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Suns Notes: Budenholzer, Coaching Staff, Ishbia, Eubanks

May 11th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Budenholzer is getting right to work after being officially hired as the Suns‘ new head coach earlier today. Sources tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Budenholzer is expected to attend the draft combine in Chicago, which starts Monday, and he has already begun the process of forming an entirely new coaching staff.

Members of former head coach Frank Vogel‘s staff have been told that they won’t remain with the team, tweets Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report.

Budenholzer, a two-time Coach of the Year, had been out of the league since being dismissed by the Bucks following a disappointing first-round playoff exit last season. He’s moving into another high-pressure situation as success will be expected right away from an expensive roster built around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Phoenix appears to be a good situation for Budenholzer because he has been able to succeed without having a natural point guard, according to an Arizona Sports article, which examines how his teams fared with Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder in Atlanta and Eric Bledsoe and Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee.

There’s more from Phoenix:

  • Budenholzer will have to prove that he can hold his new Big Three accountable in a way that Vogel couldn’t, observes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. None of them are naturally vocal leaders, so Budenholzer may have to fill that role, which Bourguet notes could either unlock the group’s full offensive potential or could lead to personality clashes. Bourguet also looks at Budenholzer’s coaching style and states that the Suns are likely to play at a faster pace and take more three-pointers next season.
  • While there were reasons to make a coaching change, Doug Haller of The Athletic argues that owner Mat Ishbia should receive a large share of the blame for everything that went wrong this season. The Suns have talked about the need to build continuity since they acquired Durant in February of 2023, but Ishbia’s string of big moves have made that impossible to achieve.
  • Backup center Drew Eubanks, who holds a $2.65MM player option, has received indications that the Suns want him to return next season, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Eubanks, who averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 75 games, appears to be leaning toward picking up the option, but he added, “I’m going to make the best decision for my family and I when the time comes.” Eubanks, Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie and Damion Lee all hold player options and have a June 29 deadline to decide whether to exercise them.
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Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Washington, Kidd

May 11th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic said “everything” hurt as he left the court after the Mavericks claimed a hard-fought win over Oklahoma City in Game 3 of their playoff series, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic hasn’t talked much about his physical condition since spraining his right knee April 26 in the team’s first-round series, but today he admitted that playoff basketball is taking a toll on him.

“I’m battling out there, man,” he said. “I’m glad we got the win. I’m just trying to battle.”

The damage was compounded as Doncic landed hard on his tailbone with 1:28 left to play and tweaked his right knee in the game’s final minute. He appeared “beaten down and exhausted” as he headed to the locker room after the game, according to Townsend.

“On the last play, when I split two defenders, obviously nobody touched me,” Doncic said in a sarcastic reference to the fact no foul was called. “I hurt my knee again, but I’m just trying to battle out there, man. We got a win. That’s all that matters.” 

There’s more from Dallas:

  • Kyrie Irving helped to close out the victory with a clutch left-handed shot in the lane as he and Doncic are proving to be an effective combination in their first postseason together, notes Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press. They each had 22 points, and Irving was 4-of-4 from the field in the fourth quarter. “One of my coaches just came up to me and said I waited too long, so obviously I’ve got to be better on my end,” Irving said. “We’re going against a young team. So we just want to continue to do the things that get us these W’s, and it starts on the defensive end.”
  • The February trade for P.J. Washington is paying off at the best possible time, observes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Washington followed his 29-point outburst in Game 2 with 27 points on Saturday, sinking 12 combined three-pointers in those two contests. “They’ve been leaving me in the corner so I’m just trying to take my time and knock them down,” Washington said. “They’re open shots, so for me, just take them with confidence. I’ve been working on them. That’s all I’m doing, honestly.”
  • Head coach Jason Kidd’s contract extension adds two years to his current deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link). Woj adds that Kidd is now under contract through 2028, though that might be bad math, since he also said the coach’s current deal was set to expire after next season (which lines up with past reports). That would mean Kidd’s new extension runs through the 2026/27 season.
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Draft Notes: Combine, Players To Watch, Wells, Kalkbrenner, Salaun

May 11th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Prospects are in Chicago for an important week of pre-draft activities, write Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN. After the draft lottery takes place on Sunday, players will participate in the three-day combine from Monday through Wednesday. Also set this week are the G League Elite camp, which began today, and agency pro days, all of which will give NBA scouts and executives an up-close look at an unsettled draft pool.

