Tag: NBA
Cavs’ Dean Wade to miss first-round series against Magic
The Cleveland Cavaliers have ruled forward Dean Wade out for the remainder of their first-round series with the Orlando Magic, the team announced on Wednesday.
Wade, 27, sustained a right knee sprain that has sidelined him since March 13. A recent MRI and daily rehabilitation revealed more time is needed to treat the injury.
According to the team, the four-year veteran will remain out indefinitely, and his status will be updated as appropriate.
Fortunately, in the first two games against the Magic, where the Cavs have won both games by double digits, they’ve not needed Wade.
Cleveland has been dominant in the series. They are defending at a high level, and Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen are leading the way. The Cavs have done their part at home, and we’ll see if the Magic can do the same in Orlando.
Game 3 is Thursday night.
Mavs start slow, fall to Clippers in Game 1
The Dallas Mavericks did not get the start they wanted on the road Game 1 of their first-round series against the Clippers. Los Angeles, who led from start to finish, defeated the Mavericks 109-97 on Sunday.
Los Angeles leads the series 1-0. Game 2 is Tuesday night back at Crypto.com Arena.
The Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard(knee), held the Mavericks to eight points in the second quarter and led by as many as 27 points in the first half; Los Angeles led 56-30 at the break, and Dallas was fighting uphill the rest of the way.
“Yeah, I thought we did dig ourselves a hole, positives that we kept fighting there,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. ‘We understand that it wasn’t our best effort, you know, this afternoon, but just knowing that we know where we have to fix some of the problems.”
Dallas had a difficult time with Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who had a double-double at halftime with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Zubac finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds, and James Harden, who scored 20 of his team-high 28 points in the first half. Also, Paul George added 22 points.
Luka Doncic, who had a game-high 33 points to go along with 13 rebounds and six assists, says Dallas has to do a better job against Zubac in Game 2.
“He was a big factor for them, you know, rebounding, scoring, too,” Doncic said. “So we got to be more physical with him and do a better job with him.”
The Mavericks outscored the Clippers 67-53 in the second half, and Doncic believes the way Dallas played in the second half is the way the team has to play the whole game.
“Second half is the way we should play the whole game,” he said. “So we got to learn from that.”
Kyrie Irving, who scored 20 of his 31 points in the third quarter, said the team’s mindset was not where it needed to be, which caused the poor start.
“I just think that our mind was all over the place,” he said. “It’s our first playoff game together, got to settle in, and once we did that in the second half, I felt like we put some stops together. We got some great offensive possessions and our confidence in it started to get a little higher, and you can see that we were starting to look like the Dallas Mavericks we know ourselves to be.”
This will be a long series, but Dallas had an opportunity to win Game 1 with Leonard in street clothes; however, they got off to a poor start and never recovered. The Mavericks were better in the second half, which they hope can help them in Game 2.
Mitchell, strong defense help Cavs secure Game 1 against Magic
On Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers(4) began their first-round series at home against the Orlando Magic(5).
Cleveland, who lost to the Knicks in the first round in five last season, was looking to get out of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals for the first time since 2018.
The Cavs, displaying their dominance, never trailed in this one and led by as many as 20 points, ultimately defeating the Magic 97-83.
Cleveland leads the series 1-0.
Here’s the Great, Not-So-Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Magic.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell was big for the Cavs, scoring a game-high 30 points. Mitchell set the tone early by scoring 10 points in the first quarter, and he helped put it away in the fourth, adding nine points. He’s the Cavs’ best player, and he showed that in Game 1.
Evan Mobley scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter and added 11 rebounds to go with three blocks. He and Mitchell got the Cavs off to a great start. Mobley was 3/5 from the field, including 2/3 from deep in the first quarter.
Jarrett Allen was a monster on the boards and dominated the paint for the Cavs. Allen had 16 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Cleveland outrebounded the Magic 54-40, and Allen and Mobley were a big reason why.
Defense: The Cavs held the Magic to 83 points on 33% shooting. The Magic had two sub-20 quarters(15 in the second and 17 in the third). This is how you defend if you want to be successful in the playoffs.
Not-So-Great:
Turnovers: Cleveland had 18 turnovers, which led to 19 points for the Magic. The Cavs have to clean that up in Game 2.
