NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Last updated: May 22, 2026, 5:50 PM ET
Spurs-Thunder Western Conference Finals
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder continue their Western Conference finals battle with injury concerns looming. Dylan Harper suffered a right hamstring injury espn.com during Game, making him a game-time decision for Game 3 espn.com as the series shifts to Oklahoma City. The Thunder bounced back from their series-opening loss espn.com with 30 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and forced 21 turnovers to even the series at 1-1. Despite their recent success, the Thunder opened as underdogs espn.com for Game, ending a two-year, 33-game streak of being favored in the playoffs. The series has drawn significant attention, with Spurs-Thunder Game 1 peaking at 12 million viewers espn.com, making it the most-watched Western Conference Game 1 final in NBA history. After being presented his second straight MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony, Gilgeous-Alexander admitted he didn't perform up to that standard espn.com in the thrilling Game 1 contest.
Knicks-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals
In the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks have seized control with a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Josh Hart delivered a playoff-career-high 26 points espn.com to lead the Knicks to a 109-93 victory in Game, putting them halfway to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. The Knicks' success has been built on defensive strategy, flipping the script on the Cavaliers espn.com by relentlessly targeting James Harden in Game, sparking a historic rally when they had just a 0.1% chance to win espn.com. New York's massive comeback was built off attacking Harden to a historic level, with their offense looking unstoppable as Karl-Anthony Towns morphs into a point-center espn.com. Despite the 2-0 deficit, the Cavs remain undaunted espn.com, taking comfort from how they played in Game 2 and having erased such deficits before. Coach Kenny Atkinson defended his timeout strategy espn.com even as his team blew a 22-point lead in Game.
NBA Coaching Carousel
The NBA coaching landscape continues to shift with significant moves at the helm. Jason Kidd has been fired as Mavericks coach espn.com after five seasons in what the team described as a mutual decision, with president Masai Ujiri calling it a "very tough decision" that was his alone espn.com. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have hired Jamahl Mosley as their new head coach espn.com, who spent the past five seasons in Orlando, going 189-221 and earning three playoff berths. Orlando and Chicago are still searching for long-term coaching fits, while New Orleans and Milwaukee have found their next leaders in what's shaping up to be an active offseason for coaching changes espn.com. The Mavericks' decision to part ways with Kidd comes as they look to restructure their basketball operations under Ujiri's leadership.
NBA Draft & Personnel Updates
As the offseason approaches, NBA franchises are making moves to position themselves for future success. The league unveiled its All-Rookie selections, with the Mavs' Cooper Flagg, the Hornets' Kon Knueppel, and the Sixers' VJ Edgecombe being unanimous picks for first-team honors espn.com. Draft expert Jeremy Woo has released an updated mock draft predicting all 60 picks espn.com after an exciting week at the 2026 NBA combine. The Thunder and Spurs stand out as franchises that control much of the next eight drafts espn.com, with both teams positioned to make significant moves. In other personnel news, Pistons general manager Trajan Langden expressed hope to keep All-Star center Jalen Duren and veteran forward Tobias Harris espn.com in Detroit, while Australian basketball legend Joe Ingles has confirmed his return to the NBL espn.com with Melbourne United on a two-year deal, calling it "incredibly special."
League Business & International Play
Off the court, NBA franchises are making business moves to adapt to the evolving league landscape. The Portland Trail Blazers have laid off a significant number of business-side employees espn.com as part of a reorganization under new owner Tom Dundon. The Timberwolves, after another blowout loss to end their season, are planning an aggressive offseason espn.com to be part of the NBA's elite, according to team president Tim Connelly. In international play, the Spurs will return to Paris and Manchester espn.com next season, facing the Pelicans on January 14 and. The league continues to generate buzz with LeBron James appearing at Fanatics Fest NYC espn.com to record a live podcast with Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton, while also reflecting on his comments that the Lakers were "out-talented" by the Thunder in their playoff series espn.com. As teams look ahead to the offseason, the focus remains on developing rosters capable of contending for championships in an increasingly competitive league.