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Tag: NBA Playoffs

  • Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 years

    Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 years

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    DENVER — It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world.

    The Nuggets — yes, those sometimes-lovable and often-forgettable Nuggets — are in the NBA Finals.

    The way they made it says everything about their near half-century in the league, and just how different this team is from every Denver team, even the really good ones, that preceded it.

    The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They did it against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that has caused them so much of their pain. Before the Western Conference finals, Denver was 0-7 in playoff series against the Lakers. Now, Denver is 1-7.

    “It’s almost like shock a little bit,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said, echoing a sentiment certainly being felt across the franchise’s long-suffering fan base. “You’re just like unsure, like, are you sure we don’t have more time on the clock? Are you sure we don’t have another quarter to play or another game to play?”

    With all due respect to Dan Issel, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and everyone else who ever wore rainbows, Nikola Jokic is the best player to put on a Denver uniform. He recorded his eighth triple-double of the playoffs in Monday night’s 113-111 win over LA, surpassing a record for a single postseason held by none other than Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain.

    Jokic, who was 0.2 assists short of averaging a triple-double this season, got beat out for his third straight MVP this season by Philly’s Joel Embiid. Fans see it all as par for the course in a city where the team that debuted in the ABA as the Denver Rockets — not the better-known, better-respected Denver Broncos — really put the town on the national sports map. That was in 1967. The Broncos were still a laughingstock but the local basketball team put out a good product right away.

    It was good enough to make the Nuggets a no-brainer when the ABA folded in 1976 and the NBA went picking through the wreckage to invite a few teams to join.

    Between then and now, the city has seen its share of the spotlight. John Elway brought two Super Bowl titles home and Peyton Manning another. The Colorado Avalanche, who share a home (Ball Arena) and an owner (Stan Kroenke) with the Nuggets, have won hockey’s Stanley Cup three times, including last year. Even the Colorado Rockies have been to the World Series. The Nuggets only trip this close to the title came in 1976 when they lost in the last ABA final to Julius Erving and the Nets.

    David Thompson; Larry Brown; Doug Moe; English; Issel; Anthony; George Karl; Allen Iverson; Chauncey Billups. All those coaches and players spent time in Denver. None ever got too close to that NBA title trophy while here. Before this week, Denver made the NBA conference finals four times, and lost all four.

    It conspired to make the place little more than flyover territory — a city with high altitude that the schedule makers often tuck into other teams’ itineraries as part of long road trips with more exciting final destinations — LA, New York, Miami.

    But Denver? It was a great place to take a night off — or, put more diplomatically, for teams to exercise the 21st-century NBA practice of “load management” for their best players.

    While NBA titles, and the fanfare that comes with them, have been built on the shoulders of megastars for decades, the Nuggets never were part of that scene.

    In fact, Jokic was the exact opposite of that when he arrived in 2014. Rather, he was a doughy second-round draft pick known only to the insiders who followed the Serbian hoops scene.

    “Everybody gets cracked up into his stats but I don’t think a lot of people talk about, like, this part of his game,” LeBron James of the Lakers said after the sweep, as he pointed toward his head, indicating Jokic’s mastery of the cerebral part of hoops. “Maybe it’s not talked about it, because a lot of people don’t understand it, but I do. He’s special.”

    Great as Jokic has been, it’s the addition of another under-the-radar player, guard Jamal Murray, and his return to full health that helped get this team over the top.

    Murray was a lottery pick out of Kentucky in 2016, the year Ben Simmons was the top pick and considered the NBA’s Next Big Thing. Murray blew up in the bubble during COVID, bringing Denver within a series of the finals, only to see the Lakers snuff out another season. He missed the next two playoffs due to a devastating knee injury. These playoffs, Murray is feeling great. He averaged 32.5 points in the four-game sweep of LA.

    “I think our chemistry is at an all-time high, the way we play, the way we read the game without even speaking,” Murray said. “We talk that language on the court.

    “It’s just beautiful basketball, honestly.”

    With the Nuggets in their first NBA Finals after all these years, it will be hard to find anyone in Denver who would argue with that.

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

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  • Celtics look to pull off the impossible, as Heat stand on brink of making NBA Finals

    Celtics look to pull off the impossible, as Heat stand on brink of making NBA Finals

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    MIAMI (AP) — Blown out in Game 3, facing elimination in Game 4, tasked with engineering the sort of comeback that no team in their league has ever pulled off before.

    This may sound familiar to Boston fans.

    Yes, what the Red Sox did to the New York Yankees in 2004 was discussed around the Boston Celtics on Monday. A day after a debacle in Miami to fall into a 3-0 deficit in these Eastern Conference finals — “embarrassing,” Boston forward Jaylen Brown said — the Celtics will try to extend the series and at least delay a Heat celebration in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

    “We still believe we’re the better team,” Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon said Monday. “We have not played like it in any of the three games. But, you know, there is always a first.”

    No NBA team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series; it’s happened only once in Major League Baseball, when the Red Sox shook off a 19-8 drubbing in Game 3 to win four straight and top the Yankees in that 2004 AL championship series.

    Of course, there had never been a No. 8 seed that won an NBA playoff game by 26 points, either — until Miami rolled its way to a 128-102 cakewalk in Game 3. It led to All-Star Game MVP Jayson Tatum saying Boston needs to show some pride, veteran big man Al Horford calling upon the Celtics to stay together and first-year coach Joe Mazzulla taking the blame as speculation about his future only gets louder and louder.

    “We didn’t play well at all,” Tatum said. “Obviously, by the score, it showed.”

    Meanwhile, a Heat win on Tuesday would send Miami to the NBA Finals for the seventh time since 2006 — and give the team more than a week to rest before the series opens on June 1. The Denver Nuggets won the Western Conference title on Monday night, sweeping LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

    If Miami wins the East, Denver will have home-court advantage in the finals. If Boston rallies, the Celtics would have the home-court edge.

    Before all that, there’s a Game 4 in Miami, and that has Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s full attention.

    “We can expect just a great, competitive game,” Spoelstra said. “Boston has great pride. They’ll bring it. And you want to embrace it. You don’t want to get ahead of yourself and think about anything else other than embracing the competition. This is what you want. You want to be in the Eastern Conference finals in a really competitive game with a chance to finish and close out.”

    Thing is, that was also the thinking going into Game 3. After dropping the first two games at home, conventional wisdom would suggest that Boston would have arrived Sunday night loaded up for their best effort.

    It wasn’t even close.

    Boston trailed by as many as 33 in Game 3 — the second-biggest deficit the Celtics faced this season. They trailed Oklahoma City by 37 on Jan. 3, a game where the Thunder scored 88 points in the middle two quarters on the way to a 150-117 romp. The Celtics responded from that defeat by winning their next nine games.

    “Faith is the most important thing in the world,” Mazzulla said.

    The Heat would say the same. They’re trying to join the 1999 New York Knicks as the only No. 8 seeds to reach the NBA Finals, and they’re doing so after nearly missing the playoffs altogether.

    They know the chance they have Tuesday. They watched Boston celebrate in front of Heat fans last year in Game 7 of the East finals. They have an opportunity to make the Celtics watch them celebrate winning the East this time around.

    “We have a great opportunity ahead of us,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said.

    3-0, 0-3

    The Heat are up 3-0 in a series for the 10th time, including one sweep of a best-of-five in 2000. In the eight previous best-of-seven instances where Miami has led 3-0, the Heat have gone 5-3 in Game 4 and never been extended past Game 5.

    Boston is down 0-3 in a series for the eighth time, including one best-of-five sweep defeat. The Celtics forced one of those best-of-seven deficits to six games, one to five games and got swept on the other four occasions.

    LOVE UPDATE

    Heat forward Kevin Love has a strained muscle in his lower left leg and is probable for Game 4. He got hurt in the first quarter of Game 3. “Felt like a muscle cramp,” Love said, adding that if Miami’s lead hadn’t been so sizable that he would have lobbied to return to Sunday’s game.

    WELL RESTED

    Jimmy Butler was needed for only 31 minutes in Game 3, after he averaged almost 42 minutes in his last nine playoff appearances for Miami.

    ___

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

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  • LeBron questions retirement after Lakers are eliminated from playoffs

    LeBron questions retirement after Lakers are eliminated from playoffs

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James questioned retirement after his Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets despite the highest-scoring postseason half of James’ matchless NBA career.

    James set a personal record with 31 points in the first half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night, but he missed two potential tying shots in the final minute as the Nuggets ended the Lakers’ season with a 113-111 victory.

