Browsing: Finals

The 2025-26 NBA season is here! We’re rolling out our previews — examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.

2024-25 finish

• Record: 51-31 (lost to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals)

Offseason moves

• Additions: Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson

• Subtractions: Precious Achiuwa, P.J. Tucker

(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The Big Question: Can Mike Brown improve these Knicks?

The Knicks pulled off somewhat of a stunning upset, ousting the defending champion Boston Celtics in a six-game second-round playoff series. They ran into their ceiling a round later, losing to the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. They defied expectations, only to fall short of them.

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It is a weird situation. On the one hand, nobody figured them for the league’s final four, not with two 60-win teams plying their trade in the East. On the other, they got there and had a real chance to make the Finals. For that, the Knicks decided to part ways with Tom Thibodeau, the coach who got them there.

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There is no doubt that over the course of Thibodeau’s tenure the Knicks overachieved. They reached the playoffs in four of his five seasons on the bench, winning four playoff series — more than the franchise’s 13 other coaches this century combined. And their best player, Jalen Brunson, is a 6-foot-2 point guard.

Brunson also happens to be one hell of a player. He averaged 26 points (49/38/82 shooting splits) and 7.3 assists per game at the helm of a top-five offense, garnering MVP votes for a second straight season. He was incredible in the playoffs, making clutch play after clutch play. How much longer he can maintain this pace as an undersized superstar remains to be seen, but at 29 years old he is squarely in his prime.

He is also bolstered by one of the league’s best playoff rotations, featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. The additions of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson make the Knicks deeper. With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the Celtics and Pacers, respectively, New York has as clear a view of the NBA Finals as it has had since 1999.

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The Knicks saw a chance and took it. Kind of. Upon firing Thibodeau, the Knicks sought interviews with a handful of employed coaches, all of whom turned them down. In the end, they landed on Mike Brown.

Brown is a good coach. He took what he learned offensively as an assistant for the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors and applied it to the Sacramento Kings, ending the franchise’s 17-year playoff drought. They thought they were better than they were, too, and fired him in the middle of last season.

[Get more Knicks news: New York team feed]

That’s the thing. Sometimes it isn’t the coach. Sometimes it is the personnel. And the Knicks have not had the personnel to reach the Finals. They have what some might consider a fatal flaw — the defense of Brunson and Towns. Neither is a stopper. Not close to it. Only they have to be on the floor together. And together they submitted a middling defense last year. Can Brown scheme around two defensive issues?

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More likely, Brown will lean into his team’s incredible offensive prowess, using more Brunson-Towns pick-and-rolls and movement in the offense, hoping to squeeze more from what was already a top-five outfit.

With Tatum and Haliburton out of the picture and the East’s last two champions in a gap year, the path to the Finals is open for the Knicks. They think they have the personnel now, but do they have the coach?

Best-case scenario

Brown coaches the Knicks up as one of the league’s elite offenses and finds a way to field a serviceable defense, perhaps benefitting from the presence of Robinson, who missed a good chunk of last season with an injury. Brunson maintains as one of the league’s elite playmakers. Towns, who has reached the finals of both conferences the last two years, carries that confidence into this season. Bridges and Anunoby find some consistency as reliable two-way performers, and the Knicks are the class of the East.

If everything falls apart

Brunson steps back from the MVP race. He and Towns cannot scrape together a top-10 defense. Bridges and Anunoby are as inconsistent as ever. Yabusele and Clarkson are not playoff difference-makers. Brown is no better than Thibodeau. The Knicks slam their heads against a sub-Finals ceiling once again, even in a watered-down Eastern Conference, and the outlook for the 2026-27 season is no better. Maybe they take another crack at trying to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but do they have the assets to get him?

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2025-26 schedule

• Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. Cleveland

Who else but the Knicks are capable of winning 55 games in the East? The Cleveland Cavaliers? Somebody has to win games, and the road could not be clearer for New York. Take the over.

More season previews

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

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The 2025-26 NBA season is here! We’re rolling out our previews — examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.

2024-25 finish

• Record: 41-41 (sixth in the East, lost to the Celtics in the first round)

Offseason moves

• Additions: Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, Jase Richardson, Noah Penda, Orlando Robinson, Jamal Cain

• Subtractions: Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph, Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan

Paolo Banchero played only 46 games last season. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The Big Question: Can the Magic construct a championship-caliber offense?

Iâ€ve written about this a few times over the years, and chances are youâ€ve heard it on an NBA podcast or broadcast or two: Orlando has not finished in the top half of the league in offensive efficiency since Dwight Howard left the Magic to join the Lakers.

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That happened in 2012.

Kevin Durant has won four Olympic gold medals since the last time the Magic finished better than 15th in points scored per possession. If Iâ€m counting right, 50 Marvel movies have come and gone from theaters since the last time an Orlando team was mediocre at putting the ball in the basket. There are Central Floridian teenagers who have never seen an average NBA offense up close and personal … unless the visiting team brings one to town.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. Create or join a league]

If youâ€re thinking, “Seems like itâ€d be pretty hard to win very much if youâ€ve had a bad offense for almost 15 years,†well, thatâ€s because it is: The Magic have made the playoffs just four times in the last 13 seasons, and none of those four playoff runs advanced beyond the opening round.

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After consecutive postseason appearances in which they produced points at a rate that wouldâ€ve finished dead last in the NBA during the regular season — and last year fielding what was, according to the great John Schuhmann, “the worst offensive team … to make the playoffs in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data†— president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and Co. decided that the time had come to throw caution to the wind. The goal was lofty: Find the perfect complementary piece to build an offense capable of complementing the elite defense that head coach Jamahl Mosley has built in Orlando. The price was even loftier: four unprotected first-round picks.