Through an agreement with the players union, the NBA is requiring all invited prospects to take part in the combine. However, they will still be given the option to skip the scrimmages, with Givony and Woo noting that 37 combine participants declined to play in the scrimmages last year.

Numerous players at this year’s combine have retained the option to withdraw from the draft, the authors add, so the process could affect the balance of power in college basketball. Givony and Woo identify Kansas’ Johnny Furphy, USC’s Bronny James, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Washington State’s Jaylen Wells, BYU’s Jaxson Robinson, Alabama’s Mark Sears, New Mexico’s JT Toppin, Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins, Florida State’s Jamir Watkins and North Florida’s Chaz Lanier as some of the top names who could opt to return to school.

There’s more on the draft:

  • Cam Christie is among the players in position to significantly improve their draft stock this week, Givony and Woo add. They say the brother of Lakers guard Max Christie has “plenty of fans” among NBA scouts after a strong freshman season with the Golden Gophers. Christie, who ranks 36th on ESPN’s Big Board, has a chance to move into the first round with a good showing at the combine. However, he’s also in the NCAA’s transfer portal and has options available if he stays in school. Other players to watch, according to Givony and Woo, are Wells, Watkins, Iowa’s Payton Sandfort and UConn’s Alex Karaban.
  • The NBA has officially confirmed (via Twitter) that Jaylen Wells has been invited to the combine and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner has withdrawn from the draft. The Wells invitation was reported earlier this week, and Kalkbrenner’s decision had been expected.
  • Potential lottery pick Tidjane Salaun won’t be available for the combine after his Cholet team qualified for the playoffs in France, Givony tweets. The 6’10” power forward is 15th in ESPN’s latest rankings.
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Cavaliers Notes: Game 2 Win, Bickerstaff, Wade, Allen

May 11th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers may have a shot at a second-round upset after discovering a formula for beating the Celtics in Game 2, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Cleveland, which was burned by Boston’s three-point shooting in the series opener, concentrated on eliminating open looks from beyond the arc. On offense, the Cavs made a greater effort to get the ball to Evan Mobley, who had plenty of room to operate near the basket with Al Horford assigned to guard Isaac Okoro.

Cleveland also found a way to diversify its offense, which was dominated by Donovan Mitchell in Game 1 and throughout the Orlando series. Mitchell only had six points on six shots at halftime before taking over in the second half to finish with 29.

The result was a surprising 24-point victory for a team that came into the night as a double-digit underdog and was considered by oddsmakers to be nearly an even-money prospect to get swept, Vardon notes.

“It (speaks to) the togetherness of the group, the resilience of the group and the importance of winning to them,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s the most important thing to the guys. There is nothing else that matters. There is no other agenda. We’ve got playoff games in front of us that we need to win.”

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

  • Speculation about Bickerstaff’s future started early, according to Vardon, who states that it was “hot chatter” around the league for the first two months of the season. Vardon cites a home loss to Portland on November 30, which was followed by a trip to Detroit. Multiple sources tell Vardon that Bickerstaff would likely have been fired if the Cavs had lost to the Pistons, but they won three in a row and saved his job.
  • Dean Wade, who has been sidelined since March 8 with a sprained right knee, will be available for tonight’s Game 3, tweets Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. Starting center Jarrett Allen will miss his sixth straight game with a rib injury.
  • In a discussion of the Pelicans, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and William Guillory of The Athletic speculate that New Orleans would have interest in Allen if the Cavs decide to explore trade options this summer. They believe the Pelicans would like to upgrade from center Jonas Valanciunas, and Scotto notes that Allen played for general manager Trajan Langdon when he was an executive with Brooklyn.
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Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Brunson, Burks, Officiating, Oakley

May 11th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks forward OG Anunoby won’t be available for Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 at Indiana. He’s listed as out on the team’s official injury report due to the left hamstring strain that also caused him to miss Game 3.

