Altitude might be regaining its status as a safe haven for the Nuggets.
Obliging Miami’s invitation to play fast-paced, somewhat chaotic basketball, Denver held off the Heat for a 122-112 win Wednesday and improved to 4-0 this season at Ball Arena. They were a lackluster 26-15 at home last year.
Nikola Jokic had a triple-double by the end of a bizarre and experimental third quarter, en route to 33 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists. He and his teammates benefitted from the departure of Heat star Bam Adebayo, who suffered a foot injury early in the game. With Kel’el Ware and Keshad Johnson splitting minutes at center, Denver out-rebounded Miami 68-44 for a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points and 62-42 edge in the paint.
That and the tempo at which Miami plays helped the Nuggets (5-2) pile on 68 first-half points despite shooting only 43% from the floor and 6 for 23 outside the arc. They also added 12 points in the first minute and 46 seconds of the third quarter, briefly flirting with a 150-point pace.
But every time the Nuggets threatened to blow the game open, they started to get messy. Miami shaved a 17-point deficit back to 10 with seven minutes to go, causing David Adelman to call timeout and retrieve his security blanket from the bench. On a sloppier night for the Jamal Murray-led second unit, Jokic steadied the ship. Denver won his minutes by 18 and lost those without him by eight.
Murray struggled to make his shots for the second consecutive game, going 4 of 15. But he accepted a pick-me-up from Aaron Gordon, who scored 24 points and was on the emphatic receiving end of a few Jokic dimes. Tim Hardaway Jr. also added 18 points on a 4-for-9 night from 3-point range, continuing his hot start to the season.
The 33-year-old guard, who signed a veteran minimum contract with the Nuggets, is shooting 44.7% from three after seven games. He’s playing more minutes than anybody else off Denver’s bench.
The Nuggets have now won nine consecutive regular-season home games against Miami. Other than Game 2 of the NBA Finals in 2023, their last home loss to the Heat was Nov. 30, 2016.
Miami did, however, hand the Nuggets their first deficit at Ball Arena this season when Norman Powell buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key against their zone on the first possession of the game. He went for a team-leading 23 points, but the Heat did most of their leading in the first quarter. Denver trailed by more than seven and never trailed after halftime.
The injury to Adebayo played a major role in that. Ware couldn’t hold his own on the glass, and when he wasn’t on the floor, Jokic was in full attack mode. He bullied Johnson and Jaime Jaquez for back-to-back buckets in the post during the second quarter, prompting Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to get Ware back on the floor shortly after. Without Adebayo, he had no available solutions.
Peyton Watson registered a career-high 10 rebounds in the win. Christian Braun didn’t score efficiently but made his share of dirty-work plays, amassing 11 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
The Nuggets will host Golden State on Friday in their second NBA Cup group stage game after losing to Portland last week.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups — a Denver native and former basketball star at the University of Colorado and with the Denver Nuggets — allegedly participated in a years-long scheme to rig Mafia-led poker games through sophisticated technological means, scamming wealthy players out of millions of dollars, according to a sweeping federal indictment unsealed Thursday.
Billups was arrested Thursday in Oregon and faces federal charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The NBA said he was placed on immediate leave.
The 49-year-old coach appeared in court later in the day, and attorneys from both sides told the judge they had agreed on Billups’ release from custody on the condition he secure “a substantial bond,” though the amount wasn’t discussed in court. He is also prohibited from gambling-related activity.
Chris Heywood, Billups’ attorney, released a statement to ESPN on Thursday night denying the allegations.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” the statement read.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to.”
The arrest came as part of a massive federal investigation into illegal, high-stakes poker games with ties to organized crime families. A second, related criminal case involved professional basketball players and coaches allegedly using inside information to set up fraudulent bets for their associates.
The 22-page indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges the poker games began as early as 2019 and spanned New York state, Las Vegas and Miami.
Victims of the scheme thought they were playing in “straight” illegal poker games, according to the indictment.
In reality, a group of people — referred to as the “cheating team” — worked together to scam them out of more than $7 million, investigators said.
They used a variety of high-tech methods to rig the games, federal authorities alleged. Wireless technologies to read the cards dealt in each hand. Rigged shuffling machines. Electronic poker chip trays that could secretly read cards placed on the table. Card analyzers that could surreptitiously detect which cards were on the table. Playing cards that had markers visible only to people wearing specially designed contact lenses or glasses.
Billups, investigators allege, was known as a “face card.” He and other former professional athletes were used to attract victims to the poker games. In exchange, they received portions of the criminal proceeds, authorities said.
The indictment spells out one game in April 2019, in Las Vegas, when the group defrauded poker players of at least $50,000. Billups, along with four others, “organized and participated in these rigged games using a rigged shuffling machine,” according to the indictment.
‘Threats of force and violence’
Authorities say the games operated “with the express permission and approval of” members of certain organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra.
These individuals — with nicknames like “Spanish G,” “Flapper Poker,” “Sugar” and “Albanian Bruce” — provided support and protection for the games and collected debts in exchange for a portion of the illegal proceeds
The organized crime families used “threats of force and violence” to secure repayment of debts from these poker games, according to the indictment.
All told, the poker scheme defrauded participants of at least $7.15 million, investigators said.
“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars and established a financial pipeline to La Cosa Nostra,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said in a statement. “This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families.”
Thursday’s indictment “sounds the final buzzer for these cheaters,” said Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
The second criminal case involved NBA players and coaches divulging nonpublic information to their associates for the purpose of placing bets.
The 23-page indictment does not name Billups, but does list nine unnamed co-conspirators, including an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021. Billups played in the NBA from 1997 to 2014 and was hired by the Blazers in 2021.
That individual, referred to as “co-conspirator 8,” allegedly told a bettor that several of the Blazers’ best players would be sitting out a March 23, 2023, game against the Chicago Bulls in order to increase their odds of getting a better draft pick.
The gamblers wagered more than $100,000 that Portland would lose the game. The Blazers lost by 28.
Chauncey Billups with the Denver Nuggets during practice at the Pepsi Center in Denver on April 6, 2010. (Photo By Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post)
The Denver-born phenom graduated from George Washington High School and played basketball at CU before being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.
Known as Mr. Big Shot nationally and the King of Park Hill locally in Denver, Billups also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Billups won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Nuggets.
Billups is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota. Billups’ brother, Rodney, is currently the Nuggets’ director of player development and an assistant coach on David Adelman’s staff.
The Portland coach also serves as executive director of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, a summer program affiliated with Denver’s Regis University. The academy helps third through 12th-graders “cultivate character development through an extensive academic curriculum and exposes young leaders to career opportunities in their pursuit of individual success.”
Academy representatives said in a statement that they are “deeply troubled by the indictment against Chauncey Billups, co-founder of the Porter Billups Leadership Academy. We respect the legal process and will closely monitor developments as the facts emerge. Our unwavering commitment to the underserved youths through the PBLA program and our institutional integrity remains steadfast.”
Billups’ attorney indicated in the statement to ESPN that Billups planned to fight the charges made by the federal government.
“Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now,” the statement read. “He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: Prime Video
Prime Video released the official trailer and key art for Allen Iv3rson, a three-part docuseries from Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends (a division of Authentic Studios) and Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton’s Unanimous Media about the inspiring journey of former NBA superstar Allen Iverson.
