Starting 5: Wolves tie series, Knicks oust 76ers; Looking ahead to Game 4s tonight

Back-to-back buckets.

Back to the East Finals.

Jalen Brunson’s Knicks are the first team to punch their ticket to the 2026 Conference Finals – leaving just three spots up for grabs.

See what’s trending in today’s edition, from Sunday’s scores and Draft Lottery results to a pivotal Playoff week ahead ⬇️

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Wolves Even Series: Ant’s Mother’s Day takeover fuels Minnesota past San Antonio, ties series 2-2

Knicks Advance: New York drills 25 3s to oust Philly in four, return to East Finals

Wiz Win Lottery: For the first time in 16 years, Washington holds the NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick

Pistons at Cavs: Can Cleveland tie the series 2-2, or will Detroit take a 3-1 lead?

Thunder at Lakers: Inside Ajay Mitchell’s inspiring emergence as OKC eyes West Finals berth

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The Conference Semifinals roll on with two more Game 4s tonight, as the Pistons (up 2-1) look to take control against the Cavs, before the Thunder (up 3-0) aim to close out the Lakers.

• Pistons at Cavaliers (8 ET, NBC/Peacock | Tap to Watch)
• Thunder at Lakers (10:30 ET, Prime | Tap to Watch)

Catch Up Quick: From the bracket to schedules to the latest news from every series, tap here for the NBA Playoffs Hub.

1. ANT OWNS THE 4TH, WOLVES EVEN SERIES VS. SPURS

Anthony Edwards doesn’t shy away from big moments – he creates them.

Need proof? Just look at his 30-minute highlight reel of dunks, or his growing tally of 4th-quarter Playoff scoring.

And in Sunday’s Game 4, it was his final 12 minutes that stole the show – plus a Mother’s Day tribute that made it extra special.

Wolves 114, Spurs 109: Down eight early in the 4th, Edwards took over, scoring 16 of his game-high 36 points in the final frame to push the Wolves past the Spurs in crunch time, evening the series at 2-2. | Recap

From Ant To Everyone: Despite losing Victor Wembanyama to an ejection in the 2nd quarter, the Spurs controlled much of the 2nd half behind De’Aaron Fox (24 pts) and Dylan Harper (24 pts, 7 reb), taking a 4-point lead into the 4th.

Over the next 6:48, Edwards single-handedly outscored San Antonio 14-13, swinging Minnesota in front entering clutch time.

Then the whole pack closed it out.

• Final Burst: Down one with 3:03 left, Minnesota closed on a 14-8 run, including a tough finger roll from Ant, and-ones from Rudy Gobert and Ayo Dosunmu, plus a Naz Reid putback to go up seven in the final minute
• Complete Win: Reid (15 pts, 9 reb), Gobert (11 pts, 13 reb) and Dosunmu (10 pts, 5 reb) all finished with double figures, capped by a key snag and two clutch free throws from Dosunmu to seal it

But it was Ant – just 16 days after suffering a hyperextended knee – who ignited it all. He showcased the versatility and poise that make him one of the game’s best closers.

• Ant At Work: Edwards shot 6-of-8 in the 4th, attacking on all three levels with three straight midrange buckets, two triples and a hanging finish after tracking down an offensive board
• The Final Three Buckets? All in massive moments: a 3 to force a Spurs timeout, another to give Minnesota the lead, then the finger roll to send Target Center into a frenzy
• The Man: Edwards now has 240 4th-quarter points over the last three Playoffs, joining Jalen Brunson (317) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (254) as the only players to eclipse 225
• The Moments: That includes four Playoff 4th quarters with 16+ points, trailing only Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant (5 apiece) for the most of any player before turning 25

This One Meant More: Asked about his 4th-quarter motivation on Sunday, Edwards pointed to his late mother, who died in 2015 when he was in eighth grade.

• “Today is Mother’s Day, so I just wanted to win for my mom,” said Edwards. “It was just destined … I couldn’t lose this game for her.”

