Draymond Green suspended one game by NBA

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, the league announced on Tuesday.

Green will serve his suspension on Thursday when the Warriors host the Kings for Game 3 of the series at Chase Center. 

Sacramento leads the series 2-0.

The incident occurred with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 114-106 loss to the Kings in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on April 17 at Golden 1 Center.

According to Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, the suspension was partly based on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.

Green’s actions were in response to Sabonis grabbing and holding Green’s right ankle after falling to the floor. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected, and Sabonis was assessed a technical foul.

Was it the right call? Probably. Green could have hurt Sabonis badly. However, was Sabonis completely innocent? No, he did grab Green’s leg. Overall, the league probably got it right.

However, the bigger picture is the Warriors are in trouble. If they lose Thursday and go down 3-0, this series is over, so they must get right. Expect an inspired effort without Green from the Warriors.

The world champions will not go down easily.

NBA announces complete schedule for first round of playoffs

On Wednesday, the NBA announced the complete schedule for the first round of the playoffs, which begin on Saturday.

Below is the schedule:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Denver vs. West 8th Seed

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sun

4/16

West 8th

Denver

1

10:30PM

TNT

Wed

4/19

West 8th

Denver

2

10:00PM

TNT

Fri

4/21

Denver

West 8th

3

9:30PM

ESPN

Sun

4/23

Denver

West 8th

4

9:30PM

TNT

Tue

4/25

West 8th

Denver

5*

TBD

TBD

Thu

4/27

Denver

West 8th

6*

TBD

TBD

Sat

4/29

West 8th

Denver

7*

TBD

TNT

#2 Memphis vs. #7 L.A. Lakers

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sun

4/16

L.A. Lakers

Memphis

1

3:00PM

ABC/R

Wed

4/19

L.A. Lakers

Memphis

2

7:30PM

TNT/R

Sat

4/22

Memphis

L.A. Lakers

3

10:00PM

ESPN

Mon

4/24

Memphis

L.A. Lakers

4

TBD

TBD

Wed

4/26

L.A. Lakers

Memphis

5*

TBD

TBD

Fri

4/28

Memphis

L.A. Lakers

6*

TBD

TBD

Sun

4/30

L.A. Lakers

Memphis

7*

TBD

TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 Sacramento vs. #6 Golden State

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sat

4/15

Golden State

Sacramento

1

8:30PM

ABC

Mon

4/17

Golden State

Sacramento

2

10:00PM

TNT

Thu

4/20

Sacramento

Golden State

3

10:00PM

TNT

Sun

4/23

Sacramento

Golden State

4

3:30PM

ABC/R

Wed

4/26

Golden State

Sacramento

5*

TBD

TBD

Fri

4/28

Sacramento

Golden State

6*

TBD

TBD

Sun

4/30

Golden State

Sacramento

7*

TBD

TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#4 Phoenix vs. #5 LA Clippers