Anunoby’s status for the rest of the series is uncertain after he left Wednesday’s game when he came up limping with pain in his hamstring area. Even though Anunoby wasn’t considered likely to play in either game at Indianapolis, the organization decided it was best to have him make the trip.

“Our medical team is here, so it makes sense [for Anunoby to be in Indianapolis),” coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “So just keep working at it and we’ll see where he is every day.” 

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • Jalen Brunson admitted he took a bad shot in the final seconds Friday night when New York had a chance to tie the game, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. With the Knicks trailing by three points, Brunson was determined to shoot before the Pacers had a chance to send him to the line, but he wound up launching an off-balance three-point attempt that was far off the mark. “There’s times where teams foul up three, and I’ll leave it at that,” Brunson said. “I just made a bad decision.” Brunson still appeared to be bothered by a foot injury that sidelined him for part of Game 2, Katz adds. However, he managed to play 38 minutes and doesn’t appear on the injury report for Sunday.
  • Alec Burks, who had barely played in the postseason before Friday night, provided an unexpected lift for the Knicks in Game 3, notes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The veteran swingman logged 21 minutes and scored 14 points as injuries forced Thibodeau to reach deep into his bench. “I think him coming in and not playing for that long, staying ready, I think him mentally being ready, mentally giving us a spark, our offense, was big for us,” Isaiah Hartenstein said.
  • After Rick Carlisle complained about the officiating in the first two games of the series, the Pacers seemed to get a better whistle Friday night, observes Barbara Barker of Newsday. Among the crucial calls that went Indiana’s way, according to Barker, was an apparent goaltend that wasn’t called when Myles Turner blocked Josh Hart‘s layup attempt with 2:03 left to play.
  • Plenty of Knicks legends have been spotted at Madison Square Garden since the playoffs began, but Charles Oakley isn’t among them. Oakley hasn’t been in the arena since he was ejected following a 2017 scuffle with security, and a spokesperson for the organization tells Dan Gelston of The Associated Press that he wasn’t invited to attend. Oakley insists he won’t consider going to MSG until he hears from team owner James Dolan. “They’ve got to apologize,” he said. “We’ll go from there. Can (Dolan) be man enough to say, mistakes happen. And he made one.”
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Wendell Carter Jr. To Undergo Another Surgical Procedure On Left Hand

May 11th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. will have an operation to stabilize the third metacarpal on his left hand, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

The preventive procedure involves inserting a plate at the site of a fracture on Carter’s hand. He suffered the fracture in early November and had it surgically repaired at the time.

Carter will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, the team added. That should give him plenty of time for offseason workouts before training camps open in late September.

Although he missed more than a month with the original injury, Carter still appeared in 55 games, making 48 starts and averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.6 minutes per night.

During exit interviews after the Magic were eliminated from the playoffs, Carter talked about the difficulty of trying to return after surgery, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“It affected me in a lot of ways,” Carter said. “Mentally, being out of the rotation for a while, just watching from the sidelines while they’re doing such a fantastic job and then the pressure of coming back and picking up where Goga (Bitadze) and (Moritz Wagner) left off. It was tough. Then it got to a point where I was doubting myself a little bit — just being honest.”

Carter, 25, has two years remaining on his contract. He will earn $11.95MM next season and $10.85MM in 2025/26 before becoming an unrestricted free agent that summer.

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Lakers Eyeing Nori, Adelman, Sweeney, Quinn In Coaching Search

May 11th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, who are in the process of searching for a new head coach, have interest in a handful of veteran assistant coaches around the NBA, Jovan Buha of The Athletic stated within a mailbag video (YouTube link; hat tip to Lakers Nation).

