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Tag: NBA Finals

  • Keeler: If Nuggets coach Michael Malone, Calvin Booth aren’t on same page, they’ll burn another year of Nikola Jokic’s MVP peak

    Keeler: If Nuggets coach Michael Malone, Calvin Booth aren’t on same page, they’ll burn another year of Nikola Jokic’s MVP peak

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    Michael Malone didn’t just shorten his bench. He strangled it.

    Christian Braun played a valiant 20 minutes in that scarring, jarring Game 7, much of it spent badgering the heck outta Anthony Edwards. After that, though, the alms dwindled. Justin Holiday got nine minutes for the Nuggets; Reggie Jackson, five.

    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.

    Mind you, Watson also posted a plus-15.9 net rating over 23 minutes against the Wolves in a seeding showdown at Ball Arena last month, blocking six shots and grabbing four boards.

    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.

     

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Do-or-Die: Magic on the brink of elimination with must-win Game 6

    Do-or-Die: Magic on the brink of elimination with must-win Game 6

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    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.”

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    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.

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  • Burglars reportedly hit Paul Pierce’s L.A. home, make off with $100,000, luxury watches

    Burglars reportedly hit Paul Pierce’s L.A. home, make off with $100,000, luxury watches

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    More than $100,000 in cash, luxury watches and a safe were reportedly stolen from the San Fernando Valley home of Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce last week.

    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.

    A former standout player at Inglewood High, Pierce was a first-round draft pick for the Boston Celtics in 1998. He was named the MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games for the only championship of Pierce’s career.

    After 15 seasons in Boston, Pierce spent a year each with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, then played two years with the Clippers before retiring after the 2016-17 season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2021.

    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.

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    Chuck Schilken

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  • Why Nuggets want Reggie Jackson to stay aggressive during slump: “This team is mad at you if you don’t shoot”

    Why Nuggets want Reggie Jackson to stay aggressive during slump: “This team is mad at you if you don’t shoot”

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    MIAMI — The backcourt that shepherded Denver to consecutive road wins in Miami during last year’s NBA Finals was waiting to check back into the game, waiting to send Heat fans marching toward the exits once again. Clutch time is when the Nuggets’ starters thrive.

    But these two starters decided they’d rather let the backup backcourt do the honors.

    After a barrage of Reggie Jackson jumpers, Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went to coach Michael Malone and told him to keep Jackson and Christian Braun in the game. Malone obliged, and the Nuggets kept pulling away for a 100-88 win that they hope will be important for reasons that transcend their temporary, solitary claim to first place in the West.

    Jackson needed a new dose of confidence.

    “I’ve been in a crazy slump,” he said.

    Earlier in the fourth quarter, Braun scored seven critical points during Nikola Jokic’s rest minutes to protect a slim lead. Then Jackson took over, scoring from 17, 15 and 26 feet on three consecutive possessions in a span of 1:12 to double Denver’s lead and force an Erik Spoelstra timeout.

    “I had Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the scorer’s table during that stretch. And this speaks a lot about our group,” Malone said. “Both those guys said to me, ‘Coach, let Reggie ride. Let CB ride. This group is playing well.’ And part of our culture — because we do have a culture in Denver as well — part of our culture is being selfless. Getting over yourself. And I think that’s another example of how our team is always getting over the individual, thinking about the collective. Really happy for Reggie Jackson.”

    Malone was not-so-subtly throwing shade at Miami’s “Heat Culture” mantra in his postgame comments, but his proud advocacy for Nuggets Culture was validated by the team’s reaction to Jackson’s heat check.

    “You could see it transpire on the court. That was the cool part,” Jackson told The Denver Post. “I’ve been playing long enough. You see a lot of things the older you get. You witness it. I knew my minutes were kind of up. I knew Jamal was supposed to come on the court. … And then I see Jamal motioning to Coach, like, ‘Keep him in. Let him play.’ I saw Pope doing the same thing for C.B. So that was a really cool moment for C.B. and myself.”

    For Jackson in particular, the vote of confidence was revitalizing. In the first 30 games of the season, he averaged 13.2 points on 48.6% shooting, including 38.1% from 3-point range. He led the Nuggets to a handful of wins in November when Murray was out with a strained hamstring. In the next 35 games entering this matchup, Jackson shot 38.7% from the floor and 30.9% from outside, averaging only 7.4 points and scoring in double figures only 10 times.

    After the win in Miami, he has still gone a season-long 10 consecutive games without touching double digits, but seven of his nine points Wednesday were scored during the game-clinching burst.

    He says his teammates have been urging him to take those shots despite the drop in efficiency.

    “They want me to continue to be myself. Continue to be aggressive. They’ve been kind of upset at me for not playing my game the last few,” Jackson said. “So then I started playing aggressive. Even still in the midst of missing shots. I think I had a 1-for-9 night. I had like a 1-for-7. But just hearing the encouragement from my teammates … once you have a great group like that — front office, coaches, teammates — believing in you like that, you can’t do anything but start believing in yourself again. So like I said: Hit a slump. Had some dark days. Tough days. But having that encouragement has made it easier to come out here and keep attacking, keep pushing ahead and just live with the results.”

    Jackson’s defining quality is his one-on-one scoring capability. There have been flashes in recent games when he puts the moves on an opposing guard but simply misses the shot he generates.

    “That’s the annoying part,” he said. “I think the reassuring part is that I can still get to a spot and get to a shot. So that’s always the best part. I think once I’m not able to get to a shot, that would be a little worrisome. That’s probably when you’ve gotta hang it up. … Just knowing I can still get there. And now it’s on me to go ahead and continue to get in the gym and find a way to complete the play. So that’s really what I’ve been trying to focus on. Footwork. Having my confidence down, and just continuing to trust in the reps, trust in the work.”