    The 38-year-old James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and immense frustration after Los Angeles’ remarkable late-season surge ended with four consecutive defeats. Although the top scorer in NBA history spoke about himself as part of the Lakers next season, James also said he hasn’t made up his mind on retirement.

    “We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said in the final answer of his postgame news conference. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”

    James is under contract for $46.9 million next season with the Lakers, but he is in charge of his future after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record earlier this year. He hasn’t previously suggested much personal conflict about finishing his contract alongside Anthony Davis, and his play hasn’t significantly declined after two decades in the NBA — although his health has grown less sturdy, particularly in his balky feet and ankles.

    “It’s all about availability for me and keeping my mind sharp, and things of that nature,” James said. “Being present on the floor, being present in the locker room and bus rides and plane rides, things of that nature. It’s challenging, for sure. It was a very challenging season for me, for our ballclub, and obviously we know whatever went on early on (in the Lakers’ 2-10 start to the season). It was cool, a pretty cool ride.”

    James missed a month of the regular season with a foot injury down the stretch, but he returned with a series of stellar playoff performances while the Lakers knocked off second-seeded Memphis and eliminated defending champion Golden State. That didn’t matter much to James, whose frustration broke through at several points after Game 4.

    “I don’t like to say it’s a successful year, because I don’t play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career,” James said. “You know, I don’t get a kick out of making a conference (finals) appearance. I’ve done it a lot, and it’s not fun to me to not be able to be a part of getting to the (NBA) Finals.”

    In his NBA-record 282nd career playoff game, James dropped 21 points in a dynamic first quarter in Game 4. He added 10 more in the second while playing nearly the entire half of a do-or-die game against the top-seeded Nuggets.

    But James had only nine points on 4-of-12 shooting in the second half, and he missed two chances to score in the final minute. He took a strange fallaway jumper that missed badly with 26 seconds left, and his final drive to the hoop was thwarted by Denver’s Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon at the buzzer.

    But the first half was vintage LeBron: He made 11 of his 13 shots and hit four 3-pointers without a miss in the highest-scoring playoff half of his career, which began in 2003 and has included four NBA championships. James added four rebounds and four assists, and he also got a technical foul after a physical exchange with Gordon when the two got locked up on the Lakers’ end of the court.

    James had struggled from distance previously in the series, going 3 for 19 in the first three games. He fixed his shot in Game 4 — and he even got credit for a 3-pointer in the first quarter when his lob pass to Rui Hachimura accidentally went in the basket.

    James already had the highest scoring average in NBA history in elimination games (33.5 points per game) among all players with at least 10 such appearances.

    After failing to win a title this year, James is clearly thinking about whether he wants to do it all again. One major obstacle to any retirement thoughts is his long-stated desire to play an NBA season alongside his son, Bronny, who will be a freshman at USC this fall and couldn’t join the league until the fall of 2024 at the earliest.

    “I guess I’ll reflect on my career when I’m done, but I don’t know,” James said when asked to assess his 20th season. “The only thing I concern myself with is being available to my teammates, and I don’t like the fact that I didn’t play as many games as I would have liked because of injury. That’s the only thing I care about, is being available to my teammates.”

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

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  • Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medals

    Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medals

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    Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.

    Anthony, who was not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history.

    Only LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scored more than Anthony, who finishes his career with 28,289 points.

    “Now the time has come for me to say good-bye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” Anthony said in a videotaped message announcing his decision — one he called “bittersweet.”

    Anthony’s legacy has long been secure: He ends his playing days after being selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a 10-time All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection.

    And while he never got to the NBA Finals — he only played in the conference finals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 — Anthony also knew what it was like to be a champion.

    He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led Syracuse to the national championship, and he helped the U.S. win Olympic gold three times — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

    His college coach at Syracuse, the now-retired Jim Boeheim, tweeted a “welcome to retirement” message to his former star.

    “I am honored to have been a part of your legendary career, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for you,” Boeheim wrote.

    Anthony played in 31 games in four appearances at the Olympics, the most of any U.S. men’s player ever. Anthony’s 37 points against Nigeria in the 2012 games is a USA Basketball men’s record at an Olympics, as are his 10 3-pointers from that game and his 13-for-13 effort from the foul line against Argentina in 2008.

    “Carmelo Anthony is one of the NBA’s all-time great players and ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We congratulate him on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing him in the Hall of Fame.”

    Anthony will remain part of international basketball for at least a few more months; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World Cup, FIBA’s biggest event, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

    “I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,” Anthony said. “But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

    Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by Denver in 2003, part of the star-studded class that included James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade — he gets officially enshrined this summer — at No. 5.

    Anthony will join them at the Hall of Fame before long — the Hall of Fame said he will be eligible for the 2026 class. He averaged 22.5 points in his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with Denver and the New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden, especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.

    He was the NBA’s leading scorer with 28.7 points per game in 2012-13, when the Knicks won 54 games and the Atlantic Division title.

    “The Garden,” Anthony said in 2014. “They call it The Mecca for a reason.”

    Anthony spent his first 7 1/2 NBA seasons in Denver, becoming the third-leading scorer in franchise history. His Nuggets teams had seven consecutive winning seasons and earned seven playoff berths, but they advanced in the postseason just once, ending in that six-game conference finals loss to the Lakers in 2009.

    “He wore that Nuggets jersey with pride and did a lot of great things while in a Denver Nuggets uniform, as well as all the other uniforms he wore in an illustrious career,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday before Denver faced the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, hoping to clinch the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance. “When you think of Carmelo, you think of one of the more elite scorers in NBA history, a guy that from the D.C. metro area goes to Syracuse and wins a championship and comes into the NBA and was just a bucket-getter from Day One.”

    Anthony also played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his career with the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and now his retirement is official.

    He said in his retirement address that he’s looking forward to watching the development of his son Kiyan, a highly rated high school shooting guard.

    “People ask what I believe my legacy is,” Anthony said. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”

    ___

    AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed.

    ___

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

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  • NBA Conference Finals 2023: How to watch Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 4 tonight

    NBA Conference Finals 2023: How to watch Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 4 tonight

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    Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG via Getty Images


    The NBA playoffs are in full swing. Conference finals continue through May 29 (if needed). Tonight, we have Game 4 of the Western Conference, featuring the Los Angeles Lakers against the Denver Nuggets at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) on Monday, May 22. The Nuggets are currently up 3-0, so if they win tonight’s game, they’re the winners of the Western Conference and will make it to the NBA finals. Tomorrow, the Miami Heat plays against the Boston Celtics for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference.

    These NBA conference final games will determine which teams make it to the NBA playoff finals. Find out how to catch tonight’s game and see who might end up as NBA champions. You don’t even need a cable subscription — just Sling TV.

    Best way to live stream the NBA playoffs

    If you want access to live stream all the games in the NBA playoffs and finals, the most cost effective way is with Sling TV. The low-cost cable streamer’s Orange tier includes games on ESPN and TNT, while the Orange + Blue tier includes games on ABC (certain markets).

    NBA conference final game schedule

    With the NBA semifinals over, we’re down to the 2023 NBA conference finals. In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers while the Miami Heat ousted the New York Knicks, so the Heat and the Celtics will take each other on in the NBA’s best-of-seven elimination tournament. Currently, the Heat are in the lead 3-0.

    Meanwhile in the Western Conference semifinals, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, eliminated the Golden State Warriors. The Denver Nuggets won against the Phoenix Suns. We’ll see the fourth matchup of the Nuggets versus the Lakers tonight. Will the Nuggets take home the Western Conference championship, or will the Lakers make a comeback? (If you want to record this game tonight, Sling TV offers 50 hours of DVR storage.)

    NBA conference final game schedule

    Don’t miss a single moment of the NBA playoffs, starting with the conference finals tonight. The remaining Western Conference games will all air on ESPN. The Eastern Conference games will all be shown on TNT.

    Don’t have cable TV? Luckily, Sling TV carries both TNT and ESPN so you can watch those games live.

    Schedule for the 2023 Western Conference finals (No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 1 Denver Nuggets)

    • Game 4: Monday May 22 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
    • *Game 5: Wednesday, May 24 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
    • *Game 6: Friday, May 26 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
    • *Game 7: Sunday, May 28 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN

    Schedule for the 2023 Eastern Conference finals (No. 8 Miami Heat vs. No. 2 Boston Celtics)

    • Game 4: Tuesday, May 23 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
    • *Game 5: Thursday, May 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
    • *Game 6: Saturday, May 27 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on TNT
    • *Game 7: Monday, May 29 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on TNT

    *These games will only be played if needed.

