Inside Hoops – Page 106 – NBA Blog

Nikola Jokic leads Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Finals trip

Via the Denver Post:

Nikola Jokic stood near halfcourt and unleashed a roar that had been years in the making.

Late in the fourth quarter of Monday’s gripping Game 4, after one of Jokic’s sublime dimes found Aaron Gordon for a dunk, Jokic screamed at the history he and the Nuggets were approaching. Not four minutes later, in front of championship banners that Denver had only been allowed to dream about, the Nuggets seized the Western Conference crown over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-111.

Their victory punched Denver’s first-ever trip to the NBA Finals by virtue of its first-ever playoff sweep in franchise history.

As James drove to the hoop in the final seconds, Jamal Murray got his hands on the ball in an attempt to thwart James. At the same time, Aaron Gordon soared over and blocked the ball. Game over, and Denver’s reserves stormed the court.

“We got four more wins to go,” Murray said.

Jokic, named the Western Conference Finals MVP, finished with a 30-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double, setting an NBA record with his eighth in the postseason.

FULL ARTICLE

Lakers change starting lineup but lose Game 4 and series to Nuggets

Via the Los Angeles Times:

In the end, Lakers big man Anthony Davis was outdueled by Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic, and that made the difference in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Monday night.

In the end, changing the lineup and starting forward Rui Hachimura and point guard Dennis Schroder in place of forward Jarred Vanderbilt and point guard D’Angelo Russell didn’t make enough of a difference for the Lakers in a 113-111 loss.

In the end, even though the Lakers showed how much fight they had, it wasn’t enough to prevent them from getting swept in the best-of-seven series and seeing their season end.

Jokic was simply the best player in the series, producing his third triple-double in four games. He had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists despite committing five fouls and allowed the Nuggets to pull out the win after trailing by 15.

FULL ARTICLE

LeBron James’ 40 points can’t carry Lakers over Nuggets

Via the Los Angeles Times:

LeBron James would yawn, often, when the cameras were, and weren’t, aimed at him. From early in the season, when the Lakers were still trying to tackle to unsolvable problems of last year, until deep into this playoff push, it never was much of a secret.

He was tired.

This was the best argument among plenty of credible ones why Monday evening would be it, the end to Year 20, the conclusion to a season in which he made history and improbably got his team to the conference finals.

The year was so long, so mentally exhausting, so physically demanding, that the Lakers and James wouldn’t be able to fight to extend it any longer.

Yet Monday night, James gave everything, all of the energy that was left in his 38-year-old body. He got his team close. He couldn’t get them any further than that.

Nikola Jokic hit the game’s biggest shot while two chances for James couldn’t get converted pushed Denver to the NBA Finals after a 113-111 win to sweep the Lakers.

FULL ARTICLE

On new Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Kevin Porter Jr.

Via the Houston Chronicle:

New Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has made a concerted effort to highlight the talent already on Houston’s roster in his first weeks with the franchise, with the appeal of his new franchise stemming from far more than lottery hopes and the team’s significant salary cap space this summer.

Houston is hoping Udoka can play a major role in the development of the team’s collection of young pieces, many of whom struggled for extended stretches of 2022-23. One player who could see a significant boost from Udoka’s arrival? Look to the backcourt, where Kevin Porter Jr. will enter a season that is quite critical to the future of his career.

Porter remains an appealing piece despite the criticism lobbed his way in recent years, and on his better nights, he looks the part of a legitimate franchise point guard.

On Duncan Robinson and the Heat in the playoffs

Via the Miami Herald:

Duncan Robinson’s role and minutes have fluctuated throughout the season. He’s been out of the Miami Heat’s rotation at times and he’s also been relied on to play important minutes during stretches.

But no matter what, Robinson has remained ready.

That was on display in the Heat’s win over the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday at TD Garden, when he finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range in 21 productive minutes off the bench after playing just seven minutes in Game 1 of the best-of-7 series. Robinson scored eight points while playing 8:27 in Friday’s fourth quarter.

NBA Con will debut at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas July 7-9, 2023

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that NBA Con, a first-of-its-kind event that blends the interests of NBA players and fans into a celebration of the best of hoops culture, will debut at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from July 7-9, 2023. Tickets for NBA Con are on sale now at NBACon.com.

