{"id":445009,"date":"2026-05-16T16:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T16:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/445009\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T16:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T16:41:16","slug":"starting-5-spurs-thunder-in-wcf-cavs-pistons-game-7-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/445009\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Spurs & Thunder In WCF, Cavs-Pistons Game 7 Sun."},"content":{"rendered":"

Castle to Wemby. ROY to ROY.\u00a0From the Lottery to the Western Conference Finals.<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s future is here now,\u00a0with a date with the defending champs on the way.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

May 16, 2026<\/p>\n

Spurs Dominate: Stephon Castle & crew leave no question in advancing to WCF<\/p>\n

Back To Detroit: Pistons hand Cavs first home loss of Playoffs to force Game 7<\/p>\n

Game 7, Again: Who\u2019s got the edge in this familiar finale for both clubs?<\/p>\n

Brunson\u2019s Legacy: Reflecting on Captain Clutch\u2019s New York ascent, four Playoff runs in<\/p>\n

Draft Combine: Unique backstories and facts for this year\u2019s top Draft prospects<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

Counting down to Sunday\u2019s Game 7\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

With no games tonight, Sunday brings one last run to decide the East Semis.<\/p>\n

Up Next: The Western Conference Finals are set, with the No. 2 Spurs taking on the No. 1 Thunder, beginning Monday (8:30 ET, NBC\/Peacock<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Kia MVP Award: Punctuating NBA Awards season<\/a>, the winner of the 2025-26 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award will be revealed Sunday during Prime\u2019s pregame coverage (7:30 ET). The finalists are:<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
\nNikola Joki\u0107 (Nuggets)
\nVictor Wembanyama (Spurs)<\/p>\n

Social Justice Champion: Finalists have also been announced<\/a> for 2025-26 NBA Social Justice Champion award, including three players active last night: Tobias Harris, Harrison Barnes and Larry Nance Jr. The winner, to be announced during the Conference Finals, will receive the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy.<\/p>\n

\"Playoff<\/p>\n

1. CASTLE, SPURS DOMINATE GAME 6 TO FINISH WOLVES, MOVE ON TO OKC<\/p>\n

\"San<\/p>\n

A 20-0 run to open the 2nd quarter.<\/p>\n

A 28-point lead with just under 4 minutes to go in 3rd.<\/p>\n

A congratulatory visit to the Spurs bench from a subbed-out Ant Edwards, with 8:01 left and the lead up to 33.<\/p>\n

Signs of San Antonio\u2019s dominance could be found throughout Game 6 in Minnesota. Now, headed to their first WCF since 2017, the Spurs are set for their biggest test yet.<\/p>\n

Spurs 139, Wolves 109: Victor Wembanyama (19 pts, 6 rev, 3 blk) dominated defensively, while Stephon Castle set Playoff career-highs with 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead six double-digit Spurs scorers en route to a 4-2 series victory.<\/p>\n

Anthony Edwards\u2019 24 points led the Wolves, who also got an early boost from Naz Reid (18 pts). | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Hot Start: Four of San Antonio\u2019s first five makes were triples, building an 18-8 lead in just over 4 minutes. But Reid answered with two of his own to pull the Wolves back within 5 (25-20)
\nPower Play: The Spurs then moved to put Minnesota away early, scoring the first 20 points of the 2nd quarter to lead 56-27. Wemby logged 7 of his 19 in that surge
\nOut Of Reach: After the Wolves again answered to cut the lead to 13 at half, the Spurs controlled the 3rd, 36-23. And when the lead hit 33 early in the 4th, Ant shook hands<\/p>\n

\"Stephon<\/p>\n

David Berding\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that point, you know you ain\u2019t going back in so you just trying to give them the respect they deserve,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cJust tip my hat to them. It was just a better team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The loss denied Ant\u2019s Wolves a third-straight Western Conference Finals appearance, while San Antonio now eyes its first NBA Finals bid since 2014.<\/p>\n

Stephon\u2019s Turn: Castle (21y, 197d) became the youngest player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 10+ boards, 5+ assists and 5+ 3s in a single postseason game, besting Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s (22y, 83d) mark
\nSpurs First: He\u2019s also the first player in Spurs history to reach those numbers for points, rebounds and 3s in a single postseason game
\n\u201cOur energy and our attention to detail was probably the best it\u2019s been all series,\u201d said Castle, who got started with 14 of his 32 points in the 1st quarter
\nTexas Rain: San Antonio knocked down a franchise Playoff record 18 3s in this win, with nine coming from Castle, De\u2019Aaron Fox (21 pts, 3 3s) and Dylan Harper (15 pts)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So how did the Spurs\u2019 young core, in their first postseason, carry the team into the West Finals?<\/p>\n

