Ben Williamsonâs go-ahead single lifts the Rays past the Blue Jays 4-3
Rays win 4-3 against Blue Jays thanks to Williamson's clutch hit
The NBA conference semifinals began with the Detroit Pistons defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Los Angeles Lakers. Both series featured teams coming off intense seven-game series, testing their conditioning.
The back half of the NBA conference semifinals tipped off with another pair of series openers.
In the first game Tuesday, May 5, the No. 1 Detroit Pistons hosted the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, while the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder continued their championship defense at home against the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers.
The interesting thing to note in these games is that both Detroit and Cleveland are coming off of seven-game series, so their conditioning will be tested. And while Los Angeles did eliminate the Rockets in six games, the Thunder swept the Suns and played their first game in eight days.
Here are the winners and losers from Tuesday nightâs conference semifinal games between the Pistons and Cavaliers and Thunder and Lakers:
LAKERS VS. THUNDER: Updates, highlights, scores from Game 1
The NBA playoffs bring out more than highâstakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the leagueâs biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
The Detroit Pistons won Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder played against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the conference semifinals.
Both the Pistons and Cavaliers were coming off seven-game series, which tested their conditioning.
The NBA conference semifinals began on May 5.
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Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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The NBA playoffs bring out more than highâstakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the leagueâs biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
The NBA playoffs bring out more than highâstakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the leagueâs biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
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Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
Click here for continuous score updates for Game 1 between Cleveland and Detroit.
The plan for the Pistons early in the game was clear: attack the paint and put Cavs defenders in compromising positions. That diminished the impact of Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, who fell into early foul trouble. And, as Detroit went on a run late in the period, those trips to the line helped extend the lead.
Thatâs also why even though players like Cade Cunningham (3-of-10 in the first half) and Tobias Harris (2-of-7) struggled from the floor, they were still able to contribute, with 14 and 10 first-half points, respectively.
After two quarters, the Pistons were 17-of-22 (77.3%) from the line.
Cleveland, by comparison, shot just 8 free throws, though it did convert all of them.
The other reason Detroit launched massive runs in the first half was because it turned defense into offense. Detroitâs perimeter players smothered Clevelandâs guards, jumping passing lanes and forcing tough passes in pick-and-roll actions. The Pistons recorded six steals in the first half, but, more importantly, they scored 20 points off of those takeaways.
When teams can force their opponents into turnovers, it neutralizes the energy and pace from the opposing offense.
On the other side, Detroit didnât commit a single turnover in the first quarter, but it got careless in the second, committing 6.
That helped the Cavs hang around, and it could be a path for Cleveland to make a comeback in the second half.
The Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart (28) dunks against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on May 5, 2026.
Cleveland started the game cold, going 3-of-11 (27.2%) to open. And though Donovan Mitchell was effective, scoring 14 in the first half, he was the only player to reach double-figures in scoring.
Jarrett Allen â after his 22-point, 19-rebound Game 7 performance â didnât score a single point in the first half and played just 5:58 because of foul trouble. Dean Wade took just one shot and didnât record a single point, either. Evan Mobley and James Harden picked it up some in the second quarter, but they combined the shoot just 5-of-13 in the first half.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cavaliers vs Pistons, Lakers vs Thunder: Winners, losers in NBA today