ICYMI: 

Most of the fireworks on Friday night happened in Houston in an absolute shoot-out between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for 83 points, but it wasn’t enough. After leading by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, Atlanta squandered the lead, and the Rockets surged late to capture their fourth win of the season, 128-122.

Despite Murray scoring a career-high 39 points and making a career-high eight threes, the Hawks couldn’t get the job done. A big reason for this was their performance on the boards in the absence of Clint Capela, who was out due to dental pain. Houston outrebounded Atlanta 59-28. This included a 22-6 drubbing on the offensive boards and a 37-22 advantage on the defensive boards.

Most of the headlines after the game were about the aftermath of a third-quarter scrum between each team’s respective backcourt. Young and Murray did plenty of showboating on the way to scoring a combined 83 points, and you get the sense that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t like it one bit. Green and Porter took to Instagram to mock Young following the game. Green waved goodbye to the Hawks after their 18-point fourth quarter. 

Ja Morant messed around and dropped a triple-double in Madison Square Garden, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 dimes. He’s been highly productive during Desmond Bane, who suffered a sprained big toe injury on Nov. 15 and won’t be back for at least another week.

Postgame, Morant credited New York Knicks point guard and Chicago/Memphis legend Derrick Rose for paving the way for hyper-athletic guards by saying; 

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Klay Thompson was off to a rough start on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season, but he’s beginning to get on track. He shot 61.5 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State scored 47 points in the first quarter and never really looked back. They had crisp offensive execution the entire game. 

The Boston Celtics continued their winning ways. They have won 12 of their last 13 games. They are a League-best 16-4 on the season. Jaylen Brown had 36 points in their most recent win sans Jayson Tatum against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics are poised for a return to the NBA Finals if they keep playing the way they’re playing. 

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the Brooklyn Nets are now only a single game under .500 following their 111-97 win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Seth Curry was a big factor in the win against his former squad, with 29 points on 11-15 shooting. 

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind and is turning some heads. Fox has been shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field, helping him average 25.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

Fox has the Kings sitting in sixth place in a jammed Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Fox’s play has been so good that this past weekend, he inked a deal with one of the biggest and most well-known sports agencies in basketball Klutch Sports. For Sacramento, Fox’s recent play and lead role in the Kings’ resurgence could be just what the team needs to end their 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have the talent and youth to be very disruptive if given a postseason opportunity. The team’s additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk (in addition to Fox’s play) have been a great fit. Hopefully, Fox and the team can continue this momentum.

Over the weekend, the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in their last four games. During the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Russell Westbrook was going up for a layup after previously grabbing a rebound and was fouled on the way up by Spurs center Zach Collins. When Westbrook rose up from the ground heated from the foul, you could see that he had a cut and was visibly bleeding from his forehead.

The two teams got together for what seemed like a couple of seconds after the foul, but everyone was calmly escorted to their respective benches. Westbrook, who was fuming for a good reason, was taken away by LeBron James, who quickly compressed Westbrook’s head wound with a towel and walked him over to the bench to be further examined by the Lakers team doctors.

Once the situation calmed down, a Flagrant 2 foul was given the Collins, and a tech was given to Westbrook. Postgame, James commented on the altercation, saying;

“I saw where the cut was immediately. It was just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don’t let it continue to go. Before we became teammates, we’ve always been like brothers and cool and things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. We were just trying to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench.”

Miami center Bam Adebayo has had a quiet yet phenomenal stretch over the Heat’s last six games averaging 25.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. However, in Adebayo’s last two games, he has scored over 30 points and has been a key contributor toward the end of games on both the defensive and offensive sides.

The Heat are currently on a three-game win streak led by Adebayo’s diverse and consistent play, and the team looks to carry that momentum into their Wednesday matchup with the 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

Ja Morant’s father asked for his son’s jersey for the first time in Morant’s career. Morant stated that it was “special” for him to get a triple-double in the Garden and that it was a place that he always had a special feeling for.

Morant admitted after Sunday’s game that MSG was special for him to have a triple-double since it was a place he watched in so many games on television as a kid — which was why his father made the unusual request for his jersey.

“It’s just the bright lights, man,” Morant told ESPN post-game. “Having a triple-double in the Garden is crazy. Growing up actually watching teams come here and play, watching the Knicks play — everybody loves the Garden. We really called it the bright lights. Everybody is watching. So for me to be able to go out and play like I played tonight was big-time for me.”

