The No. 2 total choose of the 2025 NBA Draft has stepped up when needed these playoffs, serving as an ancillary choice to perfection. Harper is taking part in past his years, elevating his ceiling within the course of.
Loser: Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Think about scoring 35 factors on 57.1 p.c capturing, notching team-highs in assists (9) and steals (three) and it nonetheless not being sufficient. After an up-and-down collection, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered when it mattered most. However his supporting forged, usually a vibrant spot, spoiled the wonderful efficiency.
Along with Holmgren being a non-factor, guard Lu Dort could not discover his capturing stroke whereas taking part in simply 16 minutes. Alex Caruso, taking part in 39 minutes on the bench, was 3-of-14 from the courtroom. Total, the Thunder’s second unit shot simply 4-of-18 (22.2 p.c) on threes. Gilgeous-Alexander wanted extra from his associates, however apart from heart Jaylin Williams, who had a double-double, and guard Cason Wallace (17 factors), they didn’t ship for his or her MVP.
Winner: In-Season Match
Little did anybody assume on the time, however December’s in-season event championship between the Spurs and New York Knicks was a harbinger of a lot larger issues to return. Possibly subsequent yr individuals will begin taking it critically.
New York received the NBA Cup, 124-113, as Wembanyama got here off the bench after getting back from harm. Knicks ahead OG Anunoby led all gamers with 28 factors, and guard Jalen Brunson chipped in with 25 factors as New York erased a double-digit second-half deficit.
Loser: Standard timelines
No matter how this season ends, the Spurs skipped a number of steps of their rebuild with the WCF triumph. Final season, San Antonio completed 34-48 and thirteenth within the Western Convention, showing a number of years away from presumably reaching the NBA Finals.
For the reason that ABA/NBA merger, solely two groups have received the league title a yr after ending with a dropping document, the Portland Path Blazers (1977) within the first post-merger season and the Boston Celtics (2008) after buying and selling for Corridor of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. San Antonio might quickly turn out to be the third, rewriting the rulebook within the course of.