    Jackson’s rotations have changed recently. He’s not sharing the floor with Murray much anymore, after a stretch of games in which Malone tried a variation of the second unit that deployed both point guards at the same time. Instead, Justin Holiday is filling the extra backcourt spot in that lineup; Jackson is subbing back in with Jokic to give Murray a brief rest. That’s why Jackson was on the floor as a competitive NBA Finals rematch entered the last five minutes.

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    Bennett Durando

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  • Keeler: Nuggets star Jamal Murray could ruin LeBron James’ record-setting night. But is that worth risking Murray’s bad ankle?

    Keeler: Nuggets star Jamal Murray could ruin LeBron James’ record-setting night. But is that worth risking Murray’s bad ankle?

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    Michael Adams’ heart did a one-handed push shot right past his chest, then sank straight into his hands.

    There he was, baseline royalty, right under the basket. First time back at Ball Arena in about six years, and Jamal Murray lands like a dead fish three feet in front of him, rolling on the floor.

    Suddenly, in a cruel twist of irony and a crueler twist of an ankle, one of the greatest shooters in Nuggets history had a front-row seat to watch the Blue Arrow, his spiritual successor, writhe in agony.

    “I just heard him say, ‘Oh my God,’” Adams, the Nuggets’ 3-point ace from 1987-91, said of the Blue Arrow’s sprain just before halftime, the one that cast a pall over the Nuggets’ scrappy 103-97 victory over the Miami Heat in an NBA Finals rematch.

    “So when (Murray) grabbed his ankle, I was like, ‘OK, it’s his ankle … it wasn’t his knee.’”

    Join the club, brother.

    I know what you’re thinking: Man, the Lakers are next. Is there a better, sweeter feeling for Nuggets faithful than watching Murray prop his feet up on the couch in The House Kobe Built and drop daggers all over Tinseltown? Especially on LeBron’s big night? Over his last six regular-season appearances against the Lake Show, the Blue Arrow’s averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists and 3.2 treys.

    But by the same token, did you see the anguish on the guy’s face as he staggered off the baseline and limped to the locker room? Why push your luck? Especially when that luck is as fickle as Jamal’s?

    “Injuries happen,” Adams told me, “but in this situation, you want the Nuggets to be healthy toward the end of the season … if he’s not ready to go, they’ll sit him down and let him get healthy. They’ve still got some time (to finish) the season with him on the floor.”

    This ain’t about want-to. Or toughness. Murray was raised like a basketball ninja in chilly Ontario, a childhood montage that included push-ups in the snow and balancing cups of hot tea on his thigh during squats. The Arrow would sooner swim through shark-infested waters wearing a chum suit than accept defeat.

    Still, if I’m Nuggets coach Michael Malone, I’m overriding Murray’s inner Bruce Lee and reaching for the bubble wrap.

    The NBA Playoffs, the land of bright lights, big stages and swollen egos where No. 27 reigns supreme, is seven weeks away yet. The No. 1 seed in the West is a heck of a target, yes, and the Nuggets went into Friday trailing the Wolves by a game-and-a-half.

    Everything’s on the table now. Including disaster. And you sure as heck don’t get a parade in June by redlining Murray in early March.

    “When Jamal realizes, ‘Hey, man, we’ve got 23 games to go, this (ankle) is not feeling great right now,’ I think it’s great for him to realize being cautious right now is probably the really prudent decision,” Malone said late Thursday night. “And that shows also (his) maturity. He’s growing and realizing that we (need him long-term) …

    “(People insist), ‘You should be the No. 1 seed.’ Yeah, that’d be great. I want to be healthy. Because I know if we’re healthy, that we can beat anybody, anywhere.”

    Dang straight.

    Murray ended the first quarter Thursday by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer with four Miami hands in his face. He ended the second in the bowels of Ball Arena, getting treatment on a right ankle that got rolled during an accidental collision with teammate Aaron Gordon.

    The tumble happened, as kismet would have it, right in front of Adams, now 61 and working with the Washington Wizards, and his son.

    “I actually wanted to bring my All-Star ring here to let him hold onto it until he actually made one,” said Adams, who represented Washington at the NBA’s mid-winter classic back in 1992. “And to (tell Murray), ‘You deserve to be on an All-Star team.’ I didn’t do it. But I wanted to.”

    In his salad days, Adams was Steph Curry before Steph, 5-foot-10 with a funky release, cold-blooded to the core, a shooter ahead of his time. Especially once ex-Nuggets coach Doug Moe gave him the green light.

    “I’m a big fan of Murray — obviously, him and Nikola (Jokic) are just out-of-this-world players,” said Adams, who averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 dimes over four seasons with Denver. “I love watching him play. I was just telling my son, ‘If I was backing up Jamal Murray, and he just went out of the game, I’d be happy to be on the floor with the rest of those guys right now.’”

    He’d be happier still to see Murray rest that ankle until the Arrow’s closer to 100%. And like Malone, he’d rather have the Nuggets healthy come mid-April than exhaust their stars in a seeding chase.

    “You want (those starters) on the floor, but health is No. 1,” Adams said. “I think the Nuggets can beat anybody on the road (in the playoffs) if they had to.”

    Nine solid weeks of Murray in the spring is worth its weight in gold. At least 29 pounds of it, last we checked.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • NBA trade deadline winners, losers: Did rest of league catch up with Denver Nuggets?

    NBA trade deadline winners, losers: Did rest of league catch up with Denver Nuggets?

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    While the Nuggets didn’t change their 18-man roster at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, other contenders around the league made a variety of moves — mostly on the margins — in an effort to steal the throne from Denver.

