Three teams advanced to the conference semifinals and one of them made some playoff history—we’ve got a lot of hoops to go over today.

PS: need a little palate-cleanser after an intense playoff game? Check out Maddy’s debut on the Enjoy BBall channel in the latest episode of the NBA Name Game!

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Isiah Thomas, TJ Leaf, and Luis Scola! 🎉

Playoff Recap

Pacers complete insane 119-118 OT comeback to clinch series over Bucks

Without Damian Lillard and needing an away win to save their season, it seemed like the Bucks were going to live to fight another day.

In a matchup where no one outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 PTS, 20 REB, 13 AST) had been able to consistently step up, AJ Green (6 3PM) and Gary Trent Jr. (8 3PM) finally caught fire late in this game, raining threes and giving Milwaukee the spark it had been missing. Trent in particular felt like the closer, scoring 12 points in OT and putting the Bucks up 7 with just 35 seconds to go.

Done deal, right? Right???

Not quite. Andrew Nembhard (15 PTS) drilled a deep three to keep Indiana alive before Tyrese Haliburton (26 PTS, 9 AST) finished the job with back-to-back buckets off Bucks turnovers—the second of which, in a twist of fate, went right off GTJ's hands.

The Pacers move on to face the Cavs in a matchup we’re already hyped for, but one big question looms: was this Giannis’ last game in a Bucks jersey?

Pistons snag gritty 106-103 win at MSG, force Game 6

Detroit isn’t ready for this magical year to end yet.

Game 5 at the Garden was tight from start to finish—neither team led by more than a few possessions, and every run was met with an answer. It was Detroit that found just enough to get over the line in the end, thanks to something they hadn’t done all series: slowing down Jalen Brunson (16 PTS).

The key to solving that puzzle? Ausar Thompson (22 PTS). The 22-year-old took on the Brunson assignment for most of the night and more than held his own, using his length, energy, and constant effort to keep the Knicks' engine in check. On the other end, his relentless rim-running helped spark a Pistons offense that couldn’t buy a three but still found ways to get it done.

Despite off-nights from their shooters, Detroit stayed aggressive, leaned on physicality, and trusted Cade Cunningham (28 PTS, 8 AST) to make the right reads late—just like he always does.

Elsewhere around the playoff bracket…

• Russell Westbrook (21 PTS) dropped 16 points in his first seven minutes off the bench against the Clippers, but the real problem for LA was that he wasn’t even the hottest guard on the floor! Jamal Murray (43 PTS) was scorching, draining pull-ups, floaters, and tough contested looks all night long as Denver ran away with Game 5 131-115. The Nuggets now head to LA with a 3–2 series lead and all the momentum.

• In the first half, it seemed like the Magic's stingy defense might be able to wreak enough havoc to force a Game 6 in Orlando. But the Celtics' stars quickly put that to rest in the second half, as Jayson Tatum (35 PTS, 10 AST) and Jaylen Brown (23 PTS) led a ferocious charge to turn a razor-thin game into a 120-89 blowout and a 4-1 series win for Boston.

• Monday night’s two-game slate started off with a little bit of history, even if it wasn’t the most exciting watch. Led by an insane defensive effort and bench sparks from Ty Jerome (18 PTS) and DeAndre Hunter (19 PTS), the Cavs smashed the Heat 138-83 to complete the series sweep. Not only was it the 4th-largest win in playoff history, but their +122 point differential across the entire series was the highest a team has ever had over a four-game stretch in the postseason!

• Needing a W to take control of the series, Draymond Green (6 PTS, 5 fouls, 1 game-winning stop) had… well, a perfect Draymond day. After picking up five early fouls and nearly getting himself ejected after tangling with Tari Eason, the former DPOY locked in and delivered an absolute defensive gem in the 4th, capping it all off with a clutch stop on Alperen Sengun (31 PTS) to seal a 109-106 Warriors win.

Meet Your Rookie of the Year!

We’ve got another one in San Antonio, folks.

Stephon Castle has officially been named Rookie of the Year, following in the footsteps of Victor Wembanyama to give the Spurs back-to-back ROTY wins. (The last time that happened? Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota.)

Make no mistake: this race was tight. Zaccharie Risacher, Jaylen Wells, and a few others who didn’t crack the top three all made compelling cases. But down the stretch, Castle separated himself, especially after De’Aaron Fox went down.

With more on his plate, Castle didn’t just raise his counting stats—he did it more efficiently. What we saw in the final weeks of the regular season was something more: polish, poise, and the ability to steer an offense under pressure.

This rookie class might’ve been doubted early on, but Castle’s rise is a reminder that there’s some serious star power in this group. 💪

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Thanks for reading! We know the playoffs can be an emotional ride, especially when your team’s season comes to an end. Here’s a quick reminder to show your favorite players some love, even when things don’t go their way. 🙏

Talk soon!

Spencer Poole