma City Thunder solidified their dominant playoff run by completing a sweep of the Lakers espn.com, improving their postseason record to 8-0 despite a late charge from Los Angeles, with second-year guard Ajay Mitchell stepping up in Jalen Williams' absence espn.com; this success has elevated OKC to near-contender status, with Lakers President Rob Pelinka confirming the team would welcome LeBron James back espn.com for a 24th season if he foregoes retirement, even as the Lakers joined others in complaining about the officiating favoring the Thunder espn.com. In administrative news, the NBA concluded its investigation espn.com into the shutdown of Giannis Antetokounmpo without issuing further disciplinary action against the Bucks, though sources indicate Milwaukee is now actively seeking trade offers for Antetokounmpo espn.com. Elsewhere, Warriors coach Steve Kerr agreed to a two-year extension espn.com, signaling continuity for Golden State as they plan their offseason strategy espn.com, while Timberwolves coach Chris Finch publicly condemned an on-court confrontation with an official as unprofessional behavior espn.com.
Offseason & Draft Speculation
The attention shifts to the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft following the lottery results, which granted the Washington Wizards the No. 1 overall pick espn.com, with the Jazz and Grizzlies rounding out the top three selections espn.com; the increased stakes of the lottery process led to what many observers felt was a concerted tanking effort by nearly a third of the league espn.com. Prospects are already making impressions at the combine in Chicago, where early testing drills provided takeaways on players like AJ Dixon espn.com, and Darryn Peterson attributed mysterious cramping issues during his season to high doses of creatine use espn.com. In personnel moves, the Mavericks finalized the hiring of Mike Schmitz espn.com as their new General Manager, placing him under President Masai Ujiri to guide the franchise's personnel strategy.
League Mourning & Personal News
The league is grappling with the sudden passing of two former players this week. Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died tragically at age 29 espn.com, prompting immediate condolences across the NBA community. Separately, the basketball world mourned Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, who passed away from brain cancer at 47 after serving as a lengthy global ambassador for the sport. On a happier note, LaMelo Ball and his partner announced the birth of their first child espn.com and the launch of I Am Fertility, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting IVF journeys.