Four series. One week. A lot to talk about.
When I put together my Round 2 preview and picks last week, I knew we were in for a good stretch of basketball. I did not know we were going to get Jalen Brunson going for 35-26-33 across three games, Victor Wembanyama rewriting the record books, or the Pistons making the Cavaliers look like a team that has never seen a playoff game before. Week 1 of the second round delivered.
Here is where every series stood as of Friday, May 8.
Knicks 3, 76ers 0 - One Win From History
This one has been a statement from New York start to finish.
Game 1 set the tone immediately. Knicks 137, 76ers 98 - a 39-point demolition that made them the first team in NBA history to win three consecutive postseason games by at least 25 points. Brunson had 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Philadelphia never had a chance.
Game 2 was tighter on the scoreboard - Knicks 108, 76ers 102 - and much more volatile than Game 1. Joel Embiid missed the game entirely with a right ankle sprain and right hip soreness. Tyrese Maxey kept it close with 26 points, but without Embiid the Sixers simply did not have enough. There were 25 lead changes, the most in a playoff game in over a decade, and the Knicks still found a way.
Game 3 in Philadelphia should have been the Sixers' best shot to get one back on their home floor with the crowd behind them. Embiid returned and started. It did not matter. Brunson dropped 33, Mikal Bridges added 23, and the Knicks won 108-94. Maxey finished with 17 points but was not aggressive enough with the ball, nowhere near the shot volume you need from your best player to mount a comeback. Embiid was there in body. That was about it.
Brunson has been the best player in this series and it is not close. Three games, 94 combined points, and the Knicks are one win from a sweep. What I said before the series holds: trust Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau over Mike Brown. So far so good.
Spurs 2, Timberwolves 1 - Wemby Is on Another Level
This is the series of the round so far, and it is only three games in.
Game 1 belongs to Wembanyama's defense even in a Spurs loss. He finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 blocks, an NBA postseason record for blocks in a single game. And San Antonio still lost 104-102. The Timberwolves stole the opener despite one of the most dominant defensive performances in playoff history.
Game 2 was the response. Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95. The worst postseason loss in Minnesota franchise history. Stephon Castle led all scorers with 21 points. Anthony Edwards, who deserves enormous credit for competing through a knee injury that would have sidelined most players, was limited to 12 points off the bench and had 4 turnovers. When the Spurs turned it on, it was not close.
Game 3 is where Wembanyama announced himself to anyone still not paying attention. He went for 39 points on 13-of-18 shooting, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to post that stat line in a playoff game. Edwards started and gave everything he had: 32 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists. Hats off to him. He is competing at an elite level through real physical pain. But Wemby was simply better when it mattered most. Spurs win 115-108 and take the series lead.
My pick was Spurs in 5. Still feels right. But credit to Minnesota, this has been a fun series and Edwards is making it one.
Pistons 2, Cavaliers 0 - Cade Is Commanding This
I expected more from Cleveland. I did not get it.
Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101. Cade Cunningham had 23 points and ran the game from start to finish. Tobias Harris added 20. Ron Holland hit a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third quarter to push Detroit up 83-76 and take the life out of the building. Donovan Mitchell had 23 points but shot just 4-of-10 from three and was visibly frustrated afterward.
Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97. This is where I want to talk about James Harden, because this is exactly what I predicted. Mitchell gave Cleveland everything he had, 31 points, 11-of-24 from the field. Jarrett Allen bounced back with 22 points and 7 rebounds. But when Cleveland needed a bucket in the fourth quarter, Harden was not there.
Look at his Game 2 line: 37 minutes, 10 points, 3-for-13 from the field, 0-for-4 from three, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls. That is a black hole performance in a must-win road game. I am not sure why any of us expected anything different. This is the pattern. Regular season, present. Playoffs, when it matters most, gone. Cade Cunningham, on the other hand, dropped 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lock the game away. That is what a franchise player looks like in May.
The Pistons have been disciplined, focused, and mature, everything they were not at the start of their playoff run a year ago. They learned from that first-round series against the Magic. Game 3 is Saturday, May 9 in Cleveland, and that is where we find out whether Detroit can take complete control or whether the Cavs claw their way back into this.
Thunder 2, Lakers 0 - When OKC Hits the Gas, It's Over
This one has gone about exactly as I expected.
Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90. LeBron James led all scorers with 27 points. He has done his part throughout this series, nobody can take that away from him. But Austin Reaves shot 3-for-16. The rest of the supporting cast was not close to good enough. Chet Holmgren was the story with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks on a quiet night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107. Six Oklahoma City players scored in double figures. Holmgren again: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks. SGA added 22. Reaves responded with a playoff career-high 31 points, credit where it is due, and LeBron had another solid night with 23. But it was not enough, because it never is when OKC decides to hit the gas.
That is the pattern with these Thunder. The Lakers hang around for a half, maybe three quarters, and then Oklahoma City accelerates and leaves them behind. There have been plenty of complaints from the Lakers about officiating, but what I see is a team that is close enough to feel it and frustrated that they cannot get over the hump. The talent gap is real. Without Luka, the Lakers simply do not have enough.
The series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4. LeBron at home with a crowd behind him makes this interesting for a game or two. But the defending champs are not losing this series.
Where Things Stand
- Knicks lead 76ers 3-0 - Game 4 is Sunday, May 10
- Spurs lead Timberwolves 2-1 - Wemby is historic, Edwards is competing, Game 4 is Sunday, May 10
- Pistons lead Cavaliers 2-0 - Cade is commanding, Game 3 is Saturday, May 9 in Cleveland
- Thunder lead Lakers 2-0 - OKC rolling, Game 3 is Saturday, May 9 in Los Angeles
Make your picks and track every series at Crystal Ball Picks.