    From the view at altitude, here are the winners and losers of the deadline:

    Winner: New York Knicks

    The leader of every other winners-and-losers think-piece is the leader of this one, too. New York landed Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks on deadline day at relatively low cost, but the Nuggets already got a close-up view of the new Knicks when O.G. Anunoby registered six steals against them at MSG. With Milwaukee reeling and Philadelphia hedging after Joel Embiid’s injury (Buddy Hield was a solid middle-ground acquisition), New York suddenly transformed into the most proactive win-now team in the East this deadline.

    Loser: Dallas Mavericks

    In arguably the highest-profile trade on actual deadline day, Dallas overpaid for P.J. Washington, whose 13.6 points per game felt somewhat like empty calories in Charlotte. The trade was simultaneously an admission of failure in the Grant Williams Experiment and a brand-new roll of the dice. More importantly, the Mavericks did what the Knicks avoided: They traded a precious first-round pick (2027). Future: mortgaged. Draft assets are close to extinct now for Dallas, a franchise throwing darts at the wall and hoping one will stick before it’s too late to salvage and extend the Luka Doncic era.

    Winner: Boston Celtics

    Is Xavier Tillman going to be a significant role player in Joe Mazzulla’s playoff rotation? Probably not. Will the Celtics feel a lot more comfortable having an affordable, playable backup big ready to aid the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and aging Al Horford? Absolutely. Especially if they’re dealing with six or seven games of Nikola Jokic. This was a depth move that felt tailored to fit a Nuggets NBA Finals matchup, but it cost Boston only two second-round picks to add a salary under $2 million.

    Loser: Oklahoma City Thunder

    The Thunder should have done what Boston did. Don’t get me wrong: Gordon Hayward seems like an outstanding veteran addition to a young team. A lot of teams would have pursued him if Charlotte had bought out his contract. But Oklahoma City’s biggest need still hasn’t been addressed. Back in October, I asked Michael Porter Jr. for his first impressions of Chet Holmgren after Denver won in OKC. “I think he’s very, very talented,” Porter said. “To me, he’s more of a four.” Holmgren, who has an even more injury-prone body type than Porzingis and already missed all of last season, is the Thunder’s starting five. Sophomore charge-taking specialist Jaylin Williams (6-foot-9) backs him up. The center position runs dry from there. For a team so small and with a rebounding weakness (No. 27 in the league), it seems neglectful not to dip into a horde of 10,000 picks and add a more traditional five to at least deploy in bench lineups. Without reinforcements, Holmgren is susceptible to getting worn down by Jokic in a long series.

    Winner: Monte Morris

    Congratulations to one former Nuggets backup point guard, who moved from the league’s most puzzling team (Detroit) to a Western Conference title contender. Smart trade for the Timberwolves, who needed more offense to support their top-rated defense. Minnesota’s two most common lineups involving point guard Mike Conley have net ratings of 9.6 and 7.6, respectively, in 635 combined minutes. The most common lineup without Conley on the floor is a minus-5.1 in 127 minutes (a lineup including Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns), and second-most common without Conley is a modest 4.9 in 100 minutes (using all four starters except him). Morris supplies 3-point shooting and an upgrade in turnover prevention for an offense that’s third-worst in the NBA at protecting the ball in clutch time.

    Loser: Bruce Brown

    Pour one out for a different former Nuggets backup point guard. Brown did the Reverse Morris three weeks ago, getting traded from a young playoff-caliber core in Indianapolis to a losing team. But the league-wide expectation was that Toronto would flip Brown. There was a market for his versatility and recent championship experience. So he waited and waited, until the deadline passed Thursday, leaving him temporarily stranded in Canada. Brown was just one bullet point on a list of head-scratching decisions by the Raptors, also including their forfeiture of a 2024 first-round pick among other assets for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.

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    Bennett Durando

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  • 1 icon, 6 shoes, $8 million: An auction of Michael Jordan’s championship sneakers sets a record

    1 icon, 6 shoes, $8 million: An auction of Michael Jordan’s championship sneakers sets a record

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    NEW YORK — A collection of sneakers that superstar Michael Jordan wore as he and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships has fetched $8 million at auction, setting a new record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s said.

    The six Air Jordan shoes — one apiece from the last games of the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 championship series — sold Friday. Sotheby’s dubbed it the “Dynasty Collection.”

    “Serving as both a reminder of Michael Jordan’s lasting impact on the world and a tangible expression of his recognized legendary status, its significance is further validated by this monumental result,” Brahm Wachter of Sotheby’s said in a statement. Wachter oversees modern collectables for the auction house.

    Sotheby’s didn’t identify the buyer and described the seller only as “a private American collector” who obtained them from a longtime Bulls executive.

    Jordan first gave a sneaker to the executive after the championship-winning game in 1991 and continued the tradition afterward, according to Sotheby’s. The auction lot included photos of Jordan wearing a single shoe as he celebrated the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 wins.

    A five-time league MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Jordan was so singular a player that then-NBA Commissioner David Stern in 1992 called him “the standard by which basketball excellence is measured.” The NBA renamed its MVP trophy for Jordan in 2022.

    He also helped shake up the athletic shoe industry and supercharge sneaker culture by teaming up with Nike to create Air Jordans in the mid-1980s.

    The pair he wore in the second game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold through Sotheby’s last April for $2.2 million, a record for a pair of sneakers. The highest auction price for any Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million for his jersey from the first game at that series, according to Sotheby’s, which sold it 2022.

    Simply an unused ticket to Jordan’s 1984 debut with the Bulls was sold through Heritage Auctions in 2022 for $468,000 — over 55,000 times the face value.