Directed by One9, the documentarywill premiere exclusively on Prime Video on October 23 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide and is the latest addition to the Prime membership.
Prime members enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership.
Allen Iv3rson is a three-part docuseries about the captivating life of basketball legend and global sensation Allen Iverson, whose authentic voice and unapologetic expression of style paved the way for future generations and revolutionized the culture of the NBA.
From his origins in Hampton, VA, to his ascent as one of the most tenacious and exhilarating basketball players of all time, Iverson fearlessly embraced his individuality both on and off the court.
Credit; Prime Video
His magnetic personality and fierce competitive spirit endeared him to fans, teammates, and opposing players alike. Now, through unprecedented access and personal stories, along with intimate interviews with family, friends, and fellow NBA players and coaches, Iverson shares a more reflective side of his present-day self, as he takes us on a journey through his storied history into the present day, where he realizes his cultural impact long after his playing days have come to an end.
Presented by Prime Video Sports, Allen Iv3rson is produced by Jersey Legends (a division of Authentic Studios) and Unanimous Media.
The film is directed by One9, with Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris, and One9 serving as executive producers.
Something strange happened during the lead-up to Noche UFC, the promotion’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day. For the first time since becoming interested in MMA during the McGregor era and falling in love with the sport during the pandemic, I skipped all of my UFC fight week traditions. I hadn’t tuned in to a single episode of Embedded, nor did I watch the press conference on Thursday or the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday. And I certainly didn’t have my usual “one more sleep” jitters heading into Saturday. What’s clear to me now is my lack of enthusiasm was the result of the sort of uncertainty that leads to reservation rather than curiosity.
Almost everything about Saturday night’s card left me and other fans scratching our heads going into it, starting with its hodgepodge of a name: UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche UFC. And then there was the star of the promotional buildup. No, not the homegrown, hype-machine-manufactured Sean O’Malley, and not even Mexico’s own Alexa Grasso, but rather The Sphere (or simply “Sphere,” as it was referred to throughout the broadcast). A Mexican-inspired Fight Night that somehow became a numbered pay-per-view presented by a Saudi Arabian festival series, boasting an arena as its main attraction, left me with questions that couldn’t be answered by the sights and sounds of a typical fight week. Instead, those questions were answered by the standard brilliance of the most production-savvy combat sports promotion this side of WWE.
When it was initially reported the cheapest seat in the house would cost over $2,000, I wondered if more impassioned Mexican and Mexican-American fight fans would be priced out in favor of casuals with cushy salaries and corporate credit cards. That concern was quieted once I heard the crowd pop for Raúl Rosas Jr. as he walked toward the octagon ahead of the night’s first prelim. I did my best Irish accent and asked who da fook is dat guy when I found out four fighters I’d never heard of were opening the main card. Lo and behold, those were the two most entertaining bouts of the evening, with Esteban Ribovics and Daniel Zellhuber earning Fight of the Night bonuses that could have just as easily gone to Ronaldo Rodríguez and Ode’ Osbourne. And, as Sean O’Malley took issue with himself at one point, I noted with interest, which soon soured into ambivalence, that the event’s venue was being promoted more heavily than the then-bantamweight champion at the top of its billing. I don’t know about him, but I understood why that was by the end of the night, as the suspense surrounding what a sporting event at The Sphere might look like paid off more abundantly than the one-way drubbing most educated fans correctly predicted he’d receive in the main event.
But above all, the main question I had before last night was why did the UFC’s first and potentially only appearance at The Sphere need to be on Mexican Independence Day? As Noche UFC neared, my thinking was that, presumably, an event headlined by the eventual return of either Conor McGregor or Jon Jones would have made for a greater pop cultural spectacle, International Fight Week would have led to less complicated branding, and UFC 300, which fans and pundits also made the mistake of underestimating, would have allowed for a deeper card. Again, the event itself convinced me of its merits in a way that no moment on Embedded or confrontation at a press conference could have prepared me for.
No alternative I had in mind for a more appropriate Sphere card would have resulted in the breathtaking storytelling of Noche UFC. The six interstitials produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Carlos López Estrada’s Antigravity Academy made perfect use of The Sphere’s immersive capabilities, transporting audiences throughout Mexican history with images that inspired awe even through a TV screen. Ancient civilizations, heroic freedom fighters, spiritual traditions, iconic combat athletes, and the virtues of Mexican culture were all honored with Lucasesque light and magic. Eight first- and second-generation Mexican Octagon Girls strutted between rounds wearing stunning costumes inspired by their shared heritage.
The main event notwithstanding, the fights themselves lived up the pageantry of the night in ways only the drama of high-level MMA could, especially when booked in celebration of a culture’s fighting spirit. Minutes after a short film told the story of Indigenous warriors, the earliest people to fight for the land now known as Mexico, Mexican flyweight Ronaldo Rodriguez escaped two near-completed submissions and persevered his way to a unanimous decision over Ode’ Osbourne. Right after that, Mexico City-born Daniel Zellhuber battled Argentina’s Esteban Ribovics with the breakneck pace of a Street Fighter button-mashing, losing on the cards but winning over fans like me who were watching him compete for the first time. And despite a lackluster performance from former Women’s Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso, I found myself on the edge of my seat seemingly once per round, attempting to will a tap from Valentina Shevchenko into existence.
Similar to 300 before it, there are images from UFC 306 that’ll be etched in my brain for the rest of my fandom; thrilling moments I would have never predicted when comparing the names on the card to the hyperbolic hype that preceded it.
I don’t know if Noche UFC turned out to be “the greatest sporting event of all time,” as UFC CEO Dana White promised in July. In his post-fight press availability, White admitted himself it’d be up to the public to decide if the night lived up to that claim. In general, I’m a bit allergic to making statements that grand. But what I will confess is Noche UFC was the most impressively produced televised sporting event I’ve seen with my own two eyes–better than any Super Bowl, NBA Finals, or WrestleMania I’ve ever watched.
It was a spectacle I couldn’t quite convince myself to anticipate, but one that I’ll never forget. If you’re still with me, scroll or click through the following photos for a look at what made the night so memorable.
From top to bottom in the Celtics‘ organization, they did what needed to be done to win a championship.
Whether it was role players going above and beyond, the number 2 option exceeding expectations, the scouting department finding the right guy, the coach leading them to victory, etc., they succeeded at the highest level.
Every team in the league should use the Celtics as a blueprint for winning a championship.
The Celtics Stuck With Their Guys
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played their whole careers in Boston together. They have grown and developed into one of the best (if not THE best) duos in the NBA today. Even after coming up short for a few years, the front office kept building around them and drafting other guys who contributed to the team in major ways.
Not every guy on the team was drafted by them, but a few of the free agents they’ve signed have played for them for multiple years. Derrick White, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford have all spent time on different teams, but they’ve been on the Celtics for at least the last 2 years, building chemistry with the main guys (Brown and Tatum).
Also, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, drafted in 2021 and 2020, both have spent their short careers fully with the Celtics. Having 7 guys who know the organization and build chemistry together for years will yield strong results a lot of the time. That’s exactly what happened with the Celtics.
