Here are the big stories that caught the eye of our editors last week:
From the mountain top to the bottom: 76ers suffer series sweep
A week ago, the Philadelphia 76ers were euphorically celebrating a huge Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics - a victory that sent the favourites home and advanced Philly to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. During the first weekend of May, Philadelphia were on top of the world. And in just one short week, everything changed.
Confident and in rhythm, the 76ers were ready to make noise against the third-seeded New York Knicks in an East Coast rivalry showdown. After taking down the No. 2 Celtics, Philadelphia felt invincible.
But New York came out swinging, dominating the series from Game 1. The Knicks continued their impressive playoff run and swept the 76ers in style. Red hot from start to finish, New York never gave Philadelphia the slightest chance to respond.
Coming off the high of beating the Celtics, Philadelphia’s goal was clear: advance to the Conference finals. And they needed their fans to power them forward. “I just have a message for our fans,” said Embiid before the series began. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys.”
Instead, the crowd turned on the 76ers as their performance took a complete 180 from the first round. Philadelphia struggled to shoot consistently, while the Knicks fired with confidence and torched them offensively.
New York were better in every aspect, sweeping the 76ers in four games and crushing their hopes of another upset. After such an exciting postseason start, Philadelphia suffered a devastating blow that nobody saw coming.
Michaela Gaislerová
T-Wolves battle back as series with Spurs turns into a war
The second-round matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs is quickly becoming one of the most physical and unpredictable series of the postseason.
With the series now tied 2-2, momentum has shifted once again after Minnesota escaped with a 114-109 victory in Game 4 despite dealing with major injury setbacks.
After missing time earlier in the playoffs, Anthony Edwards returned looking like himself again and carried the Timberwolves when it mattered most. The All-Star guard exploded for 36 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter alone, taking over late as Minnesota closed out the win.
The Timberwolves, however, continue to pay a heavy price physically. Minnesota already lost Donte DiVincenzo for the remainder of the postseason after the guard suffered a torn Achilles during the series.
Minnesota’s frontcourt once again delivered a massive contribution. Naz Reid finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Julius Randle chipped in 12 points and eight boards as the Timberwolves controlled key stretches inside.
The biggest moment of the night came in the second quarter when Victor Wembanyama was ejected after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul. The Spurs star was tossed after slamming his right elbow into Reid’s neck during a physical sequence under the basket, leaving San Antonio without its defensive anchor for the remainder of the game.
Even without Wembanyama, the Spurs kept fighting behind their young core. Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 24 points each, while Stephon Castle added another 20 points.
Now tied at two games apiece, the series heads back to San Antonio for a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday. Wembanyama’s availability remains uncertain as the league reviews the Flagrant 2 foul and automatic ejection following the excessive contact on Reid.
Natalie Csurillova
No JDub, no problem: Mitchell helps Thunder to potential sweep
Though they’ve been utterly dominant this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were far from healthy. The reigning champs lost the third-most man games (369) across the entire NBA, behind only the Memphis Grizzlies (462) and Portland Trail Blazers (371). It’s tested them thoroughly, but they’ve stood the test.
Without cheating, no less. But if they did cheat, it’s because they have a cheat code in Ajay Mitchell. The Belgian phenom, picked 38th overall in 2024, averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3,3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game as he finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
But his excellent - and injury-hit - season has led to a major role in the playoffs, where he’s filled in for the injured Jalen Williams. And it didn’t stop at filling in for JDub - he absolutely took over.
In their first-round sweep against the Phoenix Suns, Mitchell took over as a starter in Game 3. It was a somewhat slow start: 15 points on 5/20 shooting and 1/5 3PA, 2 assists, 6 rebounds… It was an okay game. His last okay game, however, was when the Belgian picked up serious pace. Mitchell put up 22/6/4 in Game 4 for the sweep, giving the Los Angeles Lakers plenty of homework before the Western Conference semis.
Mitchell has lit up the series against the Lakers, becoming a high-volume, high-efficiency guard and a perfect no.2 to MVP-to-be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In three games, Mitchell has averaged over 20 points on 53.3 per cent FG%, been defensively excellent on one of the best defensive teams in NBA history, and has done exactly what he needed to do for a championship-worthy team.
He saved the best for last. In Game 3 in Los Angeles, Mitchell was the man for OKC with 24 points, 10 assists, 3 steals and 0 (zero) turnovers, thus becoming the first player in Thunder history to put up 20 points and 10 assists on 0 turnovers. And all that on a deal worth $3 million per year that runs through 2028.
Perhaps Shai has said it best: “It may be a shock to the world, but this is no shock to us. We knew who Ajay Mitchell was the day he set foot in our building, and he’s just showing it to the world.”
Paul Winters
Pistons on course despite Game 3 errors
The Detroit Pistons remain on course for a first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2008, as they hold a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, after two commanding victories at home, the Pistons looked in a good position in the fourth quarter of Game 3 to really all but wrap things up.
Yet Cade Cunningham, who has been superb in the playoffs, leading the way for the Pistons, had a horrible end to the game. He had three straight turnovers with two and a half minutes to go, largely due to fatigue, allowing the Cavs to take control and win the game.
The Pistons remain in a strong position and are a better team than Cleveland, so they'll be desperate to rebound from this defeat and head back to Detroit with a 3-1 lead.
Tolga Akdeniz
The Pacers’ failed gamble
It’s easy to forget, but a year ago, the Indiana Pacers came within a whisker of becoming NBA champions for the first time in their history. 25 years after the Reggie Miller era, Indianapolis reached another NBA Final, which ended in heartbreak with a Game 7 defeat to the Thunder, compounded by a horrific Achilles tendon injury to their superstar, Tyrese Haliburton.
Deprived of their leader this season, the Pacers logically switched to tanking mode (which didn’t seem to bother Adam Silver, for some reason). A dismal season, an incredible run of 16 consecutive defeats, a 19-63 record – the second-worst in the league: everything seemed to be falling into place to secure a high draft pick in a class tipped to be exceptionally strong.
But then, come the trade deadline, Indiana pulled off a deal that, at the time, took everyone by surprise. The Pacers brought in Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of their long-term planning: Myles Turner had left the team, and they needed a reliable centre to develop a quality pick’n’roll once Haliburton was back on the court. At the time, the trade package raised questions.
Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, in terms of players, but above all, several draft picks, including this year’s. With one key detail: the 2026 pick would remain the Pacers’ property if it fell between first and fourth place in the lottery.
However, despite having the highest (joint) probability of securing the first pick (14%), the Pacers’ name appeared in fifth place, and the Clippers - so often criticised for the famous Paul George trade and the picks that followed - saw the fifth pick in what is expected to be an exceptional draft fall into their lap.
It’s not the worst gamble in NBA history; there are far more notorious examples ahead of it, such as the Brooklyn Nets’ blockbuster flop in 2013, for instance. But for a small-market team like Indiana, the draft remains the number one way to build a squad.
The Pacers have their centre, but he isn’t necessarily one of the top 10 in the NBA in his position, and they won’t be getting any reinforcements via the draft, having lost their sixth man (Mathurin), whose importance had been so often praised during the glorious 2025 playoff run.
Sacrificing a season to miss out on the title, with added doubts over whether Haliburton can return to his best: in the space of a year, the Pacers have gone from heaven to hell. It’s hard to believe they’ll be among the frontrunners next season...
Sébastien Gente