The Week That Was: Setting the Stage
Week 27 of the 2025-26 NBA season delivered exactly what the final stretch of the regular season promises — desperation, brilliance, and a handful of performances that will stick in your memory long after the playoffs begin. With playoff seeding on the line and the play-in tournament looming for half the league, shooters came out swinging. Some of the numbers posted this week were genuinely absurd, and the tactical stories behind them are even better.
We're talking about a week where the league collectively shot 38.4% from three — the highest single-week mark since February 2023 — and three players individually cleared 60% from deep on high volume. Let's break down who made it happen and why it matters heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
Donovan Mitchell's Masterclass in Shot Creation
If you watched Cleveland's back-to-back against Boston and Milwaukee this week, you already know. Donovan Mitchell put up 34 points on 14-of-22 shooting against the Celtics, then followed it with 29 points on 11-of-19 against the Bucks, hitting 9-of-15 from three across both games. That's not a hot streak — that's a guy who has completely rebuilt his mid-range and pull-up game over the last 18 months.
What's changed for Mitchell is the footwork. He's always had the burst and the handle, but this season he's been getting to his spots a full half-second earlier than he used to, which gives him time to set his base before defenders can contest. Cavaliers assistant coach Nate Tibbetts talked about it back in October, and you can see it clearly now — Mitchell is almost never fading or off-balance on his pull-up threes anymore.
"He's shooting the ball the same way in the fourth quarter as he does in warmups right now. That's the hardest thing to do in this league." — Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson
Cleveland needs Mitchell locked in. They're fighting for the two-seed in the East, and with Darius Garland still managing a hamstring issue, Mitchell is carrying the offensive load almost entirely on his own. He's doing it without forcing the issue, which is the most impressive part.
Anthony Edwards and the Art of the Step-Back
Minnesota's Anthony Edwards had the single best shooting performance of the week on Tuesday night against the Lakers. He finished with 41 points, going 8-of-13 from three, and four of those makes came off step-back jumpers in the fourth quarter when the game was genuinely on the line. The Lakers threw three different defenders at him — LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves — and it didn't matter.
Edwards' step-back has become one of the most reliable shot-creation tools in the league. He generates separation better than almost anyone because of how he uses his first step — he attacks the paint aggressively enough that defenders have to respect the drive, and the moment they lean in, he's already going back. The release is quick and high, which makes it nearly unblockable even when a defender recovers.
The Timberwolves are locked into the three-seed in the West, so there's no real urgency in the standings for them right now. But Edwards is clearly building momentum heading into the postseason, and that should terrify the teams sitting above them. His shooting splits for the week:
- Field goal percentage: 54.8%
- Three-point percentage: 61.5%
- Free throw percentage: 88.9%
- Points per game: 36.5
- Assisted field goals: only 38% — he's creating most of this himself
The Quiet Brilliance of Alperen Şengün's Mid-Range Game
Not every great shooting week belongs to a wing player. Houston's Alperen Şengün had a quietly spectacular week that deserves more attention than it's getting. He averaged 27.3 points on 58.1% shooting across three games, and the story is his mid-range jumper — specifically the turnaround from the elbow, which he's hitting at a 52% clip this season.
Şengün is doing something tactically interesting that most big men can't pull off. He's using his post catches as launching pads for mid-range opportunities rather than just trying to score at the rim or kick out to shooters. When he catches on the block, he reads the defense — if they front him, he seals and goes to the rim; if they play behind, he turns and shoots the mid-range before the help defense can arrive. It's a two-option read that he's executing at an elite level.
The Rockets are in a tight race for the six-seed in the West, and Şengün's efficiency is a big reason they're still in the conversation. He's also averaging 9.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists this week, which means teams can't just sag off him and protect the paint. He demands a real defensive answer, and most teams don't have one.
Honorable Mentions: The Supporting Cast
Three other players had weeks worth noting before we wrap up.
Klay Thompson, now in his second season with Dallas, went 11-of-20 from three across four games this week. At 35, Thompson isn't the same athlete he was in Golden State, but his shooting mechanics are as clean as they've ever been. He's averaging 18.2 points per game in April, his best monthly average since the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks need him to keep this up — Luka Dončić is doing everything else, but Dallas needs a second reliable scoring option in the playoffs.
Caitlin Clark — yes, we're including her, because the Indiana Fever's exhibition crossover game against the G League Select team on Thursday drew 2.1 million viewers and she dropped 38 points on 9-of-16 from three in a performance that had NBA scouts in the building talking. It was an exhibition, but the shooting was real.
Jalen Brunson continued his late-season push for All-NBA consideration, hitting 14-of-28 from three over three games for New York. The Knicks are fighting for the four-seed, and Brunson's ability to create his own shot in the pick-and-roll — particularly his pull-up three off the dribble handoff — is what separates him from most guards in the league right now.
What It All Means Heading Into the Playoffs
The common thread across all of these performances is shot quality. None of these players are jacking up contested, off-balance attempts and getting lucky. Mitchell is getting to his spots early. Edwards is creating genuine separation. Şengün is reading defenses and taking what's there. Brunson is using the pick-and-roll to generate clean looks. Good shooting weeks in April usually mean something — these guys are peaking at the right time.
The playoffs start in two weeks, and the teams built around these shooters have real paths to deep runs. Cleveland's half-court offense becomes elite when Mitchell is this locked in. Minnesota is genuinely dangerous if Edwards keeps shooting like this. And Houston, the surprise of the West all season, has a legitimate shot at winning a first-round series if Şengün keeps making teams pay for every defensive decision they make.
Week 28 tips off Friday. The seeding races are tight, the shooters are hot, and the regular season is almost out of time. It's a good moment to be watching basketball.