Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Heat edge Lakers 111-108 in NBA Finals Game 5 win

“The Miami Heat would not allow the coronation. They’d seen the preparations underway for a championship celebration, the Mamba uniforms the Lakers never had lost in while wearing, the gold shoes on Anthony Davis’ feet — gold like the trophy he thought he’d be hoisting later Friday night. Not if Jimmy Butler had anything to say about it. Nor his teammate Duncan Robinson, whom the Lakers couldn’t stop from making threes, even by fouling him. The Heat won Game 5 of the NBA Finals 111-108, despite 40 points from LeBron James, and delayed the Lakers’ hopes for a 17th championship. The longest season in the history of the NBA will last at least two more days. Game 6 will be Sunday evening, with the Lakers’ lead now trimmed to 3-2.” — LA Times

“Butler scored 35 points, 22 in the first half, and notched his second triple-double of the Finals, with 12 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals. He joined James as the only players with multiple triple-doubles in an NBA Finals. James finished shy of one for the fifth time this series with 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Davis scored 28 points with 12 rebounds.” — LA Times

“Danny Green was wide open. He was wide open at the precise spot that Robert Horry stood against Sacramento in 2002. He was wide open with a chance to do what Anthony Davis did to Denver a couple of weeks ago… The shot went clank, the Lakers went clunk, and now a lock has gone loopy and the NBA Finals have gone crazy.” — LA Times

“The Lakers suddenly have to worry that they have nobody to guard Duncan Robinson, the Heat guard who was unstoppable deep, connecting on seven three-pointers with few defenders around him.” — LA Times

“And more than anything, the Lakers have to worry about Anthony Davis, who re-injured a sore right heel at the end of the first quarter and was limping by the game’s end. Davis finished with 28 points, but he slowed as the game proceeded, and seemed stuck to the floor during the Lakers’ final chance.” — LA Times

“With Goran Dragic out and Bam Adebayo fighting a neck injury, it’s been primarily on Butler to do everything — score, rebound, pass and defend. He’s played at least 43 minutes in the last four Finals games. It was more than him Friday, Duncan Robinson’s shooting and Kendrick Nunn’s aggression playing major factors in the outcome. But its obvious that Butler’s spirit drives it all. And Friday, he sat out of the game for just 48 seconds. “I left it all out there on the floor,” Butler said.” — LA Times

“Butler continued his magnificent championship series with 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting, 1-of-3 shooting on threes and 12-of-12 shooting from the foul line, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals on Friday. It marked his second triple-double of the Finals, as he also finished the Heat’s Game 3 win with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists to become the third player in NBA history to record a 40-point triple-double in the Finals. Friday’s performance didn’t include much rest for Butler, who played 47:12 of the 48 minutes.” — Miami Herald

“But James was magnificent Friday, too. The four-time MVP finished Game 5 with 40 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 42 minutes.” — Miami Herald

“The Lakers’ second star Anthony Davis was also effective with 28 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 42 minutes. Davis was limping toward the end of the game after re-aggravating his right heel contusion, but he said “I’ll be fine” for Game 6.” — Miami Herald

With help from Mark Cuban, Delonte West begins rehab

Former NBA player Delonte West has spent years majorly struggling with serious problems off the court. But finally, there’s good news. Here’s Boston.com reporting:

Former Celtics guard Delonte West is taking the first steps toward rehabbing his life.

In a tweet on Friday, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shared an image of West — who has struggled with bipolar disorder, homelessness, and substance abuse — smiling while riding a horse.

“Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you, Delonte West,” Cuban wrote.

Cuban wanted to add that while West is off to a good start, the journey is far from complete.

“A long, long, long way to go, but he has taken the first steps and shared these with all of us as a thank you for the love and support.”

Definitely click that link atop this entry for more on West, and what Mark Cuban did to help.

Hopefully, West stays on a positive path. We’re rooting for him.

Phoenix Suns hire Kevin Young as assistant coach

The Phoenix Suns have hired Kevin Young as an assistant coach on the team’s coaching staff.

