Cavs STUN Pistons, Spida's Breakthrough, SGA MVP, MLB Trending Up & Down, Rodgers Is Back

The Pistons couldn't get it done to cap off a 60-win season, Donovan Mitchell finally breaks through his playoff ceiling, Shai predictably lands his second MVP, top MLB storylines from the weekend, Rodgers heads back to the Steelers, and more!

Author

Austin Krueger
May 18, 2026

TRENDING FAN CONVERSATIONS FROM THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

MAY 15-17, 2026

TOP WEEKEND MOMENTS

Donovan Mitchell Delivers A “Spida Bite” On The Pistons

Kyle Schwarber is now pacing for 70+ Taters After Being First To Reach 20

TOP STORY

NBA Fans Rush To Socials After Cavs Stun Pistons In 7. But The Pistons' Season Was No Failure; It Was Foundation Setting

The Detroit Pistons finished 60-22, the best record in the Eastern Conference, a franchise-record-tying 13-game winning streak, and the No. 1 seed in the East. Just one season earlier they were 44-38. The year before that, 14 wins.

Let that arc sink in for a second.

Yes, they lost Game 7 in a bloodbath to Cleveland 125-94. And yes, a 60-win team going home before the Conference Finals stings. The playoff struggle bus narrative writes itself. They were pushed to seven games by an 8-seed in the first round, never got back on top after surrendering a 2-0 series lead to the Cavaliers, and stopped looking like the dominant regular-season force they'd become. The criticism is fair and valid.

But two seasons ago, these players knew what losing 28 games in a row felt like. Now they're a 60-win franchise with the East's best record and top-3 in point differential in the NBA.

Sure, Cade handed out turnovers in the playoffs like pens at a business conference. And Duren picked the worst time to play the polar opposite of how he did all season. It would also be nice for Ausar Thompson to start pulling his weight with more scoring to supplement being able to produce a ton of steals.

However, Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff coached this team beyond the limits anyone acknowledged them having coming into the season, Cade averaged career highs across the board while establishing himself as an MVP candidate, Duren is only 22 years old, and Thompson just turned 23. The young core that won four elimination games in one playoff run is still just getting started on its run together.

It’d also be far easier to accept the “season was a failure narrative” if the Pistons season outcome were an outlier rather than more of the same for Eastern Conference 1 seeds. Maybe it’s time to tank out of the 1 seed in the East.

NFL

Aaron Rodgers Is Back In Pittsburgh And Equipped With His Best Weapons In Years

Rodgers agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $25 million, officially reuniting with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy for the first time since 2018. That alone is going to be one hell of a storyline to watch unfold.

Rodgers finished 2025 second in the NFL in fourth-quarter touchdown passes and threw just seven interceptions with a 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate, quietly one of the better ball-security seasons of his career. And now, for the first time in a while, he has the supporting cast worth being excited about.

The Steelers added Michael Pittman Jr., drafted Germie Bernard, signed Rico Dowdle coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, have two solid tight ends, and assembled what should be their best offensive line since 2020.

The Steelers are set up to feature a heavy dose of the quick game, a legitimate backfield identity with Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, and a high floor pool of pass catchers who compliment each other well that will also allow DK to stretch the field more this season.

The concern is that Rodgers isn’t pushing balls downfield with the precision prowess he once had, and struggles with new receivers learning his signals or adjustments. Both Pittman and Bernard are unfamiliar faces who will need to get up to speed fast. But the more honest read is that Pittsburgh's problem of being void of offensive weapons is solved, the offensive line is in better shape, and the backfield is legitimate.

A 42-year-old Rodgers was never going to carry this team alone. He was never supposed to. Their ceiling is still limited, but with McCarthy's play-calling and an intriguing supporting cast around him, don’t look past the Steelers.

NBA

SGA Wins Back-To-Back MVPs To Join Jordan, LeBron, Bird, Magic In Exclusive Company

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 55.3% from the field, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards. The only other player to hit SGA's shooting splits on comparable volume was Kevin Durant in 2022-23. He now has a chance to join Jordan and LeBron as the only back-to-back MVP and Finals MVP winners, and would be the youngest to do so at 27. The MVP fatigue is soon to strike, but there’s no doubt he owns the throne for now with his off the charts efficiency and ability to take over.

Spurs Eliminate Timberwolves In Game 6, As Stephon Castle drops 32 To Set Up Can’t Miss Western Conference Finals With OKC

Castle erupted for 32 points and 11 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting including 5-of-7 from three to send the Timberwolves packing for cancun. De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and 9 assists, and Dylan Harper contributed 15 off the bench as San Antonio dismantled Minnesota 139-109 in Game 6. The Spurs set their franchise postseason record for three-pointers made, going 18-for-38 from deep. San Antonio now makes their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2017 and this team is playing basketball reminiscent of early 2000s Spurs teams. OKC opens as favorites but this will be one of the most anticipated Conference Finals in decades with all the “whoever wis this series is the Champs” vibes.

Spida Finally Breaks Through: Nine Seasons. Zero Conference Finals. Until Now.

Mitchell delivered 26 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in Game 7, and after the Cavs went up nine to end the 1st quarter, the Pistons never got close again. Cleveland won 125-94 to become the fourth team since the 1976-77 merger to have four 20-point scorers in a Game 7, with Jarrett Allen adding 23, Evan Mobley 21, and Sam Merrill 23 off the bench. Mitchell averaged 27.9 points during the regular season and now sitting at 25.6 across 14 playoff games. The second-round ceiling that defined his career is gone.

MLB

The White Sox have won 7 of their last 8 and 10 of their last 15 games to move to 24-22 and one game back of the division lead. Mind you, this is a team that has lost a staggering 223 games in the last two seasons. The White Sox power has been the story for their lineup in the early goings, as Munetaka Murakami climbed to second in baseball with 17 taters, and him, Colson Montgomery (13), and Miguel Vargas (11) have homered in the same game four times. The law firm of Mune, Miguel and Montgomery has become an authority trio around baseball.

Atlanta sits at 31-14 with the best record in baseball and Matt Olson on an MVP pace. The Mets have quietly gone 6-4 in their last 10 after Soto returned, moving to 20-26 and showing life after taking two of three on the Yankees. The Phillies are 15-4 since Don Mattingly took over and have crossed back over .500. And the Nationals, behind CJ Abrams and James Wood heating up, remain more competitive than their pitching deserves. While the Braves sit on top, there’s a few teams in their own division that could come for the king if they blink.

Raleigh set multiple records with his 60 home runs last season. Now in 2026 he's batting .161, pacing for under 30 home runs, and carries a career-worst strikeout and chase rates. Right before he hit the shelf, he was riding an 0-for-38 slip and his WAR has made a 7.4 point downturn to -.1 on the year. Big Dumper has never been known as an average hitter, but even by his standards, this season has been a nightmare.

Jose Altuve is the next Astros player up to miss time after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain as Houston fell to 19-29 on the year. The Astros entered the weekend already carrying 14 players on the injured list after Correa was lost for the year. Add in Hunter Brown is out. Hader is out. Now Altuve? Yordan Alvarez is essentially playing 1-on-9 at this point. Even in an AL West without a single team over .500, Houston is simply not competitive at this point

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