Every game the rest of the second round is a potential close-out game for someone. Friday brings a pair of Game 6s that could end the round or lead to a Game 7 or two.
First up, Cleveland tries to take out Detroit, the top seed in the East. Then, San Antonio’s young core can reach a significant milestone by taking out Minnesota on the road.
In both games, the team in position to advance with a win is favored.
This story will be updated throughout the second round as the odds change with the results for every game.
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers lead series 3-2
Game 6: 7 p.m. ET, Friday
Series odds: Cavaliers -320, Pistons +260
Twice it appeared the Pistons were in control of Game 5, but Cleveland kept coming back and finally has its first road win of the playoffs.
Detroit led by 15 midway through the second quarter before the Cavs made a run in the third quarter to take the lead. The Pistons rebuilt a nine-point lead with less than three minutes to go, but the Cavs stormed back again.
Detroit didn’t score in the final three minutes of regulation and took two minutes into overtime to score again. Cleveland scored 13 straight points as part of an 18-2 run that flipped the game and this series on its head.
After that 117-113 overtime win, Cleveland has the lead in this series for the first time after winning three in a row. Now, the Cavs head home, where they are 6-0 this postseason, with a chance to close out the series. The Cavs are favored by 3.5 points in Game 6.
Donovan Mitchell had an off game with 21 points on 7-for-18 shooting (1-for-8 from 3-point range) for Cleveland. James Harden had a star performance with 30 points and Max Strus picked up the slack with 20 points on six made 3-pointers.
Cade Cunningham had 39 points on 27 shots in 48 minutes for Detroit, but no other Piston reached 20 points.
No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
Knicks win series 4-0
The Knicks really have hit overdrive in the last seven games. Since falling behind the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in the first round, the Knicks have won seven straight games by an average of 26.4 points per game. Sure, that 51-point win in Game 6 in the Hawks is skewing that average a bit, but there are two other wins by 30 or more points in that run, and six of the seven wins were by at least 14.
This is why the Knicks are favored to make the NBA Finals. While the Pistons and Cavs are beating each other up, the Knicks have been on cruise control.
This makes two years in a row in the Eastern Conference finals for New York. Last year didn’t go so well, but Knicks fans will have renewed hope with the way the team has been playing.
The Knicks last made the NBA Finals in 1999.
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers
Thunder win series 4-0
This could’ve been a fun series had Luka Dončić been available for the Lakers. It would’ve been a meeting of arguably the two best guards in the league.
Instead, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder brushed the Lakers aside with a four-game sweep, and Luka could only watch in street clothes. Monday’s Game 4 was the only competitive game of the series, but that’s hardly a consolation for LA.
The Lakers came back from 12 points down in the third quarter to build a five-point lead on a few occasions in the fourth quarter and led in the final minute, but LeBron James missed a potential go-ahead shot with 20 seconds left, and Austin Reaves missed a potential tying 3-pointer on the next Lakers possession.
While the Thunder are still the clear favorites to win the NBA title, the Lakers have to figure out what to do with their roster. No one got to see what this team could do in the playoffs with its best player, Dončić, which makes evaluating the roster a bit more complicated. Will they run it back or have to retool?
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Spurs lead series 3-2
Game 6: 9:30 p.m. ET, Friday
Series odds: Spurs -1200, Timberwolves +750
The Spurs were heavily favored to win Game 5 and delivered, so much so that they had to essentially blow out Minnesota three times.
San Antonio jumped out to a 24-9 lead, only to see Minnesota get back within two points before the end of the first quarter. The Spurs rebuilt their lead, going up by 18 in the second quarter before Minnesota stormed back to tie the game in the third quarter. San Antonio eventually put away Minnesota for good, winning 126-97. The Timberwolves’ only lead was 5-3.
It was a dominant win in a series that is close on paper, but has never been close in the odds. The Spurs were -425 to advance before Game 5 and are now an overwhelming favorite to advance at -1200. The Spurs are favored by 4.5 points on the road in Game 6.
It wasn’t a full-on Victor Wembanyama revenge game after being ejected in Game 4, but his line was still impressive: 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three blocks. In a display of San Antonio’s depth on the wings, Keldon Johnson had 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting off the bench. The Spurs’ formula is Wembanyama doing his thing plus one or two of their handful of talented wings having good games.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points in 39 minutes for Minnesota. In the nine minutes he wasn’t on the floor, the Timberwolves were outscored by 20 points. Ouch.