Young joins the Suns following four seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Young, 38, helped the Sixers qualify for the playoffs in each of his final three seasons with the team, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. For the 2018-19 season he worked alongside Suns Head Coach Monty Williams, then an assistant coach for Philadelphia, as the Sixers took the eventual champion Toronto Raptors to seven games in the conference semis. Young also served as the Sixers’ head coach at NBA Summer League in 2018.

Prior to his time on the Sixers’ coaching staff, Young spent nine seasons as a coach in the NBA G League, including time as head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats, Iowa Energy and Utah Flash. His first coaching position in pro basketball was as head coach of the Shamrock Rovers in the Irish Super League for the 2006-07 season, which followed time as an assistant coach at Utah Valley University and Oxford College. Young played collegiately at Clayton State University prior to his coaching career.

Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis undergoes knee surgery

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Kristaps Porzingis underwent surgery to address a lateral meniscus injury of his right knee. Porzingis suffered the injury in Game 1 of the Mavericks’ opening-round series against the L.A. Clippers on Aug. 17.

Porzingis will begin rehab immediately and there is no timetable set at this time.

Injuries are now a concern for Porzingis, who is signed to a huge contract through the 2023-24 season. He reportedly has a player option for that last season.

Per ESPN.com, “Porzingis sat out a season and a half after tearing the ACL in his left knee in February 2018 in what ended up being his final game for the New York Knicks.”

He’s a huge part of what was the best offense in the NBA last season. Young superstar Luka Doncic led the Mavs in scoring at 28.8 points per game, Porzingis was second at 20.4 PPG, and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was third with 15.8 PPG.

Goran Dragic remains out for Heat in NBA Finals

While the Lakers have been without starting guard Avery Bradley throughout the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Heat will still be without guard Goran Dragic, who came off the bench as a super-sub during the regular season but had been a starter in this postseason. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting:

It looks like the Miami Heat will continue to play without starting guard Goran Dragic on Friday.

Dragic has been ruled out for Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, according to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. League sources confirmed to the Miami Herald that the expectation is that Dragic would miss his fourth consecutive game because of the injury.

The Heat are down 3-1 to the Lakers in the Finals, with Game 5 tipping off in a few hours.

Clippers’ Lawrence Frank wins 2019-20 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award

The NBA announced that LA Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank has been named the 2019-20 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year.

“L is a passionate, dedicated, and selfless leader. I am proud of the work he and his group are doing, and thrilled his peers feel the same way,” said Steve Ballmer, Clippers Chairman. “This award is a great tribute to the hard work done by the entire front office, including our General Manager Michael Winger, Assistant GMs Mark Hughes and Trent Redden, and consultant Jerry West. Together, they have worked to develop every facet of our basketball operations department.”

Frank received 10 of 29 first-place votes and earned 61 total points from a panel of team basketball executives throughout the NBA. Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti finished in second place with 41 points (four first-place votes), followed by Miami Heat President Pat Riley in third place with 39 points (four first-place votes).

Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote. The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.

Frank assembled a roster that posted a 44-20 record in games played through March 11, the second-best mark in the Western Conference. Using 29 different starting lineups in 64 games during that period, the Clippers relied on their depth to earn a playoff berth for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.

With Frank leading the Basketball Operations department, LA’s roster for the 2019-20 season took shape in July 2019 with the signing of two-time Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard as a free agent and the acquisition of six-time NBA All-Star Paul George in a trade with the Thunder.

In games played through March 11, Leonard averaged 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists and George averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Leonard, a two-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and George, a four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, helped the Clippers rank fifth in the NBA in defensive rating in games played through March 11 – up from a season-ending ranking of 19th last season.

Other moves last offseason included re-signing starting guard Patrick Beverley, starting center Ivica Zubac and forward JaMychal Green. Frank and the Clippers also moved to bolster the roster during the 2019-20 season, acquiring starting forward Marcus Morris Sr. from the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade on Feb. 6 and signing guard Reggie Jackson on Feb. 20 after he was waived by the Detroit Pistons.

