Sports
Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson and 9 other NBA players ready for big years
Let me apologize in advance for cheating a bit.
We use the term “breakout” like it’s just spontaneous combustion, but that’s rarely how it happens. Like most reactions, usually they require a catalyst. Thus, the inherent issue about calling a “breakout” in advance is that often the term isn’t quite what we’re describing. Instead, the real breakout is one of opportunity, in the form of minutes and touches, rather than one of rapidly changing levels of play.
For example, check out last season’s Most Improved Player award winner, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey. Yes, he has made steady progress since his rookie year in 2020. But the big change for him last season wasn’t about his own game; it was about the departure of James Harden days into the season. That transaction opened the door for Maxey to become Philly’s primary on-ball initiator, increase his usage rate from 24.1 percent to 28.0 percent and up his scoring rate from 20.3 per game to 25.9.
You’ll find similar storylines littering the field when looking at my All-Breakout squad for this season, consisting of 11 players I think have a chance to significantly boost their production from a year ago.
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So, back to the cheating — I’ll also note that I cheated a second time since I already have 1/82 of the answers to the test. It’s a little easier to come up with an All-Breakout Team when you already have a peek at how minutes and touches will work for most of these teams after a few days of games.
That said, projecting breakouts can be a bit harder than it looks. Injuries, slumps and our misperceptions caused by our tiny human brains can easily send a potential breakout sideways. Take a gander at last season’s list, for instance.
I had the Most Improved Player (Maxey), but none of the other 13 players who received votes made my list. I had Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren and Scottie Barnes on my team, all of whom genuinely broke out … but I also had LaMelo Ball and Mikal Bridges. And then there’s Charlotte’s Mark Williams, who seemed like an easy call 12 months ago. He ended up playing 19 games.
With that said, let me bravely charge ahead into my list for this year. I tried to represent every level of the playing spectrum, so along with a few players who are already big stars, I have some deep cuts in secondary roles.
My 11-man All-Breakout Team for 2024-25:
This isn’t just me riding the wave of Davis’ dominant opening night performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s low-key been on a heater for the last few months; Davis was one of the most productive players in preseason, even when most veterans throttle down to coasting speed, and was one of the best players on Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad.
Before that, he finished his 2023-24 regular season strong and was fantastic in the Lakers’ five-game, first-round defeat against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 27.8 points on 67 percent shooting and a playoff-leading 15.6 boards. He’s also, thankfully, playing full-time as a center, which is his most productive position even if he doesn’t like it.
Health and shooting will always be the swing variables for Davis, but he’s off to a good start on those fronts as well — he even made an above-the-break 3 in the opener. The bar is high for a “breakout” here, but with 39-year-old LeBron James’ volume possibly on the downslope and few others capable of soaking up the extra chances, this could be a career year for Davis.
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Dyson Daniels, SG, Atlanta
This one isn’t the usual case of a player breaking out because of an increase in touches and shots. This is a defensive breakout, where Daniels is being thrust into a role as the Hawks’ defensive stopper. He was a force at that end in New Orleans, but his role fluctuated because of a crowded backcourt and his iffy shooting, limiting him to 22 minutes per game across 61 appearances and just 17 total minutes in the playoffs.
That won’t be the case in Atlanta, where the Hawks have been desperate for an elite defender on the perimeter. The 6-foot-8, 21-year-old Daniels is starting and likely will see big minutes as along as his offense is at least somewhat threatening. If so, he has a great chance to lead the league in steals (he had five on opening night and was second in the NBA in steal rate a year ago) and a decent shot at cracking one of the All-Defensive teams.
This one is a pure eye-test call: Williamson finished last season playing the best basketball of his career. He was in the midst of destroying the Lakers in a Play-In game when his hamstring betrayed him. All that seems to have carried over to this year, where he looks fantastic in preseason — statistically, sure, but even more so physically, exploding past people as he did as a rookie and accumulating heaps of layups.
All of this is juiced by his expected positional move to center. Even if it isn’t full-time, he should have enough reps at that spot that he can feast blowing past overmatched centers or compromising defenses as a rim-running screener if they try to match up smaller against him.
Williamson missed the Pelicans’ opener with an illness, but that should be a quick absence. I don’t know exactly how many games we’ll see of this version of him, but I’m excited about the possibility of seeing a full-ish season of peak Williamson. This feels like the season we might get it.
