60 articles
Stephen A. Smith torched the New York Knicks on First Take after a Game 3 loss to Atlanta, tying Mikal Bridges' scoreless 21 minutes back to the five first-round picks Leon Rose surrendered to acquire him.
Chet Holmgren joined Inside The NBA in-game during Oklahoma City's 120-107 Game 2 win over Phoenix, telling Charles Barkley the defending champions intend to keep their foot on the gas after watching five teams give away home court.
Inside The NBA revealed the official 2025-26 finalists for MVP, DPOY, COY, ROY, MIP and Clutch Player. Victor Wembanyama is up for MVP and DPOY in the same season, joining a list last topped by Olajuwon and Jordan.
San Antonio's Keldon Johnson edged Hamidou Diallo and Tim Hardaway Jr. for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year, joining Manu Ginobili as the only Spurs player to claim the John Havlicek Trophy.
Detroit's third-quarter blitz erased an 11-game home playoff drought, but Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley spent more time interrogating the Pistons' second tier of scorers than celebrating Cade Cunningham's double-double on Inside The NBA.
Nick Wright unloaded on Oklahoma City's reputation for drawing fouls, calling the Thunder's 'histrionics' beneath a defending champion. Devin Booker said it's 'bad for the integrity of the sport'; Dillon Brooks told the refs to leave it for the regular season.
Stephon Castle erupted for 33 points and rookie Dylan Harper delivered a career-high 27 points off the bench as the San Antonio Spurs erased a 15-point hole to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 without Victor Wembanyama, taking a 2-1 series lead.
Stephen A. Smith argued on First Take that Nikola Jokic 'is not healthy' after the reigning MVP shot 7-of-26 in the Timberwolves' 113-96 Game 3 win. Chiney Ogwumike credited Rudy Gobert for taking the matchup personally and outright owning Denver's superstar through three games.
Jayson Tatum drilled a dagger three over a switching mismatch in the final minute as the Boston Celtics beat the 76ers 108-100 in Philadelphia. Jaylen Brown — who scored eight straight Celtic points in the fourth — said the win was 'like a game seven' for Boston.
LeBron James went for 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 45 minutes as the Lakers stole Game 3 in Houston, 112-108 in overtime. Shannon Sharpe argued the Rockets' inexperience handed Los Angeles a commanding 3-0 series lead they nearly didn't deserve.
On his Club 520 Podcast, former NBA guard Jeff Teague dismissed the San Antonio Spurs' title chances in the wake of Victor Wembanyama's concussion, declared the Oklahoma City Thunder effectively unbeatable in a playoff series, and picked the Cleveland Cavaliers to come out of the East.
Scoring has plummeted in the 2026 NBA playoffs and nobody around the league is entirely sure why. From Devin Booker's officiating complaints to Chris Finch's praise of pure 'force,' the explanations vary, but three trends keep turning up: zone defense is back, referees have let the physicality rise, and the regular-season scoring numbers were inflated by a tanking race that the postseason has now corrected.
