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Eastern Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Wright, Raptors, Hornets

April 27th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After Shams Charania reported earlier today that Damian Lillard‘s availability for Game 4 of the Bucks‘ series with Indiana is uncertain, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that the star guard is dealing with an Achilles strain, telling reporters that Lillard underwent an MRI.

Rivers didn’t know the results of that MRI when he spoke to the media, but he indicated that he isn’t necessarily counting on having Lillard available on Sunday, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Not looking great, but we don’t know yet,” Rivers said.

As for the Bucks’ other injured star, Rivers said that Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) will be working out “hard” on Sunday morning and that the team would “make a decision” on him after that (Twitter link via Jamal Collier of ESPN).

Asked if Antetokounmpo could be available for Game 4 following his Sunday morning workout, Rivers replied, “I doubt it, but we’ll see.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

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L.A. Notes: Leonard, George, Russell, Wood

April 27th, 2024 at 1:57pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers fell to the Mavericks in Game 3 and are now trailing the series 2-1. Kawhi Leonard, who was questionable before the game with right knee inflammation, played just 25 minutes and recorded nine points, nine rebounds and four turnovers before exiting the game for the final time with over four minutes left in regulation, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

Leonard missed the Clippers’ last eight regular season games and first playoff game. In his Game 2 return, he played 35 minutes but missed 10 of his 17 shots and scored just 15 points. He admitted that the inflammation is still bothering him.

“It was pretty good the first game,” Leonard said of the inflammation. “Like I said, it didn’t respond the way we wanted it to. Tonight it was either play limited minutes or not play. And I wanted to be on the floor to help the team. And, that’s what the results are. Frustrating that it happened to me this late in the season. But, yeah, we’re going to keep going. We’re going to get it right.”

Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that the team was managing Leonard’s minutes and is trying to be smart with how the’s used, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link). According to Youngmisuk, Lue said Leonard will be available for Game 4.

We have more from L.A.:

  • Paul George is averaging 4.7 fouls per game so far in the playoffs and has committed at least four in every game. Law Murray of The Athletic analyzes how George’s fouls are costing the Clippers in the series vs. Dallas. George has as many fouls (10) as field goals made (1o-of-25) in Los Angeles’s two losses. “Defense can be physical, they can be aggressive on me,” George said. “Other side of it, I pick up quick, cheap ones. And, you know, it’s frustrating. But I got to be better — I got to be better.“
  • Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has had an up-and-down series against Denver, shooting just 6-of-20 for 13 points in Game 1 before making seven three-pointers in a narrow Game 2 loss. In Game 3, as the Lakers went down 3-0 in the series, he made none of his seven shot attempts and was held scoreless. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link), coach Darvin Ham said he’s not considering benching Russell. Ham plans to roll out the same starting five for Game 4, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
  • Lakers reserve big Christian Wood, out since Feb. 14 with a knee injury, was upgraded to questionable ahead of Game 4, according to McMenamin (Twitter link). Wood, who averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 50 games this season, had reportedly been aiming to return in Game 3, but remained sidelined on Thursday.
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Knicks Notes: Officiating, Robinson, Anunoby, DiVincenzo, Hart

April 27th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Sixers ripped the officiating following their Game 2 loss, it was the Knicks who had grievances to express during their post-game media session following Game 3. As Peter Botte of The New York Post writes, head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t happy with the fact that Joel Embiid went to the line 21 times while his team as a whole was awarded just 19 free throw attempts.

“I’ll look at it again, and I’ll send my clips in like I do every game and they’ll say, ‘marginal contact,’ and then we’ll have marginal contact on Embiid and he’ll be at the line 21 times,” Thibodeau said after Thursday’s loss. “So that’s the way it works.”

While some Knicks players suggested they’d expected the officiating in Game 3 to favor the Sixers after how Game 2 ended, they took exception to an Embiid foul on Mitchell Robinson in the first quarter. After Embiid fell to the floor on defense, he grabbed Robinson’s legs as the Knicks center attempted to rise up for a layup attempt (video link). Donte DiVincenzo called it a “dirty” play, while Josh Hart said Robinson was fortunate to avoid a significant injury.

