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New York Notes: Randle, Hart, Simmons, Dinwiddie

April 19th, 2023 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Julius Randle, playing in his second game back from an ankle sprain, took a hard fall with 2:22 left in Tuesday’s contest and New York down by 23 points. Randle, who went up for a dunk attempt, was hit by Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, who was assessed with a flagrant foul 1 (NBA.com video link).

Although Randle said after the game that he was “fine,” he wasn’t thrilled with what he viewed as excessive contact from Allen on the play, as Peter Botte of The New York Post writes.

“At this point, it’s irrelevant. But I thought it was a little unnecessary,” Randle said. “I understand playoff basketball. You don’t give up on plays and I respect that. I’m somebody who doesn’t give up on plays. … Typically when you make those type of plays you go across their body, not through them. But it’s fine. It’s irrelevant. We’ll go back to the Garden, and see him there.”

Although Randle appeared to avoid any sort of real injury on the play, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post called into question Tom Thibodeau‘s decision to still have the star forward in the game that late in the fourth quarter, given the size of the Cavaliers’ lead. Thibodeau told reporters after the loss that he initially planned to take Randle out a few minutes earlier, but the 28-year-old talked him into staying in longer to work on his “rhythm.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s New York-based teams:

  • Originally listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game due to a sprained left ankle, Knicks forward Josh Hart was available and played 27 minutes. However, after a big Game 1, Hart was a non-factor in Game 2, posting a team-worst minus-29 mark, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Nonetheless, he insisted the ankle wasn’t the issue. “If I’m out there, I’m good,” Hart said. “I’m feeling good.”
  • The idea of undergoing a second back surgery hasn’t been completely ruled out for Nets guard Ben Simmons, but it’s considered unlikely, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who hears from a source that Simmons has made showed “really good improvement” in his rehab work in recent weeks.
  • If the Nets hope to make their series with Philadelphia competitive, they’ll need more from recently acquired guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Lewis says in another New York Post story. Dinwiddie, who averaged 16.5 PPG and 9.1 APG for the Nets after the trade deadline, recorded just 13.0 PPG and 6.5 APG on 38.5% shooting in the series’ first two games. “He’s huge for us, and he knows it. We love him, we depend on him,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “He’s going to have the basketball back in his hands when we get back home, and he’ll continue to play and lead us.”
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Injury Notes: Giannis, Morant, Hart, Randle, Payne

April 18th, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

After previously stating that X-rays on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s back injury came back negative, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said on Monday that an MRI also came back clean, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

The Bucks haven’t made any official announcements yet about Antetokounmpo’s availability for Game 2 on Wednesday, but Budenholzer told reporters on Monday that the superstar forward was making progress despite still being sore.

“He’s getting some treatment and I think we’ll just continue to monitor him for the next day or two,” Budenholzer said. “Probably fortunate that there are two days between games, so I think still mostly positive, mostly optimistic, but we’ll see how he feels over the next day or two.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • The status of Grizzlies star Ja Morant for Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers remains up in the air due to his hand injury. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link) that there’s “significant doubt” about Morant’s ability to play in Game 2. Shams Charania of The Athletic hears that tests on Morant’s hand revealed no breaks and that his availability could end up being a question of pain tolerance. The All-Star guard referred to his pain level on Sunday as a 10 out of 10.
  • One day after listing Josh Hart as doubtful for Game 2 due to a left ankle sprain, the Knicks have upgraded him to questionable (Twitter link). Knicks forward Julius Randle also provided a positive update on his own ankle sprain, telling reporters that he’s feeling no ill effects after playing in Game 1, though he admitted that his conditioning isn’t yet where he wants it to be (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of ESPN).
  • Suns guard Cameron Payne, who was limited to 48 games this season due to injuries and didn’t play in Game 1 on Sunday, has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 2 due to low back soreness, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
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Knicks Notes: Hart, Randle, Bench Points, Grimes

April 17th, 2023 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Josh Hart is listed as doubtful to play in Game 2 of the Knicks’ series against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. Hart sprained his left ankle during the Knicks’ Game 1 victory on Saturday.