The Value of Drafting
Over the years, the Sixers have traded many of their picks away to get a “star” in return. How has that worked out?
The Celtics use their draft picks much more productively to acquire talent. Not only do they choose better players, they are much more patient to let the talent develop. Outside of the top-5, most players need time to grow into real contributors. The Celtics understand that. They let their players develop over time and learn how to play around the guys they have on the team. This gives the team cheap talent, which helps them acquire players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers need to value their drafting more. If they invest more into their scouting department and take the draft more seriously, they could give Tyrese Maxey another great player who could play with him for years to come.
Celtics are Smart with their Contracts
When teams draft and develop their own players, it also allows them to keep players on more affordable contracts instead of overpaying in free agency. This year, the Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown) only made the 4th most money on his team, and the team leader (Jayson Tatum) made the 3rd most. Drafting these two guys put the Celtics in a very good position to build talent and get the job done.
While they did make some major additions with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they didn’t just sign someone because of their name. The Sixers seem to have a tendency to sign names rather than players, while the Celtics do the opposite.
Players like James Harden make way too much money than they believe they are worth, which puts teams in a bad spot. The Sixers couldn’t get it done with him, and neither could the Clippers.
The Sixers need better league and draft scouting. Finding players on more valuable contracts could send them to the next level.
BOSTON — Jayson Tatum put his hands behind his head, with TD Garden fans standing on their feet cheering around him, and took it all in.
Walking to the bench, he wrapped both arms around Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
The journey was complete.
The Boston Celtics again stand alone among NBA champions.
Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and the Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the franchise’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
Boston earned its latest title on the 16th anniversary of hoisting its last Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008. It marks the 13th championship won this century by one of the city’s Big 4 professional sports franchises.
“It means the world,” Tatum said on stage after the team received the trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “It’s been a long time. And damn I’m grateful.”
“I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum,” Brown said after the 107th career playoff game he and Tatum have played together — the most for any duo before winning a title.
Jrue Holiday finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Center Kristaps Porzingis also provided an emotional lift, returning from a two-game absence because of a dislocated tendon in his left ankle to chip in five points in 17 minutes.
They helped the Celtics cap a postseason that saw them go 16-3 and finish with an 80-21 overall record. That .792 winning percentage ranks second in team history behind only the Celtics’ 1985-86 championship team that finished 82-18 (.820).
Mazzulla, in his second season, at age 35 also became the youngest coach since Bill Russell in 1969 to lead a team to a championship.
“You have very few chances in life to be great,” Mazzulla said.
Luka Doncic finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas, which failed to extend the series after avoiding a sweep with a 38-point win in Game 4. The Mavericks had been 3-0 in Game 5s this postseason, with Doncic scoring at least 31 points in each of them. He said the chest, right knee and left ankle injuries he played through during the finals weren’t an excuse for Dallas struggling throughout the series.
“It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt. I was out there,” he said. “I tried to play, but I didn’t do enough.”
Kyrie Irving finished with just 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting and has lost 13 of the last 14 meetings against the Celtics team he left in the summer of 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving thinks better things are ahead for the Mavs.
“I see an opportunity for us to really build our future in a positive manner, where this is almost like a regular thing for us and we’re competing for championships,” he said.
NBA teams are now 0-157 in postseason series after falling into a 3-0 deficit.
Mavs coach Jason Kidd believes Doncic and his team will grow from this NBA Finals experience.
“I think the first step is just to be in it. I think that’s a big thing,” he said. “Yes, we lost 4-1, but I thought the group fought against the Celtics and just, unfortunately, we just couldn’t make shots when we had to, or we turned the ball over and they took full advantage of that.”
Boston never trailed and led by as many as 26, feeding off the energy of the Garden crowd.
Dallas was within 16-15 early before the Celtics closed the first quarter on a 12-3 run that included eight combined points by Tatum and Brown.
The Celtics did it again in the second quarter when the Mavericks trimmed what had been a 15-point deficit to nine. Boston ended the period with a 19-7 spurt that was capped by a a half-court buzzer beater by Payton Pritchard – his second such shot of the series – to give Boston a 67-46 halftime lead.
Over the last two minutes of the first and second quarters, the Celtics outscored the Mavericks 22-4.
The Celtics never looked back.
Russell’s widow, Jeannine Russell, and his daughter Karen Russell were in TD Garden to salute the newest generation of Celtics champions.
They watched current Celtics stars Tatum and Brown earn their first rings. It was the trade that sent 2008 champions Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn in 2013 that netted Boston the draft picks it eventually used to select Brown and Tatum third overall in back-to-back drafts in 2016 and 2017.
The All-Stars came into their own this season, leading a Celtics team that was built around taking and making a high number of 3-pointers, and a defense that rated as the league’s best during the regular season.
The duo made it to at least the Eastern Conference finals as teammates four previous times.
They finally reached the finish line in their fifth deep playoff run together.
After both struggling at times offensively in the series, Tatum and Brown hit a groove in Game 5, combining for 31 points and 11 assists in the first half.
It helped bring out all the attributes that made Boston the NBA’s most formidable team this postseason – spreading teams out, sharing the ball, and causing havoc on defense. And even chipping a tooth, like Derrick White did after he was landed on by Dereck Lively II.
“I’ll lose all my teeth for a championship,” White said.
And it put a championship bow on a dizzying stretch for the Celtics, that saw them lose in the finals to the Golden State Warriors in 2022 and then fail to return last season after a Game 7 home loss to the Miami Heat in the conference finals.
Tatum vowed that night to erase the sting of those disappointments.
Standing in a sea of confetti Monday night he was reminded by his 6-year-old son, Deuce, of what he’d accomplished.
“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum said. “I said, ‘You’re damn right I am.’”
