Tag: NBA
Cavs, Suns, Mercury, Hawks release statements on Derek Chauvin verdict
On Tuesday, a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
Chauvin’s bail was immediately revoked, and he is expected to be sentenced in eight weeks. The 45-year-old ex-police officer faces a maximum of 75 years in prison.
After the verdict, teams around the NBA and WNBA released statements on the verdict.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
“The horrific images of George Floyd’s murder still ring true and clear in our minds and today’s verdict represents an important measure of justice for he and his family. We will continue our deep desire and commitment to see and support equality, compassion, respect, unity, healing and peace for all. Especially in moments when it might be the most difficult to achieve.”
Atlanta Hawks:
“Today, inside a courthouse in Minneapolis, our nation saw legal justice served. While this verdict can never fully bring solace to the loved ones of George Floyd, it is a start in their healing and that of the entire Black community that continues to grieve his loss and countless others at the hands of senseless brutality. Last summer, the Hawks made a commitment to stand against racism and injustice and to continue denouncing the broken systems that contributed to this moment. We remain committed to being a part of the solution and using our platform to move us toward a more accepting, anti-racist society.”
Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury:
“As Americans, as athletes, as business and community leaders, as role models with a platform, and as every day citizens focused on just doing the right things, our work as shepherds of social and racial justice never ends nor does our commitment to being a force for change, fighting injustice while celebrating and embracing diversity.
The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury will continue to invest in communities of color, listen to leaders in the space of racial justice, and use our organizations’ voice and platform in the pursuit of an equal and peaceful society.”
Cavs’ Bickerstaff: ‘We gotta grow up, and it’s that simple’
After their disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, the thought from the coaching staff and team is that the Cavaliers would be much better against the depleted Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
Detroit(18-40) has the worst record in the Eastern Conference and was without seven players, including their leading scorer Jerami Grant and their top rebounder in Mason Plumlee. However, none of that mattered on Monday night, especially in the first quarter. Detroit led by as much as 23 points in that quarter, and while the Cavs(20-37) would take their first lead midway through the fourth, Detroit was able to take control down the stretch and win 109-105 at Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit’s Saddiq Bey and Frank Jackson had 20 points apiece. Bey had 18 points in the first quarter, including six threes. Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 28 points, and Darius Garland added 23.
Cleveland, who has lost three straight, outscored Detroit in every quarter after their bad start. However, according to Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland was done in by the first quarter.
“It was the first quarter that did us in,” Bickerstaff said. “To me, all that other stuff that happens afterward is irrelevant.”
The team’s approach to the game let Bickerstaff down, and according to him, it shows that the team has to grow up.
“It’s a conversation about our approach and a maturity level that we’ve yet reach,” he said. “And the thought that we wouldn’t come out tonight and play spirited basketball is disappointing…
“I love the dudes in that locker room. I think their heart and minds are in the right place, but we gotta grow up, and it’s that simple.”
Considering what was at stake regarding the playoffs, Monday night’s performance was unacceptable. However, it’s all a part of the process. Hopefully, these young guys can use this moment as a learning experience for the rest of this season and beyond.
Cleveland is now four games behind the Bulls for the 10th and final playoff spot with 15 games remaining. Cleveland will host the Bulls on Wednesday night.
Clippers sign Yogi Ferrell to 10-day contract
The LA Clippers signed Yogi Ferrell to a 10-day contract, the team announced on Monday.
Ferrell, 27, appeared in two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, averaging 9.5 points. 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. The 6-foot-0 guard also appeared in 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League this season.
The four-year veteran holds NBA career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 251 career appearances with the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Cavaliers. A native of Indianapolis, Ind.,
Ferrell earned a spot on the 2016-17 All-Rookie Second Team, and in February 2017, became just the second undrafted rookie to win Rookie of the Month honors in his first professional season.
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Cavs’ Love on loss to Bulls: ‘A lost opportunity like that, it should hurt’
On Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls(23-33), the Cleveland Cavaliers(20-36) got a little taste of playoff basketball. Cleveland, who was 2.5 games behind the Bulls for the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs coming into this game, hoped to gain some ground.
Chicago was without their leading scorer Zach LaVine(health and safety protocols) and had lost five straight, so it appeared that Cleveland had a great chance to get the victory.
However, the Bulls got 25 points from Nikola Vucevic and defeated the Cavaliers 106-96 at United Center to snap their five-game losing streak.
All five starters scored in double-figures for Cleveland, led by Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, who both had 22 apiece.
Cleveland led 49–47 at halftime, but things fell apart in the third quarter. The Cavaliers were outscored 33-21 in the quarter and allowed the Bulls to shoot 60% from the field. Chicago would lead by as many as 16 points in the third and would take an 80-70 lead into the fourth.
Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes the third quarter is what sunk the Cavs.
“To me, the third quarter was most important,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “We dug ourselves a hole. We didn’t come out with the energy that we needed. Too many lackadaisical errors and mistakes… We gave them too many opportunities tonight.”
Garland added on Cleveland’s third-quarter woes: “We’ve been dealing with this all year. We still haven’t figured a way to turn up our energy in the third quarter.”
Cleveland did battle back in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to three with just over three minutes left in the contest. Kevin Love had an opportunity to tie the game but missed a three with just under three minutes to go. Chicago went on a 10-3 run to close out the game.
Love has played in and won many meaningful games in his career, including winning a Game 7 in the 2016 NBA Finals. According to Love, games like this will hurt but will be good for the young Cavaliers.
“I want it to be painful for them,” Love said. “A lost opportunity like that, it should hurt… You want it to be learning experiences, and sometimes those learning experiences can pull on your heart and be very painful. It’s a major factor for growth.”
Cleveland will travel to Detroit to play the Pistons on Monday night before returning home to face the Bulls on Wednesday night.
Mavs’ Finney-Smith: ‘We can compete with anybody; we have the talent’
For the first two quarters, the Dallas Mavericks(30-26) did not bring the energy necessary to defeat the Sacramento Kings(23-34) on Sunday night. Dallas allowed the Kings to score 45 points in the second quarter, and they could not recover as Sacramento would go on to defeat the Mavericks 121-107 at American Airlines Center.
“Really just a poor performance from the beginning,” Mavericks head Rick Carlisle said after the game. “They really came out with force, had us on our heels. We got down big early [and] fought back. It was two at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a killer, 45-30.
Sacramento led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, but then the Mavericks finally woke up. Dallas went on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to eight and would trail 87-77 entering the fourth quarter.
“The third quarter, we had a group in there with really just hard, unselfish play that went on a strong run — I think it was 15-2 — and got us within eight,” Carlisle said. “We had some chances to get it under six a couple of times, I think and were unable to do it. A lot of what we’ve been talking about is that it’s a 48-minute game, and we’ve got to start stronger. “
Luka Doncic, who had 22 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, had a little duel with the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, who scored 12 of his 30 points in the final quarter. However, for Doncic and the Mavs, it was too little, too late.
“We didn’t come out playing hard,” Doncic said. “That is what has happened the last couple of games now. I have to be way better. We have to play harder. I have to play harder. It starts with me, so I have to play way better.”
According to Carlisle, the Mavericks, who have lost two straight and four of their five games, have to figure out ways to get back on track.
“There’s been some soul searching over the last five games,” he said. “We’ve talked about some things. We haven’t had much practice time. We’ll be able to have a practice on Tuesday. Of course, there’s concern. I think this game brings the issues into a sharper focus. We’ve got to get ourselves back on track just from a process standpoint. Forget about wins and losses; we’ve got to win games. That’s our job is to win games.”
Despite their struggles, Dorian Finney-Smith, who had 22 points on Sunday night, thinks the team has everything it needs to compete with anyone in the league. They just have to give more effort.
“We just have to go out there and play hard,” he said. “We can compete with anybody; we have the talent; it is just the energy.”
Dallas is in a bit of a rut right now, and the last two games, the defense, the energy, and the effort have not been there for this team. That has to improve if they want to get back on track.
Notes:
Kristaps Porzingis struggled with his shot on Sunday night. He was 3-14 from the field and finished with nine points. Porzingis did have a game-high 11 rebounds.
Jalen Brunson came off the bench for 20 points on 8-10 shooting to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Kings’ Terence Davis came off the bench for 23 points (9-12 FG, 5-5 3FG) to go with three rebounds and three assists. His 23 points were his second-most this season.
Dallas has lost four straight games at American Airlines Center, and continue their five-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
Photo: @Mavs/Twitter
Spurs continue their playoff push in Phoenix
The San Antonio Spurs(26-28) had a golden opportunity to gain some ground in the Western Conference standings on Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers(32-23). Portland was without their leading scorer Damian Lillard(hamstring). However, behind C.J. McCollum’s 29 points and 22 from Norman Powell, the Blazers defeated San Antonio 107-106 at AT&T Center.
DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 26 points, and Dejounte Murray became the fourth Spur to record three triple-doubles in a single season when he had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on Friday night.
San Antonio led most of the game and led by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, but Portland closed the third quarter on a 24-8 run to close the gap to two entering the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair, which included seven lead changes, and the Blazers went up for good when Norman Powell made a driving layup with 22.8 seconds left. San Antonio had one final chance to take the lead, but DeRozan would miss a baseline jumper, and Jakob Poeltl would miss the follow at the buzzer.