Hart was able to participate in Monday’s practice on a limited basis, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. However, he mainly got treatment on his ankle during practice, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link).

“Just get treatment again tomorrow, see where he is,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

The injury occurred when Hart landed on Julius Randle‘s foot in the fourth quarter.

We have more from the Knicks:

  • Re-signing Hart should be a high priority this offseason, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Hart is expected to decline his $12.96MM option this summer in order to become an unrestricted free agent. Vaccaro believes that something a bit north of the four-year, $60MM contract the Knicks gave Mitchell Robinson last summer should get the job done.
  • Randle gave the Knicks a huge lift after returning from a left ankle sprain suffered in late March, Begley notes. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing 34 minutes. “Julius played in 77 games until he sprained his ankle. He practiced every day. What you see in the games, what you see in practice — (you know you’re) gonna get whatever he has,” Thibodeau said.
  • Immanuel Quickley had a rough outing on Saturday, yet the Knicks’ reserves still outscored Cleveland’s second unit 37-14, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. “It’s been huge for us all season,” starter RJ Barrett said of the reserves. Naturally, the bench will be weakened if Hart (17 points, 10 rebounds) can’t go.
  • Quentin Grimes is prepared to take on a bigger role if Hart is sidelined, he told Steve Popper of Newsday. “I don’t think it’s really any more pressure,” Grimes said. “I feel like I’ve been guarding the best player from the other team the whole season. So I feel like it’s just another night, just the stakes are a little bit higher. I’m just going to come in a little sharper probably just knowing that if he doesn’t play, I just have to be more alert at all times whenever (Donovan Mitchell) is on the court.”
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Toppin Plays Key Role With Limited Minutes

April 16th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Obi Toppin returned to the bench on Saturday with Julius Randle back in the lineup, but he still found a way to make an impact in the Knicks’ Game 1 win over Cleveland, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. Toppin played 14 minutes and scored nine third-quarter points as New York pulled out a 101-97 win.

“I thought Obi gave us really good minutes,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We got hit with some things (Saturday). Some of the silver lining was the last month, we had different guys out, so those other guys had to step in.”

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Knicks Notes: Game 1, Randle, Hart, D. Rose

April 16th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks classified Julius Randle as a game-time decision on Saturday, but the star forward suited up and showed no ill effects of the ankle sprain that had sidelined him since March 29. Randle’s availability didn’t come as a surprise to him, since he believed that he was making good progress with the ankle in the days leading up to the playoffs.

“Every day I got like significantly better,” Randle said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “So I felt by the time Saturday got here I would be fine.”

Randle didn’t just make a cameo appearance. He started for the Knicks and logged almost 34 minutes, racking up 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in New York’s 101-97 Game 1 win over Cleveland, prompting head coach Tom Thibodeau to express appreciation after the game for the 28-year-old’s effort.

“Dependability is a big part of the league,” Thibodeau said. “And to be able to count on each other is important so we don’t want anyone out there who’s injured. We don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way, but if you can give us something, give us what you have and that’s what I’m proud of Julius for. He gave us what he had.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Acquired from Portland prior to the 2023 trade deadline, six-year veteran Josh Hart got the chance on Saturday to play in his first career playoff game. He looked right at home in the high-pressure environment, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, as Zach Braziller of The New York Post details. “Unreal, that’s what he does,” teammate Jalen Brunson said. “I said it after the game: It doesn’t matter if it’s pickup, preseason, playoffs, he plays that way every single time. That’s just how he is, that’s how he’s wired. He’s big time.” The Cavaliers were one of the teams said to have interest in Hart in early February.
  • Veteran point guard Derrick Rose has only placed once for the Knicks since the calendar flipped to 2023, but Quentin Grimes referred to the former MVP as a “key factor” in the locker room for the team entering the postseason, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “He’s been great. I feel like the past week and a half or so, he’s been a little more vocal,” Grimes said on Thursday. “I think he kind of feels the excitement coming back, the playoffs coming around.”
  • As good as the Knicks have been this season, they’re still one star player away from being a legitimate championship threat, argues Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News.
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Poll: Eastern Conference’s First Round Playoff Series

April 15th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

With the play-in tournament complete and the playoff field set, the NBA’s postseason will begin in earnest on Saturday. Since three of Saturday’s four games are Eastern Conference matchups, we’re zeroing in on those first round series this morning before shifting our focus to the West later today.

