Beginning 5: Spurs & Thunder In WCF, Cavs-Pistons Sport 7 Solar.

Fortress to Wemby. ROY to ROY. From the Lottery to the Western Convention Finals.

San Antonio’s future is right here now, with a date with the defending champs on the way in which.

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Might 16, 2026

Spurs Dominate: Stephon Fortress & crew depart no query in advancing to WCF

Again To Detroit: Pistons hand Cavs first house lack of Playoffs to power Sport 7

Sport 7, Once more: Who’s acquired the sting on this acquainted finale for each golf equipment?

Brunson’s Legacy: Reflecting on Captain Clutch’s New York ascent, 4 Playoff runs in

Draft Mix: Distinctive backstories and details for this yr’s prime Draft prospects

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

Counting right down to Sunday’s Sport 7…

With no video games tonight, Sunday brings one final run to determine the East Semis.

Up Subsequent: The Western Convention Finals are set, with the No. 2 Spurs taking over the No. 1 Thunder, starting Monday (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)

Kia MVP Award: Punctuating NBA Awards season, the winner of the 2025-26 Kia NBA Most Invaluable Participant Award shall be revealed Sunday throughout Prime’s pregame protection (7:30 ET). The finalists are:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
• Nikola Jokić (Nuggets)
• Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)

Social Justice Champion: Finalists have additionally been introduced for 2025-26 NBA Social Justice Champion award, together with three gamers lively final evening: Tobias Harris, Harrison Barnes and Larry Nance Jr. The winner, to be introduced throughout the Convention Finals, will obtain the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy.

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1. CASTLE, SPURS DOMINATE GAME 6 TO FINISH WOLVES, MOVE ON TO OKC

A 20-0 run to open the 2nd quarter.

A 28-point lead with slightly below 4 minutes to go in third.

A congratulatory go to to the Spurs bench from a subbed-out Ant Edwards, with 8:01 left and the lead as much as 33.

Indicators of San Antonio’s dominance could possibly be discovered all through Sport 6 in Minnesota. Now, headed to their first WCF since 2017, the Spurs are set for his or her largest check but.

Spurs 139, Wolves 109: Victor Wembanyama (19 pts, 6 rev, 3 blk) dominated defensively, whereas Stephon Fortress set Playoff career-highs with 32 factors and 11 rebounds to steer six double-digit Spurs scorers en path to a 4-2 collection victory.

Anthony Edwards’ 24 factors led the Wolves, who additionally acquired an early enhance from Naz Reid (18 pts). | Recap

• Scorching Begin: 4 of San Antonio’s first 5 makes have been triples, constructing an 18-8 lead in simply over 4 minutes. However Reid answered with two of his personal to tug the Wolves again inside 5 (25-20)
• Energy Play: The Spurs then moved to place Minnesota away early, scoring the primary 20 factors of the 2nd quarter to steer 56-27. Wemby logged 7 of his 19 in that surge
• Out Of Attain: After the Wolves once more answered to chop the result in 13 at half, the Spurs managed the third, 36-23. And when the lead hit 33 early within the 4th, Ant shook arms

“At that time, you already know you ain’t going again in so that you simply making an attempt to present them the respect they deserve,” Edwards mentioned. “Simply tip my hat to them. It was only a higher workforce.”

The loss denied Ant’s Wolves a third-straight Western Convention Finals look, whereas San Antonio now eyes its first NBA Finals bid since 2014.

• Stephon’s Flip: Fortress (21y, 197d) grew to become the youngest participant in NBA historical past to document 30+ factors, 10+ boards, 5+ assists and 5+ 3s in a single postseason recreation, besting Luka Dončić’s (22y, 83d) mark
• Spurs First: He’s additionally the primary participant in Spurs historical past to achieve these numbers for factors, rebounds and 3s in a single postseason recreation
• “Our vitality and our consideration to element was in all probability the perfect it’s been all collection,” mentioned Fortress, who acquired began with 14 of his 32 factors within the 1st quarter
• Texas Rain: San Antonio knocked down a franchise Playoff document 18 3s on this win, with 9 coming from Fortress, De’Aaron Fox (21 pts, 3 3s) and Dylan Harper (15 pts)

So how did the Spurs’ younger core, of their first postseason, carry the workforce into the West Finals?