Up Next: Tied 2-2, the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday (8 ET, NBC/Peacock).

2. KNICKS ERUPT, ADVANCE TO EAST FINALS WITH 4-0 SERIES WIN OVER SIXERS

For the second straight season, the Knicks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals.

And they’re scorching hot.

Knicks 144, 76ers 114: Miles McBride (25 pts, 7 3s) and Jalen Brunson (22 pts, 6 ast, 6 3s) were in another zone, as New York splashed 25 3s – tying the single-game Playoff record – to emphatically close the series in four games against Joel Embiid (24 pts, 5 reb) and Philly. | Recap

• 1st-Quarter Fire: The Knicks drilled 11 treys in the opening frame – the most in a Playoff 1st quarter in the play-by-play era – to grab a 43-24 lead
• 48-Minute Flame: They never cooled off, tying the Playoff play-by-play-era record with 18 3s in the 1st half, before matching the single-game mark with 25
• Deuce For Trey: McBride had 20 points at the break on six 3s as he finished with Playoff career bests in points and triples – along with plenty of “Deuuuuce” chants echoing through Philly’s Xfinity Mobile Arena
• JB For Five: Brunson tallied 14 points and 5 dimes before the half, then scored 5 points in under 10 seconds in the 3rd to put New York up 29
• Getting Even Better: Karl-Anthony Towns (10 ast) and Josh Hart (9 reb) added 17 points apiece as New York set a franchise Playoff record for points in a game, passing the mark it set 11 days ago in closing out the Hawks (Game 6 – 140 points)

How It Started: Eighteen days ago, the Knicks fell to the Hawks, 109-108, in Game 3 of the First Round to go down 2-1. It was their second straight one-point loss, putting them two games away from elimination entering Game 4 in Atlanta.

How It’s Going: Since then, New York’s left no doubt – playing some of their best Playoff basketball ever.

• Seven Straight: The Knicks have won seven straight games – their longest win streak in Playoff franchise history – by an average of 26.4 ppg
• Lucky 7s: That’s the largest average scoring margin by any team over a 7-game span in Playoff history
• Closing Eruptions: That includes dropping 140+ points in back-to-back closeout games – a feat no team had ever achieved before

The Key? How New York built its foundation, which starts with Brunson’s fearlessness and includes Towns’ physicality, Hart’s energy and do-everything impact from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby (out, hamstring). Plus, a bench that continues to deliver in big moments.

• “We have good character guys,” said Brunson postgame. “We have guys who want to win. We have guys who want to sacrifice …
• “When we’re doing the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, that’s how we know we’re clicking.”

Now, they’re back in the East Finals – the stage where their season ended a year ago – with another chance to take the next step.

• “We still have a lot of work to do,” said Brunson. “The edge that we have to have is really important.”

3. WIZARDS WIN 2026 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY

The Washington Wizards are on the clock.

In six weeks, the Wizards are slated to pick No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft after winning Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery.

The last time Washington selected No. 1 overall? Back in 2010, when it took John Wall, who represented the franchise on stage for this year’s Lottery in Chicago. Picks 1-4 Drawing | Full Lottery Show | Full Draft Order

• “Bring in a No. 1 pick to go get another No. 1 pick,” said Wall. “I was nervous … I saw Utah 2 and I was like, ‘Alright, we got 1 – it’s lit.’”

How It Went Down: Washington had a 14% chance of winning No. 1, tied with Brooklyn and Indiana for the best odds.

Utah will pick No. 2, Memphis will pick No. 3 and Chicago will pick No. 4.

The Clippers got the 5th pick – via a trade with the Pacers – followed by the Nets (6), Kings (7), Hawks (8), Mavs (9) and Bucks (10).

What It Means: The Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis this season, and now have a chance to add an immediate impact player with the first pick in a draft class that has generated significant buzz.

• Combine Participants: Seventy-three players were invited to participate in this week’s AWS NBA Draft Combine, taking place today through Sunday in Chicago. See the full list here
• The Athletic’s Mock Draft: Which players could hear their names called in the Lotto? See The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s Mock Draft (which was written before Sunday’s Lottery results)

The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23-24 in New York.