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Amen Thompson, positionless, Houston
Between Wembymania and Thompson’s early-season injury, the hype machine for the fourth pick in the 2023 draft never really got rolling. I think that might change this year, when Thompson has a greater chance to establish himself as a hybrid center-guard-not-sure-what-to-call-it dynamo who can blow up offenses with his switchy, twitchy athleticism and wreak havoc in transition at the other end.
There are some barriers, as we saw on opening night. Thompson is coming off the bench, and his lack of shooting is exacerbated by a roster that already doesn’t have much reliable spacing. He still has to become a more refined decision-maker to take advantage of his ballhandling and athleticism too. That said, Thompson’s fine rookie season (18.2 PER, 57.6 percent true shooting, mammoth rebound and steal + block rates) largely went under the radar a season ago, and that doesn’t figure to be the case this season on a Houston squad that should be a League Pass favorite.
Giddy only had a lukewarm opener against New Orleans’ feisty wing defenders, but I’ll stay on the bandwagon here. He should fit in his role in Chicago much more easily than he did in Oklahoma City as an on-ball creator with limited shooting gravity. That should provide him more opportunity to grow in some of the other areas (drawing fouls, defense, catch-and-shoots, etc.), where his limitations dragged him down with the Thunder. Additionally, Chicago’s situation should give Giddey a lot more opportunities to play through mistakes and develop on the floor.
Not that he’s chopped liver now. The 22-year-old is a plus passer and rebounder with an excellent floater game and good court vision, and for what it’s worth, he’s also one of the best inbound passers in basketball. That he’s also playing for a contract after he and the Bulls didn’t reach an extension this past week is another reason to believe in him taking a big step up.
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Just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The Thunder badly need a secondary shot creator to step up, especially with the aforementioned Giddey gone, and Williams is the clear candidate to soak up a lot of those touches and shots.
He’s also shown the capability of being a player who can handle that added responsibility efficiently, as he’s proven up to the challenge at each step of his development in his first two seasons with the Thunder. Again, it’s not just about the opportunity here, but about Williams having the talent to sustain a greater role on a winning team. For what it’s worth, Williams was awesome in his four preseason games, with a 30.1 PER on 66.3 percent true shooting.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears, it, does it makes a sound? What if, instead of a forest, it’s Canada?
Barrett was already showing signs of turning a corner last season in New York, then played significantly better after the trade in Toronto. Nobody noticed because it happened in the general destitution of the Raptors’ 2023-24 season, but Barrett is becoming a dude.
In 32 games as a Raptor, Barrett averaged 21.4 points per game and shot 60.5 percent on 2s. The eye test backed it up; there was more comfort and control in the finishing, more nuanced shot selection and distribution and even (gasp) the occasional right-handed attack.
He built on that in the summer by arguably being Canada’s second-best Olympian, averaging 19.8 points on blistering 70.1 percent true shooting. While we didn’t see him in preseason due to a sprained AC joint, he’s listed as day-to-day and expected to rejoin the action soon, so it shouldn’t slow him down too much.
Entering his age-24 season, on a roster with basically four real players and some serious question marks, Barrett should have plenty of room to explore his limits and continue refining his hard-charging downhill game.
Tre Mann makes a move against Miles McBride and the Knicks. (John Jones / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Mann is single-handedly trying to bring baggy back. Seeing him on the court in his 178-pound frame and size XXXXL jersey and shorts, it looks like one of those in-game promotions where they have kids put on an NBA player’s uniform then run around and try to score a basket.
Mann, however, is pretty good at the latter part. He scored 24 points in Charlotte’s upset of Houston on opening night, continuing a positive stretch of basketball dating to his trade from the Thunder last spring. Mann was one of the league’s most effective players statistically in preseason, which does have some predictive value, and quietly averaged double figures in 28 games for the Hornets at the end of last season.
This was a bit of a surprise, as he had struggled to gain traction for three years in Oklahoma City, and it’s possible his lack of size for a two guard and limited playmaking for a point guard restrict him going forward. As with Giddey above, there’s also a financial incentive. The Hornets could have extended Mann this past week (he’s on the last year of his rookie deal) and instead opted to wait and gather more information.