    What about the rest of the playoffs?

    The NBA final will begin on Sunday, June 1 at 8:30 p.m. EDT. When the conference finals are complete, all games of the NBA finals 2023 will be shown on ABC.

    Watch the 2023 NBA conference finals on Sling TV

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    Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images


    The best and most affordable way to watch the 2023 NBA playoff games airing on ESPN is through Sling TV. The most budget-friendly tier that includes ESPN, Orange, is only $40 a month. The Orange + Blue tier gives you access to the maximum amount of live sports, including not only ESPN but NFL Network, ABC, Fox and NBC broadcasts, for $55 per month. You’ll get 50 hours of DVR storage to record all the games you want.

    There’s no contract. You can cancel at any time. Best of all? They’re offering the first month for $10 off. So you only need to pay $30 right now to get access to ESPN with Sling Orange, or $45 for the Orange + Blue tier.

    Don’t have a smart TV to watch Sling TV on? Not a problem: Right now Sling TV is offering subscribers a free Amazon Fire TV Stick to use.

    Watch the NBA Finals on a digital antenna

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    Amazon


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    Amazon


    If you’re worried about being able to access the games that will be playing on ABC, like 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 playoffs.

    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 Game 3 between the Lakers and the Nuggets airs on ABC.

    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 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 ahead of the NBA playoffs 

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    Walmart


    Looking for a new television for all your sports watching needs? Watch the 2023 March Madness tournament on a smart TV. We’ve rounded up some great deals for the latest in high-quality TV technology.

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  • BOSTON BURNED: Miami Heat Mount Huge Comeback As Historic Run Continues

    BOSTON BURNED: Miami Heat Mount Huge Comeback As Historic Run Continues

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    BOSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, hitting a pair of buckets to give the Heat the lead after they erased a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit and Miami beat Boston 111-105 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

    Bam Adebayo had 22 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, and Caleb Martin came off the bench to score 25 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which won twice in Boston to earn a chance to complete the sweep at home.

    Jayson Tatum had 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Boston. But the Celtics star went 0 for 3 with two turnovers in the fourth quarter, when Boston blew an 89-77 lead en route to a second home loss in three nights. Jaylen Brown scored 16 points on 7-for-23 shooting; he went 1 for 5 with a turnover in the final quarter, when Miami outscored Boston 36-22.

    The Celtics led by 11 in the third quarter and made it a dozen early in the fourth. It was a 96-87 Boston lead when Butler scored, going forehead-to-forehead with Grant Williams before hitting the free throw to complete the three-point play.

    Butler sneered at Williams’ attempt to get him off his game with words, and after Tatum missed from long distance, Butler drove to the basket to make it a four-point game.

    Miami trailed 98-96 when Butler was called for an offensive foul, kicking Marcus Smart after landing on a missed 3-pointer.

    Heat coach Erik Spoelstra challenged, but lost.

    He made a 17-footer to tie it 100-all, and then a short fadeaway to give Miami the lead. After Max Strus made one of two free throws, Adebayo scored on a putback dunk to make it 105-100 with less than a minute to play.

    Boston used a 21-2 run to turn an eight-point, first-quarter deficit into an 11-point lead.

    Brown was 1 for 7 in the first quarter, when Tatum scored 12. Derrick White, who made a single 3-pointer, was the only player other than Tatum who scored more than 2 points in the first. … Adebayo and Butler each grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter. … Lowry and Grant Williams did a little shoving after Williams fouled Adebayo with nine minutes left in the second quarter, with no repercussions.

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  • Butler scores 35, Heat rally to beat Celtics 123-116 in East finals opener

    Butler scores 35, Heat rally to beat Celtics 123-116 in East finals opener

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    BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat were in need of a calming presence following a sluggish start to their latest conference finals showdown with the Boston Celtics.

    Jimmy Butler provided that and a lot more.

    Butler scored 35 points, including 20 after halftime, and the Heat rallied in the second half to beat the Celtics 123-116 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

    He said his teammates have given him confidence.

    “I’m playing at an incredible level because they are allowing me to do so,” Butler said. “They are not putting a limit on my game. They are trusting me with the ball, on the defensive end. I think that’s what any basketball player wants.”

    Miami trailed by nine at the half before turning it around with a franchise playoff-record 46 points in the third and outscoring Boston 66-50 over the final two quarters. It was Butler’s fifth game with 30 or more points this postseason and he added seven assists, six steals and five rebounds.

    “One of the premier two-way basketball players of this association. … That’s what we needed.” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Down the stretch Jimmy was able to do everything we needed – as a scorer and as a facilitator.”

    Bam Adebayo added 20 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus all added 15 points apiece. The Heat went 16 of 31 from the 3-point line.

    The No. 8-seeded Heat have opened all three playoff series with road victories. Game 2 is Friday in Boston.

    Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points, but didn’t take a shot in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon added 19 points.

    Boston is just 4-4 at home during this postseason.

    “I don’t know why,” Tatum said of their home struggles. “You’ve still got to play the game, you’ve got to make plays, regardless of whether you’re home or away.”

    The Celtics, who are at their best when they’re defending and getting up more shots than their opponents, were 10 of 29 from beyond the arc.

    “We lost our offensive purpose,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

    The tip-off of the series marked the third time in four seasons that the Heat and Celtics have met in this round. Boston won last year’s matchup in seven games.

    Wednesday’s opener felt every bit like a continuation of that most recent meeting. Boston dominated inside early on and led by nine at halftime.

    Spoelstra said his team was “more intentional” over the final 24 minutes.

    Miami took a page out of the Celtics’ book and used a 13-1 run to quickly erase that gap, tying the game at 78 in the third quarter. During the next timeout Mazzulla was captured by broadcast cameras throwing a clipboard in frustration.

    Boston couldn’t stop the onslaught and Miami then nudged back in front as Butler penetrated to create opportunities for his teammates.

    The Heat outscored the Celtics 46-25 in the period and took a 103-91 lead into the fourth, prompting a few boos from the TD Garden crowd.

    Boston responded, scoring the first seven points of the final period before a 3-pointer by Vincent ended the run.

    Miami led 114-109 with just over three minutes to play when Brogdon was fouled by Butler. But he connected on just 1 of the 2 free throws. Butler was trapped on the next Miami possession before finding Martin for a corner 3.

    Tatum travelled, giving the ball back to the Heat. A Miami miss gave the ball back to Boston, but Tatum was called again for travelling.

    Miami wound the shot clock down before getting a 3-pointer by Butler to rattle in with 1:03 remaining.

    But everything changed in the second half.

    “We are just playing really good basketball,” Butler said. “More than anything, we are staying together through the good and through the bad.”

    ROAD WARRIORS

    The Heat are the fifth team to open with road wins in each of their first three series, joining the 2021 Hawks, 1999 Knicks, 1989 Bulls and 1981 Rockets. The Knicks were the only other No. 8 seed to make the conference finals.

    TIP-INS

    Heat: Miami’s previous high in the playoffs was 43 points in a half against Charlotte in 2016. … Lowry hit 5 of his first 6 shots, scoring 13 points in his first nine minutes of action. … Butler (12) and Adebayo (6) combined for 18 of Miami’s 28 points in the first quarter. It marked the seventh time Butler has reached double figures in the first period this postseason.

    Celtics: Marcus Smart finished with 13 points and 11 assists. … Led 66-57 at halftime. With the score tied at 47, Boston outscored Miami 19-10 over the final 5:26 of the half. … Brown wore his black protective mask after going without it for the final two games of their semifinals matchup with the 76ers. He fractured a facial bone late in the regular season. … New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was in attendance.

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  • As NBA coaching changes mount, some lament the lack of job security

    As NBA coaching changes mount, some lament the lack of job security

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    MIAMI — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team.

    They know how rare that is.

    Spoelstra and Malone both spoke out Monday following the recent dismissals of three coaches who aren’t far removed from great success – 2019 NBA champion Nick Nurse, 2021 champion Mike Budenholzer and most recently 2021 Western Conference champion and 2022 coach of the year Monty Williams. Nurse was fired by Toronto, Budenholzer by Milwaukee and Williams by Phoenix.

    “I’ve been thinking more about the great, proven, experienced coaches that have lost their jobs already,” Spoelstra said as the Heat prepared for another trip to the Eastern Conference finals and a matchup against Boston that starts Wednesday. “It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

    Spoelstra has the NBA’s second-longest current tenure with one team. San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich has coached the Spurs since 1996, Spoelstra took over the Heat in 2008, Steve Kerr became coach in Golden State in 2014 and Malone became coach in Denver in 2015.