In comes Desmond Bane, a career 41% 3-point shooter whoâ€s 22nd in the NBA in total made triples over the last four seasons, to provide a desperately needed decongestant for an attack that finished dead last in 3-pointers per game and team 3-point accuracy, and 27th in half-court scoring efficiency. Bane has grown significantly over the years as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, complementary playmaker and north-south driver, too, making him a seemingly perfect fit next to max-salaried cornerstones Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Baneâ€s shooting should help widen the driving lanes for the bruising big wings†forays to the basket. His off-ball movement should help inject some dynamism into a Magic attack that ranked in the middle of the pack in average distance traveled per game on offense last season, and 25th in average speed traveled, according to Second Spectrum. His ability to make something happen with the ball in his hands should reduce their overall shot-creation burden, and the possibilities of him partnering with them in screening actions — including as a screen-setter himself in inverted actions — should open up more opportunities for Orlando to put defenses in a bind.

Add in fellow former Grizzly Tyus Jones, whoâ€s shot 39.8% from 3-point range over the last four seasons — and who perpetually ranks at or near the top of the assist-to-turnover ratio leaderboard, which ought to help Orlandoâ€s bottom-third-of-the-league turnover rate — and first-round pick Jase Richardson, who shot 41.2% from the college 3-point line in his lone year at Michigan State (and whoâ€s shown some exciting flashes in preseason), and Orlando might actually have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with expected beasts of the East like the Cavaliers and Knicks. Provided, of course, the Magic can keep their big guns on the court.

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Only three playoff teams (Oklahoma City, Memphis and the Lakers) lost more games due to injury last season than the Magic, according to Spotrac. Banchero and Wagner were both sidelined by torn oblique muscles, while All-Defensive teamer/attitudinal talisman Jalen Suggs was limited to just 35 games by a left knee injury that required season-ending surgery; all told, Orlandoâ€s top three players shared the court for just 97 minutes across just six games last season. The hope is that better health for the three franchise pillars — and continued availability for Bane, who played 69 games last season after missing significant time in each of the previous two seasons in Memphis — will allow the Magic to have the same kind of year-over-year surge that Cleveland enjoyed last season.

[Get more Magic news: Orlando team feed]

The fear is that, with Suggs still not back to full-contact 5-on-5 work more than seven months after surgery, and potentially still “weeks†away from getting back in the fold, we might not get to see the full-strength squad that Orlandoâ€s brass had drawn up for a while. (Key reserve Moe Wagner still being a ways off from returning after tearing the ACL in his left knee last December doesnâ€t help, either.) That, in turn, could prevent the Magic from developing the sort of chemistry and cohesion critical in creating a potent offense, and impede their expected progress up the Eastern standings.

If Banchero, Franz and Bane can quickly find some synergy, though, and if Suggs and Moe are able to return and provide both instant production and their customary pugilistic play, the Magic could have the right sort of recipe to become a team thatâ€s more than the sum of its parts.

“I think we should be a deep playoff team,†Banchero recently told Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “Hopefully, that means Finals. But if itâ€s anything shorter than that, then Eastern Conference finals. I want to play deep into the playoffs.â€

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Sprinkle in increased growth from connective-tissue youngsters like Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva, and efficient interior contributions from big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze, and Orlando really might have a chance to damage defenses at a league-average level. Combine that with the kind of defense thatâ€s been Orlandoâ€s calling card under Mosley, and the Magic could be the kind of contender that fans have been waiting a very, very long time to see.

Best-case scenario

All of the aforementioned health questions break Orlandoâ€s way, giving Mosley the time, reps and raw materials with which to build a two-way monster; the Magic finish top five in defensive efficiency and top 10 on the other end, exorcising all the demons of terrible offenses past. Banchero, Wagner and Bane all make the All-Star team; Paolo (who takes a leap in his scoring efficiency and inside-out passing) and Franz (who finally irons out the kink in that jumper) make All-NBA; Mosley wins Coach of the Year. Orlando blows past 55 wins, takes the No. 1 seed in the East, and rides a miracle season to the NBA Finals, as Kevin Peltonâ€s Simulation No. 620 becomes blissful reality.

If everything falls apart

Suggs†knee is never right and, as a result, neither are the Magic. Banchero, Bane and Wagner all put up good numbers, but without Suggs†combination of elite point-of-attack defense, secondary playmaking and knockdown spot-up shooting, Mosley canâ€t quite find the right combinations to be able to field consistently potent two-way lineups without exploitable shortcomings on one end or the other. The offense improves a little, but the defense slips more, and Orlando again finds itself futzing around .500, unable to break through in a conference that once seemed ripe for the taking — and wondering if itâ€s gone all-in with a hand that ultimately might not be good enough to drag the pot.

2025-26 schedule

• Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. Miami

Orlando has won 52 or more games just four times in franchise history, all led by a transformational Hall of Fame center. Thereâ€s no Shaq or Dwight here … but if the injury bug doesnâ€t bite, thereâ€s enough talent here to be able to approach a mid-50s win total.

More season previews

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

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West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

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  Kevin PeltonOct 14, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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  • Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
  • Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
  • Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system

How will the NBA season look if my stats-based projections are an accurate measure of team ability?

The purpose of simulating the NBA season ahead of time is generally to see how often various things are likely to happen, from the weakest teams winning the draft lottery to the best ones taking home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

It can also be fun to go through individual runs of the simulation to give an idea of what unlikely events could become reality based on random chance.

In the spirit of ESPN’s NFL tradition of detailing the events of a single simulation, let’s go through the NBA season using simulation No. 620 — chosen because of its interesting outcomes — from opening night to the end of the NBA Finals.

Note, this is not my prediction (or ESPN’s) of how this season will unfold. The outcomes are produced at random via simulation, and everything else, including player stats, takes creative license.

Along the way, we’ll crown an NBA Cup winner, enjoy the action on Christmas Day, determine the final playoff seeds, set the draft lottery and winner, run through the play-in tournament, playoffs and finally, name the 2025-26 NBA champion. Let’s get to it.