“I’m all for tough fouls, tough playoff fouls, but that’s something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time,” Hart said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “So we’re lucky he didn’t get seriously hurt during that time.”

Embiid – who was called for a flagrant 1 foul on the play, rather than flagrant 2 that would have ended his night – explained to reporters after the game that he had “flashbacks” to a play earlier this year when Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee. He said he wanted to avoid a repeat of that incident.

“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Embiid said. “I just … in those situations I gotta protect myself, because I’ve been in way too many situations where I’m always the recipient of the bad end of it.”

Here’s more on the Knicks as they prepare for Sunday’s Game 4:

  • Robinson’s status for Game 4 remains up in the air, but he didn’t practice on Saturday, according to Thibodeau (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic). If Robinson is unable to play, the pressure will be on Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa to respond to and match Embiid’s physicality on Sunday, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
  • OG Anunoby and DiVincenzo were two of the Knicks’ most reliable role players during the regular season, but they’ve been up and down so far in the playoffs, according to Botte, who says New York needs more consistency out of the two wings going forward. The Knicks outscored opponents with Anunoby on the floor in every single one of his 23 regular season games with the team, but have a negative net rating during his minutes in two of three postseason contests.
  • The fact that so many key Knicks contributors played their college ball at Villanova has been a fun subplot of the first-round series between New York and Philadelphia. As Bondy details for The New York Post, both Hart and DiVincenzo spoke this week about how they hoped to be drafted by the Sixers when they came into the NBA. “Yeah, I wanted to go (to Philadelphia),” said Hart, who was the No. 30 pick in the 2017 draft. “They were at 25 and did a draft-and-stash, some European guy that I can’t pronounce the name.” The 76ers used that pick on Anzejs Pasecniks, who spent the next two seasons overseas, then had his rights renounced by Philadelphia in 2019.
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Damian Lillard’s Status For Game 4 In Doubt With Achilles Strain

April 27th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

As we wrote earlier on Saturday, the Bucks‘ injury issues are getting worse before they get better, as there is serious doubt Damian Lillard will be ready for Game 4 against the Pacers due to an Achilles strain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania, who adds that Lillard is currently in a walking boot, notes in a separate tweet that the eight-time All-Star played through significant soreness in his Achilles tendon in recent weeks, which was aggravated in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

The Bucks are now facing the potential of being without both of their superstars – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard – as they look to even the series at two games apiece.

Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 35.4% from three on 8.5 attempts per game in his first year with the Bucks.

In the first two games of the series against the Pacers, he scored a combined 69 points. Despite the injury, he played 44 minutes in Game 3 and recorded 28 points and eight assists.

The Pacers lead the series 2-1. The two teams square off again on Sunday, with the Pacers looking to take the series back to Milwaukee with a 3-1 series lead.

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Suns Notes: Playoffs, Outlook, Okogie, Booker

April 27th, 2024 at 10:36am CST by Tristan Tucker

No team has come back from the 3-0 playoff hole the Suns find themselves in, and all of their losses this postseason have come in blowout fashion. After making major shakeups to the roster, including acquiring three-time All-Star Bradley Beal and replacing Deandre Ayton with Jusuf Nurkic, the Suns are at risk of a first-round exit and a worse finish than the last three seasons. Fans vocalized their displeasure with Phoenix’s performance as Game 3 dragged on.

“That’s sports,” coach Frank Vogel said, according to PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet (Twitter link). “You get your butt kicked at home, the fans are gonna boo. I don’t blame them.”

Still, the Suns are trying to use their back-against-the-wall mentality to their advantage ahead of Game 4 at home.

“Yeah, of course, we hear it all. They expect so much out of us, they pay their hard-earned money and they deserve to react how they wanna react,” Kevin Durant said, per Bourguet (Twitter link). “So it’s on us as players to use it as fuel and hopefully it ignites us for next game.”