Frank joined the Clippers as an assistant coach in 2014. He stayed in that role for two seasons before moving into the front office as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2016. Frank was promoted to President of Basketball Operations in August 2017. His NBA tenure includes head coaching stints with the Pistons and New Jersey Nets and assistant coaching roles with the Nets, Vancouver Grizzlies and Boston Celtics.

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday wins 2019-20 Teammate of the Year Award

NBA players have selected New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday as the recipient of the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.

The award, presented annually since the 2012-13 season, recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

More than 250 NBA players submitted their votes for the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. NBA players determined the winner from among the 12 nominees who were selected by a panel of league executives.

Holiday received 53 of 267 first-place votes and finished with 1,041 total points. Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (806 points; 48 first-place votes) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Korver (796 points; 26 first-place votes) finished in second and third place, respectively. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.

In addition to Holiday, Harris and Korver, the other finalists were Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig, Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, Toronto Raptors forward-center Serge Ibaka, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.

Holiday, 30, has spent the last seven seasons with New Orleans after playing his first four seasons with Philadelphia. The 6-3 guard was selected as an NBA All-Star in the 2012-13 season and named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In the 2019-20 season, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.62 steals in 61 games across regular-season games and seeding games.

In July, Holiday announced that he would use the remainder of his 2019-20 season salary to start a social justice fund with his wife, Lauren, a former player for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund is designed to address socioeconomic inequalities across communities in New Orleans, the Los Angeles area and Indianapolis. Jrue and Lauren are Los Angeles and Indianapolis natives, respectively, and Jrue’s two brothers, Aaron and Justin, both play for the Pacers.

Will Suns target Fred VanVleet, Jerami Grant in free agency?

The Suns failed to make the playoffs this season, but won all eight of their games in the Disney NBA bubble, have a talented young core, and have every reason to be excited for next year’s prospects. Here’s the Arizona Republic mentioning two players they might want to consider targeting in free agency this offseason:

Around $20 million a year.

That’s what the Toronto Raptors could pay point guard Fred VanVleet to stay in O Canada and still have a “maximum salary slot for 2021,” the Toronto Star wrote last month.

Up to $16 million a year.

That’s how much Denver Nuggets power forward Jerami Grant could command as he can opt out of his contract, The Denver Post reported last week.

Phoenix is reportedly interested in both, but probably couldn’t land the two even if they made major moves starting with trading Kelly Oubre Jr.

And some more on VanVleet:

Talent should translate, but you’re asking someone who can be a starting point guard for several teams, including the one he’s on, to play behind veteran Ricky Rubio.

Could see VanVleet finishing games, though. He’d allow Booker to play off the ball and make teams pay for doubling Booker.

Wonder if Rubio would be willing to come off the bench?

Suns free agents this offseason include Aron Baynes and Dario Saric. When healthy, Baynes definitely helped. He’ll turn 34 years old this December, so if he does return it would likely be on a short-term contract.

The rest of the core roster — Booker, Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Deandre Ayton and friends — will be back.

The team is on the rise.

Sacramento Kings hire Alvin Gentry as Associate Head Coach

The Sacramento Kings have hired Alvin Gentry as Associate Head Coach.

“I’m excited to add Alvin’s valuable experience and leadership to the team,” said Walton. “His veteran coaching perspective will be a great addition and I look forward to working with him again to continue developing our group.”

Gentry brings more than 35 years of coaching experience to the Sacramento bench. He most recently served as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, where he guided the team to 48 wins during the 2018-19 regular season – the third most in team history – and a trip to the NBA Playoffs, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for only the second time in franchise history.

Prior to New Orleans, Gentry was the Associate Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, helping lead the team to the 2015 NBA Championship. Alvin has also previously served as head coach for the Miami Heat (1995), Detroit Pistons (1997-2000), Los Angeles Clippers (2000-2003) and Phoenix Suns (2008-2013). In 1,105 games, Gentry has garnered a career record of 510-595 (.462).