GAME. TED. WELL, MARIA THIS WEEKEND, NO DOUBT BOSTON POLICE ARE WARNING PEOPLE TO STEER CLEAR OF FAKE 2020 FOR GAME TWO. TICKETS AROUND TOWN. BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER GAME THIS WEEKEND AND A SOLD OUT EVENT. IT’S A SOLD OUT FENWAY PARK SATURDAY NIGHT. NOT FOR THE RED SOX, BUT FOR THE SAVANNAH BANANAS WORLD TOUR THIS TRAVELING BASEBALL SHOW IS HUGE WITH KIDS AND ADULTS. HOW AM I THE IDIOT THAT GETS SCAMMED? I SHOULD KNOW BETTER. CHERYL FROM WEYMOUTH SHARED HER STORY WITH US IN JANUARY. SHE WENT ONLINE LOOKING FOR BANANA TICKETS FOR JUNE 8TH AT FENWAY, ASKING A WOMAN ON FACEBOOK, HOW MUCH ARE YOU ASKING FOR THEM? THE SELLER SAYS $50 EACH. EVEN SHOWS THE SECTION, ROW AND SEATS SHE’S WILLING TO SELL. CHERYL WANTS UP TO EIGHT SEATS IN THE ONLINE SCAMMER SAYS MY UNCLE WORKS IN THE BANANAS OFFICE, SO IT WAS SUPER EASY TO GET THE TICKETS. WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A FUN NIGHT. WE WERE GOING OUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING DINNER. CHERYL AND THE SCAMMER AGREE TO USE VENMO AS A PAYMENT OPTION. EIGHT TICKETS FOR $500. CHERYL THINKS SHE HAS THE ONLINE TICKETS IN HAND WITH A BARCODE. THEY LOOK LEGIT, RIGHT? UNTIL SHE TRIES TO GET INTO FENWAY TO SEE THE WORLD FAMOUS SAVANNAH BANANAS. AND CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BAD NEWS FOR HER. JUST BEFORE GAME TIME, SHE’S TOLD ME THAT THEY’RE NOT REAL, LEGITIMATE SECONDARY TICKET BROKERS LIKE JOHN HIGGINS FROM HIGGS TICKETS HAS THIS ADVICE FOR ALL TICKET BUYERS, ESPECIALLY THE NBA FINALS. GET YOUR TICKETS FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY. DON’T BE GOING TO CRAIGSLIST. THERE’S A LOT OF SCAMMERS OUT THERE. WHEN THE NBA FINALS COME IN TOWN. UH, DEFINITELY USE YOUR CREDIT CARD AND, UM, BUY FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY. GO BACK LIVE. NOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE DIGITAL TICKET THAT CHERYL GOT IN THE STORY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT YOU SE
Woman scammed out of $500 trying to get Savannah Bananas tickets
The fun-loving, barnstorming baseball team played in front of a sold-out crowd at Fenway Park
Updated: 1:21 AM EDT Jun 11, 2024
A Massachusetts woman says she spent hundreds of dollars on tickets to Saturday’s sold-out Savannah Bananas game at Fenway Park in Boston that wound up being counterfeits.A Weymouth, Massachusetts, resident named Cheryl said that when she was searching for tickets, she encountered a woman on Facebook who was initially offering tickets at $50 each.When Cheryl indicated she wanted up to eight seats, the Facebook user wrote: “My uncle works in the Bananas office, so it was super easy to get the tickets.””We were looking forward to a fun night and going out, having dinner,” Cheryl said.Cheryl said she agreed to use Venmo as a payment option and wound up getting the eight tickets for $500.The digital tickets Cheryl received had a QR code that looked legitimate, but she and her guests were unable to get into the Bananas game. The customer service team at Fenway Park then informed her that the QR codes on her tickets were bogus.”She’s the one that told me they’re not real,” Cheryl said. “How am I the idiot that gets scammed? I should know better.”Cheryl said she is now working with her bank and Venmo to get the $500 she spent on the fake tickets back.Legitimate secondary ticket brokers like John Higgins, of Higs Tickets, suggest that fans get their tickets from a reputable company, especially during big events like the Bananas game at Fenway Park and NBA Finals games at TD Garden.”Don’t be going to Craigslist. There’s a lot of scammers out there when the NBA Finals come in town,” Higgins said. “Definitely use your credit card and buy from a reputable company.”Before the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks faced off in the NBA Finals, the Boston Police Department issued a warning to fans about counterfeit tickets in the secondary market. They issued a similar warning before the Celtics and Boston Bruins started their playoff runs this spring.
A Massachusetts woman says she spent hundreds of dollars on tickets to Saturday’s sold-out Savannah Bananas game at Fenway Park in Boston that wound up being counterfeits.
A Weymouth, Massachusetts, resident named Cheryl said that when she was searching for tickets, she encountered a woman on Facebook who was initially offering tickets at $50 each.
When Cheryl indicated she wanted up to eight seats, the Facebook user wrote: “My uncle works in the Bananas office, so it was super easy to get the tickets.”
“We were looking forward to a fun night and going out, having dinner,” Cheryl said.
Cheryl said she agreed to use Venmo as a payment option and wound up getting the eight tickets for $500.
The digital tickets Cheryl received had a QR code that looked legitimate, but she and her guests were unable to get into the Bananas game. The customer service team at Fenway Park then informed her that the QR codes on her tickets were bogus.
“She’s the one that told me they’re not real,” Cheryl said. “How am I the idiot that gets scammed? I should know better.”
Cheryl said she is now working with her bank and Venmo to get the $500 she spent on the fake tickets back.
Legitimate secondary ticket brokers like John Higgins, of Higs Tickets, suggest that fans get their tickets from a reputable company, especially during big events like the Bananas game at Fenway Park and NBA Finals games at TD Garden.
“Don’t be going to Craigslist. There’s a lot of scammers out there when the NBA Finals come in town,” Higgins said. “Definitely use your credit card and buy from a reputable company.”
Before the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks faced off in the NBA Finals, the Boston Police Department issued a warning to fans about counterfeit tickets in the secondary market. They issued a similar warning before the Celtics and Boston Bruins started their playoff runs this spring.
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday led the scoring. Derrick White added a chase-down block. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown pitched in, too — with their passing and defense.
The Mavericks can stop worrying about who Boston’s best player is. Everyone is contributing to the Celtics’ quest for an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Holiday had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and White sprinted down the court to swat away the Mavericks’ last chance on Sunday night as Boston beat Dallas 105-98 to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
Tatum made up for a rough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds to go with his 18 points. Brown scored 21 with three steals, White had 18 points and three steals, and Payton Pritchard’s only basket of the game was a banked half-courter to beat the third quarter buzzer and give Boston an 83-74 lead.
“That’s why they are the No. 1 team in the NBA with the No. 1 record,” said Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who scored 32 with 11 rebounds and 11 assists — the first NBA Finals triple-double in Dallas franchise history. “They have a lot of great players. Basically, anybody can get off.”
Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play less than two hours before the opening tipoff, had his 10th career playoff triple-double. But he scored only three points in the fourth, converting a three-point play with 1:15 left as Dallas scored nine in a row to cut a 14-point deficit to 103-98.
After Derrick Jones Jr. blocked Tatum’s dunk attempt, White ran down the court, joining with Brown to block P.J. Washington’s potential dunk. Brown made a layup at the other end, and then Doncic missed a one-footed, running floater from 3-point range with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas’ last chance at a comeback.
“It’s not all on him. It’s a team,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic, who had been battling chest, knee and ankle injuries. “He put us in a position. He was really good tonight. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get over the hump. We’ve got to find someone to join Luka and (Kyrie Irving) in that scoring category.”
Games 3 and 4 are Wednesday and Friday in Dallas; Boston has not lost on the road this postseason. It was the ninth time the Celtics have won the opening pair in the NBA Finals: They have won the previous eight, and have never been forced to a Game 7 in any of them.
A day after Kidd attempted to sow dissension in the Celtics locker room by calling Brown — not Tatum, an All-NBA first-teamer — the team’s best player, Boston showed why it doesn’t matter. The two All-Stars combined to make 2 of 12 3-point attempts, but filled up the box score in other ways.
“How they play together is sacred, and something that can’t be broken,” Holiday said. “I don’t prefer one or the other, I prefer both. Because they’re both superstars, and they’re showing it on the biggest stage in the world.”
Kristaps Porzingis limped his way to 12 points for top-seeded Boston. Tatum was 6 for 22 shooting and 1 of 7 from 3-point range; the Celtics were 10 for 39 from long distance overall.
“I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor.”
Unlike their 107-89 victory in Game 1, when Boston went 7 for 15 from 3-point range in the first quarter to sprint to a 17-point lead, the Celtics missed their first eight attempts from long range on Sunday. Dallas led the entire first quarter.
Tatum was scoreless in the first and had only five at halftime, when he was still 0 for 3 from 3-point range. Boston was still just 5 for 30 from long distance when Pritchard banked in a half-courter at the third-quarter buzzer to give Boston an 83-74 lead.
That excited the crowd, which previously had spent most of its time serenading Irving with boos — and semi-vulgar chants. Before the game, the scoreboard showed Irving’s postgame quote from Game 1, where he said he thought the crowd would be louder.
The fans roared.
Irving, who scored 16 points, has lost 12 games in a row against the Celtics.
“A little disappointed in myself not being able to convert a lot more of my opportunities in the lane,” he said. “My teammates look for me to convert a lot of shots and lessen the burden not only on Luka but the entire team.”
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) holds back Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving while looking to pass during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic tries to drive past Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, center, tries to pass while pressured by Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) and guard Luka Doncic, left, during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday takes a shot over Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks to shoot over Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, front left, drives to the basket past Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser, second from right, during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) pressures Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, front right, during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) is blocked by Boston Celtics’ Derrick White (9) and Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
By JIMMY GOLEN (AP Sports Writer)
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday provided scoring. Derrick White added a chase-down block. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown contributed, too — with their passing and defense.
The Mavericks can stop worrying about who Boston’s best player is. Everyone the Celtics put in the game is helping them close in on an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Holiday had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and White sprinted down the court to swat away Dallas’ last chance to make it a one-possession game on Sunday night as Boston beat the Mavericks 105-98 to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals.
“I’m really tired of hearing about one guy or this guy or that guy and everybody trying to make it out to be anything other than Celtic basketball,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Everybody that stepped on that court today made winning plays on both ends of the floor.”
Tatum made up for a rough shooting night with 12 assists and nine rebounds to go with his 18 points. Brown scored 21 with three steals, White had 18 points and three steals, and Peyton Pritchard’s only basket of the game was a banked half-courter to beat the third quarter buzzer and give Boston an 83-74 lead.
“That’s why they are the No. 1 team in the NBA with the No. 1 record,” said Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who scored 32 with 11 rebounds and 11 assists — the first NBA Finals triple-double in Dallas franchise history. “They have a lot of great players. Basically, anybody can get off.”
Doncic, who was listed as questionable to play less than two hours before the opening tipoff, had his 10th career playoff triple-double. But he scored only three points in the fourth, converting a three-point play with 1:15 left as Dallas scored nine in a row to cut a 14-point deficit to 103-98.
After Derrick Jones Jr. blocked Tatum’s dunk attempt, White ran down the court to block — along with Brown — P.J. Washington’s potential dunk. Brown made a layup at the other end, and then Doncic missed a one-footed, running floater from 3-point range with 28 seconds left, ending Dallas’ last chance at a comeback.
“He was great,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Luka is a special player — if not the best player in the world — and he causes a problem. … He’s able to create open opportunities and we just didn’t take advantage of them.”
Games 3 and 4 are Wednesday and Friday in Dallas. Boston has not lost on the road this postseason, but the Mavericks need to snap that streak to avoid a sweep and earn a trip back to the Boston Garden, where the local fans are already making space in the rafters for another banner.
It was the ninth time the Celtics have won the opening pair in the NBA Finals. They have won the previous eight, and have never been forced to a Game 7 in any of them.
A day after Kidd attempted to sow dissension in the Celtics locker room by calling Brown — not Tatum, an All-NBA first-teamer — the team’s best player, Boston showed why it doesn’t matter.
Kristaps Porzingis limped his way to 12 points for top-seeded Boston. Tatum was 6 for 22 shooting and 1 of 7 from 3-point range; the Celtics were 10 for 39 from long distance overall.
Kyrie Irving, who’s drawn the animosity of the local fans ever since cutting short his stay in Boston in 2019, scored 16 points; he has lost 12 games in a row against the Celtics.
Unlike their 107-89 victory in Game 1, when Boston went 7 for 15 from 3-point range in the first quarter to sprint to a 17-point lead, the Celtics missed their first eight attempts from long range on Sunday. Dallas led the entire first quarter.
Tatum was scoreless in the first and had only five at halftime, when he was still 0 for 3 from 3-point range. Boston was still just 5 for 30 from long distance when Peyton Pritchard banked in a half-courter at the third-quarter buzzer to give Boston an 83-74 lead.
That excited the crowd, which previously had spent most of its time serenading Irving with boos, and semi-vulgar chants. Irving acknowledged the taunting and shaking his head.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics look on during the second quarter in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
After an exciting Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks are back to face the mighty Boston Celtics. Sunday night plans are as locked in as Kristaps Porzingis on the three-point line.
Keep reading to learn how and when to watch the Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals tonight.
How and when to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
Game 2 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Finals series will be played on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t carry ABC or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch today’s game. Below are the platforms on which you can watch today’s game live.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream today’s game is through a subscription to Sling TV. To watch today’s game, you’ll need a subscription to the Blue tier, which includes access to your local network affiliate’s live feed (excluding CBS). To level up your coverage and get access to sports and content broadcast on ESPN and TNT, subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier plan.
The Blue tier is $45 per month. The Sling’s Orange + Blue tier costs $60 per month, but the platform currently offers 50% off the first month of any pricing tier, making the Orange + Blue tier $30 for the first month.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
Sling TV is also our top choice to stream the NHL Finals.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ABC, NBC and Fox (where available).
You get access to NBA games airing on TNT.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can also catch today’s game on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to ABC and ESPN, in addition to almost every NFL game next season.
To watch the NBA Finals without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NBA basketball, you’ll have access to NFL football, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels with live games. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, starting at $90 per month ($70 for the first month).
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo, you can cancel anytime.
The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Fubo includes most channels you’ll need to watch live sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
You can watch today’s game with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ABC, TNT, local network affiliates and ESPN. It also includes the ESPN+ streaming service. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch today’s game, the 2024 NBA playoffs, MLB this season and network-aired NFL games next season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
Watch today’s game live with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch today’s game on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch NBA basketball without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This amplified digital antenna with a 50-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound.
The best place to get NBA Finals fan gear: Fanatics
Rooting from home is more fun while repping your team with the latest NBA fan gear. Fanatics is our first stop for the newest NBA fan gear, our go-to for the latest drop of NBA Finals merch like jerseys, commemorative T-shirts, hats and more. Fanatics also has just-released NFL Draft jerseys, like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams‘ new Chicago Bears jersey. Fanatics is offering free shipping on orders over $24 through June 8, 2024 (exclusions apply, use code FS24).
2024 NBA Playoffs: Full playoff schedule and results
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
2024 NBA Finals schedule
The 2024 NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series beginning on June 6, 2024 airing on ABC. All times Eastern.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has been very public, seemingly chaotic and dominated by famous names.
Totally Hollywood, in other words.
The Lakers’ reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace Darvin Ham, who was fired May 3 after two seasons.
The Lakers were knocked out of the first round of the current playoffs, but the 17-time NBA champion franchise has nicely filled the void of hoops drama during the week before the NBA Finals with steady leaks about the progress of their quest for a coach who can win a title — and almost as vitally, a coach who can entice LeBron James to finish his career in purple and gold.