According to Buha, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are among the head coaching candidates that intrigue the Lakers.

Nori has been with the Timberwolves since 2021, having previously served as an assistant in Detroit, Denver, Sacramento, and Toronto. Adelman, who has been an assistant under Michael Malone in Denver since 2017, was on the Wolves’ staff from 2011-15 and was with the Magic in 2016/17. Sweeney’s stint with the Mavericks, which began in 2021, was preceded by assistant jobs in Detroit, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn. Quinn has been on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff in Miami since 2014.

“To my knowledge, the Lakers are not at the stage of interviewing coaches yet, but that will be happening soon,” Buha said. “It’s a little tricky timing-wise because you have Adelman, Nori, and Sweeney all in playoff series right now. You have J.J. Redick who is on the top broadcast team at ESPN and is supposed to be calling the Finals, which would be about a week or so before the draft.

“So it’s going to be interesting to see how the Lakers end up doing their interviews and just the timing of it and if they request certain guys while they’re still in the playoffs, how that process works with the teams.”

[RELATED: 2024 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]

As Buha observes, the logistics may be especially challenging with Nori, who is essentially functioning as a co-head coach for the Timberwolves in their series vs. Denver due to the knee injury that has affected Chris Finch‘s ability to occupy his usual spot on the sidelines. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like the Lakers are in a rush to make a hire within the next week or two, so if Nori is one of their top choices, they could be willing to wait for him.

“From what I’ve been told, the Lakers’ plan is to have a coach in place by the NBA draft, which is June 26,” Buha said.

According to Buha, Tyronn Lue is probably the Lakers’ top choice, but there has still been no indication that the Clippers‘ head coach will become available this offseason. Redick, Kenny Atkinson, and James Borrego have also been mentioned as possibilities for the Lakers; Charles Lee and Mike Budenholzer were too, but they’ve since taken head coaching jobs with other teams.

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Saturday (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski described Redick as a candidate that the Lakers have been “drilling down on” in their initial research. Woj adds that L.A.’s search is expected to be “wide-ranging” and “lengthy.”

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2024 NBA Draft Lottery Primer

May 11th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 NBA draft lottery will take place on Sunday afternoon prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Knicks and Pacers. The half-hour event will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 2:00 pm Central time.

While the 2023 draft class featured surefire No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama – widely considered to be the best prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron James – 2024’s class has no clear-cut frontrunner to be the first player off the board, with Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and a handful of other prospects expected to be in that mix.

That lack of clarity at the top of the draft will make the results of the 2024 lottery a little less meaningful than in past years, but it’s safe to assume that the teams with a shot at the No. 1 overall pick will still be hoping their logo is the one on the final card revealed by the NBA on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s what you need to know heading into Sunday’s lottery:

Pre-Lottery Draft Order:

The top 14 picks in the 2024 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:

  1. Detroit Pistons
  2. Washington Wizards
  3. Charlotte Hornets
  4. Portland Trail Blazers
  5. San Antonio Spurs
  6. Toronto Raptors
    • Note: The Spurs will receive this pick if it falls out of the top six (54.2%).
  7. Memphis Grizzlies
  8. Utah Jazz
    • Note: The Thunder will receive this pick if it falls out of the top 10 (0.5%).
  9. Houston Rockets
  10. Atlanta Hawks
  11. Chicago Bulls
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
    • Note: The Rockets will receive this pick if it moves into the top four (7.2%).
  13. Sacramento Kings
  14. Portland Trail Blazers
    • Note: The Warriors will receive this pick if it moves into the top four (3.4%).

For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.

Draft Lottery Odds:

The Pistons and Wizards have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. Each of those two teams has a 14.0% chance to pick first overall.

From there, the Hornets (13.3%), Trail Blazers (13.2%), Spurs (10.5%), Raptors (9.0%), Grizzlies (7.5%), Jazz (6%), and Rockets (6% across two picks) have the next-best odds to receive the first overall selection.