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sun

4/16

LA Clippers

Phoenix

1

8:00PM

TNT

Tue

4/18

LA Clippers

Phoenix

2

10:00PM

TNT

Thu

4/20

Phoenix

LA Clippers

3

10:30PM

NBATV

Sat

4/22

Phoenix

LA Clippers

4

3:30PM

TNT

Tue

4/25

LA Clippers

Phoenix

5*

TBD

TBD

Thu

4/27

Phoenix

LA Clippers

6*

TBD

TBD

Sat

4/29

LA Clippers

Phoenix

7*

TBD

TNT

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Milwaukee vs. East 8th Seed

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sun

4/16

East 8th

Milwaukee

1

5:30PM

TNT

Wed

4/19

East 8th

Milwaukee

2

9:00PM

NBATV

Sat

4/22

Milwaukee

East 8th

3

7:30PM

ESPN/R

Mon

4/24

Milwaukee

East 8th

4

TBD

TBD

Wed

4/26

East 8th

Milwaukee

5*

TBD

TBD

Fri

4/28

Milwaukee

East 8th

6*

TBD

TBD

Sun

4/30

East 8th

Milwaukee

7*

TBD

TBD

#2 Boston vs. #7 Atlanta

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sat

4/15

Atlanta

Boston

1

3:30PM

ESPN

Tue

4/18

Atlanta

Boston

2

7:00PM

NBATV

Fri

4/21

Boston

Atlanta

3

7:00PM

ESPN

Sun

4/23

Boston

Atlanta

4

7:00PM

TNT

Tue

4/25

Atlanta

Boston

5*

TBD

TBD

Thu

4/27

Boston

Atlanta

6*

TBD

TBD

Sat

4/29

Atlanta

Boston

7*

TBD

TNT

#3 Philadelphia vs. #6 Brooklyn

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sat

4/15

Brooklyn

Philadelphia

1

1:00PM

ESPN

Mon

4/17

Brooklyn

Philadelphia

2

7:30PM

TNT

Thu

4/20

Philadelphia

Brooklyn

3

7:30PM

TNT/R

Sat

4/22

Philadelphia

Brooklyn

4

1:00PM

TNT

Mon

4/24

Brooklyn

Philadelphia

5

TBD

TBD

Thu

4/27

Philadelphia

Brooklyn

6

TBD

TBD

Sat

4/29

Brooklyn

Philadelphia

7

TBD

TNT

#4 Cleveland vs. #5 New York

DAY

DATE

AWAY

HOME

GM

ET

TV / R

Sat

4/15

New York

Cleveland

1

6:00PM

ESPN/R

Tue

4/18

New York

Cleveland

2

7:30PM

TNT

Fri

4/21

Cleveland

New York

3

8:30PM

ABC/R

Sun

4/23

Cleveland

New York

4

1:00PM

ABC

Wed

4/26

New York

Cleveland

5*

TBD

TBD

Fri

4/28

Cleveland

New York

6*

TBD

TBD

Sun

4/30

New York

Cleveland

7*

TBD

TBD

The Great, Not So Great, & Bottom Line of Cavs’ loss to Sacramento

The Cleveland Cavaliers(8-3) continued their five-game road trip in Sacramento(4-6) against the Kings. The Cavs’ eight-game winning streak was snapped against the Clippers on Monday night, and they hoped to return to their winning ways. 

However, that wasn’t the case Wednesday night. Sacramento led by as many as 15 points and led for most of the game, but Cleveland would take their largest lead of six with just over eight minutes to go in the fourth. The game with knotted at 117 after two Jarrett Allen free throws with just under three minutes to go, but Kevin Huerter scored five of Sacramento’s next seven points, including a dagger three late, that put the Kings up 124-118, and they would go on to defeat the Cavs 127-120 at Golden 1 Center.

Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Kings.

Great:

Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 38 points(16/28 FG, 6/14 3-PT FG). He went berserk in the third quarter as he was 7/7 from the field, including 3/3 from deep, to score 17 points in the quarter. Mitchell’s great third quarter helped the Cavs trim the Kings’ 11-point halftime lead to four entering the fourth. Mitchell also added five rebounds and four assists.

Caris LeVert had his first double-double of the season with 21 points, a season-high 10 rebounds, and six assists. He was aggressive throughout the game on Wednesday night.

Jarrett Allen had 20 points, seven rebounds, and a block. Allen has been in double figures in points in five straight games and nine out of the first 11 games of the season.

Points in the Paint: The Cavs had 64 points in the paint against Sacramento. Cleveland finished the night shooting 53% from the floor.

Not So Great:

Defense: The Cavs did not bring it on the defensive end for the second straight game. Sacramento got way too many open looks. As they did in their loss to the Clippers, they allowed the Kings to have three 30-plus point quarters. Sacramento ended the night shooting 53% from the floor. The 127 points are the most Cleveland has given up in a game this season.

Darius Garland was just off Wednesday night, and he scored only six points and shot 1/9 from the field in 34 minutes of action. Nights like this happen, and the All-Star didn’t have it against the Kings; Garland did finish with eight assists.

Turnovers: Cleveland had 18 turnovers, which led to 18 points for Sacramento. LeVert led the way with five, and Garland had four.

Bottom Line:

Cleveland has to be better on the defensive end, which wasn’t much of a problem until the last two games. It’s a long season, but the defense needs to improve. Statistically, the Cavs have been one of the better defensive teams in basketball, so maybe it’s an aberration, or perhaps it’s a start of an issue that a team with a small backcourt might have moving forward. Stay tuned.

What’s Next:

The Cavs conclude their five-game road trip in San Francisco against the world-champion Warriors on Friday night.

Best of the Rest:

The Kings had seven players in double figures. Domantas Sabonis led the way with 21 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and Harrison Barnes added 20 points and nine rebounds. 

Evan Mobley added 16 points and six rebounds for the Cavs.

On Wednesday, Mitchell(366 games) became the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 threes in the history of the NBA.

Cavs’ Bickerstaff on hiring of Walton: ‘I’m excited for our players to have another valuable resource to work with on the court’

The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Luke Walton as an Assistant Coach, the team announced Tuesday.

The 42-year-old Walton coached the Kings for three seasons before getting fired last November. Before that, he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers from 2016 to 2019.

“We are very excited to add someone of Luke’s caliber and championship DNA to our coaching staff,” said Altman via team statement. “His on-court experiences as a head coach, assistant coach and player in this league fit seamlessly into J.B.’s existing coaching staff. Luke is someone who truly embraces player development, a team-first mentality, and a history of creating winning basketball habits. We welcome Luke, his wife Bre and the entire Walton family back to Northeast Ohio.”

Additionally, Walton was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for two campaigns (2014-15, 2015-16), reaching the NBA Finals both years and winning the NBA Championship in 2015. Walton also received Western Conference Coach of the Month honors (October/November 2015) while serving as interim head coach in Steve Kerr’s absence and leading Golden State to a 39-4 start in 2015-16, including winning the first 24 games, an NBA record.

“It’s rare when you can strengthen your staff with someone of similar experiences and a passion for the game of basketball,” said Bickerstaff said via team statement. “Luke is someone who identifies with our five core values as a coach, but also traits he was recognized for as a player, both in college and the NBA. I’m excited for our players to have another valuable resource to work with on the court, as we continue doing things the right way for sustainable success.”

Walton enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career, including his final season in 2012-13 and part of 2011-12 as a member of the Cavaliers. He finished his career appearing in 564 games (138 starts) with the Lakers and Cavaliers while averaging 4.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.2 minutes per contest.

Cavs’ Bickerstaff on win over Kings: ‘It’s a win, so we’ll take it, but it wasn’t our best’

The Cavaliers had a terrible taste in their mouth after losing to the Warriors Sunday night, but fortunately for them, they had a chance to change that taste when they played the Kings Monday night as both teams were playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Cleveland got off to a good start and led 62-49 at halftime. However, the Kings would rally in the second half to take a four-point lead in the fourth with over six minutes to go, but the Cavs would eventually build a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and would hold on to defeat the Kings 109-108 at Golden 1 Center.

The Cavs(23-18), who swept the season series from the Kings, are 2-1 on their current six-game road trip, while the Kings(16-27) have lost five straight.

The Great for the Cavaliers:

-Jarrett Allen is a man of his word. Allen took full responsibility for the Cavs getting outrebounded against Golden State. He knew he had to be better, and against the Kings, he was better. Allen had a double-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds to go along with two blocks. He secured the double-double in the first half with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a career-high tying nine rebounds in the first quarter.

-Evan Mobley also had a bounce-back game. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Mobley, who scored in double figures for the eighth consecutive game, stuffed the stat sheet as he usually does. 

-Darius Garland had a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. He also added five rebounds. Garland had only three points in the first half but scored nine points in the second half, including seven in the final quarter.

Kevin Love and Cedi Osman gave the Cavs great production off the bench. Love scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half, and Osman added 15 points. Since returning from COVID, Osman has been in double figures in two out of the last three games.

The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:

Turnovers:  Cleveland had 17 turnovers, which led to 20 points for Sacramento. The Cavs have had 36 turnovers in the last two games.

The final 2:34 of the game:  After a Lauri Markkanen(15 points) three, Cleveland led 109-99 with 2:34 left in the game. However, the Kings went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 109-108 with 11.0 seconds to go. Fortunately for Cleveland, De’Aaron Fox missed a jump shot at the buzzer after great defense from Rajon Rondo, and the Cavs would hold on.

Bottom Line:

Excellent bounce-back performance for the Cavs after the way things went against the Warriors. This is the type of effort you like to see from a team following a bad performance, especially Allen, who showed that he’s a team leader and an All-Star.

Cleveland was not at its best Monday night, but a win is a win, and now they have surpassed their win total(22) from last season.

“It’s a win, so we’ll take it, but it wasn’t our best,” Cavs head coach Bickerstaff said. “We talk about playing with purpose and discipline for 48 minutes. We didn’t do that tonight.

What’s Next:

Cleveland continues their six-game road trip in Utah against the Jazz Wednesday night.

Best of the Rest:

The Kings had six players in double figures, led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 21 points. Buddy Hield added 19 points off the bench. 

Cleveland also had six players double figures. In addition, Rondo had five points, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals off the bench.

Watch below as Mobley and Allen react to win over Kings:

Cavs’ Garland: ‘The sky is the limit because we have so much talent’

For the second straight game and night, the Cleveland Cavaliers led from start to finish, and for the second straight game and night, the Cavaliers had seven players in double figures as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-103 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Saturday night.

The Cavaliers routed the Timberwolves 123-106 in Minnesota Friday night.

Cleveland led by as many as 29 points against Sacramento and took a 23-point lead into the fourth. The Kings would cut the lead to seven after a 18-2 run, but they ran out of time.

The Cavs(16-12) have won three straight and are 7-2 in the last nine games; Sacramento(11-16) dropped their second consecutive game.

Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Kings.

The Great for the Cavaliers:

Second Quarter: What a first half for Cleveland! They scored 81 points, which tied a team record for the most points in a first half, but let’s go back to that second quarter. The Cavaliers put up a near-team record of 45 points. They turned a 13-point first-quarter lead to a 29-point halftime bulge(81-52). Cleveland finished the quarter on an 18-4 run and shot 62% from the floor. 

Second Quarter Cedi Osman. He went off in the quarter, scoring 13 points, including 3/3 from downtown. At one point, Osman scored eight straight points for the Cavaliers. Osman, who has been solid off the Cavs’ bench this season, finished the game with 18 points(all in the first half/career-high for a half).

-After recording a season-high 16 points Friday night against Minnesota, Isaac Okoro scored 11 of his season-high 20 points in the first quarter. He scored on drives and was 2/3 from downtown. Okoro finished the game shooting 7/8 from the floor. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

-Darius Garland had his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 assists. He also added six rebounds and three steals. This was Garland’s eighth double-double of the season. Over the last nine games, he’s averaging 20.6 points, 9.1 assists on 50.7% shooting, including 47% from downtown. 

-Jarrett Allen did what Jarrett Allen always does, and that’s record a double-double. Allen had his third straight double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also did it on the defensive end with three blocks and two steals. Allen had his 10th double-double in the last 11 games, and he recorded the 100th double-double of his career.

-Evan Mobley is just so good. He had 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and he became the first rookie for Cleveland to have a 15 and 15 game since Tristian Thompson, who was in the house Saturday as a member of the Kings.

-Ricky Rubio had 15 points, three assists, and three steals. He also had two big threes in the fourth when the Kings were making their run.

Not So Great for the Cavaliers:

Fourth Quarter: Look, the Kings cut the lead to seven and outscored Cleveland 25-16 in the final period, and at one point went on a 18-2 run. It appeared Cleveland let it up a little bit, but this could a lesson for them, they have to learn how to close teams out, which will come in time.

Bottom Line:

The Cavaliers should have beaten the Kings, and they did, and they are not just beating teams; they are blowing them out. Cleveland has won the last three games by at least 14 points.

Cleveland scored 81 points in the first half, which is so impressive.

Also, if Okoro keeps playing at a high level on the offensive end, to go along with his stellar defense, the Cavaliers will be tough to beat. 

“The sky is the limit because we have so much talent, and we’re so young, but we also have some veterans to help lead the way,” Garland said.

What’s Next:

Cleveland continues their three-game homestand Monday night against the Heat.

Best of the Rest:

-Kevin Love added 11 points, including 3/3 from downtown Saturday night. Love his shooting 50% from three-point range in the last seven games. 

-Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 21 points.

Watch below as Mobley, Garland, and Okoro react to the big win over Sacramento:

Report: Joe Johnson to sign with Rockets

According to ESPN, Joe Johnson is expected sign with the Houston Rockets after his buyout is complete with the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson was sent to Sacramento, by the Jazz, in a three-team deal that included the Cavs and Kings before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Johnson, 36, gives the Rockets another guy that can shoot the ball and provides the team with more depth.

Shaqtin’ a Fool? Shaq thinks Wizards’ Otto Porter plays for Kings

Hall of Famer and minority owner of the Sacramento Kings Shaquille O’Neal just had a “Shaqtin’ a Fool” moment. O’Neal, who is a NBA analyst for TNT, thought that Wizards F Otto Porter played for the Kings. 

You see, Porter had offer from the Sacramento Kings this summer, but he did not sign. Ultimately, Porter would sign an offer sheet from the Nets, which was matched by the Wizards. 

Listen to what Shaq had to say courtesy of CSN Mid-Atlantic:

It sounds like Shaq is in vacation mode. Maybe he needs some icy hot for his brain!

Report: Kings to make trade proposal for Kyrie Irving

According to Amico Hoops, the Sacramento Kings are putting together a package to try to acquire Kyrie Irving.

The proposed package is expected to include rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox, sources said, and perhaps center Kosta Koufos, as well as others to help make the salaries match.

Irving, who reportedly has asked to be traded, would like to have a bigger role with another team. The 25-year-old Irving has three years left on his contract at $60 million, but he can opt out in two years.

In looking at this deal from the Kings perspective, it is a great move. You get a young player who could possibly lead your franchise. In addition, it would satisfy Irving’s desire to lead a team. From the Cavaliers side, getting Fox could be good long-term, but short-term, does not help the team win a title next season.

As Kyrie Irving puts it, Cleveland is in a “peculiar place.” They don’t know what LeBron James is going to do (James can opt out contract in summer 2018). Therefore, the question becomes when you trade Irving, do you get young players to grow with, or  veteran players that can help you win now?

It’s question that Cleveland will have to answer in the coming weeks.

 

 

Rudy Gay to the Spurs

Rudy Gay is expected to sign with the Spurs. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a two-year deal, worth $17 million plus with a player option. For Gay, it’s an opportunity to play for a contender. For the Spurs, you get another guy who can put the ball in the basket. Moreover, in order to beat the Warriors, you are going to have to score a lot of points.

Great opportunity for the 30-year-old Gay, who averaged 18.2 ppg for the Kings last season.