DeRozan had a few words with the officials after the game. According to DeRozan, Poeltl was fouled on his shot at the end of the game.
‘It looked liked when Jakob(Poeltl) got the rebound, he got hit,” DeRozan said. “It looked like a foul to me.”
Foul or no foul, the Spurs lose another home game and continue to struggle at AT&T Center, where they are now 12-18. Maybe some good news for the Spurs as they go on the road to battle the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. San Antonio is 14-10 away from home, but beating Suns, who have the second-best record in basketball, won’t be easy.
San Antonio, who has lost seven of their last nine games, also continues to dip in the standings. They are now the 10th seed in the Western Conference and are one game behind the Warriors for the 9th seed. The Spurs are two games up on the 11th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans, so it’s starting to get a little tight for the Spurs in terms of their playoff spot. Teams 7-10 will be compete in a play-in tournament
Cavs’ Sexton: ‘I feel like we can make a push’
The Cleveland Cavaliers(20-35) had a full roster on Thursday night against the Warriors(28-28), and things started well for this team. Cleveland led by as much as 11 points in the first quarter and had a 31-26 lead after one. However, Golden State outscored the Cavs by 14 in the second quarter and took control of the game from there.
Golden State led by as much as 18 points in the second quarter and by as much as 15 points in the third quarter. Cleveland got the lead down to four in the third, but it wasn’t enough as they would fall to the Warriors 119-101 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Steph Curry had 20 of his 33 points in the second half, and Andrew Wiggins added 23 points. For Cleveland, Collin Sexton, who returned after missing two games due to a groin injury, had 30, and Darius Garland poured in 20 points.
Cleveland played unselfish basketball in the first quarter and had nine assists on 13 made field goals, but they had only 12 assists over the final three quarters.
After the game, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff discussed the lack of ball movement.
“The focus has to be on the ball movement,” he said. “That ball can’t get “sticky.” We gotta continue to move the ball; we gotta continue to cut, let our big guys play make… But we just can’t get stagnant; that’s where we gotta continue to improve.”
Despite the loss, Sexton is confident Cleveland can make a push for the playoffs.
“We’re going to be fine,” he said. “This last stretch, I feel like we can make a push. We gotta take it one day at a time.”
Cleveland now has five of their next six on the road, which starts Saturday night in a big game against the 10th-seeded Bulls, who the Cavs must catch to make it in the play-in tournament. Cleveland is currently 2.5 games behind Chicago.
According to reports, Chicago will be without their leading scorer Zach LaVibe(health and safety protocols), which gives Cleveland an advantage going into this contest.
The time is now to make that playoff push, and we’ll see if the Cavs can seize the moment.
Cavs’ Garland: ‘I think you will see the best basketball from us as we try to make a playoff push’
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers(20-34) got a glimpse of what this team could be when they are entirely healthy. Cleveland got Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen back against the Charlotte Hornets(27-27), and while they were missing their leading scorer Collin Sexton(Left groin strain), it did not matter.
The Cavaliers got a game-high 25 points from Taurean Prince off the bench. Kevin Love and Darius Garland had 17 points apiece, and Jarrett Allen chipped in with 15 points and eight rebounds as Cleveland defeated the Hornets on the road 103-90.
Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 22 points.
Cleveland had 27 assists on 37 made field goals, led by Garland’s seven assists.
“It was fun for me,” Garland said after the game. “I was just making different reads and making plays.”
Cleveland moved to two games behind the 10th-seeded Bulls for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
According to Allen, who returned after missing eight games due to a concussion, the Cavs will do whatever they can to get into the play-in tournament.
“We have 18 games to go, and we’re going to fight to get into that play-in game,” Allen said.
Garland added: “I think you will see the best basketball from us as we try to make a playoff push.”
At this point, it should be interesting to see what the Cavs look like at full strength, and they will pretty much be at full strength when Sexton returns.
After Thursday’s showdown against the Warriors, Cleveland will have an interesting eight-game stretch, which will include games against Bulls(2x), Wizards(2x), and the Raptors. The Bulls are the 10th seed, Washington is the 12th seed, and the Raptors are the 11th seed, so these games are an excellent opportunity for Cleveland to move up the Eastern Conference standings.
However, no matter what happens, it will be good for this young group to be involved in playoff-caliber basketball, which could help the young players going forward.
Notes:
Nance Jr. returned after missing seven games due to illness. He scored five points in 20 minutes off the bench against the Hornets.
Love recorded his 8,000th career rebound on Wednesday night. He is just the fifth player in NBA history with 13,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 1,000 three-point made field goals, joining LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Antawn Jamison and Jason Kidd.