I’m not even cheating on this one because the Nuggets hadn’t played yet when I wrote this. But Strawther seems to be at the right nexus of opportunity and production. He was eighth in the NBA in preseason scoring, and the Nuggets desperately need him to fill a void in the wing rotation created by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure. He also has the specific skill set they most crave, as a high-volume 3-point shooter on a team that was last in 3-point rate a year ago.
Strawther’s rookie season with the Nuggets was mostly spent watching, and his NBA minutes didn’t go all that well with an 8.2 PER and 29.7 percent 3-point shooting. However, the 22-year-old from Gonzaga has thrived in other settings — he’s had two strong summer leagues in addition to his 2024 preseason — and small-sample shooting variance explains much of his poor stats from 2023-24.
Cam Thomas’ green light, Brooklyn
I’m not sure whether this qualifies as a genuine breakout or just something that’s going to be fun as hell to watch. But if we’re talking about touches and opportunity? Sheesh. Thomas had 36 points on 27 shots opening night in Atlanta, and if you look at the Nets’ roster, that trend line seems likely to continue. There’s just nobody else on the team who can create shot volume like Thomas, and the volume will only increase if Brooklyn moves Dennis Schröder’s expiring contract.
Thomas has always been a high-volume player, ranking sixth in the league in field goal frequency a year ago. However, the criticism was about quality, not quantity. In the past, there have been too many tough 2-point jumpers and little in the way of playmaking, both of which dragged down his efficiency. Thomas corrected some of that in the opener, getting off 13 3-point attempts and making seven, and interjecting at least a couple of passing reads that let you talk yourself into growth there.
After 48 hours, he was third in the NBA in field goal attempts and second in scoring. With few other options on the Nets’ roster and operating in a contract year, Thomas may stay near the top of both columns all season.
This isn’t quite on Thomas’ level, but Powell is in a contract year and looks set to re-establish at least some of his value on a Clippers team that really needs his scoring. Or maybe, as a “Cheers” fan, I just like to yell out “Norm!” occasionally.
Either way, Powell will be the second option next to James Harden for as long as Kawhi Leonard is out. When Leonard returns, Powell will likely revert to a sixth man role. A 17-point, four-assist opener in Phoenix is a good start for this trend line, and Powell did this while going 1 of 7 from 3 (he’s a 39.4 percent career shooter from distance).
Powell has the added benefit of no longer having to watch the Russell Westbrook show when he checks in with the Clippers’ subs. Instead, with Leonard injured and Paul George departed, it mostly will be his show any time Harden is off the floor. While Powell thrives best as a secondary scorer rather than a get-out-of-my-way guy, he’ll also have significant overlap with Harden where he can thrive off the ball. At age 31, he could end up threatening his career-high scoring average of 19.6 from back in Toronto.
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(Photo of Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson: Tyler Kaufman / Getty Images)
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We’re approaching the biggest sporting event North America has ever hosted.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across the USA, Canada and Mexico in 13 days.
Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the global spectacle, which will kick off on June 11. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
After the World Cup groups were announced in December, Spain opened as the favorite at +450, followed by England (+550) and France (+750).
Now, with less than two weeks to go, Spain has slightly drifted to +475, with both France and England making up ground on the oddsboard.
Let’s dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29.
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2026 World Cup winner odds
Spain: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.5 total)
France: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Brazil: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Portugal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Germany: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Netherlands: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Norway: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Morocco: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Uruguay: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
United States: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Switzerland: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Japan: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Mexico: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Croatia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ecuador: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Senegal: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Sweden: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
HOST NATIONS
United States
The United States is led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards, with several players competing in Europe’s top leagues. The U.S. has appeared in 11 previous World Cups, with its best finish coming in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals.
Canada
Canada’s key players include Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, giving the squad top-tier pace and goal-scoring ability. Canada has made two previous World Cup appearances, and is still looking for its first win ever in the tournament.
Mexico
Mexico’s top contributors include Raul Giménez and Edson Álvarez, forming a strong mix of attacking talent and midfield stability. Mexico has played in 17 previous World Cups and reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986.
UEFA TEAMS TO KNOW
Spain
Spain’s top talents include Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, forming a core that blends elite playmaking with scoring depth. Spain has appeared in 16 previous World Cups and won the tournament once, lifting the trophy in 2010. The team also won the 2024 Euros.
