Behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and a renewed defensive aggressiveness, the Thunder beat the Spurs to put an emphatic end to one of the great winning streaks in N.B.A. history.

With his 44 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in Game 2 against the Heat, point guard Rajon Rondo asserted his place in Boston’s plans for seasons to come.

When New Orleans won the N.B.A. draft lottery on Wednesday night, the result seemed too good to be true and sappy enough to be scripted, a longtime lottery tradition.

Mr. Twyman, a Hall of Fame basketball player, became the legal guardian for his teammate Maurice Stokes, who sustained a paralyzing brain injury during the 1958 season.

The storyline of the N.B.A. playoffs may be LeBron James’s quest for a title, but the story also involves someone who is not even present, Dwight Howard, the N.B.A.’s would be Superman.

In a Western Conference finals filled with established stars, Thabo Sefolosha used a stretch of defensive excellence to turn the momentum in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s favor and stop a dominant seven-week run by the San Antonio Spurs.

One of the greats is gone.

The Oklahoma City Thunder reignited the Western Conference finals with a 102-82 home victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, reducing their deficit in the best-of-seven series to 2-1 and ending the visitors’ 20-game winning streak.

After a month and a half of dominance, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich suddenly had a reason to question his team’s passion and desire.

The streak is over. The series may only be beginning.

One of the greats is gone.

The Spurs are on a 20-game winning streak, prompting writers to wonder if they’ll ever lose again this season.