Phoenix is experiencing the majority of its issues in the third quarter, having been outscored by 34 points in the third quarter this series. By comparison, they’ve been outscored by 20 points in the first, second and fourth combined. The Suns’ chance to right the ship begins with Game 4 on Sunday.

“I’ve never been swept a day in my life, so I’ll be damned if that happens,” Beal said, per Bourguet (Twitter link).

We have more Suns notes:

  • As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (Twitter link), the Suns have $150MM tied to Durant, Devin Booker and Beal next season, which is more than the salary of 14 entire teams’ projected payrolls for 2024/25. If the Suns lose in the first round, sweep or otherwise, it’s going to be difficult to make meaningful additions to the roster without trading one of their stars. Like last offseason, Phoenix will have mostly only minimum contracts at its disposal given the team’s position relative to the tax. The Suns control the No. 22 pick in this draft but are barren in the way of future draft capital thanks to the trades for Durant and Beal.
  • The noncompetitive nature of the final scores between the Suns and the Wolves doesn’t mean the series isn’t chippy. Booker slapped the ball out of Jaden McDaniels‘ hands in the fourth quarter and double technicals were assessed (YouTube link via NBA on ESPN). Later in the quarter, Josh Okogie was ejected after a hard foul on Rudy Gobert, for which he earned a flagrant 2 (YouTube link via NBA on ESPN).
  • Booker is the only player remaining from the Suns’ NBA Finals roster from 2021, and he has been subject to continual change over the course of his career in Phoenix, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears writes. Before the season, Booker said the Suns’ new-look team falling short of a championship would constitute an unsuccessful season. In the event of a first-round exit, no one will be tougher on themselves than Booker, Spears writes. “I’m always my toughest critic,” Booker said. “That’s how it’s going to be. So, I feel the pressure, but it feels good. It’s everything I always want. I’m good at putting things in perspective. [I have a] great family around me, great friends around me in a beautiful situation of living. I don’t mean that to be cocky. I’m just truly grateful for what I’m doing.“
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Central Notes: Bucks/Pacers Series, Haliburton, Lillard, Middleton, Pistons

April 27th, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pacers took a 2-1 series lead over the Bucks on Friday in their first home playoff game in five years. As Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes, the Bucks did a good job of defending Indiana’s preferred style of play. Milwaukee overcame a 19-point Pacers lead to force overtime behind a miraculous Khris Middleton three-pointer, and another to tie the game with 6.7 seconds left in overtime.

However, the Pacers countered everything the Bucks threw at them and prevented Milwaukee from stealing one on their home floor. With Tyrese Haliburton forced off the ball, Indiana placed Pascal Siakam on the same side of the ball to further extend Haliburton’s runway behind the three-point line.

“We’ve got to look at ways to counter the things they’re doing and vice versa,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s going to keep going like that — back and forth, back and forth. … The ball movement is very important. We’ve got to remind ourselves to play with pace and move it.”

Indiana is continuing to display that it’s the high-caliber passing team it was in the regular season, leading the playoffs in assists (29.0), secondary assists (5.5) and potential assists (51.5) per game.

