NBA Basketball 3 Days

Last updated: May 21, 2026, 5:49 AM ET

Western Conference Finals: Thunder, Spurs Trade Blows

The Western Conference finals tipped off with fireworks, as San Antonio's 122-115 double-overtime victory in Game 1 drew an average of 9.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, peaking at 12 million and becoming the most-watched Game 1 in Western Conference final history Spurs-Thunder Game 1 hit 12M viewers. Oklahoma City answered by bouncing back from the opening loss with a 30-point night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who generated 21 turnovers to force the series even Thunder tie series with SGA's 30. Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off receiving his second straight MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony, admitted he "has to be better" after a subpar Game 1 showing SGA says he has to be better post-MVP. The series has also been shaped by significant injuries: Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was ruled out for Game 1 with a right ankle sprain Fox out for Game 1 with ankle sprain, while Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams exited Game 2 with a tight hamstring in the first half and San Antonio's Dylan Harper suffered a right hamstring injury in the same game Williams exits Game 2 with hamstring tightness. These injury concerns add another layer of uncertainty to a matchup between two teams that control a remarkable share of future draft capital, with OKC and San Antonio together holding significant stock in the next eight drafts OKC and Spurs dominate draft asset tiers.

Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks Complete Historic Rally

The Knicks stunned the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, erasing a 22-point deficit in one of the most improbable comebacks in playoff history, with Jalen Brunson sparking the rally by relentlessly targeting James Harden Knicks attack Harden to spark rally. Advanced metrics pegged New York's chance of winning at just 0.1 percent as the deficit ballooned, yet they pulled out the victory behind a fourth-quarter surge that had Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson defending his decision to hold onto timeouts while the lead crumbled Atkinson defends timeout decisions during collapse. The Knicks' offensive identity has transformed heading into the series, with Karl-Anthony Towns operating as a point-center and New York's attack looking nearly unstoppable Knicks morph into unstoppable offense. New York's fourth-quarter execution drew comparisons to a historic shift in mindset, and league insiders are pointing to the matchup as one of the biggest questions heading into both conference finals Knicks fourth-quarter comeback takeaways. Cleveland, meanwhile, turned its postgame attention to mocking the Pistons after eliminating Detroit in Game, repeatedly referencing "beat Michigan" in the locker room Cavs troll Pistons after Game 7.

Coaching Carousel: Kidd Fired, Pelicans Hire Mosley

Dallas president Masai Ujiri took full ownership of the decision to fire Jason Kidd after five seasons, calling it "very tough" and insisting the call was his and his alone Ujiri owns decision to fire Kidd. Kidd's departure marks the latest stop on a rapidly spinning coaching carousel that has reshaped several franchises this week Kidd out as Mavericks coach. The Pelicans moved quickly to fill a vacancy of their own, hiring Jamahl Mosley as their new head coach after he spent five seasons in Orlando with a 189-221 record but three playoff berths Pelicans hire Mosley as head coach. Across the league, the Mavericks' coaching change raises questions about how Dallas will reshape its culture and roster, while the Pelicans' addition of Mosley signals a new direction for New Orleans as it looks to compete in the Western Conference NBA coaching carousel reshuffles franchises.

Offseason Shakeups: Pistons, Timberwolves, Blazers

The Pistons' season ended with a 125-94 Game 7 loss to Cleveland, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff insisted the year was "not a disappointment," pointing to the team's development and playoff berth Pistons season not a disappointment despite blowout. Detroit's general manager Trajan Langdon is now focused on retaining All-Star center Jalen Duren and veteran forward Tobias Harris, hoping to build a core that can compete for years Pistons GM targets Duren and Harris retention. Minnesota's Tim Connelly acknowledged the Timberwolves' playoff exit was "not good enough" and vowed an aggressive offseason to push the franchise into the NBA's elite Timberwolves prez plans aggressive offseason. On the business side, the Portland Trail Blazers laid off a significant number of business-side employees as part of a reorganization under new owner Tom Dundon Blazers lay off business employees.

Rookies, Draft, and International Storylines

The NBA unveiled its All-Rookie first team, with Cooper Flagg of the Mavericks, Kon Knueppel of the Hornets, and VJ Edgecombe of the Sixers earning unanimous selections Flagg, Knueppel lead All-Rookie first team. Jeremy Woo's updated mock draft projects all 60 picks after an exciting week at the 2026 NBA combine, with Flagg's stock continuing to rise as the consensus top selection