Here are the stories that caught the eye of our editors last week:
Back-to-back: SGA wins MVP for second straight season
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2025/26 season with championship expectations - and now their superstar has added another historic milestone to an already remarkable season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was officially named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season after leading Oklahoma City to the league’s best regular-season record (64-18).
Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 of 100 first-place votes, finishing ahead of Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Ironically, Wembanyama and the Spurs will now face Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night.
SGA delivered another spectacular individual season, averaging 31.1 points on a career-best 55.3% shooting from the field, along with 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
The Thunder guard also extended his NBA-record streak of regular-season games with at least 20 points to 140, further cementing himself as one of the league’s most consistent offensive forces.
The MVP trophy was not the only honour Gilgeous-Alexander collected this season. He also earned the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award after repeatedly coming through for the Thunder in crunch time throughout the season.
By securing back-to-back MVP awards, Gilgeous-Alexander became the first guard to repeat as league MVP since Stephen Curry accomplished the feat in 2015 and 2016. He also became just the 14th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons.
And with the Thunder now just four wins away from the NBA Finals, even more history could be on the horizon.
If SGA were to add Finals MVP to his resume this postseason, he would join Michael Jordan (1991, 1992) and LeBron James (2012, 2013) as the only players in NBA history to win consecutive regular-season MVPs and Finals MVPs in back-to-back years.
There may also be a family celebration coming soon for the Gilgeous-Alexander clan. Shai’s cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this season, making it an unforgettable year for one of basketball’s rising families.
Natalie Csurillova
Cavaliers downs Pistons to reach Eastern Conference finals
The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 125-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semi-final on Sunday, reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2018.
Heading to Detroit, several Cavs players turned up when it mattered most. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 26 points, while three other players scored over 20 points - including Sam Merrill's playoff career-high 23 points.
The Pistons' offence, which has been an issue at times this season, seriously let them down in Game 7. They shot 35.3% from the floor, compared to Cleveland's 50.6%. No Detroit player was able to get going, and coupled with how strong defensively the Cavs looked, it was one-way traffic.
It was a sad ending for Detroit, but it is important to remember just how much they have improved. They won 60 games, finished as the top seeds in the East, and won a playoff game for the first time in 18 years. They are heading in the right direction.
For Cleveland, it was a statement victory. It was also a big moment for Mitchell, who is in a conference finals for the first time in his career. Next up are the New York Knicks. The Cavs will have to play an incredible series if they want to beat a team that are playing some excellent basketball.
Tolga Akdeniz
Wolves impress, but can the Greek Freak take them another step?
Despite a lacklustre regular season (6th in the West), the Minnesota Timberwolves once again rose to the occasion. But this time, their run came to an end in the conference semi-finals, against a Spurs side that were more physical and more complete, and who didn’t let the series go to a Game 7. Nevertheless, the Wolves have confirmed that they are a playoff team.
This has often gone unnoticed, given the intensity of the competition in this conference. But last year, Minnesota achieved a remarkable feat: two consecutive conference finals, a first in the West since… Steph Curry’s Warriors (2015–2019), no less.
But the main concern remains that both conference finals were lost and that Minnesota are still waiting for an NBA Finals appearance.
On paper, apart from superstar Anthony Edwards, the squad isn’t exactly star-studded. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are among the most criticised players (for different reasons) in the NBA.
There are some very good role players, such as Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, and Donte DiVincenzo, but overall, Minnesota are never mentioned among the favourites, and yet they are clearly a powerhouse in their conference.
This playoff campaign proved it once again: the Nuggets were clear title contenders, yet the Wolves dominated the series without breaking a sweat, despite serious injuries to DiVincenzo and Edwards, who likely played at 70% throughout the playoffs.
After that, they clearly threatened the Spurs, a team with incredible momentum led by Wembanyama, an MVP finalist and a potential future world-class player. All things considered, many teams would be satisfied with such a scenario.
But when you have Edwards, one of the top 10 players in the NBA (at the very least), the priority must be to keep him. Strictly speaking, there’s no rush: Ant-Man is under contract for another three seasons.
But things move very quickly in the NBA, especially in this era of player empowerment, and for a city that isn’t a major market, having a star player is vital. So, why not have two?
Enter Giannis Antetokounmpo. Undoubtedly, the 'Greek Freak' will be the main attraction of the NBA off-season, as his departure, rumoured time and again, seems inevitable.
And we learned via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that the Wolves did more than just make enquiries about the two-time MVP before the trade deadline. This suggests they may return to the fray more aggressively this summer.
Four years ago, the Wolves took a huge gamble by acquiring Gobert in exchange for a slew of first-round draft picks. They then doubled down with the surprise trade out of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the result has been these two conference finals. So it can’t be said that these gambles have paid off entirely.
Consequently, they are at a crossroads: should they pursue their ambition to the full and sacrifice their future to land Antetokounmpo? Or should they try to offload Gobert and Randle and build a younger, more dynamic team around Edwards?
A Greek Freak–Ant-Man duo would undoubtedly make Minnesota favourites for the title. Now is the time to be bold…
Sébastien Gente
Kerr back with the Warriors, but will the dynasty continue?
A month ago, the Golden State Warriors battled the Phoenix Suns in a play-in game, striving to punch their ticket to the playoffs. But all the effort came in vain, as the Suns edged the Warriors 111-96 to claim the last postseason spot.
The game ended in an emotional way for Golden State, as head coach Steve Kerr hugged superstars Steph Curry and Draymond Green, whispering, "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you."
Then, there were weeks of uncertainty about the Warriors' leadership.
Then, exciting news shook the NBA sphere - Kerr is coming back to the Warriors for his 13th season. It wasn’t his desire to retire that initially put his future in jeopardy; Kerr just wasn’t sure if he still was the best fit for Golden State and needed some time to reflect on the situation.
When he first arrived in the Bay in 2014, he immediately transformed the Warriors into one of the most exciting, memorable, dominant, and electrifying dynasties the basketball world has ever seen.
The team featured the famous 'Splash Brothers' - the duo consisting of sharpshooters Curry and Klay Thompson - who torched opponents from beyond the arc. Supported by Green, the franchise won four NBA championships.
The Warriors are no longer the unstoppable machine that dominated the NBA for years. The core is older, the Western Conference is deeper, and the roster has major questions. The departure of Thompson in 2024 closed a significant chapter.
Still, Kerr’s return matters because Golden State’s identity is inseparable from his system and leadership. His comeback keeps the franchise’s championship window alive - but extending the dynasty will be much harder than restarting it.
"I know I have to be better," Kerr said. "I didn't have a great coaching year." They went 37-45 this season, barely made the play-in tournament, and ultimately failed to advance to snatch a playoff berth.
The Warriors averaged 15 turnovers per game - tied for the third most in the league - and general manager Mike Dunleavy labelled the year as "pretty underwhelming."
Kerr wants to bring the team back on top. The process will start with the draft, where the Warriors have the 11th pick in the first round. They could also use the pick as a trade asset in pursuit of stars like Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard to pair with Curry and Jimmy Butler, who is returning from a knee injury.
Kerr has proven he knows the winning formula, but can he find it once more and make the Warriors competitive again?
Michaela Gaislerová