With Gentry at the helm of the Suns, he guided Phoenix to the 2010 Western Conference Finals following a 54-28 regular season record – the fourth best in Phoenix franchise history – and led the NBA in scoring with 110.2 points per game.

The Shelby, North Carolina native was a point guard at Appalachian State, where he earned a degree in management (1977) prior to his coaching career.

Lakers beat Heat 102-96, take 3-1 lead in NBA Finals

LA Times: “In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers found a way. They had just enough to come out ahead 102-96 and take a 3-1 series lead over the Heat in the best-of-seven series and are now one win away from securing the franchise’s 17th championship. James led the Lakers, scoring 28 points, eight assists and 12 rebounds, while Davis scored 22 points, with four assists and nine rebounds, distinguishing himself with his stifling defense on Miami star Jimmy Butler. James and Davis each made eight of 16 shots attempted. The importance of this game wasn’t lost on the Lakers. They were on edge after their Game 3 loss Sunday, unhappy with how that game unfolded. Just in case, James wanted them to know just how important it was to him.”

Miami Herald: “Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James seemed to control the second half of Game 4, with 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists during the final two quarters. He scored only eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in the first half. James finished Los Angeles’ victory with 28 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and six turnovers. Five of his six turnovers came in the first half. The Lakers’ second star was also very good in Game 4. Big man Anthony Davis recorded 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks in the win. Davis and James combined for 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the second half.”

Miami Herald: Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler followed up his historic 40-point Game 3 triple-double performance by almost picking up another triple-double. He finished Tuesday’s loss with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals, as the Lakers used Davis and James to defend Butler for most of the game.

Miami Herald: “Adebayo was relatively effective in his return Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes. On the defensive end, Adebayo took on the challenge of guarding Davis during stretches. But Adebayo was quiet in the fourth quarter, with two points on one shot, one rebound and zero assists in the period.”

Miami Herald: “This is the Heat team that steamrolled Indiana in the first round of the playoffs and then eliminated Giannis Antetokounmpo and No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the second. The Lakers with LeBron and A.D. were supposed to dominate fifth-seeded Miami, which didn’t even make the playoffs the year before. And that was before starters and key players Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were lost to injuries in the series. Dragic remains out with a foot injury, tearfully, as he described it Tuesday. Adebayo played well in his return, though surely not 100 percent.”

OC Register: KCP, as he’s known to Laker Nation’s resident fans and critics, finished with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. That offensive production included a couple of big buckets late that helped L.A. wrestle a hard-fought victory away from the Miami Heat in the bubble at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. With the Lakers leading only 90-88 and about 3 minutes left, Caldwell-Pope sprinted to the corner in transition, ready and awaiting LeBron James’ pass, which he caught, shot and converted for one of his three corner 3-pointers of the night. “That’s really one of my specialties,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I’m always running from end to end, corner to corner.” Moments later, Caldwell-Pope let the Lakers breathe yet easier when he got Duncan Robinson to bite on a fake at the top of the key, blew past the Heat guard and flew all the way to the rim for a soaring and sensationally timed layup off the backboard that made it 95-88 with 2:02 to go.

OC Register: With two minutes left in the fourth game of the NBA Finals, Caldwell-Pope found himself with the ball and Miami’s Duncan Robinson guarding him. That invited Caldwell-Pope to burst to the bucket and put the Lakers up by seven, and then Davis and Rajon Rondo expanded that cushion. The Lakers now lead, 3-1, with this 102-96 win. Like the steamfitters and stampers and fabricators that they resembled, they took a shower after they worked. “We don’t really have a third scorer,” Kyle Kuzma said, after he and the rest of the Laker bench outscored Miami’s reserves 27-14 and had 14 rebounds. “Our scorers are AD and LeBron, and then the rest of us play team basketball. Any of us can step up at any time.”