According to a person with knowledge of the lengthy search, the Lakers have strongly considered J.J. Redick, the former player and current ESPN analyst who does a podcast with James; Hurley, the back-to-back national championship-winning coach of the Huskies; and James Borrego, the respected former Charlotte Hornets coach and ex-Gregg Popovich assistant who spent last season on New Orleans’ staff.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Lakers aren’t commenting publicly on the search to replace Ham.
But they sure are commenting privately.
On Wednesday, the Athletic reported that Redick shockingly was the frontrunner despite his total lack of coaching experience. On Thursday, the search took another wild turn when ESPN reported the Lakers were instead targeting Hurley, whose candidacy hadn’t even been mentioned in many discussions of the job.
The crazy twists are representative of the various factions within the Lakers’ brain trust of owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka dispensing narratives to their favored media outlets. The Lakers previously seemed unlikely to make an official hire before the end of the NBA Finals, but the person who spoke to the AP said even that could change, depending on their progress.
While the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics waited a week to begin the NBA Finals, the Lakers have dominated talk radio, television and message boards with speculation on the best choice to lead James and the Lakers back to contention for a second title together.
The Lakers are making their coaching change at a critical juncture for the franchise’s partnership with the NBA’s career scoring leader.
The 39-year-old James just completed his 21st season while playing at a higher level than anyone with that much experience in basketball history, but he has until June 29 to decide whether to exercise his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
James could take the deal, or he could sign an even bigger new contract for more years — or he could become a free agent for the first time in six years.
While 31-year-old Anthony Davis is the Lakers’ foundation with a long-term contract in Los Angeles, Buss and Pelinka are clearly determined to keep James alongside him for as long as possible — even publicly floating their willingness to draft his son, Bronny, who just completed one brief collegiate season at USC.
While agent Rich Paul has said James is not involved in the coaching search as he prepares to play for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, the Lakers’ candidates seem designed to appeal to him.
James’ connection with Redick is well-known. James also recently praised Hurley on social media following a podcast interview between Redick and Hurley, with the 20-time All-Star writing that Hurley is “so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their (offense). Love it.”
Hurley has won 141 games in six seasons at UConn, rolling to the past two national titles in impressive fashion. The addition of the nation’s top collegiate coach to the Lakers could be enticing to James and his son, who likely still needs extensive development to be a serviceable NBA player.
The Lakers’ relative underachievement this season despite a healthy James and Davis was primarily blamed on Ham, the first-time head coach who dismayed many fans and observers with his rotations, preparation and strategic acumen. The Lakers have chased savvy basketball minds in their latest search, no matter their pedigree: Redick’s encyclopedic understanding of the game has been on display in his podcast with James, while Hurley favors an NBA-friendly style of play that should translate well to the biggest basketball stage.
Whoever they choose, the Lakers will be adding yet another head coach at a pace typically reserved for underachieving European soccer teams, not powerhouse NBA franchises.
The new hire will be the Lakers’ eighth coach since Phil Jackson’s departure in 2011 and their fourth coach since James arrived as a free agent in 2018. Frank Vogel led Los Angeles to the 2020 championship, but kept the job for only 225 games over three seasons before being fired exactly 18 months after raising the trophy in the Florida bubble.
Ham was the fourth coach fired by James’ teams in the past eight years, joining Cleveland’s David Blatt and the Lakers’ Luke Walton and Vogel.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James acknowleged a historic broadcasting moment ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Doris Burke, the longtime ESPN broadcaster, became the first woman to serve as a TV analyst for a championship final in one of the four major professional sports. Burke was working tonight’s Game 1 of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
James noted the milestone just before the game started.
“Important moment for our sport tonight. Love and respect to DB and everything she does to elevate all of us!” James wrote, then added a GOAT emoji, denoting the Greatest of All Time.
“My focus is in preparing for the games in front of me. … But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I am sort of mindful that there is something meaningful here, right,” Burke said. “And the meaning for me would be if, in some way, this assignment makes life for women in sports easier or somehow aids in their process, then nothing could be more meaningful.
“Anybody calling their first NBA Finals game would probably be nervous, and I think if I allow my mind to drift too much into that space, it will make that nervousness a little bit worse.”
In 2020, Burke was a radio analyst for the conference and NBA Finals, the first woman to broadcast that deep into the tournament.
Burke has worked for ESPN since 1990, and has been a sideline reporter for ABC’s NBA Finals coverage from 2009-19 before moving over to the radio booth.
She joins play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and fellow analyst JJ Redick in the trio’s first NBA Finals together.
Important moment for our sport tonight. Love and respect to DB and everything she does to elevate all of us! You’re a 🐐! 🙏🏾🤎🫡 https://t.co/eckUkkP2Bk
The NBA Finals are here, with the Boston Celtics hosting the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden in a best-of-seven series. It’s a highly anticipated matchup between Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum, while Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis will both face their former teams. Speaking of Kyrie, did you hear that LeBron called him the most gifted player in NBA history? Here’s why.
At first glance, or maybe in general, the Mavs look like your NBA Finals underdog, with only two Finals appearances (and one win) in franchise history, while the Celtics are tied with the Lakers for the most championships (17) in league history. But, the Celtics haven’t won since 2008, while the Mavs were crowned in 2011. As the Star Telegram’s Lawrence Dow wrote, the Mavs are used to an underdog narrative, eliminating the No. 1 (OKC Thunder), No. 3 (Minnesota Timberwolves) and No. 4 (LA Clippers) Western Conference teams to reach the finals. Here are more key stats to know before the finals tip off tonight.
With star-studded teams on both sides of the court, it’s expected for this to be one of the most high-profile finals in recent years. But who’s got the edge?
Also on this weekend: the Stanley Cup Finals
Maybe I jinxed them…while the Dallas-Fort Worth area got the Dallas Mavericks in the finals just months after the Texas Rangers won the World Series, they did not get the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. That honor went to the Edmonton Oilers, who will face the Florida Panthers starting on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark vs. the WNBA, the national media, the narrative?
If you’ve been reading the Scorecard this year…we, along with the rest of the world, have given a fair amount of attention to a certain women’s basketball player. It’s not Beetlejuice, or Voldemort…it’s Caitlin Clark. And while her name isn’t taboo, it is definitely starting to feel that way.
The world has watched her rise to fame, through an undeniable college career, and now to the WNBA. And to give credit where credit is due, Caitlin Clark is a huge part of the momentum behind supporting women’s basketball at all levels. It should surprise no one that it has come at a cost, but I think the most surprising part is who is making Clark pay up: her co-stars in the WNBA.
In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene a day before the NBA Finals with plenty to talk about. Among the topics discussed:
The NBA Finals are here, with the Dallas Mavericks set to face the Boston Celtics. Is Luka Doncic the truth? Could he take the World’s Best Basketball Player title from Nikola Jokic if he beats the Celtics in the Finals?
The fellas hold a quick and informal draft of the top players in the NBA Finals. How many of the top eight players are Celtics? And who ultimately wins the series?
