NBA Basketball 3 Days

Last updated: May 16, 2026, 2:45 PM ET

NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Set

The Eastern Conference will feature a Game 7 showdown after the Pistons forced a decisive seventh game with a dominant second-half performance against the Cavaliers, securing their fourth elimination game victory in the 2026 NBA playoffs. The Cavaliers rallied from a nine-point deficit in regulation to win Game 5 117-113 in overtime, taking a 3-2 series lead, while the NBA defended the no-call decision at the end of Game, confirming officials were correct in not calling a foul on Jarrett Allen. With the series returning to Detroit, the Pistons are now slight favorites at 60-1 odds after their resilience throughout the elimination games. Meanwhile, the Thunder's Jalen Williams declared himself healthy for the Western Conference finals after missing six games with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, though the Pistons will be without starting guard Duncan Robinson due to lower back soreness for Game.

MVP Announcement & Western Conference Finals

The NBA will announce this season's MVP winner on Sunday night, the day before two of the finalists—Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs' Victor Wembanyama—meet in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The French connection between Gobert and Wembanyama adds an intriguing subplot as the French big men face off in a 2-2 series, having been friends for a decade. There is growing optimism that Knicks forward OG Anunoby will return from his hamstring injury by the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Thunder have become the NBA's newest villains according to the Lakers, who are crying foul over how OKC is officiated.

Coaching & Front Office Developments

Steve Kerr returned to the Warriors for a 13th season, admitting in his first media availability that he "has to be better" after being critical of his performance during his 12th season as head coach. The Warriors are also losing their top two assistants, as Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse are departing the franchise. On the front office side, Bob Myers overseeing the 76ers' GM search is looking for "good people that are in harmony" to help the team win a championship, while former coach Doc Rivers didn't fine anybody ever according to Bucks center Myles Turner, who also revealed that Giannis Antetokounmpo would "show up whenever he wants."

Draft & Offseason Outlook

The NBA has landed on a 3-2-1 lottery proposal that commissioner Adam Silver will present to the league's board of governors later this month to revamp the draft system. Several prospects have confirmed their intentions to stay in the NBA draft, including Stanford's Ebuka Okorie, North Carolina's Henri Veesaar and Duke's Isaiah Evans. The Wizards, Jazz and Grizzlies hold the top picks in the 2026 NBA draft according to Jeremy Woo's updated mock draft. Meanwhile, our NBA insiders are hearing various updates on offseason decisions, including the latest on LeBron James' future in Los Angeles as the league canvasses five teams with league-altering decisions this summer involving stars like LeBron, Giannis and Kawhi.

Player News & League Updates

A surge in aluminum prices has indirectly impacted the league as China Hongqiao's Zhang Bo's fortune has grown significantly, though more directly relevant is the private lunch with Warriors' star that an eBay user paid $9,000,100 to win. The Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards showed sportsmanship by tipping his hat to the Spurs as "the better team" after Game, though he struck a defiant tone earlier when his team faced elimination, saying nobody on the squad is "too worried." The league is experiencing an 11% increase in foul calls during these playoffs compared to the regular season— one of the largest differentials in NBA history. Tragically, Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, has died of brain cancer at age, having served as a global ambassador for the sport for the past decade.