One conference finals opener going to overtime? Enjoyable.

Two? Unforgettable.

🎉 Happy birthday Patrick Ewing and Jeremy Sochan! 🎉

With 7:52 to play in the fourth quarter, James Harden hit a free throw to put Cleveland ahead by 22 PTS in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. But something was growing in the Garden.

From that point on, the Knicks unleashed a 30-8 run to tie the matchup at the end of regulation before dominating the overtime period. Jalen Brunson was nothing short of brilliant in the comeback, repeatedly hunting Harden and ripping off a personal 9-0 run, part of a 38-point performance on the night. Mikal Bridges also connected on a pair of timely three-pointers, while OG Anunoby (8/10 FT) attacked the rim and generated key chances from the charity stripe.

The win marked the second-largest fourth quarter playoff comeback in the last 30 years and moved New York one step closer to its first Finals appearance since 1999. Cleveland got 29 PTS from Donovan Mitchell and has three quarters’ worth of excellent play to build on, but they’ll need four to beat the red-hot Knicks, who’ve now claimed eight straight dating back to Round 1.

What does it feel like to watch a legend form before your eyes?

If you want the answer, tune into Victor Wembanyama’s next game. On Monday, the Spurs’ 22-year-old phenom authored arguably the greatest performance of his young career, pouring in 41 PTS, 24 REB, and one tying 28-foot bomb to hand OKC its first loss of the postseason. Rookie Dylan Harper was also sensational for San Antonio, racking up 24 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, and 7 STL in a feat not seen since Magic Johnson.

Many online called this the best game they’d seen in years, and it’s tough to disagree. San Antonio’s stifling rim defense forced the reigning champs to find a new dimension, and while SGA wasn’t as sharp as usual, others like Alex Caruso (31 PTS) and Jalen Williams (26 PTS in his return from injury) stepped up.

Two teams with 62+ wins haven’t faced off since the 1998 Finals. Through one game, this edition is living up to the hype.

Dallas has fired head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

The Mavs recently hired Masai Ujiri as their new president, and now, he makes his first major move to reshape the franchise. Kidd led Dallas to the Finals in 2024 but missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, going a combined 65-99. Kidd was also the final major decision-maker still in place from the Mavs’ stunning move to trade Luka Doncic during the 2025 season.

Ujiri says the Mavs will complete a “thorough, disciplined search” for the next leader of their franchise. A new day in Dallas.

The conference finals have been special, but the eliminated squads deserve their flowers, too! Let’s give some eulogies for the fallen teams.

Things got a lot more complicated for LA when Luka went down with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Then, Austin Reaves strained his oblique, and the narrow window for a Finals run slammed shut. LeBron James is fantastic, but at 41 years old, there’s only so much he can do against a juggernaut like OKC. There were bright spots — Marcus Smart turned back the clock, while Rui Hachimura (56.9% from three) temporarily became the best shooter on the planet. JJ Redick also proved his coaching credentials, getting a lot out of a depleted and frankly overmatched roster. No matter how LeBron’s situation unfolds, LA enters the offseason with a healthy Luka and a ton of cap space. A pretty enviable place to be.

The enduring image of the 2026 Sixers will always be Joel Embiid willing his body and team past Boston for the first time since 1983. Injuries and a Kawhi Leonard miracle have kept his Sixers from making it past the second round, but moments like that 3-1 comeback live forever. Fortunately, The Process has found two new young studs to carry the torch: Tyrese Maxey is an entrenched superstar, but 19-year-old VJ Edgecombe was this season’s biggest revelation. The #3 overall pick flashed poise and processing far beyond his years (and much earlier than most scouts anticipated). With those Terror Twins leading the way, there’s plenty of quality basketball in store for the City of Brotherly Love.

The theme of Minnesota’s playoffs was survival. They ran into a gauntlet of two MVP finalists and dealt with some terrible injury luck (most notably Donte DiVincenzo’s torn Achilles). Still, for a team with championship expectations, this early exit hurt. As the Spurs move on to duke it out with OKC, the Wolves will go back to the drawing board — retaining Ayo Dosumnu is a good place to start. Anthony Edwards continues to prove himself as a face of the modern NBA. GM Tim Connelly has been known to go hunting for big fish, so let’s see what he can do this offseason.

It’s easy to see how fans could be disappointed in an uneven postseason from a #1 seed. But at the end of the day, Detroit won its first playoff series in 17 years. That’s a successful season in our book. Ausar Thompson has become a game-wrecker on the defensive side, and Cade Cunningham should be on the shortlist to win MVP in 2027. This is only the beginning. The up-and-down play of All-Star Jalen Duren was the most surprising element of Detroit’s early exit — with extension talks looming, delayed negotiations could hold up the Pistons’ offseason plans. Something to keep an eye on Motor City fans prepare for the dog days of summer.

Written by Enjoy Intern Ben Gordnier.

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, attack your daily life with the resilience of a 22-point comeback! When you get knocked down, remember you’ll always rise again. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan