On Thursday, June 11, the Warriors beat the Cavs 103-82 to tie the 2015 NBA Finals 2-2. Here are video highlights of the best plays, key players, with mini-movie and more:
Month: June 2015
J.R. Smith struggles badly for Cavs in NBA Finals Game 4 loss
J.R. Smith struggles badly for Cavs in Game 4 Finals loss
Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting on Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith, who along with many of his teammates struggled to shoot the ball Thursday in Cleveland:
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J.R. Smith pretty much summed up his play after going 2-for-12 from the field and 0-for-8 from downtown.
“Horses—,” is how he described his night on Thursday after the Golden State Warriors evened the series at two games apiece with a 103-82 victory over the Cavaliers at The Q in the NBA Finals.
His answer might have been too blunt for some, but it illustrates how hard he’s taking it. With the Cavaliers using a rotation of six and a half players, it is imperative that they get a significant contribution from Smith, and he understands that.
That’s why he’s kicking himself.
“I put a lot on myself, especially with guys being out,” Smith told Northeast Ohio Media Group. “You just try to do the best you can when you can. It’s just not paying off right now.”
Warriors beat Cavs 103-82, tie NBA Finals 2-2
Warriors beat Cavs 103-82, tie NBA Finals 2-2
Thursday night in Cleveland, the Warriors benched center Andrew Bogut, added Andre Iguodala to the starting lineup, and beat the Cavs 103-82. The NBA Finals are now tied 2-2, with Game 5 Sunday at Golden State. Here are some quotes from around the web:
The AP reports: Stephen Curry shook off Iman Shumpert with a dribble, stepped back behind the line and splashed a 3-pointer that seemed to submerge a mute button on rocking and rolling Quicken Loans Arena. Curry clenched both fists, slapped his chest and yelled, ”C’mon!”
At last, this was the MVP and these were the Golden State Warriors – so deep, so deadly.
Curry and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points apiece and the Warriors, showing why they were the league’s best team all season, squared the NBA Finals at 2-2 on Thursday night with a 103-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 20 points – 21 under his average in the series – with 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Cleveland’s megastar, who needed stitches to close a cut on his head sustained when banged it into a camera in the first half, didn’t score in the fourth quarter and couldn’t do enough for the undermanned Cavaliers.
The AP reports: Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with 28 points and guard Matthew Dellavedova, again battling leg cramps after a hospital stay for dehydration, had 10. The Cavs shot just 2 of 18 from the field and were outscored 27-12 in the fourth quarter. They also got nothing from their bench as J.R. Smith missed all eight 3-point attempts and Cleveland’s reserves combined to score seven points.
AFP reports: Iguodala had nine points in the first quarter and hit 8-of-15 shots for the game, including 4-of-9 3-point tries.
That even had four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James impressed.
“He’s one of the X-factors and he came to play,” James said. “He shot the ball extremely well. He was in attack. He got a couple of dunks in transition early on which got him going and he was really good. To start him gave them that boost.”
AFP reports: James suffered two cuts to the right side of his head on a camera after falling into a photographer late in the second quarter, writhing in pain on the floor at the feet of fans while grabbing his head. He also battled leg cramps and fatigue in the second half.
Reuters reports: “I had a slight headache, which I think every one of you guy would probably have if you ran into a camera,” James told reporters when asked about the incident. “But I didn’t go through any protocol. I’m fine. Like I said, I got a few stitches and I got a slight headache right now but I’ll be fine with that.”
Reuters reports: Iguodala had averaged 12.3 points off the bench over the first three games of the series but dug deep when it mattered most, given that none of the 32 teams who have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals have come back to win the series. Known more for his defense, Iguodala coolly drained four three-pointers en route to a season-high 22 points in 39 minutes for the top-seeded Warriors.
Dick Motta honored with Chuck Daly Award
Dick Motta honored with Chuck Daly Award
Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on a solid coaching honor for a name long-time NBA fans will recognize:
Congratulations to the original Dallas Mavericks’ coach, Dick Motta, for winning the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for 2015.
The honor, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association, is given annually to honor the memory of Hall of Famer Chuck Daly, who throughout his NBA coaching career embodied the standards of high integrity, competitive excellence and tireless promotion of the league.
“Dick Motta was a true NBA coaching pioneer who brought to the game a great basketball mind, with a competitive toughness,” said Mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle, who is president of the NBCA.
