The Cleveland Cavaliers began the regular season in Brooklyn against the Nets.
Cleveland was without their starting center Jarrett Allen (ankle), but ultimately, they got the job done as they defeated the Nets 114-113 on Wednesday night.
The Cavs(1-0) led 114-113 late, and the Nets(0-1) had a chance to take the lead; however, Cam Thomas missed a three, and Cam Johnson missed the follow at the buzzer.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Nets.
Great:
Max Strus made his Cavs’ debut and was big time. He had a team-high tying 27 points, including seven threes and 12 rebounds; this was Strus’ third double-double of his career. Last season, the small forward position was a mess for Cleveland, and Strus may have solved it.
Strus was big early, and Donovan Mitchell, who also had 27 points, was big late. With the Cavs trailing 111-105 with 1:24 left in the fourth, the game appeared over, but Mitchell changed that. He hit a pull-up jumper that closed the gap to four. After two free throws from Strus cut the lead to 111-109, Mitchell would get a steal and breakaway jam to tie the game at 111 with 41.4 seconds to go. Following two Mikal Bridges free throws that gave the Nets a 113-111 lead, Mitchell would drain a three with 12.7 seconds to go, and the Cavs would get the win. Mitchell also added five rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
Isaac Okoro got the start for Allen, and he delivered. He had 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: Cavs were outrebounded 50-37 by the Nets, which is expected without your leading rebounder Jarrett Allen.
Defense: Without your rim protector, Allen, Cleveland’s defense wasn’t great on Wednesday night. They allowed Brooklyn to shoot 50% from the field. Once Allen returns, the defense should be better.
Bottom Line:
Mitchell did what stars do down the stretch, make plays. Cleveland should have lost this game, but having a great player can help you steal games, and the Cavs stole this one from the Nets.
What’s Next:
Cleveland will have its home opener on Friday against the Thunder.
Best of the Rest:
Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas had a game-high 36 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Bridges added 20, and Ben Simmons had four points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Cavs had six players in double figures, including all five staters. Garland added 15 points and five assists. Caris LeVert chipped in with 11 points off the bench.
Cleveland picked up their first win in a road season-opener since Oct. 31, 2000.
On Thursday, USA basketball announced the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which will compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in Manila.
The 12-man roster includes, Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (Knicks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
“On behalf of USA Basketball, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which features some of basketball’s brightest talent,” USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill in a press release. “We are excited for the challenges ahead and look forward to the opportunity to compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup. I am confident that working together, and under the leadership of our outstanding coaching staff, this team will proudly represent the United States this summer in Manila.”
Before arriving in Manila, the USA Men’s National Team will hold training camp August 3-6 in Las Vegas before playing a series of exhibition games as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, which tips off August 7 vs. Puerto Rico at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The USA will also face Slovenia on August 12 and Spain on August 13 in Malaga, Spain, and Greece and Germany on August 18 and 20, respectively, in Abu Dhabi.
As part of Group C, the U.S. opens the 2023 FIBA World Cup against New Zealand on August 26, followed by Greece on August 28 and Jordan on August 30.
The Phoenix Suns made a splash move and a move that could put them in a position to win an NBA title.
On Thursday, they acquired forwards Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four future first-round picks, and a pick swap.
Durant, 34, had requested a trade in the offseason but decided to stay with the Nets. However, Kyrie Irving requested a trade last week and was sent to the Dallas Mavericks, and ultimately, Brooklyn decided to move Durant.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia is excited to bring Durant and Warren to Phoenix.
“Today is a transformative day for this organization,” said Ishbia via a press release. “We are thrilled to welcome Kevin and T.J. to the Valley as we build a championship culture both on and off the court,” Ishbia added. “Not only is Kevin one of the greatest and most accomplished players in the history of the sport, but his character also embodies the world-class commitment to excellence we are instilling across every facet of this organization.”
Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager James Jones is also excited about the possibilities.
“We are elated to welcome Kevin and T.J. to the Valley,” Jones said. “Both players are dynamic scorers and fierce competitors who compete with intensity night in and night out. We’re excited to see the added value they will contribute to our team.”
Durant has been out since January 8 with a sprained meniscus and reportedly could return sometime after the All-Star break.
The Phoenix Suns are all in, and that has to be exciting for anybody associated with the team. Durant has three years left on his contract, Devin Booker signed a four-year, supermax contract extension last offseason; Deandre Ayton got a four-deal last summer, and Chris Paul has two more seasons left on his contract after this one, so again, this team is locked and loaded to go after a title for the next few seasons.
With what they added in Durant, anything short of an NBA title in the next couple of seasons would be a huge disappointment in Phoenix.
Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics and Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns lead the 2021-22 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced Friday.
Smart and Bridges comprise the two guards on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Smart, the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, received 198 points (99 First Team votes) to earn his third selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Bridges, who finished in second place for the Defensive Player of the Year Award in his third NBA season, received 193 points (95 First Team votes). This is Bridges’ first selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team).
Joining Smart and Bridges on the NBA All-Defensive First Team are Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
Gobert, a three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has been voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the sixth consecutive season. Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, is an NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree for the fourth straight season. Jackson, a four-year NBA veteran and the 2021-22 season leader in blocks per game (2.27), is making his debut on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
The 2021-22 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle, Celtics center Robert Williams III, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
This is the third NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Adebayo, the fourth for Holiday and the second for Thybulle. Williams joins Bridges and Jackson as a first-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team. Green, the 2016- NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has earned his seventh selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Coming into Game 5 of their first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Phoenix Suns won two games because of two 19-point fourth quarters from Chris Paul. CP3 got the job done for the Suns in Game 5 as he had 22 points and 11 assists. However, Mikal Bridges was the star of the game.
Bridges, who finished second for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, tied a playoff career-high with 31 points on 12/17 shooting from the field, including 4/4 from downtown, five rebounds, two steals, and four blocks in 47 minutes of action as the Suns defeated the Pelicans 112-97 at Footprint Center to take a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6 is Thursday night in New Orleans.
Bridges did it on both ends of the court. According to StatMuse, the players he guarded were 3/17 from the floor with seven points.
“He doesn’t miss games, he guards the best players every night, and then he has 31,” Paul said.
Bridges, who has never missed an NBA game in four seasons, was ready to keep on playing after the win.
“I’m ready to play tomorrow. I’m teed up, man,” Bridges said. “I’m energized; my teammates keep me going. You got me itching my knee right now because I’m talking about it. I need to calm down, I need to breathe, but I’m just ready, man.”
Deandre Ayton, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, added on Bridges: “The man takes care of his body, and he approaches the game the same way every day; he doesn’t change.”
Without Devin Booker, it’s all hands on deck for the Suns, and Bridges got the job done. The Suns have to end this series in Game 6; Phoenix does not want to be in a position where they have to play a Game 7. The Suns are the better team, and as the better team, they have to put the Pelicans away Thursday night.
The Phoenix Suns fell to 1-3 on this young season after losing to the Kings 110-107 at the buzzer on Wednesday night.
Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes hit a three at the buzzer to get the victory for the Kings. With the loss, the Suns fall to 0-2 at home. Last season, Phoenix lost only nine times in their building.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Suns’ loss to Kings.
The Great for the Suns:
-Devin Booker scored a game-high 31 points on Wednesday to go along with six rebounds and eight assists. It marked Booker’s 114th career 30+ point game, which ties for the 11th most 30+ point games in league history prior to a player’s 25th birthday.
-Deandre Ayton notched his 96th career double-double, pouring in 21 points to go along with 21 rebounds, which matched his career-high. It marked Ayton’s second career game of 20+ points and 20+ rebounds.
-Mikal Bridges tallied 15 points, his fourth consecutive game of 10+ points, to go along with five rebounds and a team-high two blocks. It marks the first time in Bridges’ career that he’s scored 10+ points in each of the first four games to begin a season.
Not So Great for the Suns:
-Chris Paul was 1/10 from the field and scored only six points, but he dished out eight assists.
Third-quarter: The Suns had a 61-53 lead at halftime, but they were outscored 29-15 in the third. Phoenix shot 7/22 from the field, including 0/6 from three-point range in the quarter. In addition, the Suns had six of their 11 turnovers in the third.
Bottom Line:
Teams will be gunning for the Western Conference. They will and do have a bullseye on their back. According to Jae Crowder, the Suns have to get back to being the hunter.
“We have to get back to being the hunter instead of just being hunted,” he said. “In each game, we talk about how teams are coming at us, and we’re stepping up the challenge, but not for 48 minutes. We have to find a way to take that challenge on for 48 minutes and quit talking when the game is over about how teams are coming, respecting us now, and we’re getting team’s best shots. We have to get back to being the hunter and stepping into the ring, and right now, we’re not.”
What’s next:
The Suns get back at it on Saturday night when they continue their five-game homestand against the Cavaliers
Best of the Rest:
Kings’ Buddy Hield knocked down a team-high seven three-pointers on 11 attempts in 27 minutes off the bench tonight en route to a team-high 26 points and five rebounds.
Barnes tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
The Phoenix Suns have signed forward Mikal Bridges to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a four-year, $90 million deal.
