[Amick] League executives do not believe LeBron James will return to the Los Angeles Lakers after this season. The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are viewed as his top landing spots.
Scottie Pippen in new Mr. Pibb advert: “When something has been considered second-best for so long, we just blindly accept it as gospel….A decade-long plot built on marketing, social media and multi-part documentaries.”
Zach Lowe discussing Wemby: “I don’t know that any statistical system can quantify what he is doing on every single possession defensively… He’s the most dominant defensive player I’ve ever seen.
There are three teams ranked top five in both offensive and defensive rating: the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks
[Highlight] LeBron goes down on a play, fan responds very concerned. LeBron continues to lay down
Luka and Dirk link up during the Lakers vs Orlando Magic game and Dirk jokes with Luka with a “overrated” chant
[Highlight] Victor Wembanyana on the bench
De’Aaron Fox reacts after an older white woman went viral for getting caught texting “A lot of crazy Hispanic fans! How can they afford it,” during Spurs–Suns game: “It’s like going to Boston and complaining that there’s a bunch of White people… what kind of sense is that?”
The duo of Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland since Anthony Edwards went down: a combined 39-10-8 on 51-46-92 shooting splits. The Timberwolves are 3-1 with wins over Phoenix and Boston in that time.
[Charania] The NBA has rescinded Lakers star Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul, allowing him to play in Monday’s road game against the Detroit Pistons.
[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (44-28) defeat the Boston Celtics (47-24), 102-92, and win in Boston for the first time in 7,686 days!
Robert Parish has a message for LeBron James: “I’m happy for you, and I’m proud too, no player is better deserving to break that ironman record, that 1,611 games played record, than LeBron. He deserves it, in my opinion.”
[Hine] For those wondering, “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent was the No. 1 song in the country the last time the Timberwolves won in Boston.
The Celtics are currently 3-14 against contenders
[Highlight] Kyle Anderson dazzles with the killer in-and-out crossover x3 to score the basket vs Luka Garza
Tyler Kolek scored 53 points today. 42 points, 11 assists with G League Westchester Knicks (Franchise record) and then 11 points (4-4 FG) vs the Wizards in the same day.
[Highlight] Jordan Clarkson with the steal in the back court and the no look over the head dime to Jeremy Sochan for the dunk (with replays). Jalen Brunson REFUSES to take off the glasses until Jordan Clarkson put them on
Matas Buzelis was asked about talking trash to Luka Dončić and said Dončić initiated the offensive and inappropriate trash talk. Fast forward nine days and Goga Bitadze claims the same thing— Luka Dončić was the aggressor— and now Dončić is acting like a victim to get his suspension rescinded.
[Highlight] Jaylen Brown uses off-arm to create space on McDaniels and draws the foul on Naz Reid with a hard fall (with replay)
The Detroit Pistons are 8–2 without Cade Cunningham this season; Jalen Duren is averaging 23/12/2 on 66% TS in games without him.
The Pacers and Wizards have combined for 31 straight losses
[Charania] Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams is off the injury report and will return to action on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers, multiple sources tell ESPN. Williams missed the last 5-plus weeks due to a hamstring strain, and now is back with 11 regular-season games left.
A list of big men that SGA (55.3 FG%) is shooting better from the field than this season: Wemby (50.4), Mobley (53.4), Sengun (50.9), AD (50.6), Clingan (52.7), Sabonis (54.3), Bam (44.7), Ware (52.9), Okongwu (48.1)
[Highlight] Ayo Dosunmu soars up high for the defensive rebound, and it leads to a fastbreak bucket by Naz Reid, off a beautiful ball movement by the Timberwolves (with a replay)
[Murray] In addition to the rescinded techs, the NBA ruled that three calls that benefitted the Lakers was incorrect, including two 3 defensive 3 seconds violations on Deandre Ayton that were non-calls and the Tristan da Silva foul on Ayton, who split the FTs. Lakers 105, Magic 104
[Highlight] Nikola Jokic deflects the pass by Donovan Clingan in the back court and Aaron Gordon finds Jokic with a brilliant over the shoulder no look pass for the easy 2
Spencer Jones made a LinkedIn post about having two game winners hit on him in the same week
[Highlight] Bones Hyland hits the 3-pointer buzzer-beater to end the 1st half + a celebration + halftime interview (with replays)
[Iko] A’ja Wilson: “I’ve always admired KD. He always shows love when it comes to the women’s game. So to be here and witness [passing Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list] — even though it’s against my boyfriend — it was heartbreaking in that sense, but it’s a beautiful thing.”
[Highlight] Nikola Jokic with the cutting dunk
[Lakers] A visualization of LeBron James’ games played by city
[Highlight] Ayo Dosunmu scores the tough layup, plays great defense on Brown, Julius Randle scores the fastbreak dunk (with replays). The Timberwolves win in Boston for the first time since March 6th, 2006, 7,686 days, after 18 straight losses. First season sweept of Celtics since the 1999-00 season
[Post Game Thread] The Phoenix Suns (40-32) blowout the Toronto Raptors (39-31), 120-98
Another Jokic Triple-Double in a win today vs the Trailblazers: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists on 10-18 FG, add in 2 steals and a block. +19 in 35 mins.
[Fred Katz] Josh Hart is now officially shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range on the season. He’s hit nine straight 3s.
[Highlight] Nikola Jokic soars for the driving dunk off an assist by Peyton Watson (with replays)
The Washington Wizards have tied their Franchise Losing Streak Record for the Fifth Time
Luka Dončić has a usage rate of 37.8% this season, only Antetokounmpo in 2022-23 (38.5%) has had a higher USG% since 2020
[Highlight] Nikola Jokic intercepts the pass in the back court, and Aaron Gordon finds Jokic with the no look over the head pass for the easy 2 (with a replay). HD quality
Nikola Jokic jokes with Nuggets mascot Rocky.
[Highlight] Max Shulga scores his first points ever in the NBA
LeBron James on Luke Kennard’s game-winner: “When I turned and saw who had the ball, I pretty much knew it was cash.”
[Charania] Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell and Washington’s Justin Champagnie have each been suspended for one game for altercation in Thunder-Wizards game.
“We just communicated that it’s going to be me and you.” Jaylen Brown talks about a meeting he had with Jayson Tatum ahead of his return to action.
[Post Game Thread] The New York Knicks (47-25) defeat the Washington Wizards (16-55), 145-113.
[Highlight] Bones Hyland hits the 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer. He has 14 points on the night as Minnesota leads Boston, 47-44.
[Post Game Thread] The Denver Nuggets (44-28) blow out the Portland Trail Blazers (35-37), 128-112.
[McMenamin] Bitadze, in a phone interview with ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel, said Doncic cursed at him in Serbian first and Bitadze merely repeated the same curse back to him: “He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand.”