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Poll: Who Will Win Rockets/Thunder Game 7?

September 1st, 2020 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

When the NBA’s playoff matchups were set last month, the Western Conference Quarterfinals between the Rockets and Thunder looked like one of the first round’s most intriguing matchups — not only were the two teams fairly evenly matched, but they also share some notable recent history, having come together in recent years for blockbuster trades involving star guards James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul.

Six games later, the series has lived up to its billing. It will be decided in a Game 7 on Wednesday.

The Rockets, who have held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the series, will enter Game 7 as favorites (they’re currently listed at -5.5 by multiple sports books), and the results of the series to date help explain why. The Rockets have beaten the Thunder by an average of nearly 21 points per game in their three wins; conversely, one of Oklahoma City’s victories came in overtime, while the other two were by four points or less.

With Westbrook back in their backcourt alongside Harden, the Rockets have a star-power advantage over the Thunder and they’re getting contributions from their role players too, with Danuel House (13.8 PPG, .375 3PT%), Robert Covington (12.0 PPG, .486 3PT%), Jeff Green (13.5 PPG, .436 3PT%), and defensive dynamo P.J. Tucker among those chipping in.

The Thunder aren’t about to go quietly though, and they’ve been benefiting from a balanced attack beyond Paul. Dennis Schroder (18.2 PPG), Danilo Gallinari (16.8 PPG), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15.8 PPG) are providing scoring punch, while Steven Adams is racking up offensive rebounds and Luguentz Dort is making Harden work for his points on the other end of the court.

The Rockets’ high-volume approach to three-point shooting means that variance could play a large part in the Game 7 result, but they can give themselves a better chance by taking better care of the ball than they did in Game 6 (22 turnovers).

What do you think? Who are you picking to win Game 7 between the Rockets and Thunder? And do you believe that either team can give the Lakers a run for their money in round two?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Dennis Schroder, P.J. Tucker Fined For Game 5 Scuffle

August 30th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by JD Shaw

Thunder guard Dennis Schroder and Rockets forward P.J. Tucker have each been fined $25,000 for their involvement in a scuffle that occurred on Saturday, the NBA announced in a press release.

The incident occurred with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter of Game 5, with both players being ejected following the altercation. Schroder was fined for making contact to Tucker’s groin area, while Tucker was fined for approaching Schroder, making contact with him, and escalating the situation, the league said.

“It’s never that,” Schroder said on whether his blow was intentional, as relayed by Erik Horne of The Athletic (Twitter link). “We’re competitors. We go out there and compete as hard as we can, but for me, my family didn’t raise me that way to hurt somebody intentionally.”

Tucker was asked on Sunday whether he believes the statement and whether Schroder reached out after the incident, to which he replied, “No and no,” Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets.

The Rockets ultimately routed the Thunder 114-80, taking a 3-2 series lead. Tucker finished with five points and two steals in 21 minutes, while Schroder recorded 19 points in 20 minutes of work. The two teams will meet for Game 6 on Monday night.

Western Notes: Westbrook, Beverley, Lakers, Kings

August 30th, 2020 at 3:33pm CST by JD Shaw

Rockets star Russell Westbrook returned on Saturday from a quad injury, marking his first in-game action of the postseason. Despite looking rusty on a minutes restriction, Westbrook provided a much-needed energy boost in his return, helping elevate the team to a 114-80 rout over the Thunder.

“He just gives us some energy, he speeds up the game,” coach Mike D’Antoni said, as relayed by James Jackson of The Oklahoman. “He’s going to get better the more times he goes out and plays. I knew he was going to be a little rusty but he gave us a nice little spark to start the game and I thought he played great. It was good.”

Westbrook hadn’t been active in quite some time and it showed. He finished with seven points, shooting 3-of-13 in 23 minutes of action. But he also recorded six rebounds, seven assists and a +21 net rating, firing up his teammates on the court and assisting them off of it from the sidelines.

“He brought that energy, he brought that excitement that we were missing,” James Harden said. “We just need him. Obviously he’s our leader. We all know what he does for the game of basketball and for our team so it was exciting to have him out there.”

The Rockets will play the Thunder in Game 6 of their series on Monday and will advance to face the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals with a win.

Here are some other notes from the West today:

Clippers guard Patrick Beverley missed his fifth straight game on Sunday due to a left calf injury, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Stein adds that Luka Doncic (ankle), Dorian Finney-Smith (hip) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (cervical strain) are all active for the Mavericks.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic makes five observations from the Lakers’ first-round series against the Blazers, which they won 4-1 over a depleted team. Slater examined several positive developments, including the team’s better-than-expected perimeter defense, LeBron James‘ ramped up offensive production, and more.
Greg Wissinger of The Sacramento Bee proposes a three-step plan to rebuild the Kings, which starts with trading some players away. Sacramento finished with a 31-41 record during the regular season, ultimately reaching Orlando but failing to make the postseason.