The post ICYMI: We Got You Covered With Thanksgiving Weekend News appeared first on SLAM.

The Nets are 1-5 as of Monday, losing four straight to the Grizzlies, Bucks, Mavericks, and Pacers. Brooklyn’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks came in overtime after Ben Simmons forced a turnover and dished the ball to Kevin Durant, who subsequently took off from below the free-throw line to tie the game up with a few ticks left in regulation. The Nets ultimately lost after the Mavericks outscored them 17-13.

“That had some good players and have been playing together for a while so they had some camaraderie that we’re trying to get and six games into the season, our best basketball is ahead of us for sure.”

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) October 31, 2022

When Morris was asked about Brooklyn’s slow start, the former Kansas Jayhawk was dismissive and said that “things aren’t bad.

“We lost a basketball game. I think that we have to realize that six games into the season with a brand new team — Indiana was a bad loss because they just really out-played us, but the games before that we against some good teams —”

Morris also went on to talk about how their prior losses came against teams that have built more chemistry and equity amongst their teammates.

“That had some good players and have been playing together for a while, so they had some camaraderie that we’re trying to get, and six games into the season, our best basketball is ahead of us for sure.”

What is holding Brooklyn back is the circumstances surrounding why the Nets haven’t played together. Durant and Kyrie Irving have played 50 games together after becoming teammates in 2019 due to injuries and Brooklyn deciding not to play Irving while he was unvaccinated against COVID-19. There still waiting for Seth Curry to come back. Joe Harris is acclimating after missing most of last season while healing from a surgically repaired ankle.

The Nets will have a chance to break their losing streak when they host the Pacers on Monday.

The post Markieff Morris Dismisses Brooklyn’s Slow Start: ‘Best Basketball is Ahead of Us for Sure’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Sunday, Rolling Stone revealed that the reports of a potential Warriors-KD reunion were being seriously discussed within Golden State, according to reigning Finals MVP and four-time champ Stephen Curry. Curry told Rolling Stone that he and the Warriors’ front office had a “conversation” about his thoughts on acquiring Durant.

“There was a conversation internally amongst us about ‘If he was available, would you?'” Curry said three days after Durant made his trade request. “Every team has those conversations, and obviously, in our situation, they’re gonna call me and ask me, ”How do you feel about it?”

However, Durant and the Nets made up last month despite Durant reiterating his trade request and giving team owner Joe Tsai the ultimatum of choosing him or Coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks. Curry sees the narrative around his future Hall-of-Famer teammate and says that Durant is “misunderstood” and that he would have welcomed Durant into Golden State with open arms.

When Curry sat down with Rolling Stone on Aug. 9, he told the magazine that he was “never hesitant” about playing with KD again and that he had “so much fun playing with him those three years.”

“I was never hesitant. The idea of playing with KD and knowing who he is as a person, from our history in those three years, I think KD’s a really good dude. I think he is misunderstood. I think he has had certain things happen in his life that hurt his ability to trust people around him, in a sense of making him feel safe at all times. So all of those things, I understand, having played with him and gotten to know him. I love that dude.”

Curry also gave the Warriors a resounding yes to acquiring Durant but understood it would take a lot of finesse to trade for KD.

“And if you said, ”Oh, KD’s’ coming back, and we’re gonna play with him,” I had so much fun playing with him those three years, I’d’ be like, ”Hell, yeah!” Then you have to think: What does that actually mean? What does it look like? You tell me I’m’ playing with [current Warriors teammates Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green], I’m’ like, ”Hell, yeah!” There’s all types of emotion and things that happen to the league. And if anybody’s saying that you wouldn’t entertain that conversation—no disrespect to anybody on our team—but you don’t know how things work. But you also understand, like, if we run this thing back, I’ve’ got complete confidence in my team that we can win it again, as constructed.

“So, all those things were true. And it started with me wanting to play with KD at the beginning. Yeah, it’s about winning, it’s about having fun, playing the game of basketball. And that was part of the reaction of, like, ‘Yeah; it’d be amazing.”’

Curry also talked with his younger brother Seth, Durant’s teammate in Brooklyn, about a potential Durant deal that could put both the Currys on the same roster for the first time in their careers. When the prospect of Durant going to Phoenix or Boston came up, Curry suggested that it would be unrealistic for Durant to think any team he went to outside of Brooklyn could retain a championship roster around him.

