A lot happened in the NBA over the weekend — San Antonio toppled defending champs Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, meaning we’re now guaranteed a new NBA champion. Will Jalen Brunson deliver New York’s first title in more than 50 years? Or will Victor Wembanyama assume his place atop the sport, perhaps earlier than expected?
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Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down the finals matchup and the Game 7 fallout for the Thunder. Throughout the finals, we’ll have more coverage here and on the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
The NBA Finals will be a rematch of the 1999 series, as the San Antonio Spurs will take on the New York Knicks beginning Wednesday night in San Antonio.
The Spurs clinched their spot in the championship round after outlasting Oklahoma City, defeating the defending champs on the Thunder’s home floor in Game 7 on Saturday.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s a childhood dream,” San Antonio star Wembanyama said Saturday, in reference to the NBA’s trophy for the finals winner.
He added: “It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life now.”
The Thunder, meanwhile, couldn’t repeat despite a spirited attempt, winning 64 games in the regular season and sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“I failed at my goal,” back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the day after Game 7.
The Knicks, who have won 11 straight playoff games in largely dominant fashion, will be eager for the finals to begin after last playing on May 25. New York had success against the Spurs in the regular season, going 2-1 against San Antonio, including a win in the NBA Cup final.
It will also be a chance at redemption for Knicks coach Mike Brown, a former Spurs assistant who lost to the team in the 2007 finals as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach.
“I got ties to San Antonio and you appreciate the people, you appreciate the journey and all that other stuff,” Brown said yesterday. “But at the end of the day, just like they want to beat you, you definitely want to beat them.”
U.S. Men’s National Team
Christian Pulisic, the face of the U.S. men’s national team, hadn’t scored a goal this calendar year, a streak that dated to Dec. 28, until the U.S. played Senegal in a World Cup-tuneup friendly yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the opening minutes, Pulisic placed a perfect pass to Sergiño Dest for the national team’s first goal. Then Pulisic outran the defense and buried a goal off a pass from Ricardo Pepi.
Folarin Balogun also scored in the second half, to help the U.S. win 3-2. But the headlines centered around Pulisic being able to exhale, less than two weeks before the World Cup starts.
“I felt this confidence. I’ve played really well in recent months too, but all people seem to care about is goals,” Pulisic said, according to ESPN. “So hopefully now people can stop talking about it. And I feel good and now obviously just a friendly.”
“[We’ve] got big games ahead and I got to be ready.”
World Cup Countdown
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is Morocco’s Brahim Díaz.
In another world, Malaga-born Brahim Díaz may have been representing Spain this summer at the World Cup as he did at the junior international level for much of his youth. But the Real Madrid winger made the shocking decision to play for Morocco in 2023 thanks to his father’s Moroccan heritage.
Where Díaz struggled to break through amid his Spanish peers, the No. 10 has become a hero to fans of the Atlas Lions despite having such limited time on the national team. His confidence on the ball has soared in the short time as his style of play fits seamlessly and he’s gotten increasing minutes for the national team since 2023.
Morocco’s then-head coach, Walid Regragui, told ESPN earlier this year that Díaz’s ability to run the ball and fight for it through a play is important for the entire team’s morale. He added that Díaz “can be the best player in the world if he wants.”
The North African team has been making big moves since the last World Cup in Qatar, where it became both the first African and first Arab team to make the tournament’s semifinals. It then earned its first bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but without Díaz after Real Madrid refused to release him for the event.
But it’s no question that securing Díaz, and his attacking presence, has propelled Morocco to new heights. Díaz’s dominating force in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations won him the tournament’s golden boot and secured Morocco’s place in the final.
The Atlas Lions are hoping he’s the missing piece that can secure the team a place in this summer’s World Cup finals.
Friday’s entry was the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk. Read about him here.
What We’re Reading
The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly finalizing a trade to acquire All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
Serena Williams is returning to competitive tennis after a nearly four-year absence.
How much does it cost to go to a World Cup game? We did the math.
Marta Kostyuk stunned Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open quarterfinal.
Following Claude Lemieux’s death by suicide, his brain is being donated to the Boston University CTE Center, his family said.
Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame receiver for the Baltimore Colts, has died at 93.
What We’re Watching
As we wait for the NBA Finals to start, there’s a great WNBA doubleheader we’re watching tonight, with a couple of top rookies in action. In the first game, No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and the Dallas Wings take on the Seattle Storm. Fudd has mostly been coming off the bench for Dallas and is averaging 12.6 points while shooting a scorching 46.4% from 3-point range.
Don’t miss the nightcap on Peacock, either. The No. 2 pick Olivia Miles has been key to Minnesota’s 6-2 start, as she’s averaging 15.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.
All times are Eastern:
- 8 p.m.: Seattle Storm vs. Dallas Wings, on USA Network
- 10 p.m.: Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury, on Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