Oct. 21: Thunder, Warriors dominate Opening Night

Oklahoma City Thunder over Houston Rockets
Golden State Warriors over Los Angeles Lakers

After getting their championship rings and raising the first banner in the rafters at Paycom Arena, the Thunder showed why they were favored to repeat with an impressive win during Kevin Durant’s Houston debut. Durant scored 27 points against his former team, the first day of the regular season, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams both topped 20 points and Chet Holmgren had five blocks.

Later, the Warriors spoiled Luka Doncic’s first home opener with the Lakers, handing them a 107-99 defeat. Afterward, an ebullient Draymond Green vowed that the Warriors, not Oklahoma City, should be considered the title favorites.

Illustration by ESPN

Dec. 16: NBA Cup final features unexpected matchup

Quarterfinals:

(1) Boston Celtics over (4) Detroit Pistons
(2) Miami Heat over (3) Cleveland Cavaliers
(4) Minnesota Timberwolves over (1) Oklahoma City Thunder
(3) Portland Trail Blazers over (2) Memphis Grizzlies

Semifinals:

(1) Boston Celtics over (2) Miami Heat
(3) Portland Trail Blazers over (4) Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA Cup final (Dec. 16):

(1) Boston Celtics over (3) Portland Trail Blazers

The NBA Cup, running from Oct. 21 to Dec. 16, resulted in an unexpected final in Las Vegas that pitted the Celtics against former guard Jrue Holiday and the Trail Blazers. Boston, off to a 16-10 start without the injured Jayson Tatum, finished as the No. 1 seed in the East play-in and beat the Pistons at home and the Heat in the semifinals in Las Vegas.

The upstart Blazers, also 16-10, took advantage of the Thunder getting upset by the Timberwolves at home during the quarterfinals. Portland also won on the road, in Memphis, and then beat Minnesota in the semifinals.

Alas, the Blazers’ run ended in a 115-103 loss. Portland shot 10-of-36 on 3s, while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard made four apiece for Boston, which immediately shut down talk of referring to the NBA Cup as “Banner 19.” Still, the Celtics were able to match the rival Lakers’ inaugural NBA Cup title.

Dec. 25: Knicks, Lakers stumble on Christmas

Struggling teams were the storyline on Christmas Day. The Cavaliers and Knicks, who entered the season as East favorites, were 11th and seventh, respectively, going into their matchup at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers, buried by early-season injuries to the backcourt, got some measure of satisfaction with a win over the Knicks.

There was no such relief for the Lakers, who dropped five games below .500 after losing at home to Houston.

The vibes were better for the top two teams in the West, the surprising Warriors and Thunder, who both won at home. So did the Denver Nuggets behind a 30-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic.

NBA Standings through Dec. 25

Eastern
Conf.WLWin%Western
Conf.WLWin%Orlando
Magic188.692Golden State
Warriors207.741Atlanta
Hawks189.667Oklahoma City
Thunder197.731Miami
Heat179.654Minnesota
Timberwolves1610.615Milwaukee
Bucks1710.630Portland
Trail Blazers1610.615Boston
Celtics1610.615Memphis
Grizzlies1511.577Toronto
Raptors1611.593Houston
Rockets1310.565New York
Knicks1411.560Los Angeles
Clippers1412.538Philadelphia
76ers1411.560Denver
Nuggets1312.520Indiana
Pacers1412.538New Orleans
Pelicans1413.519Detroit
Pistons1313.500Sacramento
Kings1214.462Cleveland
Cavaliers1215.444San Antonio
Spurs1114.440Charlotte
Hornets818.308Dallas
Mavericks1116.407Chicago
Bulls718.280Los Angeles
Lakers1015.400Brooklyn
Nets421.160Phoenix
Suns1016.385Washington
Wizards321.125Utah
Jazz223.080

Feb 15: Warriors all the hype at All-Star break

As the NBA gathered from Feb. 13 to 15 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the Warriors were the talk of the league. Green and Jimmy Butler III joined Steph Curry on the West roster thanks to Golden State’s league-best 42-13 record at the break.

In the rearview mirror of the experienced Warriors there was plenty of youth with the Thunder 4.5 games back in the West and the ascendant Magic top the East with the NBA’s second-best record. After their slow starts, the Knicks and Cavaliers had righted the ships, moving up to second and fourth in the conference, respectively.

The Clippers were tied for fourth in the West, but their crosstown rivals continued to stumble. Now 12 games below .500, the Lakers were all but eliminated from the play-in race at six games back of the Sacramento Kings for 10th. LeBron James mused about taking March off to watch his son Bryce play in the NCAA tournament for the Arizona Wildcats.

NBA Standings through All-Star Break

Eastern
Conf.WLWin%Western
Conf.WLWin%Orlando
Magic3716.698Golden State
Warriors4213.764New York
Knicks3520.636Oklahoma City
Thunder3818.679Indiana
Pacers3322.600Denver
Nuggets3719.661Cleveland
Cavaliers3124.564Los Angeles
Clippers3321.611Milwaukee
Bucks3024.556Memphis
Grizzlies3321.611Atlanta
Hawks3125.554Houston
Rockets3221.604Toronto
Raptors3025.545Minnesota
Timberwolves3224.571Miami
Heat2828.500Phoenix
Suns2926.527Chicago
Bulls2629.473Portland
Trail Blazers2927.518Detroit
Pistons2528.472Sacramento
Kings2828.500Boston
Celtics2529.463New Orleans
Pelicans2729.481Philadelphia
76ers2232.407San Antonio
Spurs2616.407Charlotte
Hornets1243.218Dallas
Mavericks2332.418Washington
Wizards1043.189Los Angeles
Lakers2133.389Brooklyn
Nets746.132Utah
Jazz947.161

Beware the Ides of April…

With less than two weeks left in the regular season, plenty remained at stake, including the top seed in the West. The Thunder had closed within 2.5 games of the still-hot Warriors. The race to avoid the play-in was hard-fought with three teams at 40 wins apiece, albeit with the Blazers two games back in the loss column of Houston and Minnesota.

