In 1986, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović, defying NBA norms and communist-era restrictions. Their selections marked a turning point, challenging skepticism about European players and ultimately contributing to the NBA's globalization.
O ex-pivô brasileiro Tiago Splitter, 41 anos, foi anunciado como novo técnico do Chicago Bulls. Ele estava no Portland Trail Blazers, onde assumiu interinamente após prisão do técnico principal e levou a equipe aos playoffs.
The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs. Jalen Brunson, awarded the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference finals MVP, led the team with 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game.
The New York Knicks, on an 11-game winning streak, swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs.
New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks'ı 140-89 yenerek play-off tarihinin en farklı altıncı galibiyetini aldı ve seriye 4-2'ye veda etti. OG Anunoby 29, Karl-Anthony Towns triple-double (12 sayı, 11 ribaunt, 10 asist) yaptı. Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets'ı 110-98 yenerek Spurs'ün rakibi oldu. Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics'i 106-93 yenip seriyi 3-3'e getirdi ve 7. maç cumartesi günü Boston'da oynanacak.
NBA'de Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic'li Denver Nuggets'ı 110-98 yenerek seriyi 4-2 kazandı ve adını Batı Konferansı yarı finaline yazdırdı. Doğu Konferansı'nda ise New York Knicks, deplasmanda Atlanta Hawks'ı 140-89 mağlup etti ve seriyi 4-2 kazanarak yarı finale yükseldi.
Lester T. Jones Jr., 46, former Senior Vice President for Finance at the Atlanta Hawks, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the team through fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit cards. Jones used the funds for luxury apparel, jewelry, overseas travel, watches and concert tickets. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December 2025.
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points — his best performance of the series — as the New York Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks took a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close out the series on Thursday. Brunson added 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory, while OG Anunoby contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns added 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. The Knicks have won the last two games by an average of 22.5 points, limiting the Hawks to 42.7 percent shooting from the field.
CJ McCollum scored 32 points as the Atlanta Hawks erased a 12-point deficit to defeat the New York Knicks 107-106 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, tying the matchup at one game apiece. McCollum hit a go-ahead jumper with 33 seconds remaining after Jalen Brunson's tying three-pointer. The Knicks had led since halftime and were 40-1 in postseason history when leading by 12 or more after three quarters. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday in Atlanta.