    “I understand this business,” said Malone, who’ll lead Denver into the Western Conference finals starting Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. “You look around the coaching landscape, if you want a secure profession, coaching is not the one to get into. I should have been a TV reporter.”

    Of the last nine coaches to take a team to the NBA Finals, only two — Kerr and Spoelstra — are still with the franchise that they went to the title round with.

    Three of the last four championship-winning coaches — Budenholzer in 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Frank Vogel in 2020 and Nurse in 2019 – have since been fired by those clubs. Also no longer with their teams for various reasons after recent runs to the finals: Ime Udoka in Boston, Cleveland’s David Blatt and then Tyronn Lue as well, and now Williams by the Suns.

    Budenholzer’s dismissal left Kerr upset, as he revealed earlier this month — but noted that all coaches understand how vulnerable they are.

    “My first response is not necessarily shock, it’s more disappointment because Bud is a fantastic coach,” Kerr said. “He just won a championship and has been wildly successful in his coaching career. But this is the business we’re in. … Expectations every year for every team are so high, and only one team can win. It’s sad news for the coaching profession.”

    At least five teams will have new coaches next season — Phoenix, Milwaukee, Toronto and Detroit are looking, and Houston has hired Udoka as the replacement for Stephen Silas. There were two in-season moves as well: Brooklyn’s Jacque Vaughn was hired by the Nets in November, and Atlanta’s Quin Snyder was hired by the Hawks in Feburary. And two coaches in the conference finals are in Year 1 of their careers: the Lakers’ Darvin Ham, and the Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla, who had to take over unexpectedly in Boston last fall following Udoka’s suspension for an inappropriate relationship with a Celtics employee.

    At minimum, 12 of the NBA’s 30 teams will open next season with a coach who has been in place for no more than one season.

    There is speculation about Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers’ future as well, and he was asked about that following the 76ers’ season-ending loss to Boston in Game 7 of their East semifinal series Sunday.

    “No one’s safe in our business. I get that,” said Rivers, adding that he has two years left on his deal with the 76ers and therefore expects to be back next season.

    Spoelstra has long said part of Miami’s strength is consistency. Managing general partner Micky Arison, CEO Nick Arison, team president Pat Riley, general manager Andy Elisburg and others have been with the Heat for decades — and from the very beginning, in Elisburg’s case, since he’s been with the franchise for all 35 of its seasons.

    Spoelstra has been with the organization for more than half his life as well; he was 24 when he started in the video room, and now he’s 52.

    “It takes so much time and energy to restart something,” Spoelstra said. “And I think that’s part of the reason why we’ve been able to reboot so many times, over and over and over. We’re not reinventing a new culture and then trying to teach everybody and then all of a sudden, two years later, it’s going to be somebody else doing the exact same thing. But particularly to have proven veteran guys (fired), it’s just been stunning. It really has been disturbing.”

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    AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

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  • Grizzlies suspend Ja Morant after another gun video appears on social media

    Grizzlies suspend Ja Morant after another gun video appears on social media

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    Ja Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday after he appeared to be holding a gun in another social media video that was streamed live on Instagram.

    It’s the second time in less than three months that Morant was seen on Instagram holding what appeared to be a weapon. The first led to an eight-game NBA suspension that was handed down in March and cost Morant about $669,000 in salary.

    It’s unclear what sanctions Morant may be facing for the second video, which was widely shared online Sunday. An associate of Morant went live on Instagram while the All-Star was in the front seat of a vehicle with another person, briefly appearing to display a handgun. It is unclear where or when the latest video was filmed.

    “We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.

    The Grizzlies said Morant is suspended from all team activities, “pending league review.”

    The gun video earlier this season happened when Morant went live on his own Instagram holding a gun at a club in the Denver suburbs in early March. After that went viral, Morant announced that he was taking time away to seek help, without specifying what sort of treatment he was getting. ESPN later reported that he was getting counseling in Florida, something the team eventually confirmed but did not share any other details.

    “Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement in March after meeting with Morant and deciding on the suspension’s length. “It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him.”

    Morant sat down for an interview with ESPN during his suspension, taking responsibility for the Colorado video.

    “I don’t condone any type of violence,” Morant told ESPN in March. “But I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake and I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative.”

    And when the season ended a couple weeks ago, Morant said again that he needed to work on his decision-making.

    “Being disciplined on both sides, off the court making better decisions and on the court being locked in even more,” Morant said after a season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. “Being a leader of this team, it pretty much starts with me. … I’ve got to be better in that area.”

    Morant’s five-year, $194 million max contract is set to begin this coming season. It could have escalated to a supermax if he made All-NBA this season; he was not voted onto that team, which cost him about $39 million in future earnings.

    His talent on the court is not a question. He averaged 27.4 points last season, 26.2 points this season and helped Memphis secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

    But the Grizzlies’ season ended amid dysfunction. They were ousted in Round 1 by the Lakers, getting eliminated in a 40-point loss to close a series where trash-talking and antics became as much of a storyline as actual playing of basketball.

    And the offseason is now off to a less-than-ideal start as well, especially after Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said following the playoffs that the team has to eliminate “unnecessary drama, self-inflicted decisions that take away from the team.”

    “It has to be completely different going into next year,” Jenkins said.

    This will be at least the third known NBA investigation surrounding Morant and the possible involvement of firearms so far in 2023.

    Morant’s actions were investigated after a Jan. 29 incident in Memphis that he said led to a friend of his being banned from home games for a year.

    That incident followed a game against the Indiana Pacers; citing unnamed sources, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today reported that multiple members of the Pacers saw a red dot pointed at them, and The Athletic reported that a Pacers security guard believed the laser was attached to a gun.

    The NBA confirmed that unnamed individuals were banned from the arena but said its investigation found no evidence that anyone was threatened with a weapon.

    Then came the Denver-area incident in the early hours of March 4, after the Grizzlies played a road game against the Nuggets. At 5:19 a.m., Morant started a livestream from inside a strip club called Shotgun Willies in Glendale, Colorado. No charges were filed and police said there were no complaint calls stemming from Morant holding the gun were made.

    Morant and a close friend also are involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident at Morant’s home last summer, in which a then-17-year-old alleged that they assaulted him. Morant filed a countersuit on April 12, accusing the teen of slander, battery and assault.

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  • LeBron James, Lakers eliminate champion Warriors with 122-101 victory in Game 6

    LeBron James, Lakers eliminate champion Warriors with 122-101 victory in Game 6

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    LOS ANGELES — Six months and a day after the Los Angeles Lakers fell to 2-10 to start the regular season, they emphatically eliminated the defending NBA champions to reach the Western Conference finals.

    Although the Lakers’ transformation has become increasingly incredible over the past several weeks, the primary forces behind it are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The superstars won a ring together only three years ago, and they shared a joyous hug Friday night after they led their team to its biggest home victory in over a decade.

    James had 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and the Lakers ended the Golden State Warriors’ reign with a 122-101 victory in Game 6 of the second-round series.

    “It was great to be able to play one of our most efficient games, one of our best games of the series, and it started because of the defensive matchup we had,” James said. “We defended at a high level, and when we do that, we can be extremely good. I thought we were locked in for as close to 48 minutes as possible tonight.”

    Davis had 17 points and 20 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who never trailed in their third home victory over Golden State in seven days. Austin Reaves scored 23 points — highlighted by a 54-footer from midcourt at the halftime buzzer — along with six assists and five rebounds while Los Angeles inexorably pulled away, weathering every attempt by Stephen Curry to will the Warriors back into it.

    “It’s special to get that win to beat a team that’s so established and so good,” Reaves said. “I think the seeding things are just numbers. When you have guys like Bron and AD who have won championships, you always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have, the talent that we have.”

    After the Lakers unseated the champs with remarkable style, they will face Nikola Jokic and the top-seeded Nuggets in the Western Conference finals starting Tuesday night in Denver. It’s a rematch of the conference finals in the 2020 Florida bubble, won in five games by Los Angeles.

    While routing the Warriors one last time, the Lakers improved to 7-0 at home since the regular season ended. They also snapped Golden State’s streak of 28 playoff series with at least one road victory – an NBA-record run encompassing Curry’s entire career.

    “It’s been a challenging year, to say the least, but we kept powering through,” first-year head coach Darvin Ham said. “Our vibes stayed positive, and finally our new pieces came together.”