He specifically stated that it would be a mind-blowing transaction if Boston did indeed swap Jaylen Brown for Durant. Curry does believe that Durant made the right move in staying in Brooklyn.

The Warriors begin their title defense on Oct. 14 against the Lakers after being presented with their championship rings.

The post Stephen Curry Reveals Warriors ‘Internally’ Discussed Trade for Kevin Durant appeared first on SLAM.

It didn’t take KD long to get his offense rolling for yet another scoring explosion. He scored seemingly from everywhere on the court. He started the game with a jumper over Josh Hart in a one-on-one matchup.

Wasting no time pic.twitter.com/rImYYldIoa

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 18, 2022

Then he showed how dangerous a threat he is playing off the ball and letting things develop within the offense.

Dangerous on and off the ball pic.twitter.com/ekbtAYTrjW

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 18, 2022

But despite 13 early points from Durant, the Blazers ran off to a first-half lead by knocking down nine of their first 12 shots and used a 42-point second quarter to grab a 75-62 at the break. But finally, after Portland extended the lead to 82-64 in the third quarter, thanks to KD and some timely shots from Seth Curry, Brooklyn outscored the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101, heading to the final quarter.

Even with Durant’s 38 points with six rebounds and six assists, he praised Curry for sparking a 10-0 spurt with two triples to give Brooklyn a 111-101 lead while he was on the bench.

back in front pic.twitter.com/mrGDAxTL4T

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 19, 2022

“We needed that, and good to see him back out there,” Durant said via ESPN. “He missed a few games with that ankle, but I’m glad he’s getting better, and he was able to come out here and play, and we needed all those points tonight.”

The Nets will need more of the same Monday night as they take on the Utah Jazz at home.

The post Kevin Durant’s 38 Points Spark A Huge Brooklyn Nets Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons’ absence has left some wondering if he would play for the Nets at all this season.

On Tuesday, Coach Steve Nash spoke to media to dispel those rumors, stating that he believes the chances of Simmons playing this season are “extremely high.”

The good news comes some bad, as Nash also told reporters that Simmons wouldn’t be traveling with the team while he continues to rehab.

Simmons was sent to the Nets along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond as part of the trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn, fellow new arrivals Curry and Drummond have picked up the slack. Curry and Drummond have played in 11 games so far, with Curry averaging 15.8 points and 3.2 assists and Drummond averaging 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The Nets could really use the presence of Simmons, and quickly. Brooklyn is currently sitting at the back of the Eastern Conference playoff race in eighth place with a record of 36-33, 3.5 games behind the sixth, and final non-play-in seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (39-29).

The post Steve Nash Says Ben Simmons Likely to Play in Regular Season appeared first on SLAM.

From the jump, history was made. Using his signature stepback move, former Brooklyn Net James Harden moved past Reggie Miller for third place on the all-time made three-pointers list.

Sitting courtside announcing the game for TNT, Miller had nothing but love for Harden.

Opposite Harden, Kevin Durant was looking like his usual self for the Nets, scoring eleven points in the quarter.

Kyrie Irving continued his stellar play from Tuesday’s historic game, as he also scored eleven in the first, including this beautiful pull-up with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

The Nets led 40-23 at the end of the first, with Durant and Irving scoring 11 apiece while Seth Curry had nine. For the 76ers, it was Joel Embiid carrying the load, scoring a massive 16 points with 10 of them coming from the line.

For the Nets, the trio of Durant, Irving, and Curry carried the offensive load in the second quarter, combining for 49 points. Durant, however, continued to give us highlight plays, including this coast-to-coast and one.

Brooklyn built a 21 point first-half lead thanks to their perimeter trio and hard-nosed defense. The Nets held Embiid to only five points in the quarter, with Harden entering the locker room with 11 points on 3-15 shooting.

When the action restarted, it was more of the same from the first half. Nearly two minutes into the second half, Durant put Tobias Harris in a blender to knock down a three-pointer.

By the time the third quarter was over, the once boisterous Philadelphia crowd had been all but silenced with the host down by 32 points.

The fourth quarter saw the onslaught continue and by the time the final horn went off, the Nets defeated the 76ers 129-100, their second largest margin of victory this season.

