Just 2 games after Brandon Ingram said, “At the end of the day, me shooting 9 shots is not going to win basketball games.” the Raptors win by 22 on a night where Ingram took, you guessed it, 9 shots 😂
[Highlight] Jaden McDaniels yams it over Jokic and Spencer Jones
[Highlight] Rudy Gobert blocks Nikola Jokić at the rim
Rudy Gobert is the type of player you give up 5 first round picks for
[Post Game Thread] The Atlanta Hawks (2-1) defeat the New York Knicks (1-2), 109-108!
Jokic is Conceding 39.4 paint points per game on 73.8 FG% the highest in the playoffs for a center. The next highest is Jalen Duren who concedes 25 paint points per game.
[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) Dominate the Denver Nuggets with 68 Points in the Paint and Ayo’s 25/3/7(1-2), 113-96.
Mikal “5 Firsts” Bridges tonight in Game 3 vs Atlanta Hawks: 21 MIN | 0 PTS | 1 REB | 0-3 FG | 0-2 3PT
[Highlight] The Knicks can’t get a shot off on the final possession, Hawks win!
Jaden McDaniels: “Just playing Denver really motivates us. That’s enough for real. Just playing against them, we don’t really care what they say, just the number and the name across their chest make us play like this”
Jaden McDaniels backs it up against the Nuggets: 20pts, 3ast, 10reb, 9⁄13 FG, 1-3 from 3, Suffocating Defense, and a dunk to make Denver unload the bench
Ayo ‘traded for no firsts’ Dosunmu in the win: 25/3/9 on 10⁄15 FG
Mikal Bridges with a no-show: 0 points 0/3fg, 1 rebound, 2 assists. -26 in critical game 3 loss to Atlanta
Jokic team worst -22 at Half-Time. 13 Pts 4-14 FG, 7 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 1 ast. Nuggets trail 39-61 vs the wolves. 40 Points in the paint by the wolves.
AJ Dybantsa announces he will stay in college and take up to 4 years to finish his degree online as he officially declares for the NBA Draft
[Mat Ishbia] I am 100% behind Devin Booker here. Last night was not a good look for our league. (…) When a referee is missing calls and clearly disrespecting the players, almost mocking them, they must be held accountable.
[Michael Shapiro] “It’s on him to find ways to get himself involved and get to his spots without the double team. Just because he’s getting double teamed, we still need him to be KD, you know?”
[Post Game Thread] The Toronto Raptors (1-2) defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1), 126-104.
Rudy Golbert not making the top 3 in Defensive Player Of The Year seems to have been a playoff gift for the Timberwolves. The “disrespect” has got him playing like a man on a mission.
[Highlight] Rudy Gobert gives Nikola Jokić a taste of his own medicine with slick footwork and a tough hook shot
[Andrews] Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable for the Lakers Game 3 in Houston
[Highlight] Jokic Elbows Donte in the Face. Donte called for the foul.
Jaden “Attack the bad defenders” McDaniels finishes with 20⁄10 against the Nuggets
Jonathan Kuminga in the win: 21⁄4 on 9⁄13 FG
Dillon Brooks refers to SGA as ‘frail’ after Game 2: “This is the playoffs, a man’s game. I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing…when LeBron was younger, just physical basketball. I don’t get why all the dropping, the falling and the flopping and flailing…”
The Denver Nuggets scored only 11 points through 12 minutes against the Rudy Gobert-led defense of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nikola Jokic was held to 1-8 shooting for just 4 points and 2 turnovers.
CJ McCollum on Jonathan Kuminga: “He has championship DNA coming from the Warriors. The athleticism is off the charts. He’s got a mid-range. He knows how to post up, screen, and defensively, he can guard 1-5. He was in a not so great situation and now he’s found a happy home.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves held the Nuggets to less made FG’s (28) than FT’s (32)
[Highlight] Jaden McDaniels soars up high and finishes with a powerful dunk over Nikola Jokic (with replays)
[Charania] BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks and Taylor Jenkins are finalizing a deal to make Jenkins the franchise’s new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Jenkins, a Bucks assistant in 2018-19, went 250-214 and made three postseasons across six seasons in Memphis.
3 years ago (April 24, 2023) Darvin Ham made this very inspirational timeout speech.
[Dave McMenamin] Deandre Ayton: “I’m about to show the world I can guard 1 through 5. … I thought it was going to be a secret weapon, but I’ve been practicing it and having multiple reps guarding the best players in the league on isolations. And the confidence is way up there”
[ESPN] NBA fines Suns’ Booker for blasting refs, rescinds technical foul
Nikola Jokic checks out with: 27/15/3 on a whopping 7⁄26 from the field and 2⁄10 from the free throw line.
So far these playoffs, the Wolves are shooting 19.7-26.7 (73.8%) per game against Nikola Jokic within five feet. That is easily the most shots made and attempted by a team against any rim defender this postseason
Jokic v Gobert: This was the 21st career playoff game between the two. Jokic is a -6 in those 21 games, Gobert is a +63 in those 21 games
[Oram] The Trail Blazers are open to the possibility of Damian Lillard returning this season — possibly in this series against the Spurs.
[Highlight] The Atlanta Hawks show great defense and get the final stop to secure a Game 3 win over the New York Knicks 109-108. They take a 2-1 series lead.
[Highlight] CJ McCollum gives the Hawks a lead with 12.5s remaining
Scottie Barnes sets playoff career high in blowout win be Cavaliers: 35 MIN | 33 PTS | 11 AST | 11-17 FG | 8-10 FT |
The New York Knicks are on the verge of getting upset in the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 years.
The wolves are attacking the rim with wreckless abandon whenever Jokic is on the floor cause he’s offering absolutely no rim protection.
Mike Brown, for the second game in a row, went on a rant about officiating in response to a question about Hawks defence
[Highlight] The Minnesota Timberwolves take a 2-1 series lead as they defeat the Denver Nuggets 113-96. They held Denver to 28⁄82 from the field (34.1%) and Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with playoff career-highs of 25 points and 9 assists.
The NBA is becoming unwatchable due to refs
[Highlight] Bones Hyland makes Spencer Jones touch earth, and then hits the deep 3 off a screen by Rudy Gobert (with a replay)
Jokic vs the Timberwolves in the playoffs since 2023: 48%fg 29%3p 84%ft 57%TS. Worst TS% drop in NBA playoff history against one team (10+ games min).
[Charania] Thunder’s Jalen Williams has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis.