In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Detroit Pistons seemed in control in a pivotal Game 5 last night, until the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed back to win in overtime. The Cavs’ hero? None other than James Harden. We dive in below.
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Plus, NBC basketball analyst Jamal Crawford tells us more about the moves he taught Victor Wembanyama, and Senegal’s Sadio Mané is today’s World Cup spotlight player.
For more NBA and World Cup coverage, check out the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
The Detroit Pistons are on the brink of elimination after a stunning collapse last night, losing 117-113 in overtime to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs will now take a 3-2 series lead back home for Game 6 tomorrow night.
The Pistons led by as many as 15 points and held a 103-94 advantage with a little over two minutes left. But Cleveland scored 9 straight points to force overtime, taking advantage of a Detroit offense that struggled immensely in the second half.
“That stretch right there says a lot about our progress, mental performance progress and mental toughness progress,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of the late comeback.
James Harden scored 30 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists for the Cavs as he continues trying to rehabilitate his tortured playoff past. Donovan Mitchell scored 21.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 39 points, but his turnover struggles continued. He gave away the ball six times, as Detroit’s lack of another playmaker continues to cause problems. Jalen Duren scored only 9 points, bringing his series average to 9.4, down from 19.5 in the regular season.
The Pistons, who are 3-0 in elimination games this postseason after coming back down 3-1 in the first round, will now need a road win to keep their season alive.
“You’re going to have to choke the life out of this team,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They’re not going to go down without a fight. They’re not going down without fighting. They’re not going to go down without kicking, punching, grabbing, clawing. That’s just who we are.”
Mentoring Wemby
NBC Sports analyst Jamal Crawford, who has called games of the second-round series between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves along with Mike Tirico and Reggie Miller, has a special insight into what makes Spurs star Victor Wembanyama one of the game’s best players.
Crawford, who played 20 years in the NBA, spent time training with Wemby in the summer of 2024, and it’s safe to say Crawford came away impressed.
“It’s the way he lives, the way he thinks,” Crawford said about what makes Wembanyama unique. “The way he saw, not just the game, but the way he sees life is totally different. It was almost like I was talking to somebody older than me. It was like talking to a 50-year-old, just getting wisdom.”
Crawford raved about Wembanyama’s maturity and emotional intelligence, as well as his ability to process information on the court.
“I would show him moves and show him things, and he was able to download it right there,” Crawford said. “And this is stuff that took me a lifetime to learn. And stuff that, if I try to teach it, takes years. He was downloading in five minutes.”
Wemby has put those moves to good use. For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.
“Did you teach him that?” Miller asked Crawford on the broadcast.
“I’m not going to lie, that one looked a little familiar, Reg,” Crawford replied.
World Cup Countdown
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is Senegal’s Sadio Mané.
One of the greatest Africans to ever play the sport, Mané is expected to make the 2026 World Cup his swan song for Senegal, as he’s said he’d like to retire from international competition after the tournament.
One of the best wingers of his generation, Mané is 34 and nearing the end of his career, which could provide an extra boost of motivation to the Teranga Lions as they look to hoist the trophy for the first time.
Currently club teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Mané has made 126 appearances for the Senegalese national team. His 53 goals are the most all-time for the country, while he’s second in appearances.
Though Senegal appeared in the 2022 World Cup — and made it all the way to the round of 16 — it did so without Mané, who missed the last tournament due to injury. Mané was long one of the sport’s top players, however, particularly during his tenure with Liverpool from 2016 to 2022. In that time, he won a Premier League Golden Boot and helped the club end its 30-year title drought in 2020.
Mané may have limited World Cup experience, but he has shone on the world stage. He’s been a major factor in Senegal’s recent success at the Africa Cup of Nations, which the country won in 2021 while finishing as runner-up in 2019 and (quite controversially) in 2025.
The Lions are hoping their recent showings at international tournaments plus Mané’s experience and leadership can power the country to its best finish since 2002, when Senegal made its memorable run to the quarterfinals.
Yesterday’s entry was Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne. Read about him here.
What We’re Reading
World Cup ticket prices are starting to come down on the resale markets.
Shakira, Madonna and BTS will headline the World Cup final’s first halftime show.
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild in overtime last night to advance to the NHL’s Western Conference finals.
The Miami Dolphins reportedly signed running back De’Von Achane to a four-year, $64 million contract extension, making him the third-highest-paid running back on an annual average salary basis.
The Florida attorney general has issued a subpoena to the NFL over the Rooney Rule.
What We’re Watching
Riding the wave of a magical season, the Buffalo Sabres made the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2011. But their magic might run out in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens, unless Buffalo can figure out its goaltending situation — and fast.
The Sabres pulled goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Round 1, replacing him with Alex Lyon, who helped the Sabres beat the Bruins in six games. But now Lyon has struggled against Montreal; he allowed nine goals total between Games 2 and 3, both Buffalo losses.
The Sabres reinserted Luukkonen for Game 4 and won to even the series at 2-2. Tonight is the all-important Game 5. The play of Buffalo’s goalie figures to make all the difference.
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: No. 1 Buffalo Sabres vs. No. 3 Montreal Canadiens, on TNT/HBO Max
- 9:30 p.m.: No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Anaheim Ducks, on TNT/HBO Max
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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