• Two-Manner Dominance: San Antonio outscored Minnesota cumulatively by 97 factors of their collection, the biggest win margin of the Second Spherical. The Spurs’ largest deficit within the collection was 9 factors (Sport 4)
• Lightning Rod: Wembanyama led the Spurs in scoring for the West Semis with 20.3 ppg, whereas additionally posting one of many workforce’s top-3 defensive rankings (96.8)
• Historic First 10: Wemby joined David Robinson as the one gamers since 1973-74 to common 20+ factors, 10+ boards and 4+ blocks over their first 10 postseason video games
• All-Time Rim Safety: Wemby and Robinson (1990) stand with Dikembe Mutombo (1994) as the one gamers since 1973-74 to common 4+ blocks by means of their first 10 profession postseason video games

The 8-0 Thunder now await the Spurs in a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchup between rivals to determine the West.

• Wealthy Rivalry: San Antonio posted a league-best 4-1 document in opposition to the defending champs this common season, averaging 114.4 ppg, 2nd-most for any workforce that performed OKC a minimum of 3 times
• “We’re not even fascinated with that proper now,” Fortress mentioned. “The video games forward are completely totally different video games. They’re rolling proper now.”
• “We all know it’s gonna be an entire totally different collection,” Wemby mentioned. “[OKC] know their stuff… We’re gonna rewatch all of the video games and do the scouting and attempt to execute.”
• The Spurs surpassed OKC because the the No. 1 protection (102.2 DefRtg) in these Playoffs, after the Thunder boasted the top-rated D for the final two common seasons

“We all know it’s gonna be robust to knock them off, however we’re fairly assured we may do it,” mentioned Fortress.

The Western Convention Finals get underway Monday with Sport 1 from OKC (8:30 ET, NBC & Peacock).

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2. BACK TO DETROIT: PISTONS FORCE GAME 7 WITH CAVS’ FIRST HOME LOSS

Six video games weren’t sufficient for both the Pistons or the Cavaliers within the First Spherical.

The previous roared again from a 3-1 collection deficit in opposition to the Magic, whereas the latter outlasted the Raptors.

Now, one other deciding contest looms for each groups. This time round, there’s an East Finals berth on the road.

Sport 7 is in retailer —once more (Sunday, 8 ET, Prime).

Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94: Cade Cunningham (21 pts, 8 ast) led the way in which as 5 teammates scored in double figures to make sure Detroit staved off elimination in Sport 6. After trailing by simply 3 factors at halftime, Cleveland was outscored 61-43 within the 2nd half. | Recap

The result? For simply the fourth time in league historical past, two groups who performed in a Sport 7 to advance from their earlier spherical will meet in one other Sport 7.

• Momentum Shift: Detroit was behind for a lot of the 1st Friday, however executed a 10-2 closeout to the quarter to safe a 27-25 lead it could not relinquish
• MotorCade Arrives: Cunningham racked up 16 factors within the first half, and within the course of, drained a quartet of 3-pointers to assist the Pistons energy forward

And it wasn’t solely the All-Star guard who met the second. The bench was lots busy.

• No Small Distinction: Detroit acquired 48 factors off the bench  — greater than double Cleveland’s 19 in that division
• Reed Rolls: Sixth-year middle Paul Reed posted a Playoff profession excessive of 17 factors on an environment friendly 7-for-9 capturing, complementing his six rebounds – all off the bench

James Harden did a little bit little bit of all the things for Cleveland with 23 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, however the Cavaliers shot 39% from the sector, in comparison with the Pistons’ 52.4%.

• Triumphant Trey: When Harden drained a 3 with 7:40 remaining within the first quarter, he handed Stephen Curry for tenth place on the Affiliation’s all-time Playoff factors listing

Now, it’s onto Sport 7. One of the best two phrases in sports activities.

• Clutch When It Counts: Donovan Mitchell has averaged 27.5 factors, 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per recreation in do-or-die conditions all through his profession
• Revved Up: Cunningham, in the meantime, is off to a sizzling begin in elimination video games in his profession, at 29.5 factors and seven.3 assists per contest

Sport 7 suggestions Sunday (8 ET, Prime) from Detroit. Learn on to Part 3 for a full preview. ⬇️

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3. GAME 7, AGAIN: BOTH CAVS & PISTONS FAMILIAR WITH THIS FINALE 

All of it comes right down to this, once more.

Cavs. Pistons. Every going the gap in a second straight collection.

That tracks for 2 groups who cut up their regular-season collection and are actually a good 5-5 in opposition to one another for the reason that season began.

