NBA Notes: Cavs, Donovan Mitchell, Warriors, Steve Kerr, Spurs

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers didn’t look like a team ready to punch a ticket to the Eastern Conference finals. Not even close.

They looked heavy. Slow. A step behind a Pistons team that played with urgency from the jump.

Donovan Mitchell never found a rhythm, missing shots he’s been hitting all series. And when the Cavs’ star is off, everything tends to follow.

“Can’t dwell on it,” Mitchell said. “Tonight I missed shots… I ain’t worried about that, it’s more so about everything else.”

Still, it mattered. Cleveland needed him to take over. It didn’t happen.

James Harden led the way with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough. Detroit had six players in double figures, spreading the floor and the damage.

Meanwhile, the Cavs searched for answers that never really came. Now it comes down to one game.

Game 7 shifts to Detroit, where Cleveland has just one road win this postseason. Not ideal. Not impossible. But the margin for error is gone.

Warriors

The Warriors didn’t make the playoffs, and Steve Kerr isn’t ducking it. He’s owning it.

“I know I have to be better,” Kerr told reporters. “I didn’t have a great coaching year… we got a little too loose.”

Kerr pointed to a lack of discipline, something he believes slipped amid injuries and constant lineup changes.

“I think I really gave everyone too much leeway,” he said. “We were just trying to survive… I think we lost some of our discipline. And that’s my job.”

It’s not entirely on him. Losing Stephen Curry for much of the second half changes everything. Any team would feel that.

Still, this is Golden State. The standard is banners, not excuses. Kerr knows it, and he’s saying it out loud.

Spurs

The Spurs are moving on and Victor Wembanyama already knows what’s next. Namely, a different beast.

“We know it’s gonna be a whole different series,” Wembanyama told reporters. “This is a team that knows how to play… we’ll watch, scout and try to execute.”

San Antonio rolled past Minnesota in Game 6, closing the series 4-2 and doing it with control from start to finish. Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks in just 27 minutes, steady as ever.

Now comes Oklahoma City. For a young team, this is all happening fast. Maybe faster than expected.

“Western Conference finals,” Wembanyama said. “It’s crazy… it’s something I heard my whole life. Now being in it is just special.”

The Spurs hadn’t been here since 2019. Now they’re back. And judging by how they’re playing, they may not be going anywhere anytime soon.