Injury Updates: Butler, Westbrook, Lowry, Beverley

August 29th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have a week-long break after sweeping the Pacers in the first round, and the time off has given two players a chance to overcome injuries, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jimmy Butler, who played Game 4 against Indiana with a strained left shoulder, and Jae Crowder, who has been dealing with a sprained left ankle, were both able to practice today.

“We had a couple of really good days of work and nobody was in a mood to work on Wednesday night or Thursday,” said coach Erik Spoelstra, who now has a fully healthy roster. “And that was the reason for this pause. We’ve been able to get a couple good days of work (Friday and Saturday). We’ll watch the (Bucks-Magic) game this afternoon and see what happens. Either way, our guys will be ready.”

There’s more injury news around the league:

Russell Westbrook will make his playoff debut for the Rockets today, but his minutes will be restricted, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Coach Mike D’Antoni said Westbrook, who has been sidelined since Aug. 11 with a strained right quadriceps, will be limited to 25-28 minutes in Game 5.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Sunday’s opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Lowry sprained his left ankle in the final game of the Nets series when he stepped on Chris Chiozza‘s foot. He was able to practice today, and Toronto coach Nick Nurse said he “looked OK.”
Clippers guard Patrick Beverley has been moved from doubtful to questionable for Sunday’s Game 6 against Dallas, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Beverley hasn’t played since the series opener because of a strained left calf.
Nuggets guard Gary Harris is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 6 against Utah, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Harris is dealing with a strained right hip and hasn’t been able to play since the season restarted.

Russell Westbrook To Play In Game 5

August 29th, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by marksuleymanov

Russell Westbrook will make his postseason debut for the Rockets on Saturday, as he is set to play in the team’s Game 5 matchup against the Thunder, the team announced.

Westbrook missed Houston’s first four playoff battles against Oklahoma City due to a strained right quadriceps. The former league MVP reportedly looked “as explosive as ever” during a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday as he prepared to rejoin his teammates on the court.

With the series tied 2-2, the addition of Westbrook gives the Rockets a major boost as Houston has dropped the last two games after opening the round with two straight wins over Oklahoma City. However, head coach Mike D’Antoni noted that Westbrook would likely be under some sort of minutes restriction upon his return.

In his first season with the Rockets, Westbrook posted his usual great numbers, averaging 27.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.0 APG in 57 contests. Westbrook’s 47.2% field goal percentage was the highest of his career and his scoring average was his best since his MVP season in 2017.

Coaching Rumors: Lue, Sixers, Pelicans, Kidd, Lucas, Walton

August 28th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue is expected to be one of the NBA’s most popular head coaching candidates this offseason, having already been connected to at least three job openings.

As we relayed on Wednesday, Lue reportedly sought $7MM per year when he was in negotiations with the Lakers last year about their head coaching job. And Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cites a league source who says Lue will once again be looking for $7MM annually in his talks with the teams this time around.

While Lue’s asking price remains high, it sounds like he could be more open to compromise this year. Pompey suggests that the former Cavaliers coach may end up settling for $5-6MM per year. That would be good news for teams like the Pelicans, who are reportedly budgeting about $5.5MM annually for their next head coach, and the Sixers, who will still have to pay Brett Brown $10MM over the next two years.

Here’s more on Lue, along with other NBA head coaching rumors:

We’ve heard that the Sixers and Lue have mutual interest, but Philadelphia will face plenty of competition. The Pelicans are expected to pursue Lue “hard,” according to Pompey, who adds that the former NBA guard is also “monitoring” the Bulls‘ coaching vacancy. Lue is considered a strong candidate for the Nets as well — he expects to receive an offer from Brooklyn, as Pompey has reported.
Lakers assistant Jason Kidd is interested in the Sixers‘ head coaching job, league sources tell Pompey. Pompey also reports that Rockets player development coach John Lucas is interested in the 76ers’ job. It’s not clear how seriously Philadelphia will reciprocate either coach’s interest.
The Kings are making it clear to potential GM candidates that they don’t intend to replace head coach Luke Walton prior to the 2020/21 season, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, Anderson notes that Walton’s position will still be somewhat precarious, as he’ll essentially be “auditioning for his own job” next season.

NBA Announces Updated Playoff Schedule

August 28th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After postseason contests on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were postponed due to player protests, the NBA has announced its new playoff schedule for the weekend. That schedule is as follows:

Saturday, August 29

Bucks vs. Magic, Game 5 — 3:30pm ET
Rockets vs. Thunder, Game 5 — 6:30pm ET
Lakers vs. Trail Blazers, Game 5 — 9:00pm ET

Sunday, August 30

Raptors vs. Celtics, Game 1 (round two) — 1:00pm ET
Clippers vs. Mavericks, Game 6 — 3:30pm ET
Jazz vs. Nuggets, Game 6 — 8:30pm ET

While no games have been scheduled beyond Sunday, it’s probably safe to assume the NBA will resume its every-other-day format for each series. As such, the Rockets and Thunder would presumably play Game 6 on Monday. The Lakers/Trail Blazers and Bucks/Magic would do so as well if those series continue — L.A. and Milwaukee currently hold 3-1 leads.