Two games back in the loss column for the play-in, the Mavericks were still looking to make it with Kyrie Irving’s return to the lineup. In the East, the Celtics — who had gone just 19-30 since winning the NBA Cup — were trying to hold off the Philadelphia 76ers and disappointing Detroit Pistons to reach the play-in.

NBA Standings entering April 2026

Eastern
Conf.WLWin%Western
Conf.WLWin%Orlando
Magic5124.680Golden State
Warriors5619.747New York
Knicks4730.610Oklahoma City
Thunder5422.711Atlanta
Hawks4333.566Denver
Nuggets4927.645Indiana
Pacers4233.560Memphis
Grizzlies4728.627Cleveland
Cavaliers4224.553Los Angeles
Clippers4630.605Toronto
Raptors4134.547Houston
Rockets4035.533Milwaukee
Bucks3936.520Minnesota
Timberwolves4035.533Miami
Heat3937.513Portland
Trail Blazers4037.519Chicago
Bulls3837.507Phoenix
Suns3838.500Boston
Celtics3540.467Sacramento
Kings3838.500Philadelphia
76ers3540.467Dallas
Mavericks3540.467Detroit
Pistons3541.461San Antonio
Spurs3540.467Charlotte
Hornets2155.276New Orleans
Pelicans3343.434Brooklyn
Nets1264.158Los Angeles
Lakers3244.421Washington
Wizards1164.147Utah
Jazz2056.263

April 12: Magic, Warriors top regular-season standings

The Warriors shut down any talk of a Thunder comeback by finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak to reach 63 wins, their most since 2016-17. In the East, the Magic ran away with the top seed and finished seven games clear of the Knicks.

The No. 6 seed in both conferences was decided via a tiebreaker. Cleveland, which fell back off the pace after the All-Star break, ended up in the play-in with the Milwaukee Bucks getting the No. 6 seed.

Meanwhile, Houston won a tie out West, sending the Timberwolves to the play-in a year after they narrowly avoided it. Defiant, Anthony Edwards vowed Minnesota would get back to the conference finals anyway.

NBA 2025-26 Season Final Standings

Eastern
Conf.WLWin%Western
Conf.WLWin%1Orlando
Magic5725.695Golden State
Warriors6319.7682New York
Knicks5032.610Oklahoma City
Thunder5824.7073Atlanta
Hawks4735.573Denver
Nuggets5527.6714Indiana
Pacers4735.573Memphis
Grizzlies5131.6225Toronto
Raptors4636.561Los Angeles
Clippers4834.5856Milwaukee
Bucks4438.537Houston
Rockets4438.5377Cleveland
Cavaliers4438.537Minnesota
Timberwolves4438.5378Miami
Heat4240.512Portland
Trail Blazers4339.5249Chicago
Bulls4141.500Phoenix
Suns4240.51210Boston
Celtics4042.488Sacramento
Kings3844.46311Philadelphia
76ers3745.451San Antonio
Spurs3844.46312Detroit
Pistons3646.439Dallas
Mavericks3646.43913Charlotte
Hornets2359.280Los Angeles
Lakers3646.43914Brooklyn
Nets1369.159New Orleans
Pelicans3448.41515Washington
Wizards1270.146Utah
Jazz2161.256

Play-in tournament

Eastern Conference

No. 7 Cleveland Cavaliers over No. 8 Miami Heat (Cleveland clinches playoffs to face No. 2 Knicks)
No. 9 Chicago Bulls over No. 10 Boston Celtics (Chicago advances; Boston eliminated)
No. 9 Bulls over No. 8 Heat (Chicago clinches playoffs to face No. 1 Orlando; Miami eliminated)

Western Conference

No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers over No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves (Portland clinches playoffs to face No. 2 Thunder)
No. 10 Sacramento Kings over No. 9 Phoenix Suns (Sacramento advances; Phoenix eliminated)
No. 10 Kings over No. 7 Timberwolves (Sacramento clinches playoffs to face No. 1 Warriors; Minnesota eliminated)

Consider the Chicago Bulls the big winners of the play-in tournament, a place where they’ve got plenty of experience. Not only did Chicago win in Miami to claim the No. 8 seed in the East playoffs, but the Bulls also landed a first-round pick when Portland capped its unexpected season by winning at the Target Center to earn the seventh spot in the West.

Things went from bad to worse for the Timberwolves in the final game of the play-in tournament as the Sacramento Kings handed them a surprise 103-101 loss on a DeMar DeRozan pull-up jumper in the final five seconds. Sacramento players celebrated by donning “Kings of the Play-in” T-shirts, much to the Bulls’ dismay.

There was less drama in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers salvaged the No. 7 seed with a 31-point win over Miami reminiscent of last year’s dominant first-round sweep.

Draft lottery

1. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota Timberwolves)
2. Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans Pelicans)
3. Brooklyn Nets
4. Washington Wizards
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah Jazz)
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Los Angeles Lakers
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Philadelphia 76ers)
11. San Antonio Spurs
12. Boston Celtics
13. Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix Suns)
14. Miami Heat

For the second consecutive year, a team eliminated on the eve of the playoffs won the NBA draft lottery. This time, the Timberwolves didn’t get to enjoy it like the Mavericks did in 2024. A swap from the Rudy Gobert trade sent the top pick to the Utah Jazz, who unsuccessfully attempted to deny their interest in drafting AJ Dybantsa from nearby BYU.

