Starting 5 Daily Newsletter
Starting 5: Unbeaten OKC up 3-0, Harden closes for Cavs, Knicks can clinch today
Ajay Mitchell powers Thunder to 3-0 lead, Harden duels Cade to make it 2-1, New York goes for sweep, Wemby’s adjustments lead Spurs.
NBA.com Staff · May 10, 2026 3:10 PM
Ajay Mitchell leads the Thunder and more from Saturday's action. The reigning champs ran wild on the road. Down 2 at the break, OKC dominated the 2nd half for a 3-0 series lead and 7-0 postseason start.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀 · May 10, 2026
- Ajay’s Day: OKC’s Mitchell steals the show with career-highs as Thunder go up 3-0
- Cleveland Closer: Harden & Spida flex in the 4th as Cavs cut Pistons lead to 2-1
- Fiery 4th Quarters: Cleveland called on James Harden, while OKC ignited late in Saturday’s can’t-miss finishes
- Today On ABC: Beyond Brunson’s scoring, Knicks getting back-to-back boosts from KAT & Bridges
- Tonight On NBC: Just seven games in, Wemby’s comfort level in Playoffs is elevating his play
BUT FIRST … ⏰ Two Game 4s for the real MVPs of Mother’s Day…
NBA Draft Lottery: Before the Playoffs continue today, get set to settle the order of picks 1-14 for the 2026 NBA Draft (3 ET, ABC).
Sunday’s Game 4s: The Conference Semifinals roll on, with a chance for New York to clinch and Minnesota trying to even its series at home:
- Knicks at Sixers (3:30 ET, ABC | Tap To Watch)
- Spurs at Wolves (7:30 ET, NBC & Peacock | Tap To Watch)
Playoff Hub: Get the latest news, analysis and stories from every series all in one place. Happy Mother’s Day to the Starting 5 fam!
1. AJAY MITCHELL PLAYS HERO TO PUT OKC WITHIN A WIN OF WEST FINALS
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Next man up. Next win secured. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander again hounded by the Lakers’ defense, the Thunder plugged in another bench scorer to deliver a 3-0 series lead. “It really could be anybody,” Chet Holmgren said… “We know everybody’s ready.” Saturday night, Ajay Mitchell’s number was called.
Thunder 131, Lakers 108: Mitchell set Playoff career-highs with 24 points and 10 assists, netting 18 in the 2nd half to push OKC past L.A. and within a win of a second straight Western Conference Finals. Seven Thunder players reached double-digit points. Rui Hachimura (21 pts, 5 reb) hit five of his first six 3-point attempts to lead six Lakers in double figures, including LeBron (19 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast) and Austin Reaves (17 pts, 9 ast). | Recap
- Familiar First Half: OKC built up to a 10-point lead in the 1st half, but Hachimura’s 4-for-4 start from long distance earned L.A. its second straight halftime lead of the series, 59-57
- Slow Start: After Shai was 4-for-14 in the first half, Mitchell drilled OKC’s second straight triple to open the 3rd, sparking a 15-4 run to put the Thunder up by 13 — and for good
- Ajay’s On: Mitchell hit his first three shots of the 2nd half, scoring nine points apiece in the 3rd and 4th quarters as OKC pushed its lead as high as 27
“It might be a shock to the world but it’s no shock to us,” SGA said of Mitchell’s outburst. “We knew who [he] was the day he set foot in our building, and he’s just showing it to the world.”
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
“The trust that I got from my teammates and the coaching staff, it’s been amazing from day one,” Mitchell said. “That’s the key.”
- Clean 20/10: Mitchell is the first player in OKC team history to log 20+ points and 10+ assists without a turnover in a Playoff game
- “He’s a gamer,” Shai said of Ajay. “Works super hard, never shaken by the moment… He’s just ready for his opportunity and takes full advantage of it.”
- Tough Stretch: Shai (23 pts, 9 ast, 7-20 FG) finished with his highest-scoring game of the series but is scoring 10 fewer points per game (21.0) than his regular season average
- “If the rest of the Playoff run or the rest of my career looked like what it looked like the past few games, I’d be OK with it, because we won games,” he said
The defending champs are now 7-0 this postseason, becoming the sixth-ever reigning NBA champion to start the Playoffs 7-0 or better.
- Great Company: They join the likes of the 2016-17 Cavaliers (10-0), the 2000-01 Lakers (11-0), and the 1992-93 Bulls (7-0)
L.A. will try to stave off elimination at home Monday night, hosting Game 4 (10:30 ET, Prime). “We still got life and that’s all you can ask for,” LeBron said. “We gotta be much better on Monday.”
2. HARDEN BRINGS HOME GAME 3 WIN FOR CAVS IN 2-1 SERIES
Nine points for Donovan Mitchell. Nine points for James Harden. Coming down the stretch in Game 3, Cleveland’s closeout offense looked exactly as intended when Harden was added in February. “There’s a balance,” Mitchell said postgame. “[He’s the] attack, [I’m] on the side… he hits a shot, I get free throws… You can choose.” Cleveland’s choice resulted in victory Saturday afternoon.
