Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic acknowledged that it will be difficult to play against Suns Defensive Player of the Year finalist Mikal Bridges, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Dallas and Phoenix will open their second-round series on Monday night.
“They have Bridges,” Doncic said. “I know he’s going to be on me. He’s the best, in the top two guards, him and (Marcus) Smart. But it’s really tough against him. His defense is amazing. It really impresses me. But then on the offensive end, he improved so much that he’s a really amazing player.”
Bridges placed second in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, trailing only Smart. Phoenix could have its forwards defend Dallas’ star backcourt (Bridges and Jae Crowder on Doncic and Jalen Brunson), or it could task Chris Paul with defending Brunson. While he’s still a good defender, Paul turns 37 years old later this week.
Here are some other notes from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors star Draymond Green was ejected in Game 1 against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Green committed a Flagrant 2 foul and riled up the crowd before exiting, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. The ejection decision was met with outrage from many fans, players and league observers. Players are automatically suspended by receiving four flagrant foul points in the playoffs, meaning Green would receive a one-game suspension with one more Flagrant 2 or two more Flagrant 1’s. He was famously suspended in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals for this same reason and later declared it cost the Warriors a title.
- Marc J. Spears of Andscape.com examines where Warriors guard Gary Payton II got his athleticism from. Payton attributes it to his mother, who participated in track, high jump and long jump. His father, of course, is recognized as one of the league’s all-time great defenders and a stellar athlete himself. Payton received his first playoff start against Memphis on Sunday, finishing with eight points and six rebounds in just over 23 minutes.
- The Timberwolves realize that progressing after this season isn’t a guarantee and growth isn’t always linear, Dave Campbell of The Associated Press writes. Minnesota gave the No. 2 seed Grizzlies a run for their money in round one, but they ultimately lost in six games. The team has a young nucleus of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and others that could be competitive for many years to come.
West playoffs second round
1
Final 4,8 seconds
It’s Warriors ball, why jump ball?
Why not review?
I did not clearly understand
2
Floor balls
All Warriors fouls when Warriors were on top?
All jump ball when Grizzlies were on top
Why?
I did not clearly understand
First part of the game I thought the Grizzlies were getting all the calls but then as the game progressed I saw the warriors were getting a lot of the favorable calls. It goes both ways what are you going to do. You can’t complain about it, you just roll with it
It’s the WARRIORS, they’ve been getting all the calls since Steph made superstar.
That’s not how I’ve seen it the last 7 years Mike. Yes I agree the stars get the calls. That’s a no-brainer. But the “WARRIORS” get ALL the calls? I don’t think so.
By the way I think Steph had 5 fouls with three or four minutes to go in the game. But so did Dillon Brooks. They let them play without fouling them out. I think calls went both ways in the fourth quarter.
Mike you sure did not watch the game if you did explain why Poole was hit twice in the head on back to back plays in the 4th quarter and neither flagrant 1 calls or even a foul called?
Overall Memphis got more calls. It’s the same with Bucks vs C’s, the refs were calling for the local teams.
Can Draymond appeal and see if the league will reduce it too a flagrant 1 thus 1 penalty point? It seems like all the broadcasters and media thought the call was incorrect.
Yes I think they’re doing that for sure. Waiting to see how it turns out. Fingers crossed.
Refs seemed to got it right – I saw Draymond with the smack THEN pulling on Clark’s shirt, bringing him down.
Regardless if the smack made excessive contact or not, there was a clear WIND-UP from Draymond. The additional pull-down convinced the refs to go FF2.
If anything, Draymond dancing around should have merited another technical.
The dancing around was for the crowd, not in defiance of the referees. Anyone with a brain that works and eyes that can see realizes that.
Players tossed are supposed to leave not rile up the crowd. What difference does it make if it was “for the crowd”?
That makes it better? In the NFL it makes a demonstration rate worse.
There is the second “flagrant point” right there.
The pull-down was to upset Clarke’s balance, not help him down, like was said on tv.
LOL the crowd was already “riled up.” They were chanting for him to get tossed before he was tossed.
That does not “make it better.” It has NOTHING to do with the flagrant-2. The flagrant-2 was for the swipe with the right hand and the pull down of the player with the left hand. That’s flagrant 2.
The gentleman above says he should have received “another technical,” a THIRD TECHNICAL for dancing around. I disagreed. Has nothing to do with the flagrant-2.
He definitely earned another technical. That display was absurd and ridiculous. He was tossed. He’s not supposed to do any of that, regardless of intent. You’re ejected, you have to leave the court. Anything beyond that is showing up the refs and delaying the game.
He was already tossed. So Clarke flop twice should have been a T but not called. If Green deserved a T should Clarke deserve a T or even JaMorant deserve a T for dancing and mocking the other team? Grizzly got a lot of homecourt calls go their way.
rct you’re mostly right but you have to factor the crowd into it. It’s not an easy situation to monitor at all. You’re already throwing him out of the game. He didn’t lounge around and complain and get in the referee’s faces.
No no, the crowd was going nuts and he reacted to that but quickly left the arena. I’ll give him that. He danced around sure but another technical? I don’t think so.
The refs are so sensitive nowadays. Let’s hope they dont take Green’s exit antics personally. Menphis are legit threat to W’s and it will come down to a call here and there. W’s have little margin of error and need to play very well to advance.
Agreeable posts by Gary & Michol but I think refs put up with too much. It starts to wear on me watching a game.
Lebron can be so hard-charging in disbelief he may have opened the door for others!
The trend is larger for whatever reason. In England they used to card players for any dissent (there was a word for it, early 90s)… It seemed an excessive response… But now it’s swung the other way.
x%sure, I’m with you in many ways. In fact I can’t watch LeBron play anymore and the sad part is that Luka doncic has taken after him.
They used to whine when the whistle blew and cried like they never commit a foul. Hands in the air, “who me.., what?”
But now it’s way worse. LeBron and now Luca cry when the whistle does NOT blow. Can’t stand it. Hustle your butt back on defense so it’s not a 5 on 4 every time you cry.