“In Game 1, we had a little segment on ‘one more,’ just being better at making the extra pass,” Haliburton said. “We’ve done a great job with these last two games getting guys open shots. When the ball is moving, everyone is touching it, getting open shots, the energy is just right — even if you’re not making them. I like to say the energy you put in the ball is important. I think every basketball player in the world can learn from that.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Haliburton hasn’t put up big scoring numbers in the series against Milwaukee and he made just 8-of-22 field goal attempts in Game 3, but that didn’t stop the Pacers guard from having the confidence to take the game-winning shot, Iko writes in the same piece. “Just knew I was shooting it, no matter what,” Haliburton said. “Didn’t know what I was going to get to, just based off of feel out there. .. Finally made a shot. I couldn’t buy a bucket today. Glad that one went in.“
  • The already shorthanded Bucks got more bad news with Damian Lillard going down going down and grabbing his left knee in obvious pain. “It just happened so fast as I was landing,” Lillard said, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My foot was gonna do one thing and when all his weight came down on my foot it kind of twisted me up. It was painful, initially, so I just stayed down.” Lillard returned to the game and knew he would deal with discomfort, but didn’t believe he was at risk of making the injury worse. Unfortunately, Lillard aggravated his Achilles tendon with 9.3 seconds left in regulation. Lillard told coach Doc Rivers he didn’t have any explosiveness in overtime but hopes that he can get some back before Game 4. He’s likely to be listed as questionable for Game 4.
  • Middleton was on the injury report for the Bucks ahead of Game 3 with an ankle sprain that occurred in the first quarter of Game 2. That made his 42-point outing all the more impressive, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes. “Just who he is, man,” teammate Bobby Portis said. “Just a testament to being resilient and just being a team player, man. Obviously, we’re already down Giannis [Antetokounmpo], so I just think he understood the moment, the situation and rose to the occasion. Some guys can be questionable and be out there limping or acting like this and that, but he was full cash money today and it was good to see him hit those big shots.” With Antetokounmpo possibly out for Game 4 and Lillard ailing, the Bucks will continue to look to Middleton for answers on offense.
  • After a historically disappointing season, the Pistons should look to acquire two-way veterans to help propel their team, Sam Vecenie and James L. Edwards III write. Vecenie compares the situation to last year’s Rockets, who improved tremendously without sacrificing assets by adding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
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Wolves Notes: Edwards, Phoenix Series, NAW, Defense

April 27th, 2024 at 8:06am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Timberwolves blew out the Suns for a third straight game in the first round of the playoffs on Friday. Anthony Edwards impressed with his shot-making in Game 1; his play-making stood out in Game 2; and in Game 3, he put it all together, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes. Edwards had 36 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the 126-109 win to bring the Wolves within one win of their first playoff series win 20 years.

“He’s a smart player he just has had a lot to learn and he’s learned it a lot,” head coach Chris Finch said. “He’s benefiting and we’re really benefiting.”

Edwards has outplayed Phoenix star Devin Booker through three games, averaging 28.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists to Booker’s 20.3 PPG and 6.0 APG. No team has ever come back from the 3-0 deficit which Phoenix finds itself in.

“We don’t think we broke their spirit until we win Game 4,” Edwards said. “We gotta win Game 4 and then we can say we broke their spirit. You never know man, a lot of crazy things happen.”

For his part, Edwards said he isn’t planning on relenting any time soon.

“I just want to kill everything in front of me,” Edwards said, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). “That’s the main thing, pretty much. That’s all there is to it.”

We have more notes on the Wolves:

  • The Wolves have fully arrived, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes. After years without one, Minnesota has an identity, characterized by elite defense and stars. “I don’t care what happened beforehand,” Finch said. “The reality is that we have a bunch of guys who love playing together, play hard and play the right way. They’re young. They let me coach them hard. It’s been fun. That’s been the foundation of being able to grow this little by little. A long way to go for us, but we don’t really care what happened before because that doesn’t relate to any of us.“
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was widely viewed as a throw-in in the Mike Conley trade at the 2023 deadline, has come up huge in the playoffs. Alexander-Walker, making $4.3MM next season, hit four big three-pointers in the third quarter and the Wolves outscored Phoenix 32-16 in his minutes. Through three games, he’s averaging 14.7 PPG and 4.0 APG and is shooting 39.1% from deep on 7.7 attempts per contest. Finch complimented the fifth-year guard’s defense and shot-making after the game, according to James Edwards (Twitter link). Alexander-Walker said the credit goes to his teammates, Hine writes. “[Anthony Edwards] trusts me,” Alexander-Walker said. “I think the cool thing about it is none of those shots really go in tonight without the trust of my teammates. To have that feeling, it’s a really good one.“
  • While they allowed 109 points in Game 3, the Wolves held Phoenix under 100 points in each of the first two games of the series. Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune analyzes seven plays that highlight Minnesota’s dominance on defense. In the regular season, the Wolves led the league in defensive rating and opposing points per game.
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Injury Notes: Leonard, Gafford, Lillard, G. Allen, Jackson

April 26th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was listed as questionable heading into Friday’s Game 3 against Dallas due to right knee inflammation, but he was later upgraded to available, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).

