TNT In case you have not watched the NBA playoffs yet up to this point, Anthony Edwards is currently in the midst of establishing himself as the most fun player in the NBA. Edwards was excellent as the Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns in round one, and in the first game of the Western Conference Semifinals, Edwards had his playoff career high in a win over the Nuggets in Denver. Part of what makes Edwards so good is how much fun he can be when he’s cooking. Unfortunately, Reggie Jackson learned this lesson the hard way during Game 2 of Nuggets-Wolves, as he tried to poke the ball ..read more

TNT A controversial call went against the Indiana Pacers late in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the New York Knicks. With the game timed at 115 with less than a minute remaining, Jalen Brunson attempted to throw a pass that Aaron Nesmith broke up. But instead of the Pacers forcing a turnover and getting a fast break opportunity, the referees called a kicked ball on the floor. You can be the judge of this one: Refs called this a kicked ball… #INDvsNYK pic.twitter.com/lmlYF642xk — Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) May 7, 2024 I don’t know about you, but I sure did no ..read more

TNT Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets did not have an especially good time during the first half of Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Already facing a 0-1 hole in their Western Conference Semifinal series, Denver got completely ran off of their home floor in the first half by the Rudy Gobert-less Wolves, as Minnesota took a shocking, 61-35 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Wolves’ defense was ferocious, while the referees were letting a lot of contact go. That’s not a recipe that works in Denver’s favor, because when Minnesota can envelop opposing teams, you get to see why ..read more

TNT The New York Knicks drew first blood in the latest chapter of their lengthy playoff rivalry with the Indiana Pacers. Thanks to a big fourth quarter by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks were able to defend their homecourt in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals en route to a 121-117 win. The first half essentially came down to the Pacers doing all the stuff that they do better than the Knicks. While Brunson (18 points) and Josh Hart (11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block) had their fingerprints all over the game, the Pacers took a 55-49 lead into the locker room tha ..read more

TNT The Knicks and Pacers rekindled one of the great rivalries in the Eastern Conference on Monday night, as they tipped off Game 1 of their second round series in Madison Square Garden. It was the first meeting in the playoffs since 2013 and only the second in the last two decades, but the two teams share a tremendous history in the postseason from the 90s. This year’s edition features some other fascinating storylines beyond a rivalry most of the players involved don’t really remember (but fans certainly do). You have OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, former Raptors teammates, now playing key ro ..read more

Twitter/Cavs The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Tuesday night in Boston, as they will have to figure out how to handle the top-seeded Celtics coming off of a grueling 7-game series against Orlando. However, that’s the challenge they’d prefer to have over having their offseason start early, and they’re in that position largely because of the effort of Donovan Mitchell. The star guard scored 89 points over Games 6 and 7 of the series and averaged 28.7 points across all seven games, even as he battles a lingering knee injury. While Mitchell put the te ..read more

TNT Isaiah Hartenstein has turned himself into a valuable member of the New York Knicks’ starting lineup. After bouncing around during his first few years in the league, Hartenstein has carved out quite a niche with the Knicks, as his physicality, rebounding, and deft touch around the rim have all be crucial as the team has turned into a contender in the Eastern Conference this year. One thing Hartenstein is decidedly not known for is three-point shooting, as he’s 27-for-87 (31 percent) in his career and only went 1-for-3 from deep this year. Heading into Monday night’s Game 1 between the Knic ..read more

TNT Father Time is catching up with LeBron James. Sure, you might not know that based on what he’s still capable of doing on the floor — we’ve never seen a player consistently reach the highs James is capable of reaching at his age — but he’s going to turn 40 in December and he’s already started speaking about the end of his basketball playing career. It’s led to plenty of speculation about when James is going to retire, and if Charles Barkley has his way, it’ll happen sooner rather than later. Barkley appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast and used his own experience at the end ..read more

Getty Image Every now and then, the NBA’s award season gives us a result that absolutely no one saw coming. The 2023-24 Rookie of the Year award was not one of those times, as the frontrunner to take home the Wilt Chamberlain trophy did just that. On Monday night, TNT’s NBA crew announced that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will become the third player in franchise history to take home the award. ONLY THE BEGINNING Victor Wembanyama is your 2023-24 #KiaROY! pic.twitter.com/VKohr6Kdjh — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 6, 2024 Wembanyama becoming the league’s best first-year playe ..read more

Getty Image It has often been said that rap is wrestling — i.e., that the tangled web of feuds and over-the-top personalities that make up hip-hop’s galaxy of stars is just a reflection of similar rivalries in the world of sports entertainment. But now, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have the opportunity to make the saying literal, as the WWE’s Shawn Michaels has invited them onto the promotion’s NXT brand to settle their differences with Michaels as mediator. Now that would actually be exciting. A little Sweet Chin Music goes a long way.@kendricklamar, you and @Drake are formally invited to #WWEN ..read more