Bench Points: The Cavs got little from their bench on Saturday. They got 14 points from their bench. Cleveland may need more from the bench in Game 2.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland gets Game 1, and history tells us that it’s a good thing for the Cavs. When they take Game 1, the franchise is 17-1 in first-round series.
This team started well, and they finished well in Game 1. They brought great energy on defense and fed off the home crowd. Obviously, the Magic want to get Game 2, so they will play much better. If Cleveland wants to sweep the first two games of the series, they must play better than they did today.
What’s Next:
The crucial Game 2 is set for Monday night in Cleveland(7 PM).
Best of the Rest:
Darius Garland added 14 points and eight assists.
Paolo Banchero had 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for the Magic, who had five players in double figures. Banchero also had nine turnovers. Franz Wagner added 18 points.
James, Curry, Embiid headline 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team
USA Men’s National Team roster is all set, and this is a very good roster.
On Wednesday, USA Basketball announced the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team, which will compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, set for July 26-Aug. 11, 2024.
The team is highlighted by 12 players with extensive USA Basketball experience including three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and the NBA’s all-time scoring leader LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), who owns a pair of Olympic gold medals
In addition to Durant and James, the 2024 USA Men’s National Team features Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
The team was selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill.
Durant, who is also a 2010 World Cup gold medalist, is the USA’s all-time Olympic statistical leader in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). He ranks third in rebounds (118) and blocks (16) and fourth in games played (24) and assists (71).
James, who has scored 273 points (3rd all-time among Americans) in the Olympics, will compete in his fourth Games and first since 2012. He won gold in 2008 and 2012 and made his Olympics debut in 2004 (bronze). James also owns a 2007 FIBA Tournament of the Americas gold medal.
Adebayo (2020), Booker (2020), Davis (2012), Holiday (2020) and Tatum (2020) have won Olympic gold medals and are part of a group that has gone 34-4 in Olympic competition since James’ debut in 2004.
Curry is a two-time World Cup champion (2010, 2014) and will make his Olympic debut this summer. He is one of six players who has competed at the World Cup, including Davis (2014), Durant (2010), Edwards (2023), Haliburton (2023), James (2006) and Tatum (2019). Of the seven World Cup participants, three (Curry; Davis, 2014; Durant, 2010) have also won gold and two (Edwards, 2023; Durant, 2010) have taken home All-Star Five honors. Edwards and Haliburton competed at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila, helping to secure the United States’ Olympic bid.
Embiid and Leonard will make their USA Basketball national team debuts when the United States hosts Canada on July 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to open the USA Basketball Showcase.
The 2024 USA Men’s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.
USA Basketball will commence training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas. Following the game vs. Canada, the Americans will embark on an international training window that begins when the USA hosts Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Australia and Serbia will also face off on July 18 in Abu Dhabi.
The USA Basketball Showcase continues at London’s O2 Arena when the USA men takes on the national teams of South Sudan on July 20 and Germany on July 22.
Zion Williamson to miss at least two weeks with left hamstring strain
If the New Orleans Pelicans want to make the playoffs, they will have to do it without their best player, Zion Williamson.
On Wednesday, the Pelicans announced that Williamson has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. An MRI taken this morning confirmed the injury.
Williamson will be re-examined in approximately two weeks.
Last season, Williamson missed the final 45 games for the Pelicans with a hamstring strain, so there is no guarantee, if the Pelicans make it to the playoffs, that he will be healthy enough to play again this season.
The two-time All-Star was dominant in the team’s 110-106 loss to the Lakers in New Orleans on Tuesday night. Williamson, who left late in the fourth quarter and did not return, had a game-high 40 points and 11 rebounds. The Pelicans may have defeated the Lakers if he had not gotten hurt.
You have to feel for Williamson. He had an opportunity to compete in the playoffs for the first time in his career, and that opportunity could be lost.
Hopefully, Williamson’s teammates can pick him up on Friday night when the eight-seeded Pelicans host the ninth-seeded Sacramento Kings. The winner will battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Jontay Porter banned from NBA for gambling
On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter has been banned from the league.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams, and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a press release announcing the suspension.
According to the NBA, a league investigation found that Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.
None of the bets involved any game in which Porter played, according to the NBA.
In addition, according to the league, the investigation found that before the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sportsbook to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
Furthermore, the league’s investigation also found that Porter limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played only three minutes, claiming that he felt ill. Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and was not paid out. From January through March 2024, while traveling with the Raptors or Raptors 905, the Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, Porter, placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account.