When the NBA introduced its new lottery format in 2019, the selling point was that the new system flattened the odds, making it less likely that the league’s very worst teams would claim a top pick.

Before the NBA tweaked the lottery rules, there was a 60.5% chance that one of the league’s bottom three teams would secure the No. 1 pick and only a 27.6% chance that a team in the 5-14 range of the lottery standings would do so. Now, those odds are 42.0% and 45.5%, respectively.

Still, there haven’t been many major surprises in the years since the new format was implemented.

The Pelicans moved up from No. 7 in the lottery standings in 2019 to claim the first overall pick, which they used on Zion Williamson. Since then though, every team to win the draft lottery has been in the top three in the lottery standings.

Perhaps we’re due for a more significant shake-up in 2024. There’s a 18.5% chance that a team in the back half of the lottery (Nos. 8-14) wins the No. 1 pick. That works out to better than 1-in-6 odds, and this will be the sixth time the NBA has employed its revamped lottery format.

For this year’s full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.

For full details on the current lottery format, click here.

Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:

The Raptors traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Spurs, but would keep that selection if it lands within the top six. There’s a 45.8% chance that will happen and a 54.2% chance it will slip to No. 7 or below and be sent to San Antonio. If Toronto retains its first-rounder this year, the club would instead owe its 2025 first-round pick (top-six protected) to the Spurs.

The Jazz would owe the Thunder their first-round pick if it lands outside of the top 10, but since Utah will enter Sunday at No. 8 in the lottery standings, there’s only a 0.5% chance of that happening. In all likelihood, the Jazz will instead owe their top-10 protected 2025 first-rounder to Oklahoma City.

The Rockets acquired the Nets‘ unprotected first-round pick, which will likely land at either No. 9 (50.7%) or No. 10 (25.9%). However, Houston’s own first-rounder has a 92.8% chance of being sent to the Thunder. It will probably be the No. 12 pick, but if it moves into the top four (7.2%), the Rockets would keep it.

Finally, the Warriors‘ first-round pick, which projects to be No. 14, will almost certainly be sent to the Trail Blazers. There’s a 96.6% chance it will be the 14th overall pick and be sent to Portland and just a 3.4% chance it will move into the top four and be retained by Golden State.

Draft Lottery Representatives:

The representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a pair of announcements from the NBA:

  1. Detroit Pistons

    • On stage: Ausar Thompson
    • Lottery room: Jon Phelps (senior director of basketball strategy)
  2. Washington Wizards

  3. Charlotte Hornets

  4. Portland Trail Blazers

  5. San Antonio Spurs

    • On stage: Brian Wright (general manager)
    • Lottery room: Brandon Leibsohn (senior manager of basketball strategy and legal affairs)
  6. Toronto Raptors

    • On stage: Scottie Barnes
    • Lottery room: Dan Tolzman (assistant GM / VP of player personnel)
  7. Memphis Grizzlies

    • On stage: Tayshaun Prince (VP of basketball affairs)
    • Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (president of basketball operations)
  8. Utah Jazz

    • On stage: Thurl Bailey (former Jazz player / current Jazz broadcaster)
    • Lottery room: Danny Ainge (CEO)
  9. Houston Rockets

    • On stage: Ime Udoka (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Sam Strantz (associate legal counsel)
  10. Atlanta Hawks

    • On stage: Landry Fields (general manager)
    • Lottery room: Daniel Starkman (VP of player personnel)
  11. Chicago Bulls

  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
    • On stage: None
    • Lottery room: None
    • Note: The Thunder won’t have any representatives on hand because they don’t have a path to a top-four pick.
  13. Sacramento Kings

    • On stage: Keegan Murray
    • Lottery room: John Kehriotis (minority owner / executive board member)
  14. Golden State Warriors

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Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Hardaway, Green

May 11th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who has been bothered by a right knee sprain since midway through the team’s first-round series against the Clippers, was listed as questionable for Game 3 on Saturday not only due to that ailment but as a result of left ankle soreness as well, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic hurt his ankle on Thursday when he got tangled up with Thunder guard Cason Wallace early in the fourth quarter.

