Cavaliers, Thunder face playoff elimination after losing games

The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder both face 2-1 deficits in their respective conference semifinals, putting their playoff hopes at risk. Cleveland's losses to the Pacers were partly due to key player injuries, while the Thunder struggled to close out close games against the Nuggets, despite dominant regular seasons. Both teams now face must-win situations. These challenges mark a shift from the teams' dominant regular seasons, testing their resilience and ability to adapt under pressure as they seek to advance in the playoffs.