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  • Michael Jordan’s championship sneaker collection goes for $8 million at auction

    Michael Jordan’s championship sneaker collection goes for $8 million at auction

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    A collection of sneakers that superstar Michael Jordan wore as he and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships has fetched $8 million at auction, setting a new record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s said.

    The six Air Jordan shoes — one apiece from the last games of the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 championship series — sold Friday. Sotheby’s dubbed it the “Dynasty Collection.”

    “Serving as both a reminder of Michael Jordan’s lasting impact on the world and a tangible expression of his recognized legendary status, its significance is further validated by this monumental result,” Brahm Wachter of Sotheby’s said in a statement. Wachter oversees modern collectables for the auction house.

    Auction Air Jordans
    This image provided by Sotheby’s shows a collection of sneakers dubbed the “Dynasty Collection” that superstar Michael Jordan wore as he and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships. The collection fetched $8 million at auction on Feb. 2, 2024, setting a new record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s said. 

    Sotheby’s via AP


    Sotheby’s didn’t identify the buyer and described the seller only as “a private American collector” who obtained them from a longtime Bulls executive.

    Jordan first gave a sneaker to the executive after the championship-winning game in 1991 and continued the tradition afterward, according to Sotheby’s. The auction lot included photos of Jordan wearing a single shoe as he celebrated the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 wins.

    A five-time league MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Jordan was so singular a player that then-NBA Commissioner David Stern in 1992 called him “the standard by which basketball excellence is measured.” The NBA renamed its MVP trophy for Jordan in 2022.

    He also helped shake up the athletic shoe industry and supercharge sneaker culture by teaming up with Nike to create Air Jordans in the mid-1980s.

    The pair he wore in the second game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold through Sotheby’s last April for $2.2 million, a record for a pair of sneakers. The highest auction price for any Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million for his jersey from the first game at that series, according to Sotheby’s, which sold it 2022.

    Simply an unused ticket to Jordan’s 1984 debut with the Bulls was sold through Heritage Auctions in 2022 for $468,000 — over 55,000 times the face value.

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  • LeBron James scores 30 points, Lakers rout Pelicans 133-89 to reach tournament final

    LeBron James scores 30 points, Lakers rout Pelicans 133-89 to reach tournament final

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    LAS VEGAS — LeBron James scored 30 points in less than three quarters and the Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89 on Thursday night to reach the championship game in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

    The Lakers will play the surprising Indiana Pacers on Saturday night for the inaugural NBA Cup. Indiana advanced with a 128-119 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the other semifinal. Unlike the other tournament games, the championship game will not count in the regular-season standings.

    Los Angeles’ run to the title game, James said, is indicative of the team’s potential. He was particularly pleased with the defense, which held New Orleans to 35.8% shooting, and the Lakers also had a 59-42 rebounding advantage.

    “I think we are starting to get a feel for what we need to become a team for us to win basketball games, to be consistent,” James said. “Defensively, we’re really, really starting to tap into that like, OK, we’ve got to defend every single night. When we defend, we give ourselves a chance to win every night.”

    Austin Reaves scored 17 points for Los Angeles, Anthony Davis had 16 points and 15 rebounds and Taurean Prince finished with 15 points.

    Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 14 points. Zion Williamson had 13 points and Herbert Jones 10.

    Pelicans coach Willie Green said he credited his team in the locker room with making the semifinals, “but tonight was a total letdown. We’re all disappointed in our competitive spirit against the Lakers. You’ve got to give them credit. They came out and dominated. … But tonight we took a step in the wrong direction.”

    New Orleans led 30-29 after the first quarter, but James opened the second scoring the Lakers’ first 11 points, and suddenly a one-point deficit was a 40-33 lead.

    During that stretch, James made three 3-pointers in a row. The last two came from the league and tournament logo, firing up the pro-Lakers crowd. The nearly 39-year-old superstar even took three charges.

    “Any time your best player sacrifices his body, takes three charges in the first half, especially with Zion coming down the paint, it sets a tone,” Reaves said. “That shows to everybody else how locked in he is to win this, and how locked in he is every game.”

    By halftime, James had 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting. He went to the bench midway through the third quarter, which should give him plenty of energy for the championship against a Pacers team like that likes to push, well, pace.

    “They are young,” Davis said. “They are scrappy. They get out and run, and they play the right way. So it’s going to be a test for our defense for sure.”

    Los Angeles has won three consecutive games and four of its past five. Coach Darvin Ham said the focus, aggressiveness and unselfishness during this recent span make the Lakers “damn near unstoppable.”

    “It’s a beautiful thing to see this early,” Ham said. “I think the intensity that this tournament brings reveals that because it’s not just a regular-season game. It doesn’t feel like that. The stakes are way higher and you see people in those delicate moments what they are truly made of, at least the beginning stages.”

    UP NEXT

    Pelicans: Host Minnesota on Monday night.

    Lakers: Face Indiana on Saturday night in Las Vegas in the title game.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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  • Ex-UFC Champ Conor McGregor Won’t Face Sexual Assault Charges

    Ex-UFC Champ Conor McGregor Won’t Face Sexual Assault Charges

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    MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not face sexual assault charges following an investigation of allegations that surfaced during the NBA Finals last June in Miami, his lawyer, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.

    The probe examined claims by a woman that McGregor assaulted her in an arena bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.

    “After a thorough investigation, including a review of videos and interviews with eyewitnesses, the authorities have concluded that there is no case to pursue against my client, Conor McGregor,” attorney Barbara Llanes said in an email.

    “As anticipated, this decision by the authorities confirms Mr. McGregor’s account of the evening. On behalf of my client, his family and his fans we are pleased this is now over.”

    The decision was also confirmed by the State Attorney’s Office, which said the charges were dropped. It was not immediately clear if the case’s closeout memo had been completed.