4. TONIGHT ON NBC/PEACOCK: CAVS LOOK TO EVEN SERIES VS. PISTONS

The Cavs needed a spark.

With another loss, Cleveland would’ve gone down 3-0 against Detroit. No team in league history has come back from such a series deficit.

So the squad’s biggest stars – Donovan Mitchell and James Harden – did what was necessary, digging deep to propel their team back into the series.

Tonight (8 ET, NBC/Peacock), the Cavs can even the East Semifinals at 2-2 with a Game 4 victory.

Saturday, in the 4th quarter alone, Mitchell and Harden combined for 18 of Cleveland’s 33 points. Harden drained two jump shots and a 3-pointer during the final 90 seconds.

• Elite Experience: This is Harden’s 17th Playoff run. Among active players, his 4,090 points rank 4th-most behind LeBron James (8,497), Kevin Durant (5,008) and Stephen Curry (4,147)
• Beard Balling: So far this postseason, he leads all players in isolation points per game and is tied for 4th-most total points in the clutch
• “That’s James Harden,” Mitchell said of Harden delivering late. “I feel like we’ve been seeing that for 17 years. No doubt the right play was going to be made.”

Mitchell is no stranger to this time of year, either. His Playoff scoring average of 27.9 ppg is the 8th-most all-time.

Alongside Harden, he hopes to push Cleveland into the East Finals for the first time since 2018.

• Ol’ Reliable: Mitchell contributed 23 points in Game 1 and an even-better 31 in Game 2, both of which either represented or tied for the game-high mark
• Sizzling Showing: In Game 3, he posted 35 points – another game high – on 13-for-24 shooting, and his 10 rebounds tied Cade Cunningham for the most of any player
• “In Cleveland, they’re just so hungry for wins,” Mitchell said. “To play in front of these fans is an honor and a privilege, and you feel the energy and the buzz in the city.”

Home court advantage, though, still belongs to the East’s No. 1 seed in this series.

Entering Game 3, the Pistons had won five in a row.

• Silver Lining: Detroit tied the game at 74-74 with just over three minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, erasing what had been a 17-point deficit as Game 3 came down to the wire

5. TONIGHT ON PRIME: UP 3-0, THUNDER AIM TO CLOSE OUT LAKERS

Only one team in NBA history has opened a Playoff run with seven straight wins and a total point differential of +125 or more:

The 2025-26 Oklahoma City Thunder.

Tonight (10:30 ET, Prime), the Thunder look to take the next step toward defending their title, holding a 3-0 series lead as they visit the Lakers.

A win would send them to a second straight West Finals, and while All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have led the charge, OKC’s dominant postseason start has showcased its depth.

The latest emergence: Ajay Mitchell.

After losing his father unexpectedly in December, Mitchell has turned his breakout season into something bigger than basketball – and is now delivering on the Playoff stage, writes The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi:

In one night, [Mitchell’s] season, his mission, took on more meaning. This season no longer belonged to him alone.

It was Barry’s swan song.

…“I know my dad would have said, ‘Go out there and hoop. Go out there and play.’ I don’t want to let him down.” | Read More

In Game 3, Mitchell led OKC with a team-high 24 points and 10 assists – both Playoff career highs – as the Thunder took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

• X-Factor: Mitchell’s averaging 17.4 points and 5 dimes this postseason, while posting a Playoff-best +17 average plus-minus (min. 2 GP)

On the other side, LeBron James and the Lakers’ backs are against the wall. James has thrived in these spots, averaging 33.1 pts, 10.3 reb and 7.5 ast across 29 career elimination games.

And despite the 3-0 deficit, the Lakers have shown they can hang with OKC, leading at halftime in each of the last two games.

Now, they’ll look to put together a full 48 minutes to extend their season.

• “In the third straight game, we’re right there after two-and-a-half quarters,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “We’ve gotta get better … but I’m not giving up on the series.”

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