All articles tagged with #basketball
The Knicks swept the Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, with James Harden saying Cleveland was the better team despite the sweep; Donovan Mitchell cited fatigue from two long playoff runs, while New York rides an 11-game postseason win streak into the NBA Finals to face the winner of Thunder–Spurs, with the series set to begin June 3.
Charles Barkley blasted the Cavaliers for a 'quit' effort in their elimination game against the Knicks, showing clips on Inside the NBA and saying they gave up as Cleveland lost 130-93 to end its season and send New York to the NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, celebrated in Cleveland by Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Tracy Morgan, and they now await the winner of the Thunder–Spurs series to determine their Finals opponent.
The Knicks crushed the Cavaliers 130-93 in an elimination game to advance to the NBA Finals, building a 68-49 halftime lead and cruising the rest of the way. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 31 points, but James Harden scored 12 on 2-for-8 with five turnovers as the Cavs totaled 22 turnovers and were outrebounded 60-33. Social media users trolled Cleveland, and Charles Barkley labeled the Cavs as the definition of quit as the team heads into the offseason.
Azzi Fudd erupted for 17 of her season-high 24 in the third quarter as Dallas turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 91-76 win over New York, aided by seven wings in the period. Paige Bueckers added 24, Satou Sabally 20, and Arike Ogunbowale 19 for Dallas. Sabrina Ionescu, returning from a foot injury, had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds in her season debut for the Liberty (3-3). Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was out for personal reasons. Dallas improves to 4-3 and hosts Las Vegas next; New York hosts Portland.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines the 2025-26 All-NBA selections with Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham on the First Team; Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant and Jalen Brunson are on the Second Team; Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey and Jamal Murray compose the Third Team. Durant adds to his historic All-NBA résumé, while Dončić and Cunningham were granted eligibility under the NBA/NBA PA extraordinary circumstances provision after initially missing the 65-game threshold.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama headline the 2025-26 All-NBA Teams announced by a panel of 100 media members, with LeBron James missing for the first time in over two decades due to not meeting the 65-game threshold. The First Team includes Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Wembanyama, Doncic, and Cade Cunningham; the Second Team features Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, and Jalen Brunson; and the Third Team lists Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, and Chet Holmgren. Durant makes history as the first player to make an All-NBA team with five different franchises, while Wembanyama was not unanimous (99 first-team votes, 1 second-team vote). Holmgren had the fewest points on the teams; Avdija and Towns would have made Third Team if Doncic and Cunningham had not received exceptions for the 65-game threshold.
The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Cleveland, moving within one win of reaching the NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 in Game 3, dominating the game from start to finish and wearing down the Cavaliers, signaling the Knicks’ current form could be a threat to anyone in the playoffs.
Oklahoma City overcame a historic slow start to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a productive bench providing the key spark to seize a 2-1 series advantage.
Victor Wembanyama was the lone unanimous pick to the First Team All-Defense, with Chet Holmgren also earning First Team honors alongside Ausar Thompson, Rudy Gobert and Derrick White. The Second Team features Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Cason Wallace and Dyson Daniels. Stephon Castle and Amen Thompson were close to making the second team, with Draymond Green and Toumani Camara among the next in votes. Gobert notches his eighth First Team nod, and Adebayo is highlighted as the NBA Social Justice Champion.
Jalen Brunson’s relentless work ethic and fierce competitive drive—shaped by his father—have him continually outworking peers and fueling questions about Donovan Mitchell’s ability to keep up in the playoffs.
Forbes’ 2026 list crowns Cristiano Ronaldo at $300 million (235m on-field, 65m off-field), keeping him atop the rankings; Lionel Messi and LeBron James follow, while Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant also crack the top 10. The standings highlight soccer and basketball as the best-represented sports, and underscore a heavy role for off-field deals in driving earnings—Ohtani’s large off-field income helps him reach No. 5 despite modest on-field pay.
In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland bottled up Jalen Brunson and dared Josh Hart to shoot, a gamble that backfired as Hart started cold but erupted for 5-of-11 from three and a playoff‑career-high 26 points (helping New York to a 109-93 win) after an 18‑0 third‑quarter run.
OKC used relentless, physical defense and a few controversial sequences—plus some uncalled (or borderline) fouls—to beat the Spurs in Game 2 and even the Western Conference Finals at 1‑1. After a historic Game 1 from Victor Wembanyama, he faced heavy pressure and limited production in Game 2 as Hartenstein’s bodying and other aggressive tactics disrupted San Antonio’s offense, with the piece also noting flopping and a style that felt more football than basketball at times.