    The woman had accused McGregor of forcing her into a bathroom at the Kaseya Center in Miami and that security did nothing to help.

    McGregor was at the Heat game as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray, which turned into an in-game skit with the Heat mascot, Burnie, that went wrong. The mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.

    McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court. The employee inside the outfit needed to seek medical attention and use pain medication for a few days afterward.

    McGregor has not fought in the UFC since suffering a broken leg in a July 2021 fight. He is supposed to return in 2024.

    The development was first reported by TMZ.

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  • Prosecutors won’t charge ex-UFC champ Conor McGregor with sexual assault after NBA Finals incident

    Prosecutors won’t charge ex-UFC champ Conor McGregor with sexual assault after NBA Finals incident

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    Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not face sexual assault charges following an investigation of allegations that surfaced during the NBA Finals last June in Miami, his lawyer and police said

    ByThe Associated Press

    October 18, 2023, 4:43 PM

    FILE – Conor McGregor prepares to fight Dustin Poirier in a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not face sexual assault charges following investigation of allegations that surfaced during the NBA Finals last June in Miami, his lawyer said Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

    The Associated Press

    MIAMI — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not face sexual assault charges following an investigation of allegations that surfaced during the NBA Finals last June in Miami, his lawyer, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.

    The probe examined claims by a woman that McGregor assaulted her in an arena bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.

    “After a thorough investigation, including a review of videos and interviews with eyewitnesses, the authorities have concluded that there is no case to pursue against my client, Conor McGregor,” attorney Barbara Llanes said in an email.

    “As anticipated, this decision by the authorities confirms Mr. McGregor’s account of the evening. On behalf of my client, his family and his fans we are pleased this is now over.”

    The decision was also confirmed by the State Attorney’s Office, which said the charges were dropped. It was not immediately clear if the case’s closeout memo had been completed.

    The woman had accused McGregor of forcing her into a bathroom at the Kaseya Center in Miami and that security did nothing to help.

    McGregor was at the Heat game as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray, which turned into an in-game skit with the Heat mascot, Burnie, that went wrong. The mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.

    McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court. The employee inside the outfit needed to seek medical attention and use pain medication for a few days afterward.

    McGregor has not fought in the UFC since suffering a broken leg in a July 2021 fight. He is supposed to return in 2024.

    The development was first reported by TMZ.

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  • NBA’s Jimmy Butler and singer Sebastián Yatra play tennis at a US Open charity event for Ukraine

    NBA’s Jimmy Butler and singer Sebastián Yatra play tennis at a US Open charity event for Ukraine

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    NBA star Jimmy Butler has dressed just like a member of the ball crew at the U.S. Open and picked up a racket to play alongside Frances Tiafoe during a charity event that raised $320,000 for humanitarian relief in Ukraine

    ByThe Associated Press

    August 23, 2023, 11:18 PM

    FILE – Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to pass the ball during Game 2 of the team’s NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, May 19, 2023, in Boston. Butler dressed just like a member of the ball crew at the U.S. Open tennis tournament Wednesday to perform those duties and picked up a racket to play alongside Frances Tiafoe during a charity event that raised $320,000 for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

    The Associated Press

    NEW YORK — NBA star Jimmy Butler took a swing at another sport Wednesday night, dressing just like a member of the ball crew at the U.S. Open to perform those duties and picking up a racket to play with Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz and Sebastián Yatra at a charity event that raised $320,000 for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

    Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the war there continues.

    Butler, who led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals last season before losing to the Denver Nuggets, is not new to tennis and is friends with 2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff.

    He teamed with Tiafoe, a semifinalist at last year’s U.S. Open, in doubles against defending champion Alcaraz and Grammy winner Yatra.

    Other just-for-fun exhibitions at Stars of the Open in Louis Armstrong Stadium included John McEnroe, Gabriela Sabatini, Jessica Pegula, Matteo Berrettini, Elena Svitolina, Gael Monfils, Chris Eubanks and Jennifer Brady.

    The U.S. Open begins Monday.

    ___

    AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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  • Conor McGregor is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an NBA Finals game in Miami

    Conor McGregor is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an NBA Finals game in Miami

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    The NBA and the Miami Heat are investigating an allegation that former UFC champion Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman inside an arena bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals

    Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor punches Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, during a break in Game 4 of the basketball NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Miami. The man who occupies Burnie’s costume needed medical attention. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

    The Associated Press

    MIAMI — The NBA and the Miami Heat are investigating an allegation that former UFC champion Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman inside an arena bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

    The woman’s attorney, Ariel Mitchell, said her client has provided Miami police with the clothing she was wearing that night and that a report was filed.

    McGregor’s attorney said the fighter denied any wrongdoing. “Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated,” said the attorney, Barbara Llanes.

    In letters sent to the NBA, the Heat and McGregor’s representatives, Mitchell detailed her client’s allegations and said the client would discuss “reasonable settlement offers” before June 12 or else proceed with litigation.

    “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation,” read a statement from the Heat. “Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.”

    The NBA had a similar statement, saying it was working with the Heat to gather information.

    The alleged incident happened on the same night McGregor knocked out the Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong.

    Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets.

    The employee, who was not identified, received pain medication and was recovering, the team said.

    McGregor was there as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray — and was booed by many in the Miami crowd even before the bit started. The flame mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.

    McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court.

    McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Denver Nuggets defeat Miami Heat for franchise’s first NBA title

    Denver Nuggets defeat Miami Heat for franchise’s first NBA title

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    Nikola Jokic guided Denver to its first NBA title in team history Monday night, as the Nuggets overcame dreadful shooting and a late flurry from Miami’s Jimmy Butler to squeeze past the Heat for a frantic 94-89 victory in Game 5.