France
France enters with Kylian Mbappé as the star player, with the 26-year-old just five goals shy of passing Miroslav Klose (16) for the most career goals at the World Cup. France has made 16 previous World Cup appearances and won the title twice, in 1998 and 2018.
England
England’s key players include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, forming one of the nation’s strongest generations in decades. England has reached 16 previous World Cups and won the trophy once, in 1966.
Germany
Germany features Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich as central figures in a talented squad. Germany has participated in 20 previous World Cups and won four titles, most recently in 2014.
Portugal
Portugal’s top group includes Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, with Cristiano Ronaldo still involved as the team’s all-time leading scorer and cap leader. Portugal has competed in eight previous World Cups and recorded its best finish in 2006, reaching the semifinals.
Netherlands
The Netherlands features top players such as Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries, forming a core built around elite defending and midfield control. Memphis Depay should also be on the team, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Netherlands has appeared in 11 previous World Cups and finished as runner-up three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
CONMEBOL TEAMS TO KNOW
Argentina
Argentina is anchored by Lionel Messi, with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez— headlining one of the most talented rosters in the tournament. Argentina has played in 18 previous World Cups and won three, including the most recent tournament in 2022.
Brazil
Brazil’s roster is led by Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Marquinhos, giving the team elite attacking and defensive quality. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and holds a record five titles, with its most recent one coming in 2002.
Uruguay
Uruguay’s leading players include Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, forming a core with elite midfield range and speed. Uruguay has appeared in 14 previous World Cups and won the tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950.
Colombia
Colombia is headlined by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, with the former playing for Bayern Munich and the latter having a decorated World Cup résumé. Colombia has made six previous World Cupsand recorded its best finish in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals.
CAF TEAMS TO KNOW
Morocco
Morocco’s key contributors include Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazaroui and Brahm Díaz, each with major European club experience. Morocco has appeared in six previous World Cups and achieved its historic best finish in 2022, reaching the semifinals.
Senegal
Senegal’s top players include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, forming one of Africa’s most experienced cores. Senegal has appeared in three World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Ghana
Ghana is led by Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams, giving the squad strong playmaking and midfield presence. Ghana has competed in four previous World Cups and reached its best result in 2010, making the quarterfinals.
AFC TEAMS TO KNOW
South Korea
South Korea is headlined by Son Heung-min, supported by key players such as Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in. South Korea has played in 11 previous World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the semifinals as co-host.
Japan
Japan features Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma as its leading players, blending top European experience with emerging talent. Japan has appeared in seven previous World Cups and reached the Round of 16 four times, its best result to date.
Australia
Australia’s top players include Jackson Irvine and keeper Mathew Ryan as its most experienced members. Australia has competed in six previous World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, in 2006 and 2022.
OFC TEAMS TO KNOW
New Zealand
New Zealand is led by all-time leading scorer Chris Wood, with 45 international goals to his name. New Zealand has appeared in two previous World Cups (1982, 2010), and did not advance from the group stage in either appearance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
Last week, a lawyer representing the two-time reigning NBA MVP sent a cease-and-desist letter to sports prediction market and fantasy sports company Underdog that includes a demand for the destruction of all copies of the cheeky and extremely limited-edition game Unethical Hoops.
Done in the style of the children’s classic Operation, Unethical Hoops requires players to use tweezers to pull objects from tiny holes, with the slightest touch of a metal border setting off a buzzer indicating failure.
Instead of pretending to be doctors attempting to remove body parts from a patient, however, Unethical Hoops players act as members of an opposing basketball team trying to take the ball from a cartoon character who very much resembles Gilgeous-Alexander.
In this game, the buzzer represents the whistle of a foul-calling referee.
“Shai has made hoops all about foul baiting and now you’re stuck guarding him in Underdog’s new board game,” a description reads on the game’s website. “Don’t get baited. Steal the ball without getting whistled.”
In a letter dated May 22, attorney Eric Fishman of ArentFox Schiff LLP demanded that Underdog “immediately and permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website)… and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”
The notice also calls for Underdog to “immediately destroy all physical goods or advertisements that use Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL, including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website,” as well as a promise never to use the star player’s name, image or likeness without his permission.
Fishman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.