The news wasn’t all bad for Minnesota, which swapped down only to No. 5. Meanwhile, the 34-48 Pelicans didn’t benefit from jumping up to No. 2, sending that pick to the Hawks to complete their deal on 2025 draft night. The Nets and Wizards claimed the next two picks, having entered with the best odds because of their combined 25 wins.

Later on, the playoff-bound Thunder and Grizzlies acquired lottery picks through trades; the Grizzlies had the opportunity to swap for the Suns’ pick in the Desmond Bane trade.

Speaking to reporters before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that the league’s competition committee will revisit lottery odds to avoid teams preferring the lottery to advancing through the play-in tournament.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors enjoy a deep playoff run in simulation No. 620. AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

Playoffs

Eastern Conference Round 1

(1) Orlando Magic over (8) Chicago Bulls, 4-1
(2) New York Knicks over (7) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2
(3) Atlanta Hawks over (6) Milwaukee Bucks, 4-1
(5) Toronto Raptors over (4) Indiana Pacers, 4-3

Western Conference Round 1

(1) Golden State Warriors over (8) Sacramento Kings, 4-1
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder over (7) Portland Trail Blazers, 4-0
(6) Houston Rockets over (3) Denver Nuggets, 4-3
(5) LA Clippers over (4) Memphis Grizzlies, 4-2

The most anticipated first-round series — an expected matchup between the Knicks and Cavaliers in the conference finals — ended up fizzling. Banged up from a difficult regular season and play-in appearance, Cleveland was eliminated at home in Game 6. But there was plenty of drama elsewhere.

Two road teams with less experience won their Game 7s. The Toronto Raptors held former star Pascal Siakam to 15 points on 4-of-16 shooting for their first series win since 2020, and the Rockets shocked the Nuggets in Denver thanks to 12 fourth-quarter points from Durant. Houston hadn’t advanced in the playoffs since 2019.

The Clippers were the other lower seed to advance, beating Memphis, which ESPN BET listed as the underdog before the series. After winning Game 1 on the road, the Clippers closed out the Grizzlies at home in six games.

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Orlando Magic over (5) Toronto Raptors, 4-2
(2) New York Knicks over (3) Atlanta Hawks, 4-1

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Golden State Warriors over (5) LA Clippers, 4-2
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder over (6) Houston Rockets, 4-3

The top two seeds in both conferences advanced in Round 2. For a second consecutive year, the Thunder needed seven games to reach the conference finals, but the Rockets pushed the defending champs without injured point guard Fred VanVleet. “We’ll be back,” Durant said in a somber Houston locker room.

The Warriors beat the Clippers in a battle of the NBA’s two oldest rosters, and the Magic and Knicks reminded everyone that they’ve been the class of the East all season. Both dropped just three total games en route to a showdown in the conference semifinals.

Conference finals

(1) Orlando Magic over (2) New York Knicks, 4-1
(1) Golden State Warriors over (2) Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-2

The Magic cruised to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2009, surprising New York at Madison Square Garden in Game 3 to take a 3-0 series lead before completing the gentleman’s sweep.

Meanwhile, in a battle of the NBA’s last dynasty against a team aspiring to become one, the Warriors lived up to Green’s season-long hype. The teams split the first two games of the series before Golden State won the pivotal Game 5 and then closed out Oklahoma City on the road to host the NBA Finals.

And the NBA champion is…

In simulation No. 620, the Orlando Magic win the NBA title. John Raoux/AP Photo

(1) Orlando Magic over (1) Golden State Warriors, 4-3

The Warriors’ magical run to their seventh Finals in the past 12 years finally ran out of gas at home in Game 7, similar to Golden State’s loss to Cleveland in 2016. With Curry playing through a minor injury by the end of the season, the Warriors’ potent offense operated at less than full strength. Orlando took advantage, unexpectedly winning the first championship in franchise history barely a year after upgrading their starting lineup with Bane.

Paolo Banchero completed a breakthrough campaign by scoring 32 points in Game 7 and being named Finals MVP. He split votes with Franz Wagner, who averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the series while defending Butler.

Interviewed on the podium by Lisa Salters, Banchero credited the victory to “620,” which observers interpreted as a remixed version of his native 206 area code.

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LeBron James gave a shoutout to Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson in a post on X after she connected on a game-winning shot to defeat the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals on Wednesday night.

With the score tied 88-88 near the end of the fourth quarter, Wilson buried a turnaround jumper with 0.3 seconds left that gave the Aces a two-point win as well as a 3-0 series lead.

She finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds to go along with three blocks, shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point territory. Wilson also racked up four assists.

Her last-second shot helped the Aces avoid a potential fourth-quarter collapse at the hands of the Mercury. Las Vegas led by 17 points through three quarters but was outscored 29-14 by Phoenix in the fourth.

The Mercury tied the game multiple times near the end of regulation, although Wilson’s clutch jumper kept them from stealing a win.

The seven-time All-Star is in the midst of a dominant 2025 campaign, ending the regular season with averages of 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocks per game on 50.5/42.4/85.5 shooting splits.

Wilson earned her fourth MVP award for her efforts and received a congratulatory message from James for doing so.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is an open fan of Wilson’s, calling her “the head honcho” of the WNBA in Oct. 2024.

James is currently preparing for his 23rd year in the association, as the Los Angeles Lakers open the regular season on Oct. 21.

As for Wilson and the Aces, they’ll look to clinch a championship in Game 4 on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Game 1 of this year’s WNBA Finals, which featured WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces defeating the Phoenix Mercury 89-86 last Friday, was the most-watched Game 1 of the league’s championship round since 1997.

The 1997 season was the league’s inaugural campaign. That marked the only season that the WNBA Finals was just one game. The Houston Comets defeated the New York Liberty 65-51, and the matchup averaged 2.85 million viewers, per Sports Media Watch.

Game 1 of this year’s Finals was an instant classic. Wilson posted yet another double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) while Dana Evans (21 points) and Jewell Loyd (18 points) dominated off the bench. Evans was particularly outstanding, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter.

