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Via the Sun Sentinel:
The news was major for the Milwaukee Bucks and relatively minor for the Miami Heat on the injury front for the two teams ahead of Monday night’s Game 4 in their opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series at Kaseya Center.
Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court Monday morning for the Bucks’ shootaround, the latest step in his recovery from the lower-back contusion sustained in the Heat’s Game 1 victory a week ago Sunday in Milwaukee.
It’s not yet known yet if the Bucks will have Giannis Antetokounmpo back in action for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Heat.
Via ESPN.com:
“We’ll continue to monitor him,” Budenholzer said following a team film session Sunday. “We’ll see how he feels from the session today and see how he wakes up tomorrow.”
Antetokounmpo, who is listed as questionable for Monday’s game, missed the past two games with a lower-back contusion, which has limited him to 11 total minutes in the series. He has not played since April 16.
The Heat currently lead the series 2-1.
Via the San Jose Mercury News:
Jordan Poole posing more of a downhill threat and getting to the free-throw line could be the difference-maker the Warriors need to counter the upstart Sacramento Kings.
Poole can be most impactful when he’s aggressive attacking the rim and making smart plays with the ball. He led the team with 550 points in the paint this season. He also got to the free throw line a team-high 415 times. But concern over his bum left ankle might hinder him from being able to do that.
Poole started this first-round series strong. He was smart and effective on offense and disrupted some on defense.
Poole scored 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting and got to the free-throw line four times in the first half of Game 1 on Saturday.
But he sprained his ankle late third quarter and hasn’t been the same since.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, it was announced yesterday by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The suspension was based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.
Green’s actions were in response to Sabonis grabbing and holding Green’s right ankle after falling to the floor. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected, and Sabonis was assessed a technical foul.
The incident occurred with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 114-106 loss to the Kings in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on April 17 at Golden 1 Center.
Green will serve his suspension April 20 when the Warriors host the Kings for Game 3 of the series at Chase Center.
Via the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
It might not have appeared that way Sunday, but the Milwaukee Bucks have already shown this season they can have their way with the Miami Heat even when Giannis Antetokounmpo is not fully healthy.
That is especially meaningful at the moment with the Bucks All-Star forward dealing with a back contusion and Milwaukee down 1-0 to Heat in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening round NBA playoff series that continues Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Fiserv Forum.
On March 24, despite Antetokounmpo being lost 6:28 into the game due to a knee injury, the Bucks throttled the Heat 128-99.
The NBA recently announced the list of 36 officials who have earned spots to work the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The same group also comprised the officiating staff for the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament.
“Qualifying for the postseason is the goal of NBA coaches and players, and the same is true for our NBA officials,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “Congratulations to this group of 36 officials on their on-court achievements and selection to work the 2023 NBA Playoffs.”
Below is the list of officials for the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs:
Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Eric Dalen, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Aaron Smith, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright and Zach Zarba.
Ray Acosta and Aaron Smith are making their debut as members of the playoff staff.
The following officials are alternates for the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs:
Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Dedric Taylor and Scott Twardoski.
2023 NBA Playoffs Overview
The 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Team Seeds: 1) Bucks, 2) Celtics, 3) Sixers, 4) Cavaliers, 5) Knicks, 6) Nets.
East Play-in Tournament teams: Heat, Hawks, Raptors, Bulls.
2023 Western Conference Playoff Team Seeds: 1) Nuggets, 2) Grizzlies, 3) Kings, 4) Suns, 5) Clippers, 6) Warriors.
West Play-in Tournament teams: Lakers, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Thunder.
The Play-in Tournament will determine playoff seeds 7 and 8 for each conference.
2023 NBA Play-in Tournament Schedule
Tuesday: 7:30PM ET Hawks at Heat, 10PM ET Timberwolves at Lakers, TNT.
Wednesday: 7PM ET Bulls at Raptors, 9:30PM ET Thunder at Pelicans, ESPN.
Friday: Two games, schedule TBD.
NYTimes.com: “It turns out the dynasty had just been paused. Golden State has won the N.B.A. championship again, four seasons after its last one. It is the franchise’s seventh title and the fourth for its three superstars: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who have spent the past decade growing up together, winning together and, over the past three years, learning how fragile success can be. On Thursday, they defeated the Boston Celtics, 103-90, in Game 6 of the N.B.A. finals. They won the series, 4-2, and celebrated their clinching victory on the parquet floor of TD Garden, below 17 championship banners, in front of a throng of disappointed partisans. With 24 seconds left in the game, Curry found his father near the baseline, hugged him and shook as he sobbed in his arms. Then Curry turned back toward the game. He put his hands on his head and squatted down, then fell onto the court. “I think I blacked out,” Curry said later.”
ESPN.com: “Draymond Green played his best game of the series, scoring 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, recording eight assists with two steals and two blocks. He also hit two 3-pointers after missing his first 12 attempts of the series. He struggled on the other end, however. With Green as the primary defender, the Celtics shot 9-of-17 from the floor. Andrew Wiggins continued his strong series, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. Jordan Poole added 15 points off the bench, while Klay Thompson scored 12. Gary Payton II had just six points, but finished with a plus-18 net rating.”
San Francisco Chronicle: “All through these NBA Finals, Steph Curry has been more openly emotional than usual, getting into it with Boston fans and doing audaciously early celebrations. Those emotions completely took over on Thursday night as his Warriors put away the Celtics late in a 103-90 win that clinched their fourth NBA title since 2015 and their first since 2018. After coach Steve Kerr pulled the Golden State starters with the win — and the title — assured, Curry began crying on the baseline, embracing his father Dell, who had a victory cigar at the ready. When time expired, the tears really started to flow, with Curry weeping through his ABC interview with Lisa Salters.”
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Via the San Jose Mercury News:
After having only one double-double during the entire regular season, [Warriors forward Andrew] Wiggins has recorded five this postseason. His most recent was overshadowed by [Stephen] Curry, who dropped 43 points and snagged 10 rebounds in the Warriors’ Game 4 win over the Celtics Friday night. But Wiggins was also impressive and noteworthy as he shot 41.2% from the field for 17 points while grabbing a career-high 16 boards — 13 of which on the defensive glass. He did this while being the primary defender on Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
“He’s a very mild-mannered guy, but he’s taken a leap in these playoffs in terms of his impact on the game defensively, on the glass,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Because the games are obviously so meaningful, there’s more emotion from him and from everybody.”
Via the Boston Herald:
As evidenced by Steph Curry’s elevated level of shotmaking in this series, the greatest players are at their best in the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum, who has struggled to reach that level heading into Monday night’s Game 5, is still searching to do more after a slow start over the first four. He’s shooting 34% overall (28-for-82) and a particularly rough 27.5% on 2-point attempts, with a 45% 3-point percentage (14-for-31) that’s a bit misleading, considering his lack of opportunities and makes late in those games.
Though the Celtics star has admitted he needs to do more in a scoring sense, he remains focused on making the right play – an approach supported by his assist numbers (7.8 average).
“Obviously I want to win by any means necessary and I’ll do whatever it takes,” Tatum said before Sunday’s practice when asked about building his young legacy on the Finals stage.
“That’s all I really care about right now is winning,” he said.