According to the Unethical Hoops website, which remains active more than a week after the date on the cease-and-desist order, only 100 copies of the game were made, to be given away to Underdog users. The giveaway ended as scheduled on Friday.
Underdog declined to comment on the matter other than to point out that the company has pulled comical stunts at the expense of members of the sports world.
“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson said via email. “We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is a four-time All-Star who led the league in scoring last season (2,484 points) and was second in scoring this season (2,117). He led the Thunder to their first NBA title last year and has them back in the Western Conference finals this year (the decisive Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs is Saturday in Oklahoma City).
While one of the NBA’s biggest stars, Gilgeous-Alexander is often criticized for the number of favorable foul calls he receives — he has ranked second or third in the league for number of free throw attempts per game in each of the last four seasons and is currently second among all players in the 2026 playoffs with 9.8 a game — and the lengths he appears to go to in order to receive them.
After Game 2 against the Spurs, one NBA fan account on X wrote, “Shai flopped on every single shot attempt” and posted a video that showed seven such examples (Gilgeous-Alexander actually attempted 24 shots that night). The post has been viewed 22.7 million times.
Earlier this week, prior to Game 6 of the conference finals, another fan account on X posted a video “ranking all 44 times SGA fell on the floor while shooting during the 2026 playoffs from least to most egregious.” That post has been viewed 1.3 million times.
As the cartoon likeness of Gilgeous-Alexander states in the Unethical Hoops ad, “so much as breathe on me, I’m getting the call.”
The real-life SGA was asked during a TV interview after Game 3 in San Antonio about the “flopper!” chants that rained down on him at Frost Bank Center.
“It’s part of the game,” he said. “It’s nothing. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”
Sports
Spurs blow out Thunder, force Game 7 as Victor Wembanyama leads the way with 28-point double-double
Trump says he thinks he’ll attend NBA Finals game
President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he believes he will attend an NBA Finals game next week, as the New York Knicks make their first Finals appearance in nearly 30 years.
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The Western Conference Finals will come down to a Game 7 after the San Antonio Spurs routed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 118-91, in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Game 7 heads back to Oklahoma City, where the winner will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals after New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
With their backs against the wall, the Spurs did what was necessary on their home court and then some. And it was their phenom, Victor Wembanyama, leading the way.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The 7-foot-4 big man led the Spurs with 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including four three-pointers made, while notching a double-double with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks.
This was the performance head coach Mitch Johnson and the rest of the team needed from Wembanyama, and he was up for the challenge as the Thunder were looking to make it back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
Instead, the Thunder’s three-point shooting woes returned in San Antonio, much like they did in Game 4 of this series. They took a whopping 40 threes, but only cashed in 10 of them, finishing 25% from beyond the arc on the night.
SPURS SNAP THUNDER’S PLAYOFF WIN STREAK BEHIND VICTORY WEMBANYAMA’S INCREDIBLE GAME 1 PERFORMANCE
As a team, the Thunder shot just 37%, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the culprits for the poor shooting night. He had just 15 points, going 6-of-18 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point land. Lu Dort was also ice cold from three, going just 1-of-9 and 2-of-11 for the game.
Meanwhile, San Antonio was getting more than just “Wemby” contributions, especially from rookie Dylan Harper, who played a vital role in the blowout off the bench.
Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Harper was quite efficient when he had the ball in his hands, going 6-of-9 from the field for 18 points, while tallying six rebounds and four assists in his pivotal 22 minutes off the pine.
And in the starting five, Stephon Castle was getting to the rim like he’s supposed to, scoring 17 points while dishing out nine assists for the Spurs. Devin Vassell also hit four of his seven three-point shots for 12 points, while Julian Champagnie poured in 10 more with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks on the other end of the hardwood.
The Spurs saw 12 different players contribute on the scoreboard in this contest, some of whom made their way into the game when the Thunder conceded and already started to focus on Game 7. And that swing came in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Thunder, 32-13, and started to run away with this must-win game for their franchise.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference finals NBA playoffs in San Antonio on May 28, 2026. (David J. Phillip/AP)
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Now, folks, it all comes down to the ever-suspenseful Game 7, where the Thunder will hope one last home game will give them the juice to push their way into the Finals.
But the Spurs are hoping to recreate 1999 by earning a matchup with the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
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