The back-and-forth matchup went down to the final possession after the Aces took an 89-86 lead following two Jackie Young free throws. Satou Sabally had a contested look from three to tie the game, but it was off the mark.

Las Vegas followed that effort up with a 91-78 win in Game 2. Young led the scoring effort with 32 points, while Wilson posted 28 points and 14 rebounds.

This year marks the first time the WNBA Finals is a best-of-seven series, so the Aces need two more wins to secure their third championship.

Game 3 will take place in Phoenix on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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The Las Vegas Aces are two wins away from capturing their third championship after a 91-78win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Finals.

Jackie Young, who was held to 10 points in Game 1, rebounded with a historic performance on Sunday. She dropped 32points, with 21 of them coming in the third quarter on 8-of-11 shooting to help the Aces open up a 76-61 lead.

On top of getting a stellar effort from Young, A’ja Wilson rebounded from her relative down performance in Game 1 with one that reminded everyone why she won her fourth career MVP award this season.

Wilson put up 28 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. She now has seven career double-doubles in 13 career Finals games. That was one of two double-doubles by a member of the Aces on Sunday. Chelsea Gray dropped 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Aces’ superstar duo of Wilson and Young had nearly matched the scoring output of the entire Mercury team.

Game 1 was a huge missed opportunity for the Mercury because Wilson, Young and Gray had a hard time getting their shots to drop. They combined to go 12-of-36 from the field, but it was offset by Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans putting up a combined 39 points off the bench to help the Aces steal an 89-86 overtime win.

Sunday was much more in line with what has made the Aces virtually unstoppable for the past two months because their star trio is capable of taking over games in ways that no team in the league can match.

Phoenix’s main trio of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper did all they could to keep this game close. Copper (23 points) and Sabally (22 points) improved their scoring outputs from Game 1. Thomas had 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in 30 minutes.

The Mercury really struggled shooting from three-point range, connecting on five of 28 attempts after going 14-of-36 on Friday. They also had no answers on defense for the high-powered Aces group.

Unless things change in a hurry for the Mercury, this series is going to end quickly. The good news is they will get to go back home for the next two games. They are 3-1 at Mortgage Matchup Center this postseason, with three consecutive wins since dropping Game 1 against the New York Liberty in the first round.

Game 3 between the Aces and Mercury will be played on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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On a night when A’ja Wilson struggled to find a consistent rhythm, the Las Vegas Aces were able to steal Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury thanks to Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd off the bench.

After the Aces’ 89-86 victory, head coach Becky Hammon praised the “huge” performance from the bench as being the biggest difference in the game.

“We have weapons. We want to use them all because we’re harder to guard that way,” Hammon said. “It was just a really great time for our bench to come up and have a big game. … Oh my goodness, our bench was huge.”

The Aces got 41 of their 89 points from the bench, with Evans and Loyd contributing 39 of them. They accounted for nearly half of the team’s 33 made field goals, shooting a combined 16-of-29 from the field.

Evans and Loyd were so impactful in the game that Hammon kept them on the court with Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young for the final quarter. It was a brilliant move because Evans, in particular, made a huge difference with nine points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting.

The Aces needed those contributions because they trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. Evans’ second three of the period gave Las Vegas a 78-77 advantage, its first lead since early in the third quarter.

Prior to Friday night, Evans highest scoring outing in the playoffs was 14 points in Game 1 against the Indiana Fever. She dropped 21 against the Mercury. Loyd’s 18-point effort was her highest-scoring game since the regular-season finale.

Las Vegas needed those contributions because Wilson was held in check, at least by her usual standards. The four-time MVP finished with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, though she did add 10 rebounds and five assists.

The Aces were able to steal a win despite the Mercury doing a good job overall. They will look to take a 2-0 lead when these two teams meet in Game 2 at Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

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Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson posted a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and Dana Evans (21 points) and Jewell Loyd (18 points) starred off the bench to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 89-86 home win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday evening.

Phoenix led 76-70 with 8:42 remaining in regulation after a DeWanna Bonner tip-in. However, Las Vegas clawed its way back thanks largely to Evans, who hit three of her five three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Her final three broke an 82-all tie to give the Aces the 85-82 edge with 3:40 remaining.

Wilson hit a two-pointer on Las Vegas’ next possession for the five-point lead.

However, Las Vegas went cold from there, missing four shots over its next three possessions. Phoenix took advantage, with Alyssa Thomas hitting a pair of buckets to cut the lead to 87-86.

Thomas then went to work on the other end, blocking a Wilson layup and grabbing the loose board. She drove in for a layup, but Jackie Young committed a shooting foul, sending Thomas to the line for two.

Thomas, who has been sensational all year and was once again Friday, missed both free throws. The Aces grabbed the rebound, and Young soon calmly knocked down both free throws after getting fouled with 13.5 seconds left.

Phoenix called a timeout down 89-86, but its last possession did not go well. The Mercury seemingly wanted to get an open look from three for the tie, but the Aces played great perimeter defense. Satou Sabally eventually put up a contested three that was off the mark, and the Aces took the 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.

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On this episode of The Dunker Spot, Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones preview this year’s WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, discussing key matchups, schemes, lineups, X-Factors and more.

On the NBA side, the guys give their opening preseason takeaways for the New York Knicks under Mike Brown, 76ers and Pelicans — with some Melbourne United love sprinkled in. Then, they discuss the supposed end of the Jonathan Kuminga saga, the Warriors filling out their roster, and the recent deals of Nikola Jovic with the Heat and Quentin Grimes with the Sixers.

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If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.

