[Highlight] Jaylen Brown catches SGA with the pumpfake
[Highlight] LeBron bodies a couple of Pacers on the way to the hoop and has something to say about it
I refuse to watch another NBA game until Scott Foster is fired
[Eichten] Julius Randle just now walking down the hallway to the locker room: “That shit didn’t work Scott Foster”
[Highlight] Naz Reid is called for the offensive foul OT, the Timberwolves challenge the call, but to the surprise of the announcers and the Timberwolves players/coaches, the call was not overturned, and Scott Foster tosses Naz Reid from the game after a protest.
[Highlight] LeBron’s no-look pass to LaRavia for the dunk
Nikola Jokic tonight: 23 PTS | 21 REB | 19 AST | 1 TOV |
[Post Game Thread] The Boston Celtics (48-24) defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder (57-16), 119-109.
Luka Doncic in the Win against the Pacers: 43 PTS | 15⁄30 FGS | 4⁄10 3PTS | 9⁄10 FTS | 6 REBS | 7 ASTS
Jamal Murray tonight: 53 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST | 19-28 FG
[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (44-28) defeat the Houston Rockets (43-28), 110-108.
[Highlight] Guarding in isolation with the game on the line, Rudy Gobert gets the massive stop on Kevin Durant
[Highlight] Luka dishes one to LeBron for the dunk
[Highlight] GG Jackson and Victor Wembanyama trade poster slam dunks on one another on back-to-back possessions.
[Highlight] Jaylen Brown puts Jaylin Williams in a body bag with the Jay on Jay violence
[Highlight] All 15 points from the Minnesota Timberwolves OT comeback. They overcome a 13-point deficit, the largest OT comeback in the play-by-play era, to defeat Houston 110-108.
[Hine] Scott Foster, who ejected Anthony Edwards in the Christmas Day game, has now ejected Naz Reid after the Timberwolves challenge is unsuccessful.
The Rockets vs Timberwolves game was one of the worst officiated games of all time
[Charania] Breaking: The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved a vote for the league to explore bids and applicants for expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN. A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team.
Kevin Porter Jr. says he’s on a mission to beat Bam’s 83-point record out of respect for Kobe: “Now that Kobe got beat, I gotta beat Bam just for the respect of Kobe.”
[Highlight] Stephon Castle adds Hendricks to his poster collection with a thunderous slam
FYI Kevin Durant will be an unrestricted free-agent the summer before the proposed return of the Seattle SuperSonics.
[Vorkunov] Adam Silver on the NBA’s 65-game rule for awards amid the NBPA’s statement on Cade Cunningham: “I’m not ready to say it’s not working. It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work.”
Victor Wembanyama checks out in the blowout win against the Grizzlies: 19 PTS, 15 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 7 BLK, +34
“ESPN just said this is the largest overtime comeback in NBA history.” - @BrettSiegelNBA on X.
[Highlight] LeBron bulldozes his way to the hoop for a lefty and-1 finish
[Highlight] The Spurs show off their elite ball movement against the Grizzlies with eight passes between everyone on the floor before Dylan Harper knocks down the 3-pointer.
Joel Embiid sits after 3 in his first game in a month: 35/6/7/1 on 80% TS in 27 mins (+34)
Nikola Jokic in the last 24 hours: 43 PTS, 38 REB, 36 AST, 3 TOV
Charles Barkley: “Listen, I believe in discipline. I’m not going around telling people to beat their kids, but I think that if you don’t spank your kids and discipline them, they turn into some of these brats that we got today. I’m not here and sit saying - I’m not here for child abuse”
[Highlight] The Atlanta Hawks get the stop on the final possession of overtime to defeat the Detroit Pistons, 130-129. Atlanta has now won 14 of their last 15 games.
[Highlight] Nikola Jokić (23 PTS, 21 REB, 19 AST) is the first player in NBA History to total back-to-back games with 15+ PTS, 15+ REB, and 15+ AST as he helps Denver defeat Dallas, 142-135.
[Highlight] Wolves go on a 15-0 run and take a 2 point lead on a Julius jumper
[Highlight] Jaylen Brown gets to the rim and finishes with the layup to seal the win for Boston. Brown finishes with 31 points as the Celtics snap the Thunder’s 12-game win streak.
The Lakers, the Thunder, and the Spurs are all 9-1 in their last 10 games.
[Anthony Slater] Draymond Green on Victor Wembanyama vocalizing his MVP case: “I hated it…and I absolutely loved it.” Green has been vocal in the past on DPOY: “You don’t help them see it, damnit they can’t see.” Full passionate five-minute soundbite
[Highlight] Julian Champagnie, feeling left out of the Spurs dunk party, decides to absolutely YAM one on Taylor Hendricks
[Highlight] KD intentionally misses his 2nd free throw and it goes out of bounds. On the inbound, TSJ tips the inbounds and the Rockets can’t get a shot off. Wolves defeat Houston in OT
[Highlight] GG Jackson Dunks on Wemby. Wemby Dunks on GG Jackson.
Joel Embiid heads to the bench with a massive return in his first game back in 15 games, as the Sixers lead 122-84 heading into the third: 28 minutes played, 35 points (12-17 FG; 3-3 3FG; 8-9 FT), 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, and +/- of +33!
[Highlight] Every Spurs dunk from tonight, but they get increasingly nastier (credit @BalaPattySZN)
[Highlight] Bronny James with the powerful cutting dunk off an assist by Luke Kennard, and Bronny sticks his tongue out, as he receives loud cheers from the crowd (with replays).
Lakers and Pacers commentaries.
[Post Game Thread] The Atlanta Hawks (41-32) defeat the Detroit Pistons (52-20) 130-129 in OT behind Jalen Johnson’s 27/8/12, NAW’s 21, and CJ McCollum’s 27
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic combine for 76/27/23 in the win against the Mavs
[Linn] Kawhi Leonard on the 65-game rule: “It’s great for the league trying to stop people just from sitting. But like I said before, I don’t think that rule is changing anybody to play if they’re really hurt… It is what it is. The healthiest guys play. That’s just how the ball rolls.”
[Vorkunov] Adam Silver said it was “unanimous” among owners today at the NBA Board of Governors meeting that the league needs to change tanking rules and do it before the draft this June. There will be a special BOG session in May to deal with that. “We are going to fix it. Full stop,” Silver said.
I often don’t watch the NBA draft unless my team has a top pick, but I feel like the expansion draft will be must-see TV.
Nikola Jokic this season: Most rebounds per game (12.8), most assists per game (10.9), highest efficiency of any 20 PPG scorer (67.2%)