Here are the stories that caught the eye of our editors last week:
Thunder and Spurs slugging it out
The Western Conference finals between defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs, is locked at 2-2, with the series on a knife-edge heading back to Oklahoma.
The Spurs took Game 1 on their opponent's turf with an incredible double overtime victory, led by 41 points from Victor Wembanyama.
OKC regained home-court advantage, though, winning the next two games as they demonstrated how strong their bench unit is.
But San Antonio weren't done there, claiming a thumping 103-82 victory in Game 4 to leave it tantalisingly poised.
The Spurs are looking to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, when they won the title, while the Thunder want to become the first team to defend their crown since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Oklahoma remain the favourites, but this series could go down to the wire between two excellent sides. Whoever goes through will be the big favourites to clinch the championship.
Who will get over the line?
Tolga Akdeniz
Cavs looking for answers. Can they pull off another miracle?
The Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 to advance past the first round. But in the second round of the playoffs, the Cavaliers quickly found themselves in a 0-2 deficit to the Detroit Pistons. Talk about a less-than-ideal start to the series.
But Cleveland didn’t give up; it didn’t matter that Detroit were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, expected to dominate.
The Cavaliers responded the way contenders are expected to - they worked. Battled. Came back. And prevailed. They owned another Game 7, edging the Pistons 125-94 in a statement victory. Cleveland looked like a well-oiled machine. They had rhythm, confidence, and poise.
But it all stayed in the conference semifinals. So far, none of that has translated into the Eastern finals, with a trip to the championship series on the line.
At first, Cleveland looked ready to steal Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, as the home-floor New York Knicks struggled to solve the Cavaliers’ defence and offence. Until there were 7:52 remaining, the Cavs appeared to be cruising to victory. Then everything changed.
Jalen Brunson tapped into his Mamba Mentality, attacking James Harden 1-on-1 and scoring 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Knicks completed one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history after trailing by 22 points in the last quarter.
New York dominated the next two games and hold a 3-0 lead. The Knicks are one win away from the NBA Finals. But it’s not over until it’s over – the Cavaliers still have a chance, and they must take advantage of their home court in Game 4 to stay alive.
No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. In 2023, the Boston Celtics forced a Game 7 after falling behind but ultimately came up short against the Miami Heat. The overall record for teams trying to overturn this deficit is 0-161.
However, Cleveland are no stranger to historic comebacks. In 2016, the Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors and capture the NBA championship. Can they deliver another miracle?
Michaela Gaislerová
Jason Kidd fired, Giannis trade talks ‘Heat' up
The Dallas Mavericks fired head coach Jason Kidd last week after five seasons with the team.
Kidd, 53, led the Mavericks to a 26-56 record this past season - their worst since 1995-1996 when the franchise posted the same record.
He finished his time in Dallas with a 205-205 record and one Western Conference Championship (2023-2024).
Kidd will now be looking for his new landing spot and possibly his sixth new team since becoming a coach in the league he was once a force in. He started his NBA coaching career with the Brooklyn Nets (2013-2014) before moving on to the Milwaukee Bucks for the next four years (2014-2017).
Before finishing 205-205 with the Mavericks, he left Milwaukee with a 139-152 record, losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs in three of his five years with them.
As for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the latest report in the never-ending trade rumours came from the Miami Heat, according to reporter Gery Woelfel.
In his latest report, the Heat are willing to offer Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, the No. 13 pick, and a pair of future first-round picks for the former MVP.
If the Bucks were to pull the trigger on the trade, they would own both the 12th and 13th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. It would be the first time since 1998 when they’d own at least two picks in the first round - the same year they traded their ninth overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks, who ended up being none other than NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki - and the sixth time ever.
Eric Himmelheber
All-NBA Teams starting to make sense
For those who have been following the NBA season closely, the announcement of the All-NBA Teams is always a special moment. Fifteen names that are meant to perfectly encapsulate more than six months of competition. And the 2026 line-up is a strong one.
First: Shai Gilgeous- Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham
Second: Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell
Third: Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Johnson, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren
Of course, there will be some disappointed parties, as always. A player like Scottie Barnes or Deni Avdija would not have looked out of place on the third team. But little by little, voters are coming round to the idea that, when it comes to selecting a team, the award is first and foremost an individual one.
The first team is beyond dispute: these are clearly the five best players of the season. The collective performance of some members of the second team might raise a few eyebrows, but that’s not the point.
For example, the Houston Rockets have been somewhat disappointing compared to expectations at the start of the season, but Kevin Durant, averaging 26 points on 52.0 / 41.3 / 87.4, is fully deserving of his place. Just like Kawhi Leonard, despite the Clippers’ rather lacklustre campaign
Conversely, the Spurs have clearly had the most unexpected season of any NBA team. A run that secured them second place in the formidable Western Conference, but apart from Victor Wembanyama, no one features among the league’s top 15 players. While Stephon Castle received a few votes, placing him on the third team would have been blasphemous.
And just because Karl-Anthony Towns is shining in the playoffs doesn’t mean he deserved a place: he wasn’t on the same level during the regular season. So, everyone is entitled to their opinion and may want to bump a particular player up a team, but for once, there should be little debate regarding the composition of these teams.
Ultimately, the only criticism one can level at this year’s All-NBA Teams is that they were announced so late...
Sébastien Gente