If youâ€d like to join our Dunker Spot Playoff watch parties — they’re free, and easy to sign up for — you can do so here: https://www.playback.tv/thedunkerspot

(:32) Introduction

(1:04) WNBA Finals Preview

(14:34) Most interesting matchups between Aces and Mercury

(27:35) WNBA Finals X-Factors

(44:05) NBA Preseason: Knicks vs. Sixers

(57:23) NBA Preseason: Pelicans vs. Melbourne United

(106:46) Restricted Free Agency signings

A’ka Wilson celebrates after the Las Vegas Aces advance to the WNBA Finals. (AP Photo/John Locher)

(AP Photo/John Locher)

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🖥ï¸Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or atyahoosports.tv

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Weâ€ve made it to the end of the longest WNBA season to date — one which featured several twists and turns to make for an unpredictable and entertaining 2025 season. Fittingly, the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury have illustrated the unpredictability to a tee as the first-ever best-of-seven WNBA Finals gets underway on Friday night in Las Vegas.

Outside of their own locker room, who thought that the Aces would be able to withstand the storm that was the first half of the season? It took back-to-back Aâ€ja Wilson 30-point, 10-rebound double-doubles to land a couple of wins before the All-Star Break to secure an 11-11 record at the midway point. Vegas got popped 109-78 by Minnesota less than a week after the break, before reaching rock-bottom with a 53-point thumping from those same Lynx eight days later.

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Yet, the embarrassment of the near-record-setting defeat may have also been the turning point — led by a Wilson MVP run, they pulled off a remarkable 16-game winning streak to close the regular season, allowing them to have two crucial series-deciding home games against the Storm and Fever during this playoff run.

As for the Phoenix Mercury, the consistency shown throughout their 44-game regular-season games didnâ€t come with the same attention that the Aces†final stretch did. After having players in and out due to injury and signing DeWanna Bonner to begin the month of July, their regular season was at times inconsistent. The Mercury ended their regular season with three straight losses to teams that didnâ€t make the WNBA playoffs in the Sun, Wings, and Sparks.

Still, the Mercury’s seven postseason games may speak louder than what the Aces have done to get here. On the back of MVP finalist Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury served the final blow to the New York Liberty, who could rarely find cohesion this season in their first-ever title defense, before taking down the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in four games. With two championship favorites out, there remains one box left unchecked for the Mercury to capture their first title since 2014.

As we near the start of the WNBAâ€s first-ever best-of-seven championship series, our staff previews the matchup and key storylines, as well as our predictions for who will come out on top.

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â–¶ What is the most obvious challenge each team will face?

Cole Huff: The most obvious challenge Las Vegas will face is scoring on Phoenixâ€s top-rated postseason defense. The Liberty and Lynx had top-five offensive ratings and were among the five highest-scoring teams during the regular season before running into the well-oiled machine that is the Mercuryâ€s top-rated postseason defense. Phoenix held its semifinal opponents under 80 points twice in regulation and didnâ€t allow more than 73 points to its first-round opponent — Wilson and Jackie Young will likely need other Aces players to join the party offensively on a more consistent basis than against the Fever if they want to avoid being the latest offense to be handcuffed by the Mercuryâ€s defense.

Coincidentally, the Aces currently carry the highest offensive rating of any team this postseason, which could deliver the Mercury plenty of challenges. Whether it’s been a group effort, like in their Game 3 victory over the Fever in which five players scored in double figures or in the series-clinching win when Wilson and Young became the first pair of teammates to score 30 or more points in the same playoff game, the Aces have had the type of offense through eight postseason games that could overcome Phoenixâ€s defense.

Jackie Powell: The Mercury pose many challenges to the Aces and that includes how Las Vegas will attempt to guard Alyssa Thomas, the Mercuryâ€s point forward that essentially operates on the floor like a point guard rather than a front court player. If Aâ€ja Wilson is assigned to guard Thomas, the Aces run the risk of having to play their Defensive Player of the Year and MVP on the perimeter rather than protecting the paint and protecting the rim.

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But besides how the Aces decide to guard Thomas, the most obvious challenge the Aces will face is how the Mercury approach physicality on both ends of the ball. The Aces struggled defending Aliyah Boston for that very reason and so how will they handle the ways in which Thomas can overpower opponents on offense while also suffocating them on defense.

Now on the flip side, how will the Mercury guard Wilson when Natasha Mack isnâ€t on the floor? Mack usually starts games but often hasnâ€t closed them as the Mercury have opted for a more offensive-friendly lineup that features DeWanna Bonner instead which is understandable since Mack doesnâ€t add much floor spacing and is most used offensively in the dunker spot. Or how about when Katheryn Westbeld, a serviceable stretch big, is subbed in Mackâ€s place. How are the Mercury guarding Wilson?

2014 WNBA Finals – Game Three

WNBA Finals champions, history: Full past winners list by year, Finals MVPs, most titles

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Before the 29th WNBA Finals gets underway, dig into some WNBA Championship history, including Finals MVPs and which team has won the most titles.

â–¶ Who is each teamâ€s X-Factor and why?

Huff: Calling a former Finals MVP an X-Factor could seem like a slight, but in this case, I truly think of Chelsea Gray as the difference-maker for the Aces. While Wilson keyed the Aces†16-game win streak to end the season, Gray was quietly very productive over that span. Her functionality as a floor general remains massive for the Aces†offense. Still, when sheâ€s been productive as a scorer during this playoff run, itâ€s usually yielded positive results for Las Vegas. If Gray can remain a consistent scoring threat throughout this matchup, life will be much easier for the Aces†two all-stars.

On Phoenixâ€s side, Iâ€m going to take the easy route here and give two names: DeWanna Bonner and Sami Whitcomb. Both veteran players come off the bench, log starter-level minutes, and provide the Mercury with perimeter shooting and high basketball IQ. Their values have already been on display down the stretch of some of these playoff games, particularly against the Lynx in the semifinals. Both players will have their moments during the Finals, but the number of moments they have could be the difference between wins and losses.

