Robert L. O’Connell

2 days ago | wsj.com | Robert L. O’Connell |Robert O’connell

The Oklahoma City Thunder needed a comeback win to keep their championship favorite status alive. A defensive masterpiece from backup guard Alex Caruso gave it to them. In the most important moment of their season on Sunday afternoon, the Oklahoma City Thunder turned time and time again to one player to get them over the line. It wasn’t the scoring machine who’s likely to win the NBA’s MVP award. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

5 days ago | wsj.com | Robert L. O’Connell |Robert O’connell

During the season, Mikal Bridges failed to live up to the massive trade that brought him to New York. In the playoffs, his defense has them on the verge of their biggest win this century. Thanks to a succession of improbable turnarounds, late collapses and down-to-the-wire finishes, the playoff series between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics has already turned into an instant classic. Twice, the Knicks have fallen behind by 20 points on the Celtics’ home court.

1 week ago | wsj.com | Robert L. O’Connell |Robert O’connell

The legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach hung up his clipboard. But his influence is still everywhere in the NBA. Gregg Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history, is stepping down as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. He announced Friday he will transition to another role within the organization—president of basketball operations—but in hanging up his clipboard, he brings to an end one of the greatest careers in modern sports.

1 week ago | wsj.com | Robert L. O’Connell |Robert O’connell

The glitziest superstar pairing in the NBA had its sights set on a championship in Los Angeles. Instead, on Wednesday night it was bounced from the playoffs in the first round. When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic in February, the deal jolted the entire NBA landscape. All of a sudden, LeBron James had maybe the most skilled teammate of his entire career. All of a sudden, basketball’s most glamorous franchise had a fresh chance to chase a record-tying 18th championship.

2 weeks ago | wsj.com | Robert L. O’Connell |Robert O’connell

April 29, 2025 7:00 am ETThere’s no getting away from it: The Los Angeles Lakers are in deep trouble. The Lakers trail the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1 in their first-round playoff series. In NBA history, 288 teams have fallen behind by that margin in a best-of-7 playoff series. Only 13—less than 5%—have come back to win the series. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8