“He just stepped on my foot, but nothing serious,” Doncic told reporters after Dallas’ win. “I know he didn’t do it on purpose, so nothing serious. We just thought it was a foul. Other people would get a foul call on that one.”

As banged up as he is, Doncic will be available on Saturday as the series shifts to Dallas tied at 1-1, tweets Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder. The question, MacMahon tweets, is how much the knee and ankle issues will affect the Mavericks’ star. Doncic looked to be struggling with knee soreness in a subpar Game 1 showing (6-of-19 shooting), but bounced back in Game 2 with 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • After finishing third in the NBA’s 2023/24 Most Valuable Player vote, Doncic admitted that he knew this probably wasn’t his year, but said he hopes to win the award someday, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Teammate Kyrie Irving believes it’ll happen. “If it’s not this year, then Luka’s on his way to winning MVP sometime in the future, very soon,” Irving said. “If you look at his numbers across the board and you look at how he was carrying our team, that’s nothing short of an MVP. He was coming off the World Cup, playing a lot of basketball for the last year and a half. I just look at all of those contributing factors, showcasing that he was the MVP of this league.”
  • The Mavericks’ greatest strength is their resilience, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who suggests that quality may give Dallas an edge on Oklahoma City over the course of their seven-game series.
  • As both Cato and Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) detail, the Mavericks’ role players were crucial factors in the club’s Game 2 win, upping their aggressiveness as the Thunder focused their defensive attention on Doncic and Irving. Tim Hardaway Jr. (17 points in 19 minutes) and Josh Green (11 points in 16 minutes), in particular, came up big with their best games of the postseason so far. “I want to bring as much energy as I can,” Green said, per Townsend. “Do the little things. Make the hustle plays. Shoot when I’m open. I’m confident in my shot. Just doing the little things can help out a lot.” Green signed a three-year rookie scale extension with the Mavs last fall.
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Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith

May 11th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Tristan Tucker

Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered multiple injuries in Indiana’s Game 3 win over the Knicks, but battled through them to finish with 35 points and seven assists. After already dealing with lower back spasms, Haliburton hurt his tailbone and twisted his ankle in the span of a few minutes of game time, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes.

“My just overall body right now,” Haliburton said. “I’m hurtin’. But they got guys hurting too. We gotta understand that everybody’s hurting right now. Thank God we got a day in between. I’m young and I’ll heal up and be ready on Sunday.”

He’ll likely be on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s Game 4, but coach Rick Carlisle said he’s hopeful Haliburton will be available.

We have more on the Pacers:

  • Haliburton has turned up the aggression for the Pacers after taking just six shots in the opening loss of the series, Dopirak writes. In his past two games, Haliburton is averaging 34.5 points and 8.0 assists while taking 22.5 shots – including 13.5 threes – per game. In his first seven playoff contests, Haliburton only averaged 13.0 shots per game, 8.4 of which were from downtown. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.1 assists in those games.
  • Despite a cold shooting night, Andrew Nembhard came up with one of the biggest plays in franchise history when he launched a three-pointer after a broken play to ultimately give Indiana the victory. Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Dopirak each explore in separate stories how Nembhard’s big shot came to be. “The clock was down, and sometimes, in those situations, it frees you up even more,” Carlisle said of Nembhard’s three-pointer. “And he just laced it.“
  • Carlisle moved Aaron Nesmith onto the assignment of guarding Jalen Brunson, Kyle Neddenriep of IndyStar observes. “You can’t give New York a recipe of the same thing over and over again,” Carlisle said. “They are going to adjust. Brunson is too great a player. So, the idea was to change the matchup and get a little more size and Aaron did as good a job as you can possibly do. Brunson is so good. He’s the best scorer in the playoffs, I believe.” Nesmith helped hold Brunson to 26 points (down from his average of 35.6 through his first eight playoff games) on 38.5% shooting (down from 45.7%).
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