    James, Davis and the Lakers are the first team since 2014 to eliminate Curry’s Warriors from the playoffs before the NBA Finals. Golden State has played in six of the last eight NBA Finals, missing the playoffs entirely in the other two seasons.

    “The better team won, and I can’t fault our players for the effort,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “Because these guys are such competitors, it’s going to hurt. But that’s why we play: To compete against the best and see what we’ve got. Didn’t quite have enough, but it wasn’t for a lack of heart or effort.”

    Curry scored 32 points while missing 10 of his 14 3-point attempts for the sixth-seeded Warriors, whose pursuit of their fifth championship in nine seasons ended with three straight road losses and an inept offensive performance by Curry’s teammates in Game 6, including a 3-of-19 effort by Klay Thompson, who missed 10 of his 12 3-point attempts.

    “We didn’t have a changeup pitch to throw, which led to the result,” Curry said of the Warriors’ poor shooting.

    The Splash Brothers were far too dry when it mattered against the Lakers: Thompson went 10 for 36 on 3-pointers in the series’ final four games, while Curry was 14 for 49.

    Donte DiVincenzo had a playoff-high 16 points for the Warriors, but Curry was their only starter in double figures, with the other four shooting 11 for 38.

    “Definitely disappointing,” Draymond Green said. “It’s been a long time since we finished in May, just trying to process the feelings. In the end, they were the better team.”

    The Lakers took charge early, survived the Warriors’ rallies and blew it open in the fourth quarter with a balanced effort led by the 38-year-old James, who produced his first 30-point playoff game since the 2020 NBA Finals.

    The 20-year veteran can still assert his will as forcefully as almost any elite player, and he quarterbacked the Lakers’ offensive effort while Davis — who left Game 5 early after taking a shot to the head — played another standout defensive game.

    D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points as the Lakers capably survived the third-quarter ejection of Dennis Schröder, the sparkplug guard and primary defender on Curry. Schröder had five assists and defended doggedly in his first start of the postseason for the Lakers, but the German point guard was ejected with his second technical foul on a curious call after Green pushed the ball into Schröder’s face.

    His absence scarcely seemed to help the Warriors, who simply couldn’t make their open shots.

    TIP-INS

    Warriors: Golden State went 13-35 on the road this year, including the postseason. … Curry moved into 11th place on the NBA’s career playoff scoring list, passing Dwyane Wade. … Andrew Wiggins scored six points while playing with fractured rib cartilage, apparently resulting from a tussle with James in the fourth quarter of Game 5.

    Lakers: Schröder took the starting spot of defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt. … James passed Shaquille O’Neal for fourth place on the NBA’s career playoff rebounds list. … Jack Nicholson was courtside for the third time in the Lakers’ last four playoff games. Others in attendance: Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, Bad Bunny, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Michael B. Jordan, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Jack Harlow, Dr. Dre, Woody Harrelson, Tyler the Creator and Trae Young.

    ___

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  • Heat back to the NBA’s final four, top Knicks 96-92 for 4-2 series win

    Heat back to the NBA’s final four, top Knicks 96-92 for 4-2 series win

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    MIAMI (AP) — Heat coach Erik Spoelstra walked into the postgame interview room, a cup of a celebratory beverage in his hand, took a seat and began explaining how difficult the journey has been for Heat.

    The regular season was a struggle. They needed to survive the play-in. They were three minutes away from going home before the playoffs even started, needing a rally just to earn the right to play top-seeded Milwaukee.

    All forgotten. They’re in the NBA’s final four — getting there as a No. 8 seed.

    Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Heat are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals after topping the New York Knicks 96-92 in Game 6 on Friday night.

    “It is really frickin’ hard to get to the Eastern Conference finals,” Spoelstra said.

    Maybe for some franchises. Not for Miami. The Heat are headed there for the 10th time overall, the seventh time in the last 13 years and the third time in the past four seasons. They’ll play Game 1 at either Boston or Philadelphia on Wednesday; those teams will decide their East semifinal series Sunday.

    “It means we’re one step closer to our goal,” Butler said.

    Max Strus scored 14 points and Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists for the Heat. They’re the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to make the conference finals — joining the Knicks, who pulled it off in 1999.

    Jalen Brunson was spectacular for New York, scoring 41 points on 14-for-22 shooting. But his teammates combined for only 51 points — Julius Randle had 15 and RJ Barrett 11 on 1-for-10 shooting. Josh Hart also had 11 points for the Knicks.

    “Congratulations to the Heat, to the organization, to the coaching staff, Spo and Pat Riley and all their players,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They played tough in this series and hats off to them. But I’m proud of our guys. There’s always disappointment in the end of the season and in the end, there’ll be one team standing. … Proud of the way this team worked all year.”

    It was dicey at the end, but Miami survived. Gabe Vincent was called for a flagrant-1 against Brunson with just under a minute left, starting a run where the Knicks scored four points in 4.6 seconds.

    Brunson made the free throws, Hart added a layup and a 92-86 lead was down to 92-90.

    The Knicks got a stop at the other end, but never got a shot off on the next possession. Lowry knocked the ball away for a steal, Butler made two free throws with 14.4 seconds left and the countdown back to the conference finals was on.

    “It was a battle,” Lowry said. “A Tom Thibodeau-coached team, they’re always going to play hard. … This was a grind and we found a way.”

    The Heat had to dodge one dicey situation after another. The Knicks tied it once after halftime, about four minutes in, but missed 10 other field-goal attempts in the second half — along with two free throws — that would have pulled them into a tie or given them the lead.

    “Just got to give them a lot of credit. They didn’t play like an 8 seed — at all,” Brunson said. “They were unbelievable. The utmost respect for them and that organization. I liked the way we fought.”

    Brunson had 22 points in the first half, tying his third-most before intermission in any game this season – and his most ever by halftime of a playoff game. He had 15 in the first quarter when the Knicks came out flying to grab early control.

    New York led 14 in the opening quarter, and Miami never led by more than two in the first 24 minutes. But it was Miami with the lead at the half, going up 51-50 by the break in large part because it finally kept New York off the line.

    The Knicks made 11 free throws in the first quarter — the most by any Heat opponent this season and tying the fourth-most against Miami in an opening period over the last decade. But they didn’t even get to the line in the final 15:16 of the half.

    The score to that point: Knicks 29, Heat 17. The score over the rest of the half: Heat 34, Knicks 21. And the Knicks never had the lead again.

    “We’ve got guys that just want it,” Lowry said.

    TIP-INS

    Knicks: Brunson and Quentin Grimes played all 48 minutes of Game 5, but that was quickly off the table in Game 6. Grimes sat for 6:41 of the opening half, Brunson for 2:44, though some of that was because he got his third foul with 37.6 seconds left. … Immanuel Quickley (sprained left ankle) missed his third consecutive game. … New York finished 53-40, its best record in a season since going 60-34 in 2012-13.

    Heat: Victor Oladipo was at the game, on crutches and braced after surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon. … The Heat had three starters (Vincent, Strus and Butler) all shorter than the Miami Marlins’ starting pitcher a couple miles away — rookie Eury Perez, who made his big-league debut, is 6-foot-8. … Miami had 3-point tries as time expired in each of the first three quarters. They all missed.

    CELEB WATCH

    Among those at the game: Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel — even on a rookie minicamp weekend for his team – and Dallas (and former Knicks) guard Tim Hardaway Jr., whose father’s jersey is among those retired by the Heat.

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  • Suns go big at trade deadline, still lose in second round of playoffs

    Suns go big at trade deadline, still lose in second round of playoffs

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    PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns pushed all-in at the trade deadline, blowing up their roster nucleus to add 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in a quest for the franchise’s first championship in its 55-year history.

    It didn’t happen.

    Now it feels like big changes are on the horizon after another embarrassing playoff exit.

    Phoenix is headed to the offseason after losing to the Denver Nuggets 125-100 in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. The Suns fell into a 30-point halftime hole on their homecourt one season after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in eerily similar fashion.

    “When it comes to a screeching halt, it’s like everyone just flies all over the place and you’re trying to figure out what just happened,” coach Monty Williams said. “It just comes to a stop you don’t expect.”

    Suns new owner Mat Ishbia enters his first offseason with the franchise and it remains to be seen how aggressive he’ll be in reshaping the roster. The assumption is that three-time All-Star Devin Booker — who averaged nearly 36 points per game in a brilliant postseason performance — and Durant will be back.