Looking ahead to free agency: Who is likely and who is completely unlikely to join the Nuggets this summer? Does Denver have any chance of bringing an impact player into the fold without trading one of its marquee starters?
Is Jayson Tatum a top-five player? Is Joel Embiid still in the conversation?
Thanks to Thursday night’s impressive blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, the Dallas Mavericks are headed to the NBA Finals. That’s where the Luka Doncic-led squad will face off against the Boston Celtics…
MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.
Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks, who built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting to deflate the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs went up by as much as 36 in the third quarter, all the while keeping the Timberwolves offense all out of whack.
The Mavs, who had the fifth seed in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the championship in 2011. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
David Berding / Getty Images
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves, who met their match with the defense-smashing duo of Doncic and Irving after stifling Phoenix in a first-round sweep and then dethroning defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.
Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.
Doncic set a defiant tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting rainbows from 28 and 31 feet as he turned to talk trash to the courtside fans with each swish, often with a sly smile. He drained a 32-footer later in a first quarter as the Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.
It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.
Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his savvy sidekick Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in this series as this Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be a bitter — but perhaps ultimately beneficial — one.
Though he familiarly and persistently waved his arms at the officials almost every time a whistle didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old Doncic played with an unshakeable confidence and unflappable joy from start to finish. As he was taunted by the fans with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.
Edwards, though he hit the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, had trouble finding his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, for all their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.
They had several wince-inducing possessions in the decisive first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play in sync together.
As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Edwards drove to the lane and kicked the ball to the corner to Kyle Anderson, who swung it back to Towns on the wing and failed to find a look he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.
P.J. Washington, who had 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of yet another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.
The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Daniel Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and just about everyone else who tried to attack the basket.
Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.
As a longer-than-expected offseason tips off for the Denver Nuggets, team officials want to be sure they separate from what coach Michael Malone calls “the emotional reaction to losing” before any major decisions are made.
“I think you always want to take time to let everything sink in and go back and take a quality look at everything that happened during the season,” general manager Calvin Booth said, “and then make decisions from that point.”
As those reflections begin, Booth, Malone and team president Josh Kroenke addressed several topics during a 34-minute news conference Thursday. Chief among them: Do the Nuggets need to find a way to upgrade their roster?
It was telling that Booth focused heavily on advancing the development of Denver’s youngest players.
“I think (the 2023 draft picks) need more seasoning,” he said. “They need to get in the gym. They need to play Summer League. They need to get stronger. Obviously, maybe in our top seven, we can use a little bit more talent. Maybe there’s a way to upgrade one or two positions. … Get a guy that’s a more accomplished NBA player for whatever (roster) slot they’re taking. But I don’t see anything that’s, like, crazy out of sorts for our roster.”
All indications from the extensive availability were that Denver isn’t rushing to make drastic changes to its roster. Booth doubled down on his previously stated team-building philosophy, which involves continuity achieved through drafting and developing to fill out the fringes of an expensive championship roster. He acknowledged the need to address the bench this offseason, potentially even with outside acquisitions, but it’s clear the Nuggets would prefer to rely on home-grown depth.
That Kroenke later expressed faith in the starting lineup — despite its poor showing against Minnesota — was among multiple signs that Denver isn’t rushing to shop Michael Porter Jr. as a trade piece this summer. Malone also rebutted Porter’s own comments taking blame for the early exit.
“We think we still have the best starting five in basketball, even though we fell just short this year,” Kroenke said. “Could have gone either way up until the last few minutes. So we don’t think we’re far off.”
Here’s a look at some of the other topics addressed Thursday:
Will Nuggets cross second apron to keep Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?
Booth said: “We spend a lot of time looking at the second apron and all this other stuff. I think for me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, second apron. And I know the second apron is daunting, and there’s all kinds of restrictions, but I don’t think that’s first on our priority list. KCP’s been a great addition the last couple years. We obviously would love to have him back. We’re gonna take a hard look at what that looks like.”
Analysis: Denver’s roster payroll already exceeds the luxury tax line and the first tax apron, resulting in a list of penalties imposed by the new collective bargaining agreement. If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exercises his $15.4 million player or if the Nuggets re-sign him in free agency, they’ll trigger the second apron next season — meaning even more penalties. But Booth’s comment Thursday indicated that won’t be what stops Denver from retaining Caldwell-Pope.
Kroenke also said that while he’s cognizant of the long-term consequences of existence in the second apron, he’s comfortable going there to make the most of a Nikola Jokic-led roster.
Alignment between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth
Booth said: “We’ve talked about this a lot upstairs. The general manager, front office job oftentimes is to make sure the long-term view is something that we’re satisfied with. And Coach Malone’s down there in the trenches trying to win every night. And a lot of times, those things are aligned, but sometimes they ebb and flow away from each other.”
Malone said: “I’m thinking how do we win the next game? That’s my job. And Calvin as a GM is thinking about how do we win the next couple of years? That’s his job. And Josh is overseeing all that and understanding how to piece all that together.”
Analysis: When Booth and Malone made these comments, they were answering separate questions about different topics. So this has clearly been a theme within the organization in the days following the Nuggets’ second-round exit.
The franchise needs its general manager and head coach to be on the same page in order to maximize all 15 roster spots during the regular season. Most of what that boils down to is Booth’s aforementioned dependence on drafting and developing against Malone’s reluctance to trust young players with extended minutes. (That’s not a tendency that’s exclusive to one NBA head coach.)
Nikola Jokic’s backup big men
Booth said: “We’ll get a great chance to evaluate Vlatko (Cancar) this summer. … If (Slovenia is) able to get out of those qualifiers in Athens, he’ll be available to play in the Olympics, and I believe he’ll be playing in those qualifiers. … Zeke (Nnaji) is a young player. He brings energy to the game. He gives effort every night. He’s trying to grow into both sides of the ball. I think originally we drafted him to be a four. He’s ended up playing a lot of five. I don’t think it matters as much off the bench, but there are certain matchups where it becomes a little bit more problematic. But he has to get better. He has to be ready for his opportunities when they come. I think he’s gonna have a good NBA career.”
Analysis: Cancar missed the entire 2023-24 season after tearing his left ACL during a national team game last summer. His contract has a $2.3 million team option this offseason. The Nuggets need affordable salaries like his, but it would be difficult to justify holding onto him if his health continued to be an issue. If he’s able to make his return in international competition (and maybe even play against Jokic or Jamal Murray in France), it’ll be a huge boost.
As for Nnaji, his four-year, $32 million contract signed last October has aged controversially due to his lack of playing time. Booth seems to prefer Nnaji as a backup four instead of a backup center to Jokic, but if that’s the case, it still leaves a roster hole at the five. (Especially if DeAndre Jordan doesn’t return.) Nnaji’s contract is tradable until it isn’t. If the Nuggets become a second-apron team, they won’t be able to aggregate salaries such as his to get back a larger AAV.
Is Christian Braun an NBA starter?
Booth said: “He obviously has the intangibles and the physical strength and athleticism and defense (to be a starter). And he’s gonna have to make some improvements, as he has, shooting the ball. But I don’t know how you could see a player in his second year that’s done what he’s done and not think he has a chance of starting. He’s ahead of schedule in that regard.”
