Daily Discussion Thread + Game Thread Index | Playoffs
The best chess player in the world Magnus Carlsen criticizes the NBA application: “We have one of the best series in years going on right now in the Western Conference Finals, and when people have ‘No Spoilers’ on in the [application], they expect no spoilers. So, do better.”
[STAT REPORT] SGA currently has more made free throws than made field goals in the 2026 postseason
For two months in 2021, the NBA cracked down on flopping… then gave up completely
Wright: “You can’t convince me that OKC, with all of its analytics and the fact that everyone on the team does it, that flopping isn’t coached to a degree”
The NBA’s Newest, Cheapest Owner Shows How Billionaires Ruin Sports - Ultra-rich owners think purely in terms of money, and they don’t care about players, fans, or the cities that support them. The Trail Blazers’ Tom Dundon is just the latest example.
Shoutout to Kevin Harlan
[Adam Silver] “The officiating is incredible.”
ESPN writer Dennis Jr: “The Thunder foul all the time and it’s annoying to watch them play…[on defense] they’re pushing guys and playing nasty and you go down the court and SGA is like ‘Oh I fell’. That is what is frustrating.“
[Henderson] “Even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call,” (Adam) Silver said. “But to me, if they’re not fooling the referees, it’s OK. Players are taught to sell calls these days.”
Kawhi/Clippers scandal are the NBA going to do anything?
[Jones] Sports prediction market company Underdog received a cease-and-desist about its promotion that makes fun of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drawing fouls… In a letter dated May 22, 2026 obtained by The Athletic, Eric Fishman of law firm ArentFox Schiff LLP, representing Gilgeous-Alexander (cont.)
[Highlight] Jared McCain appears to make elbow contact with Harper’s throat area, then backs it up on him and falls to the floor. Foul on Harper
[Guardian] The Knicks are in the NBA finals. But owner James Dolan is far from a New York hero
[Charania] The NBA has warned the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama for violating media access rules. Wembanyama bypassed media obligations after Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Tyrese Haliburton: “A place like New York they have a lot of passionate fans of course and people love the Knicks, but there’s a lot of celebrities in there and there are sometimes they’re like too cool to get super loud vs OKC’s”
President plans to attend NBA Finals game in New York
Alex Caruso currently has the highest TS% of any player shooting 8+ Fga per game in a Conference Finals
[Thinking Basketball] “I do think that the competition [the Knicks] have played has been subpar, you could argue Atlanta was the best team they’ve played… [against the Cavs] 3 or 4 possessions in a row the Knicks just get runout layups… That’s just an abomination of transition defense”
Only two players in NBA history have reached the finals scoring over 15 PPG on over 70% TS. They are OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns from this year’s New York Knicks
[McMenamin] Lakers informed more than a dozen employees Wednesday they were being laid off as part of a reorganization under new franchise leadership… The layoffs Wednesday affected various departments including marketing, team communications, team content and corporate partnerships
Knicks fans extremely hyped after clinching a finals appearance.
[Trey Kirby/No Dunks] Alex Caruso would probably be the Western Conference Finals MVP through 5 games
Adam Silver believes NBA will move to an automated replay system: “We’re going to move to a system like [Hawk-Eye] … [Objective] calls will be done by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court … You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
Chet: “Some teams that aren’t as good, guys get to the point where they’re like, ‘We’re not winning. OK, I’m gonna just make sure I get my averages.’ I get my averages, but it’s not helping us win. But I got my averages, so now the blame goes on everybody else. That’s one fucked up message.”
NBA Referee Assignments Game 6
Mason Plumlee’s (SAS) foul against Jared McCain (OKC) at 1:39 of the 4th quarter in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on 5/26/26 has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after league review.
[NBC PR] Western Conference Finals Averaging 9.4 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock, Ranking as Most-Watched WCF on Record through 3 Games
Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon break down a game 5 adjustment from OKC: “In the 2nd half they went toward playing McCain more on the ball, which opened up the ability to get into those second side actions in an empty for Shai, which allowed him to get into more space.”
Anybody feels like this WCF is solely dependent on the way Refs decide to ref a certain game?
What’s the worst record you can have and still win a championship? I found out.
IIRC the NBA made rules to fight unnatural basketball motions aka flopping, what happened to that
[Krawczynski] DiVincenzo is trying to follow Tatum’s lead. He flew to New York for surgery less than 24 hours after suffering the injury, following a similar timeline that Tatum went through… Several within the Timberwolves organization believe DiVincenzo could return at some point next season.
Wemby whispers something to Plumlee and Biyombo as they check into garbage time. Both players instantly pick up hard fouls on Jared McCain
[Highlight] Mitch Johnson picks up a tech after official fails to recognize his challenge
On ESPN Cleveland radio, a Cavaliers fan called with inside information that LeBron James will return to Cleveland for a third time. “Charles Oakley came to my bakery all the time, he told me he met with Maverick Carter last week and he told me LeBron James is 95 percent coming to Cleveland”
No team has beaten OKC back-to-back in the playoffs since Mavericks in 2023-2024. Spurs have to be the first since in order to avoid elimination… OKC is 9-0 following a loss
[Highlight] Mitch Johnson asks for a coach’s challenge right in front of the referee James Capers, but he doesn’t call it. Instead, he receives a technical foul.
The Spurs would have won the challenge, as the refs gave the ball to the Thunder after it went out of bounds off Chet Holmgren.
Stephon Castle on the OKC defense: “I’m trying to play through it, it’s tough. The way they guard, how physical they are we don’t get that same luxury to play as physical on the other end.”
If the Thunder come out of the West, the NBA Finals will be a matchup of exclusively orange and blue teams
Tyrese Haliburton: “I don’t think it’s as much head coach teaching as much as it is like player development even before you get to the NBA it’s just something you like kind of work on by nature…even in pickup they’re working on how they can draw fouls. I think that’s a part of the game”
Vivek Ramaswamy failed to bum rush the Knicks’ championship celebration
[Amick] Victor Wembanyama, who struggled mightily in the Spurs’ Game 5 loss in OKC tonight, declined to do media this evening. He just left Paycom Center as midnight central time nears.
[Tim Legler] ‘OKC dominated Game 5 by keeping their cool and converting chances; people only blame refs because they hate OKC.’
Victor Wembanyama bumps into Chet Holmgren while going to the Spurs’ bench after a timeout call.
Mason Plumlee after trucking Jared McCain in the back, “I got another one for you too.”
[Windhorst on the Hoop Collective] Windhorst been told that James is waiting for the Lakers to approach him with an offer and a plan.
Tony Brothers with a refereeing masterclass in the first half: 39 combined freethrows for both teams and 25 personal fouls called
[Duncan] “The referees were correct in denying Mitch Johnson that challenge. The rule is very specific: he needs to first call timeout, then challenge. He never signaled for the timeout before signaling for the challenge.”
[Highlights] All the 102 field goals made by James Harden in the current 2026 NBA Playoffs.
18 games played.
He scored a total of 345 points in 672 minutes played, and went 102⁄249 FG (41.0%), 38⁄128 from 3 (29.9%), 103⁄124 FT (83.1%).