    The rest of the roster is in flux.

    The biggest questions surround 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul and former No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton, who were both out with injuries by the end of the series. It also remains to be seen if Williams — the NBA’s coach of the year in 2022 — will be back on the sidelines.

    The 38-year-old Paul was solid when he was on the court for the Suns this season, but his body gave out again in the playoffs and he missed the final four games with a strained left groin. He’s under contract for next season with a partially-guaranteed deal.

    “We train, we practice to be in these moments,” Paul said. “When you can’t be out there it’s tough.”

    The 24-year-old Ayton was ineffective for much of the Denver series, averaging 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, which were both well below his season and career averages. He suffered a rib contusion in Game 5 and watched the final game from the bench.

    WILLIAMS’ FUTURE

    Williams is widely respected in the Suns’ organization. Maybe most importantly, Booker has always been a fan.

    But no coaching job is safe in the NBA. Championship-winning coaches like Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee) and Nick Nurse (Toronto) have already hit the unemployment line this offseason.

    On Friday, Williams sounded like a man who wanted to be back, but wasn’t sure about his future. He led the Suns to the Finals in 2021, losing to the Bucks in six games.

    “I’ve always felt like I have to do my job and not worry about it,” Williams said. “But you do scan the landscape and see what’s going on and you know it could be a part of anybody’s tenure. So from my perspective, you do the best you can, and if things don’t turn out the way you want them to you can sleep and rest because you did the best you could.

    “But I’m not closed-minded to what I’ve seen around the league. I lot of these guys who have lost their jobs are good friends of mine.”

    AYTON’S NO-SHOW

    The Suns signed Ayton to a $133 million, four-year deal in the previous offseason, matching an offer the Indiana Pacers made to the restricted free agent.

    The athletic 6-foot-11 center had moments when he lived up to that contract, but the no-show in the Denver series could lead to a change of scenery, even if he said he’s content to stay in the desert.

    “I’m here, I’m happy,” Ayton said. “We didn’t finish the season the way we wanted, but there’s always next year. This summer is just more work. Just got to do a little more work.”

    THE TRADE

    One of the first clues Durant’s addition to the Suns roster might not be seamless came before his expected home debut.

    In a bizarre moment, the 34-year-old sprained his ankle in pregame warmups, which kept him out of the lineup for a few weeks. He played just eight regular season games with the Suns after the trade.

    Phoenix won all eight of those games, but it was clear Williams had trouble figuring out his playing rotations with the re-tooled roster. Those issues continued in the playoffs, with role players like Cam Payne, Torrey Craig, Josh Okogie and Jock Landale seeing wildly different roles from game to game.

    “I can’t use (the lack of time) as an excuse,” Williams said. “It’s my job to put it together.”

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  • Lakers center Anthony Davis injured late in Game 5 loss to Warriors

    Lakers center Anthony Davis injured late in Game 5 loss to Warriors

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    Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals

    ByJANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer

    SAN FRANCISCO — Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

    Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for positioning in the paint on a driving layup by the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell. Davis’ status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear but coach Darivn Ham was encouraged afterward without providing details on what evaluation — such as concussion testing — the big man went through once in the locker room. TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room.

    “Obviously, everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked in on him, he seems to be doing really good already,” Ham said. “That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”

    The Lakers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

    Davis finished with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists but didn’t block a shot.

    Teammate Austin Reaves reported Davis doing “better” as an encouraging sign, but that Los Angeles would be ready with or without him.

    “Obviously, AD is huge to what we do. I believe he’ll play, but if that’s not the case, we’re still a group of NBA basketball players that have played games without him this year,” Reaves said. “You never want to play a big game without a guy like that. But that’s the nature of the game.”

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    AP Freelance Writer Ben Ross contributed to this report.

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  • Nuggets beat Suns 118-102 in Game 5 to regain series lead

    Nuggets beat Suns 118-102 in Game 5 to regain series lead

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    DENVER — Nikola Jokic had a triple-double after making up with Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Michael Porter Jr. sank five 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix 118-102 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 series lead.

    Joker had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playoff triple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by a center in NBA history.

    “To be honest, I just like to win the game, so whatever it takes,” said Jokic, who was coming off a career-best 53-point performance in Game 4.

    Game 6 is Thursday night in Phoenix.

    “If we play the way we did today,” Jokic said, “we’re going to have a chance” to close out the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the NBA bubble in 2020.

    The Suns are confident they can shake this one off just like they did in bouncing back from two losses in Denver last week.

    “Yeah. I’ve been in here a couple of times now,” Phoenix star Devin Booker said. “I love it. Every game has is its own character. Every game is its own movie, its own different preparation and everything to go with it. We’re going watch over film, see how we can be better for Game 6.”

    The home team has won every game in the series. If that holds true again, the decisive winner-take-all clash will come Sunday back in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets own the NBA’s best home record at 40-7, including 6-0 in the playoffs.

    Nuggets coach Michael Malone devised a five-point plan for the Nuggets to regain control of the series after losing two in Phoenix: patch up their transition defense, slow down Booker, get more from his bench, unleash MPJ and knock down open 3s.

    Check, check, check, check and check.

    Porter bounced back from a quiet night in Game 4 with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from long range. Denver outscored Phoenix 31-23 in fast-break points; Booker scored 28 points but missed 11 of 19 shots; Bruce Brown boosted the Nuggets’ bench with 25 points and the Nuggets sank 13 of 27 from long range.

    Jamal Murray added 19 points for Denver, and Kevin Durant chipped in 26 points for Phoenix but also had an uncharacteristic five turnovers.

    The Nuggets turned a three-point halftime lead into a 91-74 cushion with a domiinant third quarter in which Jokic made seven of eight shots for 17 points and Booker was just 1-for-8 for 3 points.

    The chippiness of the series reached a new level in the final minute of the third quarter when Nuggets swingman Brown antagonized the Suns as they huddled up on the court and Durant gave Jokic a forearm shiver. A double technical was assessed on Durant and Brown.

    “Just to see what they were drawing up,” Jokic said when asked why he and Brown were spying on the Suns.

    Durant called the dust-up “absolutely nothing, it wasn’t anything serious. They were excited, they were up big and we were trying to draw up some stuff. So, it was nothing.”

    So, no need for a hug and a handshake next time they play.

    Before this game, Jokic shared a warm pregame embrace — and the basketball — with Ishbia 48 hours after their kerfuffle over a loose ball in Phoenix in Game 4 resulted in a technical foul and a $25,000 fine for the Nuggets big man.

    “I was hoping he was going to pay my fine,” Jokic cracked after the game.

    “I think he’s just making light of a situation that was way overblown,” Malone said. “The NBA handled it the right way and I give their owner, Mat Ishbia, a lot of credit when he came out after the game and said, ‘Listen, I don’t want anyone to be suspended. Let’s let the players decide this on the court.’ So, kudos to him for that.

    “But yeah, I think it just speaks to Nikola’s personality and him being a little bit of a smart (aleck).”

    The NBA had stickers placed on the first several rows of seats — including Ishbia’s — reminding spectators, especially those close to the action, of its fan code of conduct policy and a reminder that violations could result in ejection and revocation of tickets.

    TIP-INS

    Suns: Seated courtside alongside Ishbia was Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker, derisively known in much of Colorado as “Midnight Mel” for his departure from the Buffaloes job only hours after telling boosters he was in Boulder to stay.

    Nuggets: This marked the first game in the series that the leader after one quarter held on to win the game. … Among the VIPs in attendance was Broncos new head coach Sean Payton, his quarterback Russell Wilson and John Calipari, who coached Booker and Murray at Kentucky.

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  • LeBron’s Lakers rout Warriors 127-97, take 2-1 series lead

    LeBron’s Lakers rout Warriors 127-97, take 2-1 series lead

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    LOS ANGELES — LeBron James didn’t take a shot in the first quarter of Game 3 for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ home crowd rumbled with mild uncertainty each time he passed the ball instead.

    Turns out James and his Lakers were just taking a while to warm up before they steamrolled the Golden State Warriors.

    Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, a slow-starting James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory Saturday night.

    D’Angelo Russell hit five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions. Los Angeles seized control in the middle quarters, outscoring the Warriors 63-38 to turn Game 3 into a laugher.

    “After that first quarter, guys just really turned it up,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “They dialed up their competitiveness, and their communication was great. … We were just playing a really physical, forceful downhill game.”