“Like I been preaching for a long time, I always wanted to be here, and I always want to be here,” Bridges said after shootaround on Monday. “So, just for that happening, I take nothing for granted. Just blessed and grateful for the position I’m in. The people I have around me, my family and friends. it’s just great, and I’m happy we got it done.”
Last season, Bridges averaged career-highs of 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.88 blocks while shooting career highs of 54.3% from the field and 42.5% from three-point range. The Philadelphia native recorded one of just four qualified seasons in NBA history of a player shooting at least 54% from the field and 42% from three-point range, joining John Stockton, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Michael Porter Jr.
In addition, he received the 11th-most votes for the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive teams, just missing selection. During the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals, Bridges started all 22 playoff games, averaging 11.1 points on 48.4% shooting from the field plus 4.3 rebounds and 1.00 steals.
In three NBA seasons, the 25-year-old Bridges has appeared in all 227 of the Suns’ regular-season games. He’s the only player in the NBA to have played in every regular-season game during the past three seasons.
The Suns acquired Bridges in a draft-night trade in 2018 as he was the 10th overall pick following a decorated career at Villanova University, where he helped the Wildcats win two national titles.
Suns extend Shamet:
Phoenix also agreed to a contract with Landry Shamet. According to Wojnarowski, it’s a four-year, $43 million deal. Shamet, 24, was acquired by Phoenix in a trade with Brooklyn on August 6 and he averaged 11.0 points on 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range in four games this preseason. Shamet has completed three NBA seasons, appearing in the playoffs three times, and averaged a career-best 9.3 points for the Nets in 2020-21.
No deal for Deandre Ayton:
The Suns and Deandre Ayton reportedly could not come together on an extension before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline. According to Wojnarowski, the number one overall pick in the 2018 draft wanted a max contract, but Suns owner Robert Sarver did not offer it.
Last season, the 23-year-old Ayton averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Ayton can become a restricted free agent at season’s end.
The Phoenix Suns are now two games away from winning their first NBA title after defeating the Bucks 118-108 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Phoenix Suns Arena on Thursday night.
Devin Booker scored a team-high 31 points tonight to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Booker knocked down seven three-pointers on 12 attempts, while Mikal Bridges scored a playoff career-high 27 points in Game 2 on 8-of-15 shooting (3-of-9 3FG) to go along with seven rebounds.
The Suns are 11-1 this postseason when Bridges scores in double figures.
Chris Paul, who had 23 points, eight assists, and four rebounds on Thursday night, believes Bridges is a winner.
“He’s a winner,” Paul said. “When we won the Western Conference finals, I looked at him, and I had a flashback of him being at Villanova. I remember him winning a championship there. He’s just a winner. He’s going to do whatever you need him to do, offensively or defensively, and it’s good to see him playing like this.”
The Suns knocked down 20 three-pointers on 40 attempts on Thursday night. It marked just the third time in NBA Finals history that a team has made 20 threes or more in a Finals game. Additionally, the 20 threes marked a franchise record for threes in a postseason game.
Phoenix led by as many as 11 points in the first half and as much as 15 points in the third quarter, and then Giannis Antetokounmpo came alive. The two-time MVP scored 20 of his game-high 42 points in the quarter and was able to get the lead to as low as five points in third, but it wasn’t enough. Antetokounmpo also added a team-high 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Game 3 is Sunday night in Milwaukee.
The Bucks are down 0-2 in this series, and they have been here before in the second round against Brooklyn, and ultimately, they were able to win that series in 7, so Antetokounmpo is still confident.
“We’ve been here before, and we were able to get the job done,” Antetokounmpo said. “Hopefully, we can put ourselves in position, and we can believe in one another, and we can play together, and we can have fun. We can compete, and we can dive on the floor, we can make shots, put ourselves in a position to win the game. But like we know what the deal is, man. Like we got to go back home and protect home.”
The series does not start until the road team wins, so let’s see what happens in Milwaukee.
Notes:
-According to Stathead, Antetokounmpo became just the fourth player in NBA Finals history to record 40-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and 3-plus blocks in a Finals game, joining Shaquille O’Neal (3 times), LeBron James and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
In addition, Antetokounmpo got to the free throw line 18 times, knocking down 11 of them. It marked the most free throw attempts by a single player in an NBA Finals game since June 7, 2015 (LeBron James).
-Deandre Ayton recorded his fifth-straight double-double tonight and 13th of the postseason, notching 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and a game-high three steals. With his double-double tonight, Ayton moved into sole possession of second place for the most double-doubles in one postseason by a Suns player in franchise history, trailing only Charles Barkley’s mark of 22 during the 1993 playoffs.
