NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Last updated: May 22, 2026, 5:53 AM ET
Eastern Conference Finals
Josh Hart scored a playoff-career-high 26 points espn.com as the New York Knicks took a commanding 2-0 series lead espn.com over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 109-93 victory, moving halfway toward their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. The Knicks' offensive transformation, led by Karl-Anthony Towns morphing into a point-center turned the series in their favor espn.com after a historic Game 1 comeback that saw New York erase a 22-point deficit while relentlessly targeting James Harden. Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson defended his timeout management espn.com despite the collapse, while the Cavaliers expressed confidence espn.com in their ability to overcome the 2-0 hole after erasing similar deficits previously.
Western Conference Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander responded to his MVP presentation with 30 points espn.com as the Oklahoma City Thunder evened their series espn.com against the San Antonio Spurs in Game, forcing 21 turnovers to rebound from their series-opening loss. The Thunder's victory came despite losing Jalen Williams to a left hamstring injury espn.com in the first half, with the wing player listed as day-to-day espn.com heading into Game. San Antonio suffered another blow espn.com when rookie Dylan Harper exited with a right hamstring injury, compounding the Spurs' challenges after already playing without Victor Wembanyama, who remained sidelined. The series opener drew 9.2 million viewers espn.com, becoming the most-watched Western Conference Game 1 in NBA history.
Coaching Changes & Front Office Moves
Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri accepted full responsibility espn.com for the "very tough decision" to fire coach Jason Kidd after five seasons, calling it solely his choice following the team's first-round playoff exit. The Mavericks parted ways with Kidd espn.com in what was described as a mutual decision, ending a tenure that included two Western Conference finals appearances. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans hired Jamahl Mosley espn.com as their new head coach after five seasons in Orlando where he compiled an 189-221 record with three playoff berths. Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly promised an aggressive offseason espn.com to address what he called a "not good enough" roster after another early playoff exit.
Business & Personnel News
Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon implemented significant layoffs espn.com across the business side of operations as part of a major reorganization, continuing cost-cutting measures under new ownership. The NBA unveiled its All-Rookie selections espn.com with unanimous first-team honors going to Cooper Flagg of Dallas, Kon Knueppel of Charlotte, and VJ Edgecombe of Philadelphia. Detroit Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon expressed desire to re-sign espn.com both All-Star center Jalen Duren and veteran forward Tobias Harris, though contract negotiations remain ongoing.
Draft & Future Planning
With the offseason underway for eliminated teams, the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors began planning their draft strategies espn.com and free agency approaches. Oklahoma City and San Antonio maintained their draft capital advantage espn.com as two of the league's best teams controlling significant portions of future drafts. The Spurs announced a European showcase espn.com for January 2027, scheduling games against the New Orleans Pelicans in Paris and Manchester, England, featuring Victor Wembanyama's return to France.
Player Movement & Events
LeBron James will appear at Fanatics Fest NYC espn.com to record a live episode of his "Mind the Game" podcast with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, marking one of the few public appearances during his playoff run. Australian basketball veteran Joe Ingles confirmed his NBL return espn.com to Melbourne United on a two-year deal, calling the decision "incredibly special" after his NBA career. The Cleveland Cavaliers face an uncertain future espn.com with their core potentially entering its final chapter, even as they return to the conference finals for the first time since the LeBron James era concluded.