Leonard returned to action on Tuesday after being sidelined for three-plus week with the knee injury. He played 35 minutes in Game 2 and it’s unclear if two-time Finals MVP will be ready for more than that tonight.

“Not sure yet,” head coach Tyronn Lue said on Thursday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “That’s something we got to talk about with medical. I’m not sure if the minutes will go up but he feels good.”

Leonard was understandable rusty in his first game back and needs to find his timing, Lue added, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“I think mentally he felt OK (thinking) ‘I got over that hurdle. I feel good. I can do this,’” Lue said of Leonard. “I’m hoping he continues that at the start of (Game 3).

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

  • After previously being listed as questionable, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (back spasms) went through his pregame routine unscathed and will be active on Friday, the team announced (via Twitter). Gafford made a big impact for Dallas in the second half of the season after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline.
  • Bucks guard Damian Lillard appeared to suffer a left knee injury in the first quarter of Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana after his heel area was accidentally landed on by Pascal Siakam (Twitter video link via ESPN). Lillard was in significant pain and went back to the locker room to get checked out, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, the eight-time All-Star returned to action at the start of the second quarter and remained in through the conclusion of the overtime loss, so evidently the injury isn’t a serious one.
  • Suns wing Grayson Allen, who sustained a right ankle sprain in Game 1 in Minnesota and then re-injured the ankle in Game 2, said he felt “better than expected” on Thursday, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Allen was a partial practice participant on Thursday and is questionable for Friday’s Game 3 in Phoenix. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 expressed doubt about his status tonight, tweeting that Sunday’s Game 4 looks like a more “realistic” return date.
  • Nuggets reserve guard Reggie Jackson was in a walking boot and using crutches on Friday, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Head coach Michael Malone said Jackson has a sprained ankle and he’ll be questionable for Saturday’s Game 4 vs. the Lakers, with the boot a “preventative” measure, according to Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).
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Nets Hiring Juwan Howard As Assistant Coach

April 26th, 2024 at 5:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets are hiring Juwan Howard as an assistant coach, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Howard, 51, was fired last month after spending five seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, Michigan.

The fifth overall pick of the 1994 draft, Howard played 19 seasons in the NBA, making All-Star and All-NBA teams in 1995/96 and winning a pair of championships as a bit role player with Miami at the very end of his career.

After his playing days ended, Howard immediately transitioned to coaching. He was an NBA assistant for six seasons with the Heat before becoming the Wolverines’ head coach in 2019.

Howard was reportedly the Lakers’ top coaching target in 2022, when they ultimately hired Darvin Ham. Howard, who played college ball with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, declined those overtures to stay with Michigan.

Howard is the second assistant coach the Nets are bringing on under new head coach Jordi Fernandez. As Wojnarowski previously reported, former Portland assistant Steve Hetzel, who has a preexisting relationship with Fernandez, is also joining Brooklyn’s staff.

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Bucks’ Middleton Available, But Giannis Out For Game 3

April 26th, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Khris Middleton, who missed Thursday’s practice after sustaining a right ankle sprain in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Indiana, is active and starting tonight for the Bucks, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

While Middleton being available is obviously good news for Milwaukee, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the third straight game of the first-round series due to a left calf (soleus) strain, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays.

A three-time All-Star, Middleton has been hampered by a variety of injuries the past two seasons. In 55 regular season games in 2023/24 (27.0 MPG), the 32-year-old averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.3 APG and 0.9 SPG on .493/.381/.833 shooting.

Antetokounmpo continues to deal with the calf injury that has kept him on the sidelines since April 9. He has been ramping up his activity this week, but was unable to go through live drills at Thursday’s practice.

With Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks will need strong performances from Damian Lillard, Middleton and the rest of the supporting cast to keep up with Indiana’s high-powered offense, which ranked second in the NBA during the regular season. Controlling the pace and limiting transition opportunities will be another key to victory. The series is currently tied at one game apiece.

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