Here are the four first round series in the East:

Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Miami Heat (8)

This series holds a little more intrigue than the typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup. The Heat won the most games in the Eastern Conference in 2021/22 and nearly made it to the NBA Finals last spring. This year’s team isn’t much different from that one, even if its in-season results were a lot less impressive. A group led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo certainly won’t roll over in the playoffs.

Still, the Bucks were one of the NBA’s most dominant teams in the regular season, winning a league-high 58 games. And despite some injury question marks, they’re the deeper, more talented team in this matchup. This series may not be a repeat of Milwaukee’s four-game sweep of Miami in round one of the 2021 playoffs en route to a Bucks championship, but there’s a reason why Giannis Antetokounmpo are massive betting favorites (-1200, per BetOnline.ag).

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7)

The Celtics will enter their first round series as even bigger betting favorites (-1300) than the Bucks. Boston’s +6.7 net rating on the season was the NBA’s best mark by a comfortable margin, whereas Atlanta has spent much of the season looking like a league-average team, finishing the year at 41-41 (with a +0.1 net rating) before winning a play-in game over Miami.

The Celtics’ No. 2 overall defense should be capable of slowing down the Hawks‘ star backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray; it remains to be seen whether Atlanta will have any answer at the other end of the court for Boston’s star wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A Hawks upset isn’t impossible, but it looks like a real long shot, barring injuries.

Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)

While the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are often significant favorites in NBA playoff series, it’s unusual for a No. 3 team to be as heavily favored as the Sixers are over the Nets (-1200). The odds make sense though — Philadelphia had the NBA’s third-best record, trailing only two Eastern powerhouses. And Brooklyn likely wouldn’t have finished as high as sixth in the East if not for the first-half contributions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who are no longer on the roster.

The new-look Nets, led by Mikal Bridges, were competitive down the stretch, but they went just 13-15 after the trade deadline. The 76ers, meanwhile, followed up a 12-12 start to the season by winning 42 of their last 58 games, and they’ll be at full strength in the playoffs — stars Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey are all healthy after missing between 16 and 24 games apiece during the regular season.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5)

Now we’re talking. The rest of the Eastern Conference series are viewed as pretty one-sided, but the Cavaliers and Knicks is something a little closer to a toss-up. Cleveland is a -190 betting favorite, per BetOnline.ag, while New York is at +165 to win the series.

On paper, there are plenty of reasons to back the Cavaliers. Their +5.6 net rating ranked No. 2 in the NBA, buoyed by a league-best 109.9 defensive rating. And Donovan Mitchell is the sort of battle-tested scorer a team wants on its roster in the postseason.

On the other hand, besides Mitchell, Cleveland’s top players lack postseason experience. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley will be appearing in their first playoff game on Saturday, and Jarrett Allen didn’t advance beyond the first round in two brief postseason appearances in Brooklyn. These Knicks are well coached and have the East’s best offense (120.4 rating) since the calendar flipped to 2023.

The status of Julius Randle‘s left ankle could be significant — it sounds like he’s aiming to return for Game 1 on Saturday, but he hasn’t played since spraining the ankle on March 29 and likely isn’t back to 100% yet.

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NBA Announces 2022/23 Award Finalists

April 14th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced its finalists for all the major 2022/23 regular season awards on Friday evening (all Twitter links can be found here).