    James curiously didn’t shoot the ball until well into the second quarter, yet he still led several runs in the second and third quarters while Los Angeles pulled away. The 38-year-old also mixed in a handful of plays that defied his age and 20 years of NBA experience, making a deft spin move and blocking a shot on the other end shortly after he leaped the front row of fans and ran well up into the stands after making a deflection.

    “That’s just who he has to be at this time of the year,” Ham said. “That’s why he’s a champion. The little things.”

    Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on 3-pointers — making just 10 while the game was still competitive — after hitting 21 in each of the series’ first two games in San Francisco.

    Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

    Davis had an impressive bounce-back game under both baskets after contributing minimally in Game 2, blocking four shots and leading the Lakers’ latest strong defensive effort. Los Angeles has built its 16-5 run since March 17 on defense, and the Warriors couldn’t hit enough shots from the perimeter to counteract their disadvantages in size and athleticism.

    “We locked in,” Russell said. “We just got stops, and it allowed us to creep back.”

    Klay Thompson had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, but the rest of the roster beyond their top three scorers struggled mightily, combining for just 18 points before coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with 9:11 to play. Draymond Green had two points in 23 minutes while playing with foul trouble.

    “We had 26 assists and 19 turnovers,” Kerr said. “That’s criminal. Those 19 turnovers turned into 27 points. They shot 20 more free throws than we did. So if you put all those numbers together, this was a Lakers game.”

    The Warriors were held under 100 points for only the fifth time in 92 games this season.

    The rivals split two games in San Francisco to open the series, with the Warriors earning a 27-point blowout victory in Game 2 after dropping the opener.

    But this much-anticipated playoff rematch between generational superstars James and Curry has featured more garbage time than memorable thrills in the past two games. After Ham sat down his stars before the fourth quarter of Game 2, Kerr pulled the plug while facing a 26-point deficit early in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

    “You’re on the road, you’re going against a great defensive team, and you know the crowd is going to be into it,” Kerr said. “Got to be more poised than we were.”

    FIGHT ON

    James’ son, Bronny, announced his decision to play at the University of Southern California about two hours before tipoff. The 18-year-old was among the top uncommitted recruits in the nation, and he chose to stay close to home with a loaded Trojans team coming off its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Bronny James, USC hoops coach Andy Enfield and Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley all attended Game 3.

    TIP-INS

    Warriors: JaMychal Green stayed in the starting lineup even with Kevon Looney available to play in Game 3. Looney missed Game 2 with an illness. … Andre Iguodala has increased his workload and should return to practice next week, Kerr said. The veteran has been out since March 13 after having surgery on his left wrist. He isn’t likely to play in this series, but could return later in the postseason. … Moses Moody got a flagrant foul in the second quarter for tripping Davis while lying on the ground after Davis blocked his shot.

    Lakers: James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fifth place on the NBA’s career playoff rebounding list. … Backup center Mo Bamba missed his third straight game with a left ankle injury. … Another celebrity-laden sellout crowd gathered for the Lakers’ longest playoff run in their home arena since 2012. Fans near courtside included Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Dustin Hoffman, Nia Long, Adele, Andy Garcia, Kevin Hart and quarterback Bryce Young, the Pasadena native and No. 1 overall pick by Carolina in last month’s NFL draft.

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  • NBA MVP: 76ers’ Embiid wins league’s top individual honor

    NBA MVP: 76ers’ Embiid wins league’s top individual honor

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    Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

    The 29-year-old from Yaoundé, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been sidelined with a sprained right knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.

    Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.

    “It’s been a long time coming,” Embiid said. “A lot of hard work. I’ve been through a lot. I’m not just talking about basketball. I’m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.”

    The 76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting “MVP! MVP! ” as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.

    Embiid then vowed “I’ll be back” for the playoff series against the Celtics.

    But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?

    “We shall see,” Embiid said.

    Embiid has been determined to win — and campaigned for — the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.

    When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, “The MVP race is over.”

    Embiid certainly didn’t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.

    “They’re probably right,” Embiid said. “But we have bigger goals in mind.”

    Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.

    Embiid’s injury could be the deciding factor in the 76ers’ chase for the NBA championship. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001 — which was the last time a Sixer won the MVP award.

    Allen Iverson was named league MVP in 2001. Other 76ers to capture the league’s top individual award: Julius Erving, 1981; Moses Malone, 1983; and Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-1968.

    Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, has been every bit the dominant force in the NBA over the past seven seasons. Once the poster child for load management, Embiid has played 134 regular-season games the last two seasons and his 30.6 points last season made him the first international player ever to win an NBA scoring title. He’s a six-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Jokic.

    Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020. Jokic in 2021 and 2022.

    Now, the award belongs to Embiid, who didn’t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.

    A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid’s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.

    “I am absolutely thrilled for Joel on winning the MVP award. He is the real deal and deserves every bit of recognition that comes his way,” Rivers said. “He embodies everything that the honor stands for. His drive to improve is unmatched, and like the saying ‘a dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes hard work’, he’s put in the work.”

    Embiid, who became an American citizen last year, was known early in his career for sucking down Shirley Temples but has worked with sports dietitians to develop healthier eating habits and streamlined his workouts.

    Sixers fans can enjoy him for years. Embiid’s four-year, $196 million contract extension doesn’t kick in until next season and takes him through 2026-27.

    The affable center became the face of the 76ers’ rebuilding effort more commonly known as The Process. He embraced the nickname and is introduced before every home game as Joel “The Process” Embiid.

    He can now add MVP.

    Billboards went up around Philadelphia of Embiid with the slogan “MVPIID” and Sixers fans serenaded him with “MVP!” chants from pregame introductions all the way to his final free throw attempts.

    Embiid, who shares with his long-time girlfriend a son named in the honor of his late brother, holds career averages of 27.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 394 career starts. He’s a four-time All-NBA selection and three-time All-Defensive Team selection.

    This is the fifth consecutive year an international player has been MVP, extending the longest streak in NBA history. It’s also the second time that international players finished 1-2-3 in MVP voting; the first time was last season.

    Embiid becomes the second winner from Africa, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, the Nigerian who won for Houston in 1994.

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  • Injured Embiid ‘doubtful’ for Game 1, says 76ers coach

    Injured Embiid ‘doubtful’ for Game 1, says 76ers coach

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    CAMDEN. N.J. (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers says NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 1 of the playoff series against the Boston Celtics with a sprained right knee.

    Embiid was examined by doctors this week and has yet to practice ahead of Monday’s Eastern Conference semifinals opener at Boston.

    The Sixers have had the longest break of any NBA team after they swept the Brooklyn Nets last Saturday. Embiid was hurt in Game 3 and missed the next game.

    “If I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1, but we’ll see,” Rivers said Saturday at the 76ers’ facility in New Jersey. “He has to get better. He did nothing (today). Just wasn’t able to and obviously we were hopeful for today.”

    The 29-year-old Embiid, from Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points this season to win his second straight scoring title. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. He played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career.

    Embiid missed two games in the second round last year and another in the first round in 2021 with various injuries, on top of the two he missed to begin the 2018 playoffs with an orbital fracture and another in 2019, also with a knee problem.

    Embiid averaged 36.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in four games this season against the Celtics.

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  • Lakers obliterate Grizzlies 125-85, advance to 2nd round

    Lakers obliterate Grizzlies 125-85, advance to 2nd round

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    LOS ANGELES — LeBron James made sure the Lakers had the appropriate urgency for a closeout playoff game. Their raucous fans constantly urged them to end an infuriating decade without a postseason celebration on the Lakers’ home court.

    When that much passion coincided with a spectacular defensive performance by Anthony Davis, the Memphis Grizzlies didn’t stand a chance.

    Davis had 16 points and 14 rebounds while blocking five shots and dominating the paint, D’Angelo Russell scored a career playoff-high 31 points and Los Angeles completed its first-round upset of the Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

    James scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who emphatically clinched a playoff series in their own arena for the first time since 2012.

    “It was definitely a Game 7 mentality for us,” James said. “We understood that we had an opportunity to play in front of our fans, and we wanted to try to end it tonight. We came out with a discipline. From the start of the game, we were just locked in on our game plan all the way until the final seconds.”

    The Lakers won all three of their home games in the series, and the final victory was a scary demonstration of their capabilities when James and Davis are both healthy alongside their full supporting cast.

    Davis’ imposing defensive presence largely shut down Memphis’ offense in Game 6, while Russell’s five 3-pointers highlighted a slick offensive effort from a late-blooming team with championship aspirations.

