Here is what caught our editors' eyes last week:
All for nothing: Celtics throw it away
Leading a playoff series 3-1 only to lose isn’t unheard of. All the more so when the opposition gets their best player back – a former MVP – who has clearly turned the series on its head.
But when it comes to the Boston Celtics, it’s clearly something that needs explaining.
The C’s have been the most dominant team in the East for a decade. Over the last 10 seasons, they have won one title (2024), reached one NBA Finals (2022) and no fewer than six Conference Finals.
An incredible consistency, symbolised by the rise of the Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum duo, the result of an incredible gamble by Danny Ainge in 2013, and who are clearly the cornerstones of this team.
But here’s the thing: even though Tatum was out for almost the entire regular season, that hadn’t stopped Boston from finishing second in the East.
With his return, it was hard to see what could prevent the Celtics from reaching at least the conference finals. The answer, however, was simple: the Celtics themselves.
In 2024, they had won the title by building their entire game around the three-point line, averaging over 40 attempts per game to close the gap on the Golden State Warriors.
It worked in 2024, and it won them a title. But since then, it hasn’t worked – at least, not when it matters. The series against the Philadelphia 76ers highlighted this, with a dreadful 49/179 on three-pointers across the four defeats (60/144 in the three wins).
That’s 27.37% compared to 41.66%. You don’t have to look too far to see that Boston live and die by the three-pointer. Is that really all a team led by two All-Stars – who will earn 115 million next season (and 132 million in 2028/2029) – has to offer?
Of course, they aren’t the only ones to blame. Between the coach fielding an unprecedented starting five for Game 7 and role players who were far too quiet throughout the series, this failure is clearly a collective one.
But they’ll have to bounce back from this massive setback. Under normal circumstances, heads would roll.
But given that the franchise has spent the last 10 years refusing to choose between Brown and Tatum, that Joe Mazzulla should be named Coach of the Year, and that Brad Stevens’ management has been unanimously praised for years, one really wonders what’s going to happen this summer in Massachusetts…
Sébastien Gente
Nuggets' disappointing end could lead to a roster blowup
After ending the regular season with a 12-game win streak to claim the No. 3 seed in the West, the Denver Nuggets choked in a playoff series against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that was without their superstar Anthony Edwards for basically the final three games.
Despite fantastic finishes from Cam Johnson and Nikola Jokic in Game 6, who truthfully had a brutal series himself, the trade rumours surrounding the Nuggets are buzzing just days removed from their season-ending. According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, everybody is available except Jokic, as they look to shake up their roster.
The five-year, $125 million contract they gave Christian Braun blew up in their faces, as he averaged just 8.3 points per game in the playoffs and only 12.0 in the regular season.
Meanwhile, Jamal Murray, who just made his first All-Star team this season, shot a brutal 32.5% in the final two games of the series, putting up just 12 points in their elimination game.
Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson were both out with injuries, but, as Jokic straight-up said, “I don't want to blame injuries for not making the second round in the playoffs.”
Not only did the T’Wolves eliminate them in Game 6 without Edwards, but also without Donte DiVincenzo and Game 4 hero Ayo Dosunmu, who put up a career-high 43 points after the former two left the game with injuries.
In short, the Nuggets got beat by a critically injured Wolves team, who a lot of people thought had their backs against the wall following the injuries despite owning a 3-1 series.
But going back to Jokic’s words, the Nuggets played the worst basketball they possibly could’ve following their Game 1 win, and they would all be fired if they were in Serbia.
Eric Himmelheber
Survive and advance: The Pistons prevail in Game 7
On Saturday, the NBA witnessed a shock and a major upset as the No. 7 seeds, the 76ers, came back from a 3-1 deficit and sent the No. 2 seeds, the Celtics, home.
A day later, the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic strove to replicate their standings neighbour and become the first No. 8 team to advance past the first round since the Miami Heat in 2023. That season, the Heat danced all the way to the Finals, eventually falling to the Nuggets.
The Detroit Pistons were the clear favourites entering the series – they won 60 games in the regular season, while the Magic had to earn a playoff berth in the play-in tournament.
Yet, it was Orlando who dictated the tempo through the series; they took the first game and got up 3-1. But the Pistons didn’t fold, ultimately forcing Game 7. And when it mattered the most, the team delivered.
The Magic got off to a hot start and held a slight lead after the first quarter, but then it was the Pistons show. They shot 48 % from beyond the arc, compared to Orlando’s 33 %. Detroit also grabbed more rebounds and led for 76 % of the ball game.
The underdogs ran out of juice, losing the deciding game 94-116 and bowing out to the No. 1 seed after a thrilling seven-game showdown.
Detroit dodged a bullet here, and if they want to contend for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, they must rediscover their rhythm and poise. Another underdog awaits in the second round, eager to extend its postseason run.
The Magic smelled blood against the Pistons but failed to finish the job — someone else might seize that opportunity.
Michaela Gaislerová
San Antonio advance with 4-1 series win over Portland
The San Antonio Spurs are back in the second round for the first time since 2017 after taking down the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1, capitalising on Portland’s inability to close games.
The Blazers let double-digit leads slip away in both home matchups - including one where Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, wasn’t even available - turning what could have been a competitive series into a missed opportunity.
Over the four games played, Victor Wembanyama averaged 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
Game 5 followed a similar script, just without the drama. Back in San Antonio, the Spurs built a lead that ballooned to 28 points, effectively putting the game out of reach early.
Portland showed some late fight in the fourth quarter, but the comeback push came far too late to change the outcome.
For San Antonio, it’s not just a series win - it’s a clear sign that the rebuild is gaining momentum, with a second-round matchup against the Timberwolves awaiting after their 4–2 series win over the Nuggets.
Meanwhile, the offseason begins in Portland with major questions about the roster’s direction. League rumours already link Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Blazers, a move that would reunite him with Damian Lillard, who is expected to return next season after recovering from a torn Achilles - bringing back a duo that previously played together for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Natálie Csurillová
Cooper Flagg wins Rookie of the Year award
After months of debate, the Dallas Mavericks' 19-year-old sensation Cooper Flagg was named Rookie of the Year, edging out former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel in an extremely tight race.
Flagg won the vote by 26 points, with a late-season surge helping him become the second-youngest player to win the award, behind LeBron James.
The gap between Flagg and Knueppel is the second smallest between the top two since the new voting format began in the 2002-03 season. The race between Scottie Barnes (378 points) and Evan Mobley (363) in 2021-22 was the only smaller gap.
"I see the games every night. I can check the box scores," Flagg said. "I think also I was watching Kon just because that's one of my brothers.
"We had such a good connection, and we're gonna be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching him as a fan, as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time."
Flagg, who was the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Mavs. Only Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic averaged at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists in their rookie season since the NBA-ABA merger 50 years ago.
In fact, he made history throughout the campaign. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 35, 40, 45, and 50 points in a single game, while also being the youngest to record at least 10 assists.
Additionally, Flagg set the single-game scoring record for a teen with 49 points in January, when the Mavs lost to the Charlotte Hornets.
Dallas have a true superstar on their hands who will lead them forward for the foreseeable future, and they will now be looking to build the team around him.
They are going to have a high draft pick after finishing 12th in the Western Conference with a 26-56 record, and with Kyrie Irving returning from injury next season, they will be hoping to move on to bigger and better things.
Tolga Akdeniz