Malone: “I think Christian Braun, it’s all gonna come down to one thing. To be a shooting guard in the NBA, you’ve gotta be able to make shots. That’s the bottom line. So if you want to simplify CB’s future as a starting two-guard in the NBA, it’ll be determined upon his ability to be a 38% or above 3-point shooter.”
Analysis: If Caldwell-Pope moves on in free agency, this is the leading applicant for Denver’s fifth-starter opening. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Braun was in Malone’s closing lineup for much of the Minnesota series due to his defensive prowess against Anthony Edwards. That’s an impressive notch in the 23-year-old’s arrow, on top of playing rotation minutes in the NBA Finals as a rookie.
In an ideal world, Braun would come off the bench again next season, improving Denver’s 2024-25 depth and giving him one more year to develop before making that jump to a starting role. But to Malone’s point, here’s the good news: Braun already shot 38.4% from 3-point range this season.
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, received 22 minutes and 11 points from Naz Reid, a stretch-4-type post who gave Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic more real estate to defend. Nickeil Alexander-Walker played 17 minutes.
Hindsight makes geniuses of us all, granted. But while Jokic huffed and Gordon puffed Sunday, Peyton Watson became more noticeable — by his absence. As Minnesota chipped away at a 20-point Nuggs lead, one of the best defenders on the roster was nowhere to be found.
Now in a do-or-die, win-or-else Game 7, you could understand Malone’s reluctance to trust his second-year wing in a pinch. P-Swat was 0-for-7 from the floor in this series going into Sunday night. The Nuggets lined up the chess pieces as if they could afford only one true defense-first option down the stretch — and again, Braun brought plenty of juice.
Malone said before Game 5 that this was about matchups, and that Minnesota’s defense demands shooters at every spot. That’s not in P-Swat’s arsenal right now, and Holiday brought flashes of brilliance, on the road, when Denver needed it most.
Because as the eulogies are read and ballads sung and postmortems written about where a repeat run at an NBA title went sadly off the rails, P-Swat feels like something of a nexus point. Not just for what happened. But for where the Nuggets go from here. And how.
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth raised eyebrows this past October when he told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that he “want(s) dudes that we try to develop, and it’s sustainable. If it costs us the chance to win a championship (in 2024), so be it. It’s worth the investment. It’s more about winning three out of six, three out of seven, four out of eight than it is about trying to go back-to-back.”
Booth walked back those comments (among others) later, but it sure did very neatly explain an off-season of attrition — no more Bruce Brown or Jeff Green, thanks CBA — that came on the heels of the first title in franchise history. If ’22-23 was the masterpiece, then ’23-24 would be the experiment. Namely, can we replace Brown and Green with kids and still reach the NBA Finals?
Well, no. Heck, no. Not this year, at any rate.
Booth’s stated masterplan was also curious given that Malone, a stickler for eternal verities such as defense and selflessness, suffers neither fools nor rookies gladly. If Malone doesn’t trust you, you don’t play. Period. The Minnesota series, which started with the Nuggets dropping Games 1 and 2 at home, threw development out a 35-story window.
I’m not suggesting Malone and Booth aren’t on the same page here, although it’s fair to wonder. However, I would humbly advise the powers that be to pick a lane and stick with it going forward. For the window’s sake. For Joker’s sake.
The MVP needs help. Now. Jokic, owner of the greatest hands in modern NBA annals, snatched 15 boards in the first half. He finished with 19. Following one misfire in the third quarter, what looked like four Minnesota bodies went up for the carom while No. 15 was stranded at the top of the arc. The Joker seemed positively crestfallen.
Since April 1 through Game 7, the Big Honey logged 732 minutes in 19 games, or 38.5 per game. From April 1 through the end of the Suns series last spring, he’d played 467 minutes in 13 appearances (35.9 per tilt).
The Nuggs danced with history last week. And landed on the wrong side of it, face-first. Malone’s had better days. He’ll have better ones in the future. But Game 7’s epic collapse felt an awful lot like coaching not to lose. Which, more often than not, gets you beat on this stage.
The Wolves, meanwhile, were built by Tim Connelly to dethrone the dynasty he’d started in Denver. See KAT? See Ant, waving and mugging for the cameras? They’re the bar now.
It’s on Booth and Malone to volley Connelly’s serve. Together. Because the Joker has a ton of MVP seasons left in him. But only so many springs of what-ifs. And only so many summers of doubt.
It’s a do-or-die moment for the Orlando Magic. After dropping Game 5 in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Magic now face a must-win Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Kia Center on Friday night. It’s a situation much of this roster has never experienced before – playing in such a high stakes environment – however, it’s one they feel comfortable in. “It’s the first time for a lot of us but I don’t think it’s very surprising,” said Magic forward Paolo Banchero. “We have guys that are winners, have winning in their DNA.”I think if you look at it as being overwhelming, you’re not ready for it. This is what we worked for and we’re excited to go out and compete.”Both sides have protected home court throughout the series, and Tuesday’s game was the first time a game had been decided by single digits. The Magic fell behind at the start of the first quarter, but rallied late, falling by just a single point.Even with the loss, it’s performances like that which make this group confident in their ability to handle a high-pressure situation.”Take last game, that was high stakes and high pressure and we showed up,” said Jonathan Isaac. “I don’t think this is any different . We’ve shown that we can compete.”The Magic will tip off tonight at 7 p.m. Should they win, they will force a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. Should they lose, their season will be over.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
It’s a do-or-die moment for the Orlando Magic.
After dropping Game 5 in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Magic now face a must-win Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Kia Center on Friday night.
It’s a situation much of this roster has never experienced before – playing in such a high stakes environment – however, it’s one they feel comfortable in.
“It’s the first time for a lot of us but I don’t think it’s very surprising,” said Magic forward Paolo Banchero. “We have guys that are winners, have winning in their DNA.
“I think if you look at it as being overwhelming, you’re not ready for it. This is what we worked for and we’re excited to go out and compete.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Both sides have protected home court throughout the series, and Tuesday’s game was the first time a game had been decided by single digits. The Magic fell behind at the start of the first quarter, but rallied late, falling by just a single point.
Even with the loss, it’s performances like that which make this group confident in their ability to handle a high-pressure situation.
“Take last game, that was high stakes and high pressure and we showed up,” said Jonathan Isaac. “I don’t think this is any different [tonight]. We’ve shown that we can compete.”
The Magic will tip off tonight at 7 p.m. Should they win, they will force a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. Should they lose, their season will be over.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Times on Tuesday that officers responded to a burglary around 9 a.m. Friday on the Woodland Hills block where Pierce lives. “Unknown items” were stolen, according to the LAPD, and no arrests have been made.
TMZ first reported that Pierce’s house had been burglarized on Friday while the 10-time NBA All-Star was not home.
The LAPD declined to comment on whether the incident may be connected to a growing trend of “burglary tourism,” in which thieves from South America enter the United States for the purpose of committing robberies, typically in wealthy neighborhoods.
After his retirement from the NBA, Pierce served as a basketball analyst for ESPN and more recently was a cast member on the Fox reality series “Stars on Mars.”
Last year, Pierce reached a $1.4-million settlement agreement with the Securities and Exchanges Commission over alleged unlawful crypto promotion. Pierce admitted to no wrongdoing in making the settlement.