According to the NBA, the 24-year-old Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., profited nearly $22,000 from his illicit activities.
Porter, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2019, started his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. He bounced around the G League before signing a two-way deal with Raptors in 2023.
The league says the investigation remains open and may result in further findings.
Pistons announce reorganization of front office
On Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons announced that the club plans to reorganize its basketball front office, which includes filling the role of a new head of basketball operations, reporting directly to owner Tom Gores.
According to the team, GM Troy Weaver and the basketball staff will remain in their positions and current roles while the organization assesses where adjustments are needed.
In head coach Monty Williams’ first season, the Pistons(14-68) struggled. They had the worst record in the NBA and an NBA record-tying 28-game losing streak.
Gores acknowledged the team’s underperformance this season, but he believes the Pistons have a “strong foundation of young talent” and “strategic financial flexibility” to improve the team’s roster.
“This past season has been incredibly difficult and frustrating for our fans, players, and our entire organization,” said Gores. “We will continue to invest in our core group of young players and surround them with the right complimentary talent.”
According to Gores, he’s willing to do whatever he needs to build a winner in Detroit.
“I am committed to doing whatever it takes to build a winning team,” Gores explained. “Nothing is off the table. As tough as this season has been, a bright future is available to us. It’s in our power to get this right, and we will. This is a pivotal summer for the Pistons.”
Detroit does have some young talent in Cade Cunningham, Ausur Thompson, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren; in addition, they could have the number one overall pick in this year’s draft and reportedly $60 million in cap space, so the cupboard is not bare.
NBA announces Play-In Tournament schedule
The 2023-24 NBA regular season came to an end on Sunday, and now the first six seeds in each conference are set, and the Play-In Tournament, which begins on Tuesday when the Pelicans(7th) host the Lakers(8th), the Kings(9th) host the Warriors(10th).
In the East, the 76ers(7th) host the Heat(8th), and the Hawks(10th) travel to Chicago to battle the Bulls(9th).
There is going to be a very good that won’t make the playoffs this season, which makes this season’s Play-In Tournament very interesting.
The Play-In Tournament schedule is below:
GAME |
AWAY |
HOME |
ET |
TV/R |
Tuesday, April 16 | ||||
1 |
Lakers |
Pelicans |
7:30 PM |
TNT |
2 |
Warriors |
Kings |
10:00 PM |
TNT/R |
Wednesday, April 17 | ||||
3 |
Heat |
76ers |
7:00 |
ESPN |
4 |
Atlanta |
Chicago |
9:30 |
ESPN/R |
Friday, April 19 | ||||
5 |
Winner of Game 4 |
Loser of Game 3 |
TBD |
ESPN/R |
6 |
Winner of Game 2 |
Loser of Game 1 |
TBD |
TNT/R |
Below is the complete playoff schedule, which begins on Saturday, April 20. According to the NBA, the times of the games will be announced at a later date.
Pistons, Pelicans make roster moves
The New Orleans Pelicans have converted the contract of forward Matt Ryan to a standard NBA contract, the team announced on Saturday.
There is no word on the terms of the contract.
Ryan, 26, whose two-way contract was awarded to New Orleans off waivers on October 22, 2023, has appeared in 27 games (one start) for the Pelicans this season, averaging 5.6 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting .451 from deep.
The second-year forward is eligible to be on the Pelicans’ playoff roster.
New Orleans (49-32) will face the Lakers in their regular-season finale at home on Sunday. If they win, they will capture the sixth seed and avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Pistons sign Nowell for the rest of season
On Saturday, the Detroit Pistons announced they had signed guard Jaylen Nowell to a contract.
Nowell signed a 10-day contract with Detroit on April 3. He’s appeared in three games with the Pistons, averaging 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 16.7 minutes per game.
A five-year NBA veteran, Nowell previously appeared in 193 career games (four starts) for Minnesota and Memphis. The No. 43 overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2019 NBA Draft, Nowell holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.5 steals in 17.1 minutes per game. Nowell appeared in nine games for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 5.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17.1 minutes.
In 28 games this season with the Stockton Kings, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, Nowell is averaging 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 27.9 minutes per game.
Detroit (14-67) finishes their season on the road against the Spurs.