    Jokic had 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets and earned NBA Finals MVP honors — a trophy certainly more meaningful to him than the two overall MVPs he won in 2021 and ’22.

    He bailed out the Nuggets, going 12 for 16 from the floor on a night when none of his teammates could find the basket. Denver missed 20 of its first 22 3-point attempts and seven of its first 13 free throws, yet somehow figured out how to close out the series on its home floor.

    2023 NBA Finals - Game Five
    Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets drives the lane against Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena on June 12, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.

    Getty Images


    Butler scored eight straight points to help the Heat take an 87-86 lead with 2:45 left after trailing by seven. He made two more free throws with 1:58 remaining to help Miami regain a one-point lead. Then, Bruce Brown got an offensive rebound and tip-in to give the Nuggets the lead for good.

    Trailing by three with 15 seconds left, Butler jacked up a 3, but missed it. Brown made two free throws to put the game out of reach and clinch the title for Denver.

    Butler finished with 21 points.

    This was an ugly, frenetic affair, but the aftermath was something the Nuggets and their fans could all agree was beautiful. Denver is the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the league.

    “It was ugly and we couldn’t make shots, but at the end we figured it out,” Jokic said. “I am just happy we won the game.”

    The Heat were, as coach Erik Spoelstra promised, a gritty, tenacious bunch. But their shooting wasn’t great, either. Bam Adebayo had 20 for the Heat, but Miami shot 34% from the floor and 25% from 3. Until Butler went off, he was 2 for 13 for eight points.

    DENVER NUGGETS VS MIAMI HEAT, NBA PLAYOFFS
    Jimmy Butler (22) of the Miami Heat works against Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, June 12, 2023.

    AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images


    The Heat, who survived a loss in the play-in tournament and became only the second No. 8 seed to make it to the finals, insisted they weren’t into consolation prizes.

    They played like they expected to win, and for a while during this game, which was settled more on the ground than in the air, it looked like they would.

    The Nuggets, who came in shooting 37.6% from 3 for the series, shot 18% in this one. They committed 14 turnovers. They only went 13 for 23 from the line, though Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were 4 for 4 at the end while Denver was salting away the win.

    With 2:51 left in the first quarter, Jokic got his second foul and joined Aaron Gordon on the bench.

    The Nuggets were tentative on both sides of the court for the rest of the half. Somehow, after shooting 6.7% from 3 — the worst first half in the history of the finals (10-shot minimum) they only trailed by seven.

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  • The Denver Nuggets have won their first NBA title by beating the Miami Heat in five games in the Finals

    The Denver Nuggets have won their first NBA title by beating the Miami Heat in five games in the Finals

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    The Denver Nuggets have won their first NBA title by beating the Miami Heat in five games in the Finals

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  • Heat upgrade Tyler Herro to questionable for Game 5 of NBA Finals

    Heat upgrade Tyler Herro to questionable for Game 5 of NBA Finals

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    Miami guard Tyler Herro has been upgraded to questionable for Game 5 of the NBA Finals

    ByTIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

    Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro carries a ball as he watches a team practice ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

    The Associated Press

    Miami guard Tyler Herro has been upgraded to questionable for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, a strong indication that the Heat plan on having him available to play against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night as they try to extend their season.

    Herro has not played since breaking his right hand in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Milwaukee. He has recovered from surgery to repair the fractures and has been doing on-court work for several days in an effort to get back on the court.

    He was listed as out for Game 5 when the initial Heat injury report for the game was released Sunday. The Heat upgraded him on Monday morning in Denver.

    “You have to go through stages,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said last week when discussing Herro’s return. “First part of it was just shooting, then movement, then contact versus coaches and then the next level of contact in practice.”

    Miami trails the finals 3-1. The Nuggets are seeking their first NBA title and need only one win to get it, with Game 5 — and Game 7, if necessary — both set to be played in Denver. If the Heat win on Monday, Game 6 would be in Miami on Thursday.

    Herro also missed some time in last season’s playoffs with a groin injury. It sidelined him for three games of the East finals against Boston, before he returned for Game 7 and struggled in what became the final game of the season for the Heat.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Conor McGregor Knocks Out Heat Mascot In Bizarre Promotion At NBA Finals

    Conor McGregor Knocks Out Heat Mascot In Bizarre Promotion At NBA Finals

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    MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong.

    Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Denver Nuggets.

    The Heat said Saturday that the employee, who was not identified, received pain medication and was resting at home.

    McGregor was there as a promotional gimmick for a pain-relief spray — and was booed by many in the Miami crowd even before the bit started. The flame mascot was wearing oversized boxing gloves and a robe akin to what a fighter would wear entering the ring for a bout. McGregor hit Burnie with a left hook, knocking him down, then punched the mascot again after he hit the floor.

    McGregor then tried to “spray” the mascot with the pain-relief product, while several members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team dragged Burnie off the court.

    McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.

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  • NBA Finals 2023: How to watch Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets Game 4 tonight

    NBA Finals 2023: How to watch Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets Game 4 tonight

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    Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images


    The NBA finals are here after a nail-biting playoffs season. The finals began Thursday, June 1 and will continue through Sunday, June 18, if needed. 

    Game 4 of the NBA Finals will air tonight on Friday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. PDT). The Miami Heat, the Eastern Conference champions, are playing against the Denver Nuggets, the Western Conference champions, in a best-of-seven elimination tournament. Currently, the Nuggets are ahead 2-1 in the finals after the Nuggets took Game 1 and Game 3, while the Heat won Game 2. It’s anyone’s guess who will take home the championship.