For more details on the resumption of the season and the initiatives that the NBA and NBPA agreed upon as part of the restart, be sure to check out our earlier story.

Russell Westbrook Expected To Return For Game 5

August 28th, 2020 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

2:20pm: Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said on Friday that Westbrook will go through today’s practice and that the team expects him to be “ready to go” for Game 5, barring any setbacks. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link), D’Antoni anticipates some sort of minutes restriction for Westbrook, but no specifics have been discussed yet.

9:44am: Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook is expected to play in Game 5 against Oklahoma City after missing the first four games of the series due to a strained right quadriceps, a source tells Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link).

Westbrook, who was initially ruled out for Game 5, was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday and intended to test his quad on the court before the game to see if he’d be able to go. When players decided not to play Wednesday’s games in protest of social and racial injustices, he didn’t get the opportunity to test the injury.

However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski report that Westbrook participated in a 5-on-5 intrasquad scrimmage held by the Rockets on Thursday. While the report doesn’t confirm that Westbrook intends to play in Game 5, a source told ESPN that the former MVP “looked as explosive as ever.”

The NBA hasn’t officially announced a new date and time for Game 5 of the Rockets/Thunder series, but there’s an expectation that it will be rescheduled for Saturday. The series is currently tied at two games apiece.

NBA, NBPA Confirm Agreement To Resume Playoffs

August 28th, 2020 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have issued a joint statement confirming that the postseason will resume on Saturday, August 29 and outlining the social justice and voting initiatives that have been agreed upon as part of the restart.

The full slate of games for Saturday and Sunday can be found right here.

As part of the agreement to resume the playoffs, the NBA and its players will immediately establish a “social justice coalition,” which will focus on issues such as “increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.” Players, coaches, and team owners will all be part of that coalition.

Additionally, in each city where the NBA team owns its arena, owners will work with local officials to convert those buildings into voting locations for the 2020 election. A number of clubs have started doing this already, with the Rockets and Jazz among the latest to confirm their plans.

The Heat pushed for this initiative, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who tweets that the club has been “trying for months” to get local officials to make AmericanAirlines Arena a voting center.

The NBA also plans to work with players and the league’s broadcast partners to create more advertisements that promote “greater civic engagement in national and local elections” and raise awareness about voter access — they’ll be aired during the remaining 2020 playoff games.

Following the players’ decision not to play Wednesday’s games as scheduled, they met multiple times on Wednesday and Thursday and ultimately decided they wanted to complete the season. They held a call with team owners on Thursday evening to discuss next steps and came away satisfied with how their concerns were addressed — presumably, the initiatives detailed above were all discussed during that call.

NBA Postseason Expected To Resume On Saturday

August 28th, 2020 at 6:41am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 28, 6:41am: Reports from Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, among others, continue to point to Saturday as the day when the NBA’s postseason is on track to resume. We’re still waiting for official word from the league and the NBPA, but it appears increasingly unlikely that Friday’s games will be played as scheduled.

AUGUST 27, 1:28pm: NBA spokesperson Mike Bass has issued a statement confirming that Thursday’s games have been postponed and indicating that the league is hopeful to resume play either Friday or Saturday.

As reported by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) and confirmed by Bass, a meeting will take place today at 5:00pm eastern time to discuss the resumption.

Two players from each remaining playoff team, the owners of those 13 teams, commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, and Hornets owner Michael Jordan (chair of the labor relations committee) will take part in that meeting, per Goodwill.

AUGUST 27, 1:07pm: The NBA playoffs are expected to resume on Saturday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Following Wednesday’s boycotts, NBA players decided today that they would resume the season. However, Thursday’s games are being postponed and it sounds like Friday’s will be as well.

According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link), the Celtics/Raptors second-round series that had been scheduled to begin on Thursday is now expected to tip off on Sunday. Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times notes (via Twitter) that nothing is official yet, but says it sounds like the Lakers and Trail Blazers will play Game 5 of their first-round series on Saturday.

While no other dates have been confirmed so far, it seems safe to assume that the games originally scheduled for Wednesday would take place on Saturday, with Thursday’s contests being rescheduled to Sunday.

That would mean that Game 5 in two other playoff series – Bucks/Magic and Rockets/Thunder – would take place on Saturday, with the Jazz/Nuggets and Clippers/Mavericks playing Game 6 of their respective series on Sunday.

With meetings between players and team owners scheduled to take place later today, we’ll have to wait for official word from the NBA before locking anything in.