NBA Con will bring together the fashion, music, cuisine, art and technology that make the NBA a cultural phenomenon into a three-day event, highlighted by the game’s brightest stars and biggest personalities. Appearances will include legends and current NBA stars like six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Mike Conley, Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, and 2023 NBA Draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, among many other names to be announced.

NBA Con tips off the opening weekend of NBA Summer League which begins 10 days of NBA action on Friday, July 7. NBA Summer League will showcase the league’s top young players, many of whom are taking the floor for the first time in an NBA uniform. The event features a footprint at Mandalay Bay that is nearly 400,000 square feet and is twice the size of the NBA Crossover fan event held during NBA All-Star 2023 that welcomed more than 50,000 fans.

“NBA Con is for every fan,” said Joey Graziano, Head of Event Strategy and Development, NBA. “It combines our players’ and fans’ passion for the game with their authentic off-court interests to create unique experiences that could only come to life through NBA fandom.”

At NBA Con, fans will be able to transcend the boundaries of the court with a variety of exclusive live experiences that align with their own personal interests, including through:

– The latest trends in NBA fashion and sneakers.

– Live entertainment performances.

– Exclusive shoppable NBA Con and NBA product drops.

– Interactive brand experiences that unite the worlds of basketball and technology.

– Live podcasts, conversations, and creator studios featuring athletes, creators, artists and media personalities sharing a stage.

– The Park, a basketball-centric exhibition with various courts where fans can shoot around, watch open practices, or participate in open runs.

Stephen Curry wins 2022-23 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has won the 2022-23 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, as administered and selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). Named after the NBA’s second commissioner, the honor is presented annually by the PBWA to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.

Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, was one of four finalists for the 2022-23 award, along with Los Angeles Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel, LA Clippers forward Paul George and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams.

The finalists were chosen by a committee of PBWA members from nominees submitted by NBA teams. The winner was determined by a vote of the entire PBWA, which is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA regularly for newspapers, magazines and online news outlets.

“Few athletes have as great a reach or as powerful a platform as Steph Curry, and he has used it to the fullest to benefit others,” said PBWA President Howard Beck. “The members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association salute him and the other nominees for their exemplary work.”

On the Celtics offense in Game 1 loss to Heat

Via Boston.com:

Before they got blitzed by a 46-25 Miami run in the third quarter, the Celtics looked like they were in sync offensively.

Marcus Smart dished out 10 assists in the first half, during which the Celtics scored 40 points in the paint. They were enough of a threat from outside to keep Miami on its toes.
But that all came to a rather abrupt stop in the second half. The Celtics began the third quarter leading by nine and were down 12 at the end of it.

Obviously getting outscored by 21 points in a quarter has much to do with a loss of defensive intensity. But the fact is they weren’t able to keep up the pace offensively, either.

San Antonio Spurs win 2023 NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA today announced that the San Antonio Spurs have won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, which was conducted at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago earlier this evening. The Spurs will have the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft that will be held on Thursday, June 22.

“The team and the city that sticks with us and put so much effort and love into the organization, it’s just amazing for them to get rewarded,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt immediately following the Lottery. “So many folks have been with us a long time and now everybody can feel rewarded and excited. My joy was a ‘we’ type of fun and joy.”

For the third time in franchise history, San Antonio holds the top overall pick with the previous two being Hall of Fame big men David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997, who helped the Spurs start their NBA record 22-year Playoff streak from 1998-2019.

Going into tonight’s lottery, the Silver and Black held a 14.0% chance to land the No. 1 pick. Since the Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985, San Antonio has owned seven total lottery picks, fewest in the NBA.

Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane undergoes procedure on toe

Memphis Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane underwent a procedure today to address a fracture of the medial sesamoid bone in his right big toe.

Bane initially sustained the injury during the Grizzlies’ game on Nov. 11 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and missed the following 17 games, returning to competition on Dec. 23.

The team says that Bane is expected to make a full recovery, in advance of the 2023-24 season.

Via the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

The Grizzlies can sign Bane to a rookie scale contract extension this offseason, and all signs point towards that happening.

“Des is a cornerstone, very significant piece of this group,” Grizzlies general manager and president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said during exit interviews in April. “I think he has an opportunity to really establish himself as a key leader within this group.”