Expect to see more David Lee in NBA Finals
Expect to see more David Lee in these NBA Finals
The Cavaliers lead the Warriors 2-1 in the 2015 NBA Finals. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting that we should expect backup Warriors forward/center David Lee to get more playing time in Game 4 and beyond:
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David Lee did not play in the first two games of the NBA Finals.
In Game 3 on Tuesday night, he registered 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 13 minutes of action.
He went 4-for-4 from the field.
“David was terrific,” Steve Kerr said following the Warriors’ 96-91 loss. “David helped us big time get back into that game … You’ll see more of David Lee. He played really well.”
Conner Henry named head coach of Los Angeles D-Fenders
Even if you don’t follow the D-League particularly closely, or at all, it’s still fun to know who the head coaches are, and which players truly shine in the league — especially since those players often wind up on an NBA roster, at least on a 10-day contract, if not more. Going back to that first thing, here’s the latest D-League coaching news:
The Los Angeles D-Fenders have named Conner Henry as head coach, it was announced today by team President/CEO Joey Buss and General Manager Nick Mazzella.
Henry returns to the D-Fenders after serving as an assistant coach for the team during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, before becoming the head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants prior to the 2013-14 season. In his first year, Henry led the Mad Ants to a 34-16 regular season record, edging out the D-Fenders for the top seed in the NBA D-League Playoffs. Fort Wayne would then go 6-0 in the playoffs en route to an NBA D-League Championship. Henry was later named 2014 Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year by his D-League colleagues. Last season, the Mad Ants made a similar run, sweeping their first two playoff series before ultimately falling short in the D-League Finals to the Santa Cruz Warriors.
“We expect great things from Conner Henry,” said Buss. “We consider him to be the best coach in the league. His leadership is effective for winning and developing players, having earned a championship and development award in the last two seasons.”
“I’m looking forward to returning to Los Angeles and to the D-Fenders organization,” Henry said. “I would like to thank General Manager Nick Mazzella and the Buss family for having the faith to bring me home to pursue an NBA D-League Championship. Our coaches, players and management will have one goal in mind, and that’s for our team to compete nightly while representing the Lakers, D-Fenders and our fans.”
The D-Fenders set a single-season D-League record for wins when Henry was an assistant, tallying 38 wins in 2011-12 and making their first NBA D-League Finals appearance. After the 2012-13 season, Henry joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, amassing a 62-38 record in two seasons, winning the NBA D-League Championship in 2013-14 and falling just short in 2014-15. Henry served as head coach of the NBA D-League Select Team in the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, tallying a 3-3 record.
“Our goal is to cultivate players and staff for the Lakers and the NBA, while competing for a D-League Championship,” said Mazzella. “Conner has had great success over the past two seasons as a head coach in the D-League, and we are confident that with him at the helm these objectives will be met.”
Prior to his work in the NBA D-League, Henry spent four years in the Australian National Basketball League, serving as an assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats (2006-08), before becoming the head coach in 2008-09. Henry then joined the Sydney Kings as an assistant coach for the 2010-11 season, before returning stateside with the D-Fenders.
The 51-year old Henry enjoyed a lengthy professional career, including stints in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings from 1986-1988. Henry would also prosper in the CBA, as well as in the Italian, Spanish, French and Greek professional leagues. The Claremont, CA native attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and tallied 1,236 points in his four years. Henry was then selected by the Houston Rockets with the 19th pick of the fourth round in the 1986 NBA Draft.
Nike and NBA announce 8-year partnership
Nike and NBA announce 8-year partnership
It’s official, the NBA and Nike will begin what will hopefully be a beautiful relationship starting in the 2017-18 season. The league currently has a deal with adidas — and that’s been wonderful as well. But change happens.
One of the biggest aspects of this agreement in our view is that the Nike logo will appear right on NBA uniforms, in clear view of the entire world. This wasn’t the case with adidas.
Here’s complete official info, from the NBA and Nike:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and NIKE, Inc. (NIKE) announced today an eight-year global merchandising and marketing partnership that will make NIKE the official oncourt apparel provider beginning with the 2017-18 NBA season.
“This partnership with NIKE represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “As our exclusive oncourt apparel provider, NIKE will be instrumental in our collective efforts to grow the game globally while applying the latest in technology to the design of our uniforms and oncourt products.”
NIKE has a rich history of innovating and leading from the front, and has supported some of the greatest former and current NBA and WNBA players. The company has been a global marketing partner of the NBA since 1992 and expands its rights over eight years under the new agreement, where NIKE will become the first NBA apparel partner to have its logo appear on NBA uniforms. NIKE will also have the global rights to design and manufacture authentic and Swingman jerseys as well as oncourt warm-ups and shooting shirts.