Two-Way Dominance: San Antonio outscored Minnesota cumulatively by 97 points in their series, the largest win margin of the Second Round. The Spurs\u2019 largest deficit in the series was 9 points (Game 4)
\nLightning Rod: Wembanyama led the Spurs in scoring for the West Semis with 20.3 ppg, while also posting one of the team\u2019s top-3 defensive ratings (96.8)
\nHistoric First 10: Wemby joined David Robinson as the only players since 1973-74 to average 20+ points, 10+ boards and 4+ blocks over their first 10 postseason games
\nAll-Time Rim Protection: Wemby and Robinson (1990) stand with Dikembe Mutombo (1994) as the only players since 1973-74 to average 4+ blocks through their first 10 career postseason games<\/p>\n

\"Shai<\/p>\n

Joshua Gateley\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The 8-0 Thunder now await the Spurs in a No. 1-vs.-No. 2\u00a0matchup between rivals to decide the West.<\/p>\n

Rich Rivalry: San Antonio posted a league-best 4-1 record against the defending champs this regular season, averaging 114.4 ppg, 2nd-most for any team that played OKC at least three times
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not even thinking about that right now,\u201d Castle said. \u201cThe games ahead are totally different games. They\u2019re rolling right now.\u201d
\n\u201cWe know it\u2019s gonna be a whole different series,\u201d Wemby said. \u201c[OKC] know their stuff\u2026 We\u2019re gonna rewatch all the games and do the scouting and try to execute.\u201d
\nThe Spurs surpassed OKC as the the No. 1 defense<\/a> (102.2 DefRtg) in these Playoffs, after the Thunder boasted the top-rated D for the last two regular seasons<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know it\u2019s gonna be tough to knock them off, but we\u2019re pretty confident we could do it,\u201d said Castle.<\/p>\n

The Western Conference Finals get underway Monday with Game 1 from OKC (8:30 ET, NBC & Peacock).<\/p>\n

2. BACK TO DETROIT: PISTONS FORCE GAME 7 WITH CAVS\u2019 FIRST HOME LOSS<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Six games were not enough for either the Pistons or the Cavaliers in the First Round.<\/p>\n

The former roared back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Magic, while the latter outlasted the Raptors.<\/p>\n

Now, another deciding contest looms for both teams. This time around, there\u2019s an East Finals berth on the line.<\/p>\n

Game 7 is in store \u2014again (Sunday, 8 ET, Prime).<\/p>\n

Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94: Cade Cunningham (21 pts, 8 ast) led the way as five teammates scored in double figures to ensure Detroit staved off elimination in Game 6. After trailing by just 3 points at halftime, Cleveland was outscored 61-43 in the 2nd half. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

The outcome? For just the fourth time in league history, two teams who played in a Game 7 to advance from their previous round will meet in another Game 7.<\/p>\n

Momentum Shift: Detroit was behind for most of the 1st Friday, but executed a 10-2 closeout to the quarter to secure a 27-25 lead it would not relinquish
\nMotorCade Arrives: Cunningham racked up 16 points in the first half, and in the process, drained a\u00a0quartet of 3-pointers<\/a> to help the Pistons power ahead<\/p>\n

And it wasn\u2019t only the All-Star guard who met the moment. The bench was plenty busy.<\/p>\n

No Small Difference: Detroit got 48 points off the bench\u00a0 \u2014 more than double Cleveland\u2019s 19 in that department
\nReed Rolls: 6th-year center Paul Reed posted a Playoff career high of 17 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting, complementing his six rebounds \u2013 all off the bench<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

James Harden did a little bit of everything for Cleveland with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, but the Cavaliers shot 39% from the field, compared to the Pistons\u2019 52.4%.<\/p>\n

Triumphant Trey: When Harden drained a 3 with 7:40 remaining in the first quarter, he passed Stephen Curry for 10th place on the Association\u2019s all-time Playoff points list<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s onto Game 7. The best two words in sports.<\/p>\n

Clutch When It Counts: Donovan Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in do-or-die situations throughout his career
\nRevved Up: Cunningham, meanwhile, is off to a hot start in elimination games in his career, at 29.5 points and 7.3 assists per contest<\/p>\n

Game 7 tips Sunday (8 ET, Prime) from Detroit. Read on to Section 3 for a full preview. \u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n

3. GAME 7, AGAIN: BOTH CAVS & PISTONS FAMILIAR WITH THIS FINALE\u00a0
\n\"Cade<\/p>\n

Chris Schwegler\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

It all comes down to this, again.<\/p>\n

Cavs. Pistons. Each going the distance in a second straight series.<\/p>\n

That tracks\u00a0for two teams who split their regular-season series and are now an even 5-5 against each other since the season started.<\/p>\n

The East-leaders lean once more on their home court advantage, as Motor City prepares to host its second Game 7 this month on Sunday (8 ET, Prime).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the fifth elimination game in these Playoffs for the Pistons \u2013\u00a0a scenario they\u2019ve learned to thrive in:<\/p>\n