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Powell: I agree with all of Coleâ€s picks, but on the Aces side Iâ€m going to be really looking at how much Dana Evans contributes and how head coach Becky Hammon uses her to exploit the Mercuryâ€s defense especially when Sami Whitcomb—whoâ€s typically one step slower defensively—is on the floor. Evans puts so much pressure on the rim and when the Mercury are in one of their more offensive-friendly lineups without Mack and Monique Akoa Makani, where are they getting rim protection and high level perimeter defense from?

A number of the Mercuryâ€s clutch moments in these playoffs have been as a result of DeWanna Bonner. If sheâ€s made a circus shot at the end of the shot clock or finally hit a wide open three-pointer after missing so many previously, sheâ€s been finding ways to lift the Mercury when they need it the most. Her heroics are going to have to continue if Phoenix is going to win this series. But also on the defensive end, the Mercury are going to have to leverage Bonnerâ€s length especially when the Aces will look to exploit the Mercuryâ€s size with speed. Bonner is going to be relied upon heavily on switches to impede the field of view of guards like Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd.

▶ The Aces will win this series if…

Huff: Much like their second-round opponent, the Aces will face a physical opponent in the Finals — they need to match Phoenixâ€s physicality to win this series. Thomas and Kahleah Copper, in particular, are likely to get downhill repeatedly, making it crucial for Las Vegas to defend without fouling and then clean up misses with defensive boards. The Aces have been one of the least productive defensive rebounding teams thus far — keeping the Mercury away from second-chance points and keeping them off the line would force their offense to put the ball in the basket to score points, which it hasnâ€t done efficiently to this point in the postseason. With said physicality and rebounding being necessities in this series, I expect NaLyssa Smith to play a big role for Vegas in its quest for championship No. 3.

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Powell: If Aces head coach Becky Hammon can figure out how to exploit and successfully guard the Mercuryâ€s inverse pick-and-roll where Thomas is screened by either Monique Akoa Makani or Sami Whitcomb, Las Vegas puts themselves in a very favorable position to win the series. That inverse pick-and-roll has been one of the Mercuryâ€s most successful plays during the postseason and part of the reason why teams have struggled to guard it is because a strong guard has to be able to take a lot of contact on the switch from Thomas. Courtney Williams struggled with this in the semifinals and Sabrina Ionescu also couldnâ€t always keep pace with Thomas in the first round. The Aces, however, might have the strongest guard in the league in Jackie Young, who could be the very player to neutralize the play.

▶ The Mercury will win this series if…

Huff: While I could roll with the Mercuryâ€s dominant defense being the reason why they run through the tape and earn their fourth WNBA championship, the more obvious factor, I believe, is receiving the best version of Satou Sabally. In the Mercuryâ€s two playoff losses, sheâ€s averaging 9.5 points on 5-of-28 shooting (17.9 percent); in the five wins, sheâ€s up to 21.2 points on 31-of-69 from the field (44.9 percent). With her shooting stroke and ability to get downhill as a 6-foot-4 wing, Sabally has the tools to be a matchup nightmare for the Aces. Phoenix will bring home the championship if she has a big series.

Powell: The only times the Mercury have lost games in the postseason has been when their opponent has made more three-pointers and has rebounded better than the Mercury. That might sound simple, but this formula also applies to a seven-game WNBA Finals. Also, if the officials allow more contact rather than less as they have during the entire playoffs, the Mercury will use that to their advantage. Like Cole noted above, if Phoenixâ€s defense can wear down the Aces and subsequently successfully turn them over, the Mercuryâ€s margin for error widens especially when Thomas can play make and create easier offense in transition.

Phoenix Mercury

Mat Ishbiaâ€s investment into WNBAâ€s Mercury pays off fast with surprise run to Finals

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As the WNBA enters an era of increased exposure and popularity, the Mercury are one of the leagueâ€s crown jewels.

â–¶ Prediction time: Who will win the series and in how many games? Who will win finals MVP?

Huff: The Mercury have put together an encouraging run thus far, despite other teams†injuries, and have clear momentum entering Friday night — theyâ€ve been the best team this postseason, in my honest opinion. That said, even with the Aces having struggled to put away some of the lower seeds, Iâ€m picking them to win this series. Vegas defeated Phoenix in three of the teams†four matchups this season, with the Aces†lone loss being a game Aâ€ja Wilson missed due to being in the leagueâ€s concussion protocols. All seven games will be needed, however, with homecourt advantage ultimately being what does it for head coach Becky Hammonâ€s squad. Wilson collects her second Finals MVP award along the way to add to her trophy room.

Powell: Cole and I differ on this one simply because I truly believe the Mercury have been the team of destiny this entire post season. They also have exploited the weaknesses of their opponents incredibly well and I donâ€t expect that to stop in the WNBA Finals. Head coach Nate Tibbetts has successfully gotten his team to buy into playing physical and sometimes exaggerated the defense they play which has led to even more inconsistencies from the officiating crews. Yes, I just went there! I donâ€t expect the Aces to roll over, especially when they have two of the best players in the league in Wilson and Young. But, reliable depth matters in a series that will be the longest in WNBA history. I trust the Mercuryâ€s depth more than the Aces†and so Iâ€m picking the Mercury to win it in six games on their home court.

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When it comes to the MVP, my choice is a bit unconventional. Thomas is going to be targeted by the Aces and sheâ€ll be getting multiple looks throughout the series. But the ultimate matchup nightmare for Las Vegas might be Satou Sabally, who if she can keep her shot selection within herself instead of forcing shots, will have the chance to be the Mercuryâ€s most efficient offensive player. Just like how the Minnesota Lynx a year ago had difficulty stopping Jonquel Jones because so much of their energy was on Breanna Stewart, I believe the same will happen this year with Sabally. Her combination of length, speed and shooting will be too much for an Aces team thatâ€s best lineup is when they play smaller.

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