The No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft has stepped up when necessary these playoffs, serving as an ancillary option to perfection. Harper is playing beyond his years, raising his ceiling in the process.
Loser: Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Imagine scoring 35 points on 57.1 percent shooting, notching team-highs in assists (nine) and steals (three) and it still not being enough. After an up-and-down series, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered when it mattered most. But his supporting cast, often a bright spot, spoiled the excellent performance.
In addition to Holmgren being a non-factor, guard Lu Dort couldn’t find his shooting stroke while playing just 16 minutes. Alex Caruso, playing 39 minutes on the bench, was 3-of-14 from the court. Overall, the Thunder’s second unit shot just 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) on threes. Gilgeous-Alexander needed more from his friends, but other than center Jaylin Williams, who had a double-double, and guard Cason Wallace (17 points), they failed to deliver for their MVP.
Winner: In-Season Tournament
Little did anyone think at the time, but December’s in-season tournament championship between the Spurs and New York Knicks was a harbinger of much bigger things to come. Maybe next year people will start taking it seriously.
New York won the NBA Cup, 124-113, as Wembanyama came off the bench after returning from injury. Knicks forward OG Anunoby led all players with 28 points, and guard Jalen Brunson chipped in with 25 points as New York erased a double-digit second-half deficit.
Loser: Conventional timelines
Regardless of how this season ends, the Spurs skipped multiple steps in their rebuild with the WCF triumph. Last season, San Antonio finished 34-48 and 13th in the Western Conference, appearing several years away from possibly reaching the NBA Finals.
Since the ABA/NBA merger, only two teams have won the league title a year after finishing with a losing record, the Portland Trail Blazers (1977) in the first post-merger season and the Boston Celtics (2008) after trading for Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. San Antonio could soon become the third, rewriting the rulebook in the process.