    Find out how to catch Game 4 of the NBA finals and see who might end up as NBA champions. You don’t even need a cable subscription — just Sling TV or a digital TV antenna.

    Best way to live stream the NBA finals: Sling TV

    If you want access to live stream all the games in the NBA finals, the most cost effective way is with Sling TV. The Sling TV Blue tier (normally $45 per month) includes access to all the NBA finals games on ABC (where available), plus 41 other channels. Right now, you can save half off your first month of Sling TV, which means you can watch the entirety of the NBA finals (plus the NHL finals on TNT) for just $22.50.

    Watch games on ABC: Sling TV Blue Tier (first month), $22.50/mo. (reduced from $45)

    NBA finals game schedule

    Don’t miss a single moment of the 2023 NBA finals on ABC. Don’t have cable TV? Sling TV Blue tier has many markets that carry ABC, or you can access it with a digital TV antenna.

    Schedule for the 2023 NBA championship finals (No. 8 Miami Heat vs. No. 1 Denver Nuggets)

    • Game 1: Thursday, June 1 (Nuggets won 104-93)
    • Game 2: Sunday, June 4 (Heat won 111-108)
    • Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 (Nuggets won 109-94)
    • Game 4: Friday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ABC
    • *Game 5: Monday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ABC
    • *Game 6: Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ABC
    • *Game 7: Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC

    *These games will only be played if needed.

    The next game of the finals will air on Friday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. EDT. The NBA championship games for 2023 will be shown on ABC.

    Watch the 2023 NBA finals on Sling TV

    gettyimages-1258335416.jpg

    Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images


    The best and most affordable way to watch the 2023 NBA finals airing on ABC is through Sling TV. The Blue tier gives you access to the maximum amount of live sports, including NFL Network, ABC, Fox and NBC broadcasts, for $45 per month. You’ll get 50 hours of DVR storage to record all the games you want. Or, if you want to upgrade for more complete sports coverage, the Orange + Blue tier ($55 per month) includes ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.

    There’s no contract, but Sling TV is offering the first month for half-off. So you’ll only need to pay $22.50 for the Blue tier, or $27.50 for the Orange + Blue tier.

    Sling TV Blue Tier (first month), $22.50/mo. (reduced from $45)

    Sling TV Orange + Blue tier (first 3 months), $27.50/mo. (reduced from $55)

    Watch the NBA Finals on a digital antenna

    71j7tv66n7l-ac-sx679-1.jpg

    Amazon


    If you don’t want to pay a monthly fee to watch the NBA finals, you can get a digital antenna to access your local TV stations, which will include ABC. While Sling TV does carry ABC in several of its large markets, the antenna will give you peace of mind so that you won’t have to miss a single game of the NBA finals.

    This one supports smart TVs in 1080p, 4K and 8K displays and works with older models too. It’s also currently discounted at Amazon. Buy now and it will arrive before the NBA finals are over.

    Roainey digital TV antenna with amplifier signal booster, $27 after coupon (down from $40)

    Hulu + Live TV bundle

    It’s not as affordable as Sling TV, but the Hulu + Live TV bundle has a huge library of content thanks to their partnerships with Disney and ESPN. In the bundle, both Disney+ and ESPN+ are included and it’s totally ad-free. If you want it all, get the Hulu + Live TV bundle.

    Sign up for the Hulu + Live TV with ESPN+ and Disney+ bundle, $70 a month

    FuboTV

    FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming services that has live TV events for almost every sport imaginable, including international ones, plus over 100 other channels. Did we mention that they give you 1,000 hours of DVR space as well? Get a free seven-day trial by signing up here.

    FuboTV, starting at $75 a month

    DirecTV Stream

    DirecTV streams all the networks a sports fan could want, including ABC, NBC, Fox, ESPN and more. No matter what your viewing needs are, DirecTV Stream should have a monthly package that will serve you. Prices on DirecTV Stream services start at $65 a month for the first three months, then $75 a month thereafter.

    DirecTV Stream, $65 and up per month

    The best TV deals for watching the NBA finals 

    724a0f4a-3c6c-40f9-a6f6-5c533d580b47-f6016b77024af670188f14df8f54870f1.jpg

    Walmart


    Looking for a new television for all your sports watching needs? Watch the NBA finals on a smart TV. We’ve rounded up some great deals for the latest in high-quality TV technology.

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  • Nuggets’ Christian Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

    Nuggets’ Christian Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

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    DENVER — Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.

    The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen rebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat while giving teammates an extended breather.

    “That’s a rare rookie right here,” Aaron Gordon said. “From Day 1 he’s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that because he’s always in the right spot. He’s in the right place at the right time, and he’s been doing that all year.”

    Braun has a chance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win an NBA title a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.

    Braun gave the Nuggets a much-needed lift in Denver’s Game 3 rout of the Heat. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA Finals, Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled again.

    Braun’s remarkable resume includes three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a national title with the Jayhawks last year.

    Most rookies who cap their college careers with championships have to bide their time in the pros until it’s, well, their time. Braun is two wins away from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.

    And one of those years without a title came in 2020, when the pandemic shuttered sports and society at a time the Jayhawks were entering the NCAA tournament as the nation’s No. 1 team.

    “Getting shut down, we feel like we were definitely held back from something,” said Braun, who helped Kansas win the national title two years later when he had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Jayhawks’ 72-69 win over North Carolina in the national championship.

    “I’m definitely blessed,” Braun said. “It’s not necessarily an individual accomplishment. I’ve been a part of some really good teams with really good coaches and really good players.”

    Like on the court, he’s been in the right place at the right time his whole life.

    “All year long the one thing I’ve talked about with Christian is that he’s a winner,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The guy has won at every level, and here he is in the NBA Finals. It’s kind of staying true to form for Christian Brawn.”

