Can we get a timeout?

The second round has come out flying, with game-winners, wild comebacks, and more twists than a vintage Kyrie crossover. So before things get even wilder, let’s catch our breath and catch you up on everything that’s happened over a ridiculous few days of playoff basketball.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Shawn Marion! 🎉

Game Recaps

Haliburton stuns Cavs, Pacers win 120-119 and take 2-0 series lead

The Cavs were shorthanded from the jump, missing Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter, but you wouldn’t have known it from how they played.

Behind a lights-out performance from Donovan Mitchell (48 PTS), Cleveland came out swinging with all the confidence of a 64-win squad. Mitchell looked untouchable for long stretches, burying tough shots and reminding everyone exactly who he is. With support from Max Strus (23 PTS) and Jarrett Allen (22 PTS), the Cavs weathered Indiana’s best efforts and found themselves up seven with under a minute to play.

And then, everything unraveled.

Aaron Nesmith (23 PTS) flew in for a put-back dunk off a missed free throw. Pascal Siakam (12 PTS) cashed in a layup after a turnover. Then, another Cleveland giveaway set up the moment of the night: Tyrese Haliburton (19 PTS) missed a free throw, grabbed his own rebound, and stepped back into a stone-cold triple to give the Pacers the win with just over a second left. Chills.

Brunson gets hot, Bridges gets stops: Knicks win Game 1 108-105 over Celtics

Turns out that regular season sweeps don’t mean much once the playoffs start.

After getting worked by Boston all year, the Knicks weren’t exactly the trendy pick coming into Game 1. And for the first 30 minutes at TD Garden, it looked like business as usual for the C’s. Despite an off night from Jayson Tatum (23 PTS, 16 REB) and a record-breaking barrage of missed threes, the Celtics’ defense locked in, held New York to 14 points over a 12-minute stretch, and built a 20-point lead midway through the third.

But the Knicks flipped the script. OG Anunoby (29 PTS) started hitting everything and Jalen Brunson (29 PTS) took over the 4Q, getting to his spots, controlling the pace, and dragging the Knicks all the way back into the game.

Once they forced OT, Mikal Bridges handled the rest, drilling a huge three and coming up with a series of clutch stops, including a game-sealing steal out of the pockets of Jaylen Brown (23 PTS). Five first-rounders never looked so good!

Nuggets steal Game 1 in OKC 121-119 behind Gordon’s clutch three

With two MVP candidates at peak performance going head-to-head, Thunder-Nuggets might just be the best battle of the second round.

Game 1 one did not disappoint.

For most of the night, it felt like the Thunder were in control. OKC kept Nikola Jokić (42 PTS, 22 REB) working for everything, got a “vintage” night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33 PTS), and enabled a role-playing clinic from Alex Caruso (20 PTS, 5 STL). They had Denver just out of reach… until they didn’t.

With five minutes left, OKC led by 11. But the Nuggets’ offense started to hum, Jokić went full cheat code, and the lead slowly vanished. Down the stretch, the Thunder made a curious choice: up three with under 20 seconds to go, they opted to foul intentionally, trying to win the game at the free throw line.

It backfired. After a pair of missed FTs by Chet Holmgren (12 PTS, 4 BLK), Russell Westbrook (18 PTS) pushed in transition and found Aaron Gordon (22 PTS, 14 REB) wide open on the wing. Splash.

Warriors lose Curry early, beat Wolves comfortably 99-88

When Stephen Curry (13 PTS) left in the second quarter with a hamstring strain, it felt like the door was about to swing wide open for the Timberwolves. Instead, Golden State slammed it shut.

The Warriors’ defense locked in immediately, holding Minnesota to just 31 first-half points and somehow forcing a team that thrives on space into a shooting slump for the ages. How bad was it? The Wolves didn’t hit a three until midway through the third.

On the other end, it wasn’t flashy—but it was enough. Jimmy Butler (20 PTS), Buddy Hield (24 PTS), and Draymond Green (18 PTS) all stepped up to help push Golden State across the finish line in a game that, even without Steph, never felt too tense.

Still, all eyes now turn to Curry’s status. If he’s out for any real stretch, the question becomes: can Anthony Edwards (23 PTS) and Minnesota’s offense figure things out in time to make this a series?

Award Watch

Sam Presti wins Executive of the Year

This one’s been a long time coming.

Sam Presti was officially named the 2024-25 Executive of the Year earlier this week, and if you've been paying attention, it’s hard to argue anyone else deserved it more.

Yes, he was the one who drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in back-to-back-to-back drafts. But what Presti has done with OKC recently might be even more impressive. He completely redefined how to run a rebuild. He made tough calls, stayed patient, and nailed just about every move along the way.

From landing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Paul George trade to drafting Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and a laundry list of smart picks—all the way to signing Isaiah Hartenstein this past summer—he runs his front office like prime Chris Paul ran the point.

And now? OKC has a 68-win team, the league’s best net rating ever, and a future stacked with draft capital and flexibility. Go ahead and give this man a 2K rebuild channel. He’d have a dynasty in five minutes.

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Three in the Key

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, y’all! If there’s one thing this second round has taught us between all the comebacks, upsets, and chaos, it’s that nothing is over until it’s over. Whether it’s your team or something personal you’re dealing with, don’t tap out early. Stick with it. You never know when the turnaround is coming!

Talk soon,

Spencer Poole