NBA Basketball 24 Hours

Last updated: May 25, 2026, 2:53 PM ET

Western Conference Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder turned in their worst offensive performance in years Sunday night in Game, falling to the San Antonio Spurs 102-84 and evening the series at 2-2. The Thunder were without guard Ajay Mitchell, who was ruled out with a right calf strain before tip-off. With the conference finals now deadlocked, potential Finals matchups between the Spurs-Knicks or Thunder-Cavaliers have emerged as the most compelling scenarios heading into the stretch run.

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged his team has won two of three games against New York through analytical advantages, positioning Cleveland well in the Eastern Conference finals as the series heads toward its critical stages.

All-NBA and Awards

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City and Nikola Jokic of Denver were unanimous first-team All-NBA selections, while San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama missed joining them by just one vote. On the defensive end, Wembanyama was the only unanimous selection on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team, joined by Chet Holmgren, Ausin Thompson, Rudy Gobert and Derrick White. What makes the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year candidate so dangerous isn't his 2.6 blocks per game—it's that he prevents players from shooting in the first place, making him a dominant force for years to come. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo was honored with the NBA's Social Justice Champion award for his community advocacy.

Wembanyama's Development

The foundation of Wembanyama's dominance traces to an unlikely origin: monks at a Shaolin monastery in central China helped transform him into what he is now—the most unstoppable force in basketball.

Offseason Preparations

The Los Angeles Lakers made their first significant move of the offseason by hiring Rohan Ramadas as assistant general manager under president and GM Rob Pelinka. Kentucky freshman center Malachi Moreno, a projected second-round pick in next month's NBA draft, withdrew from the draft and will return to school for another year of development. With the draft approaching, Jeremy Woo's updated 2026 mock draft projects all 60 picks following an exciting week at the NBA combine. Meanwhile, league insiders are pitching potential trades that could reshape the offseason landscape, including landing spots for high-profile players. The four conference finalists—the Knicks, Cavs, Thunder and Spurs—provide roster-building lessons for teams looking to replicate their success.

International Basketball

Olympiakos captured the Euro League title with a 92-85 victory over Real Madrid in a raucous Telekom Center in Athens on Sunday, with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo among those in attendance for the championship game.

Playoff Atmosphere

Celebrities have been out in force courtside at the NBA playoffs, adding to the spectacle as the conference finals intensify.