    Malone said he knew Braun’s addition was going to be big when the 6-7 shooting guard whose last name is pronounced “Brown,” helped Denver to a 128-123 win at Golden State in the second game of the season with Murray in street clothes as he worked his way back from a torn ACL.

    “For a young player playing against the defending world champions on the road, he wasn’t afraid,” Malone said. “That really stuck out to me. Most young kids, they get in a situation or environment like that, they’re going to be a little bit over their head, and he wasn’t.”

    Braun’s attitude is that if he’s only going to get minutes here and there, then he’s going to hustle from the second he checks in to the moment he’s summoned back to the bench.

    “The last two months of the year he was a rotational player for the No. 1 team in the West,” Malone said. “He’s done his job in the playoffs. He’s gone out there and defended, rebounded, ran the floor, moved without it. He’s never afraid of the moment, which you have to appreciate for such a young kid.”

    “Obviously, the Final Four kind of helped me with that,” Braun said. “I’ve kind of been here before.”

    Several times even.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Jokic and Murray both have triple-doubles, Nuggets beat Heat 109-94 for 2-1 lead

    Jokic and Murray both have triple-doubles, Nuggets beat Heat 109-94 for 2-1 lead

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    MIAMI — Never had two players from the same team had 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. Never in the regular season. Never in the playoffs. Certainly never in the NBA Finals.

    Until now.

    Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray made history Wednesday night — and have the Denver Nuggets two wins away from making some real history as well.

    Jokic and Murray became the first teammates in NBA Finals history to both record triple-doubles, and the Nuggets reclaimed the lead in the series by beating the Miami Heat 109-94 in Game 3.

    “By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, after his team moved two wins away from Denver’s first title.

    Jokic finished with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists — the first such game in NBA Finals history, or at least the first since assists were tracked. Murray had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, getting the rebound he needed with 9 seconds remaining.

    The Nuggets outrebounded the Heat 58-33, and took a 2-1 lead. Game 4 is Friday in Miami.

    “I’m just glad that we won the game,” Jokic said. “It was a big one for us because they won in our arena. We just didn’t want to go down 2-1.”

    Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami, and Bam Adebayo finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Caleb Martin added 10 points for Miami.

    Miami has been the comeback kings of these playoffs — seven rallies in games after trailing by at least 12 points. The Heat were down by 14 going into the fourth, and Malone reminded his club of Miami’s penchant for comebacks.

    “First two games, they won the fourth quarter,” Malone said. “Tonight, we win the fourth quarter, we win the game.”

    His team listened.

    The lead eventually reached 21, the outcome never seriously in doubt, and Jokic looking very much like he’s back in cruise control. The Heat got within nine on a 3-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 1:22 left, but there was no epic finish for Miami. Murray and Jokic had the Nuggets too far ahead to get caught.

    “You have to expect there to be elite talent in the finals,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And both those guys are elite-level talent.”

    Officially, Jokic is now the seventh player to have two triple-doubles in the same finals. Magic Johnson and LeBron James each did it in three different finals. Draymond Green, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Butler all had one title series with two triple-doubles.

    It was his 10th triple-double of these playoffs, extending his single-season record, and he was unbothered by whatever Miami threw his way. Jokic finished 12 for 21 from the floor, 7 for 8 from the line, playing 44 minutes.

    “We were more locked in, more focused,” Jokic said.

    Christian Braun was tremendous off the bench for the Nuggets, scoring 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting in 19 minutes. Aaron Gordon added 11 for Denver.

    Miami never led in the second half. A dunk by Adebayo put the Heat up 44-42 with 3:18 left in the half, before a 3-pointer by Murray represented the seventh and final lead change of the night. It was 53-48 at halftime, before Denver pushed the lead to double digits for the first time early in the third and wound up leading by as many as 19 later in that period.

    “We took care of business,” Braun said.

    TIP-INS

    Nuggets: Denver used Reggie Jackson in the first quarter, going nine deep in the opening 12 minutes for the first time since Game 2 of the West finals. … Denver hadn’t lost two consecutive games to Miami since March 14 and Nov. 30, 2016. Jokic played in both of those games, Murray in the second one early in his rookie season.

    Heat: It was the first finals game in Miami since 2014. The Heat didn’t have any “home” games in the 2020 finals, which were held in the NBA’s restart bubble near Orlando. … Wednesday was the 11th anniversary of LeBron James’ 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist game at Boston in Game 6 of the East finals — staving off elimination. The Heat won Game 7 and went on to beat Oklahoma City for James’ first title.

    HASLEM RECORD

    Miami’s Udonis Haslem — in his 20th and final season — set a record. He became the oldest player to appear in the NBA Finals, breaking the mark of 42 years, 58 days set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on June 13, 1989.

    Haslem turns 43 on Friday. He played the final 29.8 seconds.

    RARE COMPANY

    Jokic had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the first quarter. The only other players in the last 25 years to have that in any quarter of a finals game — Stephen Curry (12-7-5) for Golden State in the third quarter against Cleveland on June 4, 2017 and Shaquille O’Neal (12-7-3) for the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter against Philadelphia on June 8, 2001.

    CELEB WATCH

    Former Heat player and NBA champion Mike Miller — now an agent — was at the game, along with one of his clients, Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic. Banchero tweeted “game ain’t even started yet i’m in here star struck.”

    DJ Khaled was in attendance, along with soccer greats Neymar and Paul Pogba (on the day Lionel Messi committed to play for Inter Miami), Shakira, Magic Johnson, J. Cole (who played a role in getting Caleb Martin to the Heat) and Dwyane Wade — who starred for Miami’s title teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

    ___

    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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