Here is the full list of finalists for each of the awards, listed in alphabetical order:

Most Valuable Player

Defensive Player of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Most Improved Player

Sixth Man of the Year

Coach of the Year

Clutch Player of the Year

TNT will begin announcing the winners next week during its coverage of the 2023 playoffs, according to the NBA. The three finalists for each award are based on voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Antetokounmpo, the league’s back-to-back MVP winner in 2018/19 and ’19/20, has finished fourth and third in MVP voting over the past two seasons, respectively. He averaged a career-high 31.1 PPG along with 11.8 RPG and 5.7 APG on .553/.275/.645 shooting in 63 games (32.1 MPG) this season in leading the Bucks to the NBA’s best record at 58-24.

Embiid, the MVP runner-up in each of the past two years, led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season, posting a career-high 33.1 PPG along with 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .548/.330/.857 shooting in 66 games (34.6 MPG). The Sixers finished third in the East with a 54-28 record, though it’s worth noting that record is also the third-best mark in the league.

Jokic, the reigning back-to-back MVP, averaged 24.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.8 APG and 1.3 SPG on .632/.383/.822 shooting in 69 games (33.7. MPG). In addition to breaking Wilt Chamberlain‘s record for most assists per game by a center (8.6), Jokic led the Nuggets to the top seed in the West with a 53-29 record.

It’s long been assumed that Banchero, Brown and Fox were the runaway favorites for their respective awards. Given Embiid’s excellent play to end the season and Denver’s stumble to the finish line, it seems likely that Embiid will edge out Jokic and Antetokounmpo to win his first MVP — all three finalists are more than deserving, just as they were last year.

However, the other three awards are more up in the air. Jackson and Lopez have been considered the betting favorites for DPOY for much of the second half of the season. Mobley’s inclusion is somewhat surprising, but maybe it shouldn’t be — the Cavs finished with the league’s top defense and he is arguably the best defender on the team.

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Knicks’ Randle, Cavs’ Okoro Aiming To Return For Game 1

April 14th, 2023 at 5:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks forward Julius Randle, who has been sidelined with a left ankle sprain since he sustained the injury on March 29, is aiming to return for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on Saturday, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Wojnarowski adds that Randle has been making steady progress and will test the ankle prior to the game before he determines whether or not he’ll suit up, but he has been known to play through injuries in the past (Twitter link). The Knicks have officially listed him as questionable for Saturday’s game in Cleveland (Twitter link).

An All-Star for the second time this season, Randle averaged a career-high 25.1 PPG to go along with 10.0 RPG and 4.1 APG on .459/.343/.757 shooting in 77 games (35.5 MPG). He has practiced on a limited basis twice in the past week and was able to run at full speed, though he did not take contact.

Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro (left knee soreness) is also looking like a good bet to play Game 1, according to an Associated Press report (link via ESPN). The third-year small forward last played on March 26, missing the final six games of the regular season with the injury.

Okoro practiced on Thursday, including taking some contact. He also got in some extra shooting, per The AP. Like Randle, Okoro is officially listed as questionable, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.

Cleveland’s top perimeter defender will likely have the difficult task of shadowing Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

“It’s one of Isaac’s strengths defending a guy like that,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, Brunson is a heck of a player. He’s extremely talented and has proven to be clutch in the brightest moments, but those are the challenges that Isaac accepts and he loves.”

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Mike Brown Wins Coaches Association Award

April 13th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings coach Mike Brown has been voted the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

It’s no surprise, considering Sacramento just ended the longest playoff drought among the four major sports leagues. The Kings went 48-34 in Brown’s first season as their head coach and will enter the postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed.

The Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer, Thunder‘s Mark Daigneault, Celtics‘ Joe Mazzulla and Knicks‘ Tom Thibodeau also received votes, per Wojnarowski.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself. However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later in the year.

The Suns’ Monty Williams had received the award in each of the last two seasons.

Brown was hired by the Kings after six-year stint as an assistant coach with the Warriors.

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Randle Practices On Limited Basis Thursday

April 13th, 2023 at 1:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle participated in the Knicks’ practice on a limited basis once again on Thursday. He didn’t go through any contact, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets, but he is running at full speed, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

“If he can go he’ll go. He’s a gamer.” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said in reference to Randle’s status for Game 1.

Randle sprained his left ankle on March 29. The Knicks and Cavaliers begin their first round series on Saturday.

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