# 2025-26 NBA season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [October 21, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171 "2025-10-21T18:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/232 "2026-05-11T21:14:38Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > i don’t see how anyone gets past OKC in the west Agree. And in the East, I think Cleveland is as likely as anyone to make it to the finals. (I love the Pistons, but I don’t see them coming through in the clutch. I’d love to be proven wrong, though). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/233 "2026-05-11T23:54:39Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > And in the East, I think Cleveland is as likely as anyone to make it to the finals. (I love the Pistons, but I don’t see them coming through in the clutch. I’d love to be proven wrong, though). I hope the Pistons win it all. This year has, to me, a feeling of a year they don’t win, but learn the skills and mental fortitude to go all the way in the next couple years. It’s a young team. Very young. In fact, I think young-age was one reason they were bad a couple years ago. Very inexperienced and many had hardly played at that NBA level, which is so much higher than NCAA and other basketball organizations. One thing any NBA player will tell you is how shockingly better the NBA is than what they could have anticipated. It’s why some guys can’t rise to the level. Thankfully, Cunningham has. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/234 "2026-05-12T02:44:21Z")
Donovan Mitchell of the Cavs had four points at halftime, and Detroit led at half 56-52. Behind Mitchell, Cleveland scored the first 22 points of the second half on their way to a 112-103 win. Mitchell tied a NBA playoff record by scoring 39 points in the second half (most points in a half), as the Cavs evened the series at 2 games each. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/235 "2026-05-13T16:00:50Z")
The Timberwolves tanked again. They can’t seem to figure out the Spurs’ defense, and it didn’t help that their shooting sounded a lot like the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/236 "2026-05-13T16:17:46Z")
No matter how the Spurs-Wolves series turns out, the well-rested Thunder are going to have a heavy advantage by the WCF. The opponent will be pretty fatigued. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/237 "2026-05-13T16:54:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Thunder are going to have a heavy advantage by the WCF. The opponent will be pretty fatigued As will the Knicks in the East. They will likely have close to a week off or longer between games, and whoever they play will be tired as hell from a rough series. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/238 "2026-05-14T11:23:09Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I love the Pistons, but I don’t see them coming through in the clutch. What’d I say? (Detroit led by 11 with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Cleveland tied it up, and won in overtime.) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/239 "2026-05-14T11:54:44Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Detroit led by 11 with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Actually, the lead was nine, at 103-94, with exactly 3:00 left in regulation. Pistons did not score again until exactly 3:00 left in OT. Five minutes without a point. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/240 "2026-05-16T02:30:27Z")
Pistons go in and play to their actual level and destroy the Cavaliers to create a Game 7. I don’t know. I think the Pistons are just going to be too tired for a NBA finals if they keep having to play so many games. I’m sure they are favorites in game 7. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/241 "2026-05-16T02:51:30Z")
It’s all part of the plan. What’s their biggest weakness right now? They’re young and lack experience. How do you get experience? Take every series to the full 7 games. They’ll be grizzled veterans if they make it to the Finals. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/242 "2026-05-16T14:54:30Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > What’s their biggest weakness right now? They’re young and lack experience. How do you get experience? Take every series to the full 7 games. They’ll be grizzled veterans if they make it to the Finals. Yep. And I just saw Cade Cunningham leads the NBA in playoff scoring this year. 30.0 points per game, not including last night. He’s becoming, and clearly will be, an all-time great Piston, up there with Isiah Thomas or Joe Dumars. Boy, just saying those names takes me back to: Thomas, Dumars, Laimbeer, Rodman, Rick Mahorn. What a team. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/243 "2026-05-16T15:02:13Z")
And Vinny the Microwave! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/244 "2026-05-16T15:12:42Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > And Vinny the Microwave!. Yep. We had an amazing team of 3 guards, each that could be starters on any team. And Vinny hit the game winner against Portland in 1990. It was pretty stunning that Thomas or Dumars didn’t take the final shot, but Vinny did. I remember when we got Grant Hill a few years later, I thought we were going to continue to be awesome. Nope. Not until we re-vamped the whole team and went with Ricky Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, and Ben Wallace. And held teams to, not kidding, under 70 points in games. They even shut down Kobe & Shaq. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/245 "2026-05-17T15:53:47Z")
The Timbermutts tanked again and are done for this year. Losing by a large margin in three of the games is inexcusable. They are clearly ignoring the coaching staff. And it’s time to dump Gobert. They should never have traded for him. Yeah, he’s tall, but he’s got little else going for him. In the last game he scored a goose-egg and had three rebounds. Truly pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/246 "2026-05-18T01:47:21Z")
Cavaliers are putting it to the Pistons tonight in Detroit, leading by 21 early in the 3rd quarter of Game 7. Don’t think that Detroit has the muscle to overcome that large of a deficit. Meanwhile, the Knicks haven’t played for a week. The winner of tonight’s game gets one day of rest before the conference finals start on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/247 "2026-05-18T20:07:36Z")
We now have possibly the most insane and insulting sports related column ever to have existed thanks to The Oklahoman. “Like Thunder, Israel is an underdog that has become hated” [https://archive.ph/2026.05.18-164858/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2026/05/18/like-thunder-israel-has-risen-out-of-ashes-despite-all-odds-opinion/90078750007/](https://archive.ph/2026.05.18-164858/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2026/05/18/like-thunder-israel-has-risen-out-of-ashes-despite-all-odds-opinion/90078750007/) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/248 "2026-05-18T21:38:09Z")
I’ll take it, weird as geopolitical-sports mixing is. It’s a different piece than the usual meaningless stuff by ESPN or some other sports outlet. But does this make the Spurs…Gaza? Iran? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/249 "2026-05-19T03:52:53Z")
Spurs take Game 1 in double overtime. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/250 "2026-05-19T20:44:18Z")
Because of that article, I’m now seeing references to Chetenyahu and Wembyhamas. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/251 "2026-05-19T21:37:35Z")
Wouldn’t a real Zionist be demanding that the Thunder be allowed to return to their ancestral homeland of Seattle? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=13)