Under Pressure: After handing Cleveland its first home loss since Mar. 25, Detroit is now 4-0 when facing elimination this postseason
\nDouble 30s: In Game 7 against Orlando, Tobias Harris (30 pts) joined Cade Cunningham (32 pts) as the first Detroit teammates to each score 30+ in a Playoff game since 1977\u2019s Bob Lanier (33) and Howard Porter (30)
\nDuren\u2019s Dubs: Jalen Duren had his first double-double of the Playoffs in that Game 7 (15\/15), and he added another Friday (15\/11). Detroit is 33-10 this season when Duren logs double-digit points and boards
\nBig Boosts: Jarrett Allen tied his Playoff career-high of 22 pts (19 reb) in Cleveland\u2019s prior Game 7 against Toronto, with Donovan Mitchell matching (22 pts) and 18 from James Harden
\nKey Runs: Both Game 7 survivors went up big with runs spanning parts of the 2nd and 3rd quarters: Detroit\u2019s was a 20-4 spurt, while Cleveland launched a 49-21 takeover<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

Brian Sevald\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

But in a series that\u2019s seen the road team win back to back games, Cleveland now looks to recreate the feat it pulled off in Game 5.<\/p>\n

What did it take? A furious 9-point comeback with under 3:00 to play (just the fourth such rally in the last 11 postseasons) and a Spida (7 pts) takeover in OT
\nSerious Splits: Mitchell is experiencing a 7.0-ppg drop in scoring from home (32.0) to road (25.0) in this series, while Cade gains nearly the same difference at home (29.0)
\nSteadying Force? Harden (21.3 ppg) has been a consistent force for the Cavs\u2019 offense, with just a -1.3 ppg road effect for the vet in these East Semis<\/p>\n

4. BRUNSON IS THE HERO KNICKS FANS DESERVE, BUT NOT ONE THEY EXPECTED
\n\"Jalen<\/p>\n

Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Knicks are taking advantage of six-plus days off while awaiting an opponent for their return to the Eastern Conference Finals.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest reasons they\u2019re in this position? Captain Clutch, Jalen Brunson.<\/p>\n

The Athletic\u2019s James L. Edwards III notes that, while Brunson may not have been on Knicks fans\u2019 radar in 2022, he\u2019s writing quite the legacy in New York just four years later:<\/p>\n

He was but Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s backup when he arrived in Manhattan\u2026 The former NCAA champion was projected to be a core part of the foundation, but not the cornerstone.<\/p>\n

Brunson, though, has proven to be every bit the star the Knicks wanted<\/p>\n

An undersized, second-round pick from New Jersey has become the King of New York, a surprising hero for one of the NBA\u2019s glory franchises. He\u2019s carried the Knicks back to the Eastern Conference finals.<\/p>\n

Since Brunson came to New York, the Knicks have won at least 45 games every season, including 50-plus wins the last three campaigns\u2026<\/p>\n

New York has reached the second round of the playoffs every year since Brunson donned the blue-and-orange. | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

5. GET TO KNOW 2026\u2019S TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS
\n\"AJ<\/p>\n

Melissa Tamez\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Measurements, stats and projections are flying around faster than Kingston Flemings\u2019 shuttle run time<\/a> at this week\u2019s AWS NBA Draft Combine<\/a> in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Behind the numbers, NBA.com\u2019s Krysten Peek tracked down some of the background stories and facts that make this year\u2019s draft class one-of-a-kind:<\/p>\n

Cameron Boozer \u2026 On Ice?
\u201cWhen I was younger (around 7 or 8 years old), my dad played for the Bulls and me and my brothers went to a Blackhawks game and we just really enjoyed that experience and we wanted to try it so we played for about a year or two\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cCayden hated it the most, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dybantsa, Flagg Were Nearly (AAU) Teammates<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Maine didn\u2019t touch Massachusetts, so Cooper played for Maine United and I played for Expressions,\u201d said BYU star AJ Dybantsa. \u201cBut yeah, we were supposed to play on the same team because I was going to play up that year.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 I always think of what it would\u2019ve been like to be teammates that summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going Pro in Peterson Family
This year, Kansas standout Darryn Peterson and his older brother, Darryl, will enter the NBA and NFL in the same year. Darryl Peterson III, a former linebacker at Wisconsin, signed with the LA Rams shortly after the NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe grew up working and having the same dream, different sport and it\u2019s just super cool to see him achieve his and me, hopefully next month, achieve mine,\u201d said Darryn. | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Castle to Wemby. ROY to ROY.\u00a0From the Lottery to the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio\u2019s future is here…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[4155,85,46,208138,53850,208140,105,208139],"class_list":["post-445009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-4155","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-may-16","tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter","tag-pistons-force-game-7","tag-sports","tag-spurs-advance-to-western-conference-finals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}