BASKETTBALL

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Minnesota star Anthony Edwards has been listed as "questionable" for the Timberwolves' NBA second-round series opener against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday with a left knee injury.

Edwards suffered a bone bruise when he hyperextended his left knee on an awkward landing in game four of the Timberwolves' first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, missing the next two games of Minnesota's triumph.

ESPN reported that Edwards went through a light workout this weekend and traveled with the team to San Antonio, citing unnamed sources in reporting there is "growing optimism" that Edwards could return to the lineup during the second round.

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Paige Bueckers has made it clear that her relationship with teammate and fellow former No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd will remain separate from their professional ambitions as they aim to help the Dallas Wings turn around a struggling franchise.

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Around this time last year, the Chicago Sky appeared to be building their future around two promising young stars, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith. However, both players are now no longer part of the organization following a series of roster changes.

Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream last month, and on Monday, the Sky moved on from Van Lith as well, waiving the guard just months after selecting her in the first round of the

2025 WNBA Draft with the 11th overall pick.

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The San Antonio Spurs punched their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked six shots to help the Spurs wrap up a 4-1 win in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

The Spurs, who clawed back from a 19-point deficit to win game four, burst out of the blocks and pushed their lead to as many as 28 before taking a 65-45 lead into half-time.

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The Cavaliers weathered a hot start from Toronto to beat the Raptors 114-102 and secure a 4-3 win in a series in which the home team won every game. 

The Cavs, behind a masterclass from center Jarrett Allen, notched the franchise's fifth straight game-seven triumph as they vanquished the Raptors for the fourth time in four post-season meetings. 

Cleveland erased an early 10-point deficit to go into halftime tied at 49-49 and opened the third quarter on a 9-0 scoring run.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder swept into the second round of the NBA playoffs on Monday with a 131-122 victory at Phoenix.

The top-seeded Thunder captured the Western Conference best-of-seven series 4-0, completing a third consecutive sweep in the opening round.

"We just came in ready," said Gilgeous-Alexander. "Love to play basketball, a group full of great kids that have fun together.

"We do it for each other. None of us are selfish. We all want the next man to succeed and when you have those three things and put them together you get success."

Oklahoma City will meet either the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets in a second-round series. The Lakers lead that matchup 3-1.

"Ultimately, we've got to get better in the days between our next opponent," Gilgeous-Alexander said. The Thunder became the first team to reach the second round on the same night the upstart Orlando Magic pushed Eastern Conference top seed Detroit to the brink of elimination with a 94-88 triumph to seize a 3-1 series advantage.

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Hand-off. Two dribbles downhill. The area around the free-throw line was wide open. The latest No. 1 draft pick stopped, popped, and hit. His mid-range jumper was smooth - he looked like he had done it a million times. But this was Cooper Flagg’s first NBA bucket, igniting an exciting, electrifying, and extraordinary career.

His rookie effort earned him the Rookie of the Year accolade, after he edged his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel in voting. The race proved tighter than expected, as the sharpshooter from Charlotte shattered multiple three-point records. But Flagg’s late-season surge sealed it - he erupted for 51, 45, and 33 points in April, averaging 29.2 points per game for the month.

The Dallas Mavericks didn’t make the playoffs, so Flagg’s inaugural campaign has concluded. But he did it all for Dallas this year - at six-foot-nine, he was running the point, posting up smaller defenders, knocking down triples, dishing out assists, and making his presence felt on defense.

He finished averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from beyond the arc. After taking home the ROY hardware, he landed praise from the Mavericks franchise legend and one of the best players to ever play in the NBA - Dirk Nowitzki.

"Started at point guard at 6’9, something he’s never done. To me, he’s had an incredible year. He led the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. There are only two other rookies who have ever done it. So, he had some historic numbers as a teenager, that’s the crazy thing, he’s only 19," said Nowitzki.

"Well deserved, Cooper, we’re proud of you."

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Dallas Mavericks standout Cooper Flagg won the 2025-2026 NBA Rookie of the Year Award on Monday.

Flagg, 19, received 56 first-place votes, with Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel receiving 44 as the runner-up.

He became just the third player in Mavericks history to win the award (Jason Kidd - 1994-1995, Luka Doncic - 2018-2019) and is the second youngest to win it (LeBron James - 18). Flagg had a historic rookie season for the Mavericks as the No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft. He became the first rookie in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game, and the first teenager ever to do so.