“We’re excited to bring the full power of our global reach, innovation and creativity to partner with the NBA and grow the game in a way only NIKE can,” said NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker. “In NIKE, Jordan and Converse we have three of the most connected brands in the world, and look forward to making the global growth of the game a successful strategy for both the NBA and NIKE.”
A marketing partner of the WNBA since its inception in 1997, NIKE will now have an expanded presence at WNBA All-Star and other events throughout the season. Also, for the first time, NIKE will become a marketing partner of the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), engaging in seasonlong marketing activities with a major presence during the NBA D-League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA D-League Showcase presented by Samsung.
In addition, the partnership will activate around several NBA events such as NBA All-Star, NBA Global Games, NBA Draft presented by State Farm, Samsung NBA Summer League and NBA 3X. NIKE will remain the official partner and apparel provider of Basketball without Borders.
NIKE has served as the footwear and exclusive apparel provider of USA Basketball since 2006.
Lon Babby will transition to position of Phoenix Suns Senior Advisor
The Phoenix Suns have announced today that President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby will be transitioning to the position of Senior Advisor as of August 1, 2015. At that time Ryan McDonough will lead the Basketball Operations Department from his position as General Manager with continued support from Assistant General Managers Pat Connelly and Trevor Bukstein. All three individuals will take on increasing responsibilities within the organization and are signed to multiyear contracts.
As Senior Advisor, Babby will provide strategic counsel and input to the Basketball Operations Department as well as to the entire Suns organization. He will continue to play an active role in contract negotiations and salary cap management. Babby will continue to be based in Phoenix and as part of his new role will spend at least 50 percent of his time working on Suns matters.
“I am grateful that Robert has accommodated my wish to reduce my work load, while remaining a vital part of the Suns organization. At this stage of my career, I welcome the flexibility that comes with this new role, a flexibility that will enable me to do other things that are important to me both personally and in the community. I feel particularly confident in making this transition because of the quality of leadership in place within the organization,” said Babby.
Managing Partner Robert Sarver on the transition: “Lon has served the Suns well for the last five years. I am pleased that he will remain with the Suns and continue to bring his expertise and value to the organization.”
Babby joined the Suns organization in August of 2010 after a storied 35-year career as a practicing attorney with DC-based Williams & Connolly, LLP. Named one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers” for sports and media law by Washingtonian magazine, one of the “20 Most Influential Agents” in the nation by Sports Business Journal and one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports by The Sporting News, the well-regarded player agent entered player representation in 1994. At that time, he had long been involved in sports representation on the team side, first with the NFL’s Washington Redskins (1977-84) and then MLB’s Baltimore Orioles (1979-94.)
Babby hired McDonough in May 2013 and the two, along with Head Coach Jeff Hornacek, orchestrated the biggest turnaround in the NBA in 2013-14 (from 25 to 48 wins). Following that season, McDonough was runner-up for the NBA Executive of the Year Award and Hornacek was runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year Award.
Video: NBA Finals Game 3 mini-movie
Tuesday night in Cleveland, the Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 96-91 to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead. In the win, LeBron James finished with a ridiculous 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and four steals. Here’s the NBA Finals game 3 “mini-movie” summarizing what went down:
Matthew Dellavedova stepping up for Cavs in NBA Finals
Matthew Dellavedova stepping up for Cavs in NBA Finals
Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova, whose role has greatly increased due to Kyrie Irving’s playoff-ending injury. The Cavs won Game 3 last night in Cleveland and lead the Warriors 2-1 in the NBA Finals:
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Matthew Dellavedova is one fearless, hard-nosed son of a gun. The mark he has made in these Finals has been nothing short of amazing. The Cavaliers’ backup point guard has completely overshadowed the league’s MVP, Stephen Curry, and it hasn’t even been close.
Dellavedova is doing it with a relentless drive and determination that’s overpowering the long-range marksmen. The second-year player went for a postseason career-high of 20 points in a Game 3 win over the Golden State Warriors to put the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the series…
J.R. Smith and Brendan Haywood were on the bench marveling at what Dellavedova was doing out there last night. While Dellavedova was locking down his man defensively, stepping in and hitting a 25-footer, knocking down clutch free throws, throwing alley-oops to LeBron James in transition and diving for loose balls, the two agreed during the game that this guy’s story needed to be told in detail…
Dellavedova isn’t the fastest, the quickest, the most athletic, but he’s getting the job done and giving the Warriors fits in the process.