Cavaliers 116, Pistons 109: Donovan Mitchell (35 pts, 10 reb) outdueled a triple-double from Cade Cunningham (27 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) and James Harden (19 pts, 7 ast) and Max Strus came up clutch to help Cleveland cut Detroit’s series lead to 2-1. The Cavs’ win snapped the Pistons’ five-game Playoff win streak. Tobias Harris (21 pts, 5 reb) provided a career-best eighth straight 20+ point game. | Recap
After a back-and-forth start, Cleveland held Detroit to an 18-point 2nd quarter for a 64-48 halftime lead. The Pistons returned the favor with a 33-19 3rd to hit the 4th down just 2.
- Cleveland Closers: That’s where Mitchell and Harden logged 9 points a piece, with Harden netting the Cavs’ final three field goals, after Strus grabbed a timely steal-and-score. More on the 4th in Section 3 ⬇️
- “It’s James Harden. I am who I am, he is who he is,” Mitchell said. “That’s what makes us so dynamic… Having the ultimate trust in him and vice versa is why those moments happen.”
- Spida Joins The King: Mitchell is now just the third player in Cavs history to put up 35+ points and 10+ rebounds in a Playoff game, joining LeBron James (21x) and Brad Daugherty
- Harden History: Harden’s heroics came in his 183rd career postseason game, passing John Stockton and moving into a tie for 16th-most all-time with Byron Scott
Jason Miller/NBAE via Getty Images
The win keeps Cleveland unbeaten at home, now 5-0 at Rocket Arena this postseason. “Coming into their gym, they had energy… they’re gonna make more shots,” Cunningham said. “But I thought we did a good job of withstanding all that and still putting ourselves right there to win the game.”
- Joining Zeke: Cunningham joined Isiah Thomas as the only players in franchise history to record multiple postseason triple-doubles
- …And Passing Him: Cade’s third 25+ point, 10+ assist game of these Playoffs moved him past Thomas (1985) for the most such games in a single postseason in team history
- “There’s definitely optimism,” Cade said. “We feel great about the way that we’re playing basketball… We’ll execute better and pull these games out in the future.”
Cleveland has the chance to even the series 2-2 when Game 4 tips there Monday night (8 ET, NBC & Peacock).
3. THEME OF THE NIGHT: 4TH-QUARTER FIREPOWER
David L. Nemec + Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Both of Saturday’s Conference Semis Game 3s finished with grand finales. The Pistons and Cavs traded buckets back-and-forth in one of this postseason’s most thrilling duels yet, while the Thunder put on an offensive showcase. Let’s dive deeper into these two fiery finishes, starting in Cleveland:
- Motor Running: Detroit was rallying on a 13-5 run, punctuated by Duncan Robinson’s (15 pts) 3 to tie the game at 104-all with 3:14 left, the first tie since the 3rd
- Strus Breaks Loose: Less than a minute later, Max Strus perfectly timed his leap to snatch Cade Cunningham’s inbound pass, taking it all the way for a 2-point lead
- Classic Closer: Harden then took over with under 2:00 to go, dropping in a stepback J from the elbow to double Cleveland’s lead, 108-104. Cunningham answered with a run to the rack, setting off a bucket-for-bucket duel with The Beard, who then dropped a floater over Jalen Duren as the clock hit 1:00
- The Finisher: Cade followed that with a triple to pull Detroit within one, 110-109. But Harden dared to match it, splashing from deep for the game’s final field goal at 113-109, capping his 7-point spree
- “Get a bucket. Simple,” Harden said of his mindset in those final minutes. “Get the best available shot.”
Even Cunningham had to appreciate the moment. “He’s an all-timer,” Cade said of Harden. “Thought we’ve done a good job on him but… he did a great job finishing the game tonight, keeping us out of reach.”
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
The final frame of Game 3 in Los Angeles wasn’t so much a definitive quarter – with OKC maintaining a double-digit lead throughout – but a 41-point statement.
- Final Flurry: OKC put L.A. away in the 4th with 63.0% shooting, hitting six of 11 triples (54.5 3P%) while also outrebounding the Lakers 14-5 for nine 2nd-chance points
- Full Stormfront: Nine Thunder players scored in what was the team’s highest-scoring quarter of these Playoffs, led by Ajay Mitchell’s 9 points
- Rare Closeout: OKC only had one higher-scoring 4th quarter all season, a 45-point finisher Jan. 19 in Cleveland
- Finish Line: Mitchell surged for those 9 points along with four assists and three rebounds before the 6 minute mark of the 4th
- “He just lets the game tell him what to do but he maintains a certain aggression and confidence that’s impressive,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said of Mitchell… “He blew the game open there.”
4. ON ABC: TOWNS & BRIDGES EYE SECOND STRAIGHT EAST FINALS FOR KNICKS
Pamela Smith/NBA E via Getty Images
Six straight Playoff Ws have the Knicks one win from a return to the Eastern Conference Finals. Jalen Brunson is averaging 28.2 points per game in that streak, trailing just Shai (28.3) and Cade (30.2) for the top scorer title in these Playoffs. But beyond Brunson’s scoring, key contributions from two 2024 arrivals are helping the Knicks click at this crucial stage.