The East-leaders lean as soon as extra on their house court docket benefit, as Motor Metropolis prepares to host its second Sport 7 this month on Sunday (8 ET, Prime).

It’s the fifth elimination recreation in these Playoffs for the Pistons – a situation they’ve realized to thrive in:

• Underneath Stress: After handing Cleveland its first house loss since Mar. 25, Detroit is now 4-0 when going through elimination this postseason
• Double 30s: In Sport 7 in opposition to Orlando, Tobias Harris (30 pts) joined Cade Cunningham (32 pts) as the primary Detroit teammates to every rating 30+ in a Playoff recreation since 1977’s Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30)
• Duren’s Dubs: Jalen Duren had his first double-double of the Playoffs in that Sport 7 (15/15), and he added one other Friday (15/11). Detroit is 33-10 this season when Duren logs double-digit factors and boards
• Large Boosts: Jarrett Allen tied his Playoff career-high of twenty-two pts (19 reb) in Cleveland’s prior Sport 7 in opposition to Toronto, with Donovan Mitchell matching (22 pts) and 18 from James Harden
• Key Runs: Each Sport 7 survivors went up large with runs spanning components of the 2nd and third quarters: Detroit’s was a 20-4 spurt, whereas Cleveland launched a 49-21 takeover

However in a collection that’s seen the highway workforce win again to again video games, Cleveland now appears to be like to recreate the feat it pulled off in Sport 5.

• What did it take? A livid 9-point comeback with underneath 3:00 to play (simply the fourth such rally within the final 11 postseasons) and a Spida (7 pts) takeover in OT
• Critical Splits: Mitchell is experiencing a 7.0-ppg drop in scoring from house (32.0) to highway (25.0) on this collection, whereas Cade beneficial properties almost the identical distinction at house (29.0)
• Steadying Pressure? Harden (21.3 ppg) has been a constant power for the Cavs’ offense, with only a -1.3 ppg highway impact for the vet in these East Semis

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4. BRUNSON IS THE HERO KNICKS FANS DESERVE, BUT NOT ONE THEY EXPECTED

The Knicks are making the most of six-plus days off whereas awaiting an opponent for his or her return to the Japanese Convention Finals.

One of many largest causes they’re on this place? Captain Clutch, Jalen Brunson.

The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III notes that, whereas Brunson could not have been on Knicks followers’ radar in 2022, he’s writing fairly the legacy in New York simply 4 years later:

He was however Luka Dončić’s backup when he arrived in Manhattan… The previous NCAA champion was projected to be a core a part of the inspiration, however not the cornerstone.

Brunson, although, has confirmed to be each bit the star the Knicks needed

An undersized, second-round choose from New Jersey has develop into the King of New York, a shocking hero for one of many NBA’s glory franchises. He’s carried the Knicks again to the Japanese Convention finals.

Since Brunson got here to New York, the Knicks have received a minimum of 45 video games each season, together with 50-plus wins the final three campaigns…

New York has reached the second spherical of the playoffs yearly since Brunson donned the blue-and-orange. | Learn Extra

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5. GET TO KNOW 2026’S TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS

Measurements, stats and projections are flying round quicker than Kingston Flemings’ shuttle run time at this week’s AWS NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

Behind the numbers, NBA.com’s Krysten Peek tracked down a few of the background tales and details that make this yr’s draft class one-of-a-kind:

Cameron Boozer … On Ice?
“After I was youthful (round 7 or 8 years outdated), my dad performed for the Bulls and me and my brothers went to a Blackhawks recreation and we simply actually loved that have and we needed to attempt it so we performed for a few yr or two…

“Cayden hated it essentially the most, for certain.”

Dybantsa, Flagg Had been Almost (AAU) Teammates

“So Maine didn’t contact Massachusetts, so Cooper performed for Maine United and I performed for Expressions,” mentioned BYU star AJ Dybantsa. “However yeah, we have been imagined to play on the identical workforce as a result of I used to be going to play up that yr.

“… I all the time suppose of what it could’ve been wish to be teammates that summer time.”

Going Professional in Peterson Household
This yr, Kansas standout Darryn Peterson and his older brother, Darryl, will enter the NBA and NFL in the identical yr. Darryl Peterson III, a former linebacker at Wisconsin, signed with the LA Rams shortly after the NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent.

“We grew up working and having the identical dream, totally different sport and it’s simply tremendous cool to see him obtain his and me, hopefully subsequent month, obtain mine,” mentioned Darryn. | Learn Extra