    “We didn’t want to go back to Memphis, to say the least,” said Austin Reaves, who had 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds. “We wanted to end it tonight, home court, so we were super locked-in.”

    The Lakers took a 20-point lead in the first half and went up by 36 in the third quarter before coasting to victory in front of superfan Jack Nicholson and a sellout crowd. James and Davis even got to sit out the entire fourth quarter, preserving their legs for the second round.

    Los Angeles opens its next series on the road Tuesday against the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between Sacramento and defending champion Golden State.

    “This thing is just getting started,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “We passed Level 1. Now we’ve got to start shifting our focus to whoever comes out of that game on Sunday. LeBron had some great words of wisdom he shared after the game. It’s about us, just as much as it’s about our opponent. We have to be the best versions of ourselves.”

    Ja Morant scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Grizzlies, who won 107 games and two Southwest Division titles in the past two seasons, but just one playoff series.

    Morant’s injured right hand appeared to hamper his shot, and he seemed unwilling to drive the paint with his usual fearlessness while Davis loomed in the middle. Morant’s teammates couldn’t pick him up: Desmond Bane, who guaranteed a Game 7, had 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 14 on 3-of-12 shooting.

    “We didn’t play our best basketball at all, in my opinion, in these six games,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We got two wins in this series, but we were far from where we needed to play. Discipline, execution, defensively, the urgency, and then just our production on offense. … (we’ve) just got to find ways to get better. This is a feeling we’ve got to remember. It’s got to motivate us. It’s got to be understood that this is part of our evolution as a team.”

    Dillon Brooks, the Memphis agitator who dismissed James as “old” after Game 2 and then got ejected from Game 3 for striking James in the groin, finished a dismal series performance with 10 points in Game 6 while Lakers fans booed his every move.

    Brooks left the Grizzlies’ locker room before reporters were allowed in.

    “People are going to talk,” said Davis, who blocked 26 shots in the series. “We’ve had some trash talk on the court in the series, but all the talking in the media, we just go out and let our game talk.”

    The Grizzlies had the second-worst road record among the NBA’s 16 playoff teams in the regular season, and they lost all five of their road games against the Lakers this season.

    JACK’S BACK

    The 86-year-old Nicholson watched his beloved team for the first time since October 2021, returning to his usual seats alongside his son. The Lakers’ most famous fan has been a fixture at courtside for the last half-century, and the Oscar-winning actor got a huge ovation from his fellow supporters whenever his face appeared on the scoreboard.

    TIP-INS

    Grizzlies: Luke Kennard sat out with a sore shoulder, further hurting the depth on a roster already missing Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. Kennard got a stinger in Game 5. … Xavier Tillman scored two points in 18 minutes.

    Lakers: James won his 40th career playoff series, tying Derek Fisher for the most in NBA history. … LA has won 14 of its last 18 games. … Nicholson’s return was the highlight of a celebrity-studded night at courtside, where the fans included Larry David, Dr. Dre, Adele and Kyrie Irving, who got a big hug from James before the game. Irving is a free agent this summer, and he has been linked to a reunion with James repeatedly in recent years.

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  • Heat rally again to win in OT, eliminate top-seeded Bucks

    Heat rally again to win in OT, eliminate top-seeded Bucks

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    MILWAUKEE — Jimmy Butler was an extraordinary playmaker while leading the Miami Heat to one of the most stunning first-round playoff upsets in NBA history.

    It turns out he also was a heck of a play caller.

    Butler scored 42 points and the Heat staged a second straight stunning fourth-quarter rally before winning 128-126 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 5 to eliminate the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

    “We’re a resilient group,” Butler said. “We stick together through everything.”

    The Heat advanced to a second-round series with the fifth-seeded New York Knicks, who completed their 4-1 series win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier Wednesday. Game 1 is Sunday in New York.

    Miami, which had to win a play-in game with Chicago just to get to the first round, became the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed. The last time it happened was in 2012, when a Philadelphia 76ers team featuring current Bucks guard Jrue Holiday capitalized on Derrick Rose’s knee injury to beat the top-seeded Chicago Bulls.

    Two nights after outscoring the Bucks 30-13 in the final six minutes of a 119-115 victory in Miami, the Heat came back from a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit and tied the game on Butler’s layup with half a second left in regulation.

    The Heat trailed 118-116 with 2.1 seconds left and called a timeout when coach Erik Spoelstra drew up a play. Butler didn’t like what he saw and spoke up about it. Spoelstra then changed his mind and set up the tying play, which had Gabe Vincent throwing an inbounds pass to Butler, who was waiting underneath the basket to force overtime.

    “We’ve practiced variations of that play with a bunch of different guys,” Spoelstra said. “I was going to do a different version of it. He just said, ‘No, let me be that guy.’ I just said, ‘OK, but what if we can’t get that pass.’ He said, ‘I’ll get it. Don’t worry about it.’ ”

    Butler delivered, as he did this entire series. He averaged 37.6 points, including a 56-point effort in Game 4.

    “He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win,” Spoelstra said. “He’ll make everybody in the building feel it. That’s why he is us and we are him. That’s the way we operate as well.”

    The Heat advanced to a second-round series with the fifth-seeded New York Knicks, who completed their 4-1 series win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier Wednesday. Game 1 is Sunday in New York.

    Bam Adebayo put the Heat ahead for good by dunking in a putback of Butler’s missed driving layup attempt with 4:44 left in overtime. The Bucks trailed 128-126 and had the ball in the closing seconds, but the clock ran out before Grayson Allen could take a shot as he drove to the basket.

    The Bucks had timeouts available but didn’t use them in the closing seconds of overtime. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he didn’t regret not using a timeout in that situation. He did regret not calling a timeout with half a second left in regulation after Butler’s basket.

    Adebayo had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Gabe Vincent added 22 points.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 20 rebounds for the Bucks, though he shot just 10 of 23 on free-throw attempts. Khris Middleton added 33 points.

    Asked after the game if a first-round playoff exit made this season a failure, Antetokounmpo took issue with the question.

    “There’s no failure in sports,” Antetokounmpo said. “There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful. Some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn. Some days it’s not your turn. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win.”

    Milwaukee led 102-86 after three quarters but shot just 5 of 25 from the floor in the fourth quarter and overtime. This marked the biggest deficit a winning team ever had faced to start the fourth quarter of a series-clinching victory, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

    The Heat tied the game on two occasions late in the fourth quarter before Middleton made two free throws to put Milwaukee back ahead with 27.8 seconds left.

    Holiday made two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to make it a four-point game. Vincent made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one with 8.4 seconds left.

    After getting fouled with 2.1 seconds left, Holiday missed his first free throw before sinking the second to make it 118-116. But Vincent’s outstanding pass to Butler helped force overtime and eventually send the Heat to the second round.

    “Everybody who got on that bus believed,” Adebayo said. “I felt everybody believed. And we did something a lot of people thought we couldn’t do.”

    TIP-INS

    Heat: Udonis Haslem picked up a technical foul from the Heat bench after exchanging words with Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis during a second-quarter timeout. …Spoelstra earned his 100th career playoff coaching victory. The 100th win enabled him to tie Larry Brown for fifth place on the all-time list Spoelstra’s 99 wins put him in a tie for sixth with Red Auerbach. … The Heat improved to 3-1 in postseason series against the Bucks. The Heat won first-round series in 2013 and 2020 and lost a first-round series in 2021.

    Bucks: Wesley Matthews returned to action for the first time since straining his right calf in Game 1. “Tough is probably a gross understatement,” Matthews said after a Wednesday morning shootaround as he discussed the pain of missing three playoff games. … The Bucks went out in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018, when they lost in seven games to Boston as a No. 7 seed.

    ___

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  • Hawks playoff win pushes Janet Jackson concert back 1 day

    Hawks playoff win pushes Janet Jackson concert back 1 day

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    The Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the playoffs and that will force fans planning to attend Janet Jackson’s concert in the city this week to wait a day to see the music star

    ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the playoffs and that will force fans planning to attend Janet Jackson’s concert in the city this week to wait a day to see the music star.

    The Hawks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics 119-117 in Game 5 of their playoff matchup on Tuesday night, sending the series back to Atlanta for Game 6.

    It means that State Farm Arena is double-booked for Thursday night. The casualty will be Jackson’s concert, Live Nation said in a statement following the the team’s victory.

    It will be moved to Friday. All tickets for Thursday’s show will be honored for Friday night. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase for those who are unable to change their plans.

    Doors for Jackson’s show Friday will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7:45 p.m.

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