- The Blueprint: After back-to-back Conference Semifinal exits in 2022 and 2023, New York took two big swings to surround Brunson with size and length, in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges
- Poised Pair: In KAT and Bridges’ first full Knicks season, the team advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. They look to make it two-for-two today in Game 4 from Philly (3:30 ET, ABC).
Karl-Anthony Towns’ evolution as a premier playmaker for New York has added a new dimension to a scorching offense.
- See KAT Pass: With seven more dimes in Game 3, the big man is leading the Knicks in assists this postseason with a Playoff career-best 56 total, at a clip of 6.2 apg
- In fact, he ranks fifth in total assists among remaining players in these Playoffs, trailing All-Star Tyrese Maxey, top-12 all-time dimers LeBron James and James Harden, and regular-season East assist leader Cade Cunningham
- Day Job: In addition to his playmaking, Towns keeps up with his usual duties to fuel winning, grabbing four of New York’s 13 offensive boards in Game 3, for a 20-11 edge in 2nd-chance points
Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
With OG Anunoby sidelined for Game 3, Mikal Bridges stepped up in the building he brought two NCAA championships back to, with his highest scoring outing of this series (23 pts).
- Taste of Victory: Bridges has ignited since Game 6 against the Hawks, averaging 20.5 ppg on 69.4 FG% over the last four games, compared to 7.2 ppg in the first five games of Round 1
- Double Duty: When squaring up as the primary defender on Maxey this series, he’s held Philly’s All-Star guard to just 10 shots, while forcing eight turnovers
- “The best part that I’ve seen about Mikal is, from the first time I met him to now, his work ethic,” longtime teammate Brunson said. “How he’s grown as a worker and how he’s grown as a professional.”
In a familiar spot, Philly looks to climb back from a 3-0 deficit to its New York rivals, right after its 3-1 comeback against the arch-rival Celtics. “Still a great challenge. You gotta go do it,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Either you don’t play with any pride and you get swept on your home floor in the Second Round of the Playoffs, or you play with some pride and you win one game at a time.”
5. ON NBC: WEMBY’S COMFORT LEVEL IN PLAYOFFS ELEVATING SPURS
David Berding/NBA E via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama recorded his most complete performance (39 pts, 15 reb, 5 blk) of these Playoffs in Friday’s Game 3 win. In just seven career postseason games now, Vic has displayed a rapidly-developed comfort level on the game’s biggest stage, allowing him to better harness his explosive play.
- Built For This: As he told Prime’s NBA Nightcap Friday: “The feeling I get before games, this excitement, this heat in my heart… gets stronger as the games go on.”
From his 35-point Playoff debut, to the 39-point clinic in Game 3 of the West Semis, here’s Wemby’s Playoff progression in his own words:
- “The first time I stepped on the court, even for warmups, I felt the atmosphere was different,” Wemby (35 pts, 5 3s, 2 blk) said after his debut win over Portland in Round 1
- “But we’ve been really good in the regular season, so we have no reason to act differently or do anything different.”
- Wemby shot 13-18 in Game 3, his best shooting performance of these Playoffs, hitting three 3s after going a combined 2-15 in the series’ first two games
- When his Spurs converted their first closeout opportunity to eliminate Portland, Wemby was ready for more: “Definitely a different feeling to win against somebody and think that their season’s over… We gained experience and I’m still hungry for even better matchups.”
- After the next matchup started with No. 6 Minnesota taking Game 1 of the West Semis, Wemby acknowledged lingering frustration that fueled a bounce-back Game 2: “There always is, and the Playoffs magnify that.”
- Vic added 5 more blocks in Game 3 for a combined 19 in the series. He’s held his opponents to 34.3% shooting at the rim, the best in these Playoffs, 4.2% better than the next closest player
Ultimately, Wembanyama applied everything he’s learned to Game 3 in Minnesota, resetting his career Playoff scoring high as the fourth-ever player to log a 35+/15+ Playoff game with 5+ blocks.
- “We had a lead, we didn’t need to rush… Rather than doing incredible things or amazing things, we needed to avoid mistakes.”
- “It’s situations that we haven’t really been in, or I haven’t, but I know it’s gonna happen in the Playoffs.”
That ability to anticipate is experience, accumulating in real-time. But San Antonio’s one constant message has been how little experience matters to them: “We don’t got the experience, but we don’t care,” Wemby said after Game 3. “We can go to the very top if we play like tonight consistently.”
The Spurs’ next chance to play like that comes tonight in Game 4 (7:30 ET, NBC & Peacock). Wemby dominated down low in Game 3 with 20 points in the paint, helping San Antonio win that battle 46-38.
Speaking of comfort, Anthony Edwards (knee) made his first start of the series in Game 3, producing a 22-point 1st half and 32 overall points in 40+ minutes. “I feel good,” Ant told reporters postgame. “I told coach: ‘However many minutes you need me to play tonight, I’m willing to do it.’” “He needed that. We needed that,” coach Chris Finch said. “He’s battling back to find a game like this, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
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