For Philly, the blowout loss is just the first they’ve suffered from Harden in the lineup. The main culprit was tough shooting (32.3 percent from the field) and turnovers.

Durant posted 25 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block. Irving finished with 22 points. Embiid led the way for Philadelphia, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

The Nets move to 34-33 while the 76ers fall to 40-25. The Nets will host cross-town rival New York Knicks on Sunday, while the 76ers will be traveling down to Orlando to take on the Orlando Magic.

The post The Brooklyn Nets Run the 76ers Out of Wells Fargo Arena, 129-100 appeared first on SLAM.

Irving dropped 50 points on an absurd 15-for-19 from the field, and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line, nine of his field goals came from beyond the three-point line. Not satisfied with just his 50 points, Irving chipped six assists and three rebounds to seal off a double-digit dub.

Kyrie Irving has the most 50 point-games in Nets’ franchise history. No other Net, including Dr. J, had more than one. Historic.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) March 9, 2022

Following the game, Irving’s teammates told the Associated Press’ Steve Reed and other media just how enamored they were with Irving’s 50-point game.

“That was master class,” Kevin Durant said.

“It was special,” Seth Curry said. “He made great plays all over the floor. He didn’t force it. Catch and shoot, off the dribble, and got to the rim, too. We needed that, Kyrie.”

“We obviously have a special player on our hands, and tonight, he was unbelievably efficient and difficult to defend,” Steve Nash said.

Irving just appeared as if he couldn’t miss all night on Tuesday, hitting tough jumper after jumper to bury any hopes the Hornets had at winning the game.

46 & COUNTING. KAI going off. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/ABy26ugP7J

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 9, 2022

This was a big win for the Nets, as the Hornets are one of their nearest rivals in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Nets are currently eighth in the east with a 33-33 record, just one game ahead of the Hornets, who are in ninth place, and 2.5 games ahead of the Washington Wizards, who are 11th.

The Nets’ next matchup will be a big one, as they reunite with former teammate James Harden against the Philadelphia 76ers.

That game will be in Philadelphia, and Irving had one word to describe the atmosphere for the matchup following the game against the Hornets.

That matchup will be at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

The post Kyrie Irving Drops 50 Points in Nets Win Over Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will square off against the Nets, and Simmons will be present on the Nets bench, according to head coach Steve Nash.

Despite Simmons’ presence on the bench, he will not be active to play in the game as he is still working towards full fitness since his trade to Brooklyn in February.

Part of the reason for Simmons’ presence at the game this week, according to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, is that Simmond will reportedly be filing a grievance with the 76ers in an attempt to recoup some of the money lost from not playing this season. Neubeck reported that Simmons’ appearance on Thursday night would be included in the grievance.

The game will take place in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Simmons was traded to the Nets at the start of February for James Harden after not appearing for the team all season. Simmons was joined in Brooklyn by Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.

Since the trade, Simmons has not suited up for Brooklyn, but recent reports indicate he will begin being “worked into game shape” this week, meaning he could make a return to the court in the near future.

A return from Simmons is becoming near essential for the Nets as they slide down the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets are now in a play-in spot in the east, sitting eighth in the conference with a 33-33 record, just 2.5 games ahead of the 11-seed Washington Wizards.

The post Ben Simmons to Sit on Bench For Nets Game In Philadelphia on Thursday appeared first on SLAM.

That’s why Nets fans had a reason for optimism on Thursday when general manager Sean Marks told the YES Network that newly-acquired forward Ben Simmons would begin being worked “into game shape” after next week.

Simmons has yet to play a game this season, as he has sat out the entirety of the year waiting for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons got that trade at the trade deadline a few weeks ago, when he, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond were shipped to Brooklyn for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons is also not the only one missing time for the Nets at the moment, with Kyrie Irving still only able to play away games and Joe Harris recently ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

Curry and Drummond have already picked up some slack since the trade, with Curry averaging 16.6 points per game for the Nets and Drummond averaging 9.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Before this season, Simmons had more than proved his worth as one of the NBA’s best, accumulating three All-Star appearances and being named to two All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team.

The Nets are currently fighting to stay in the playoffs altogether, as they are now eighth in the East with a record of 32-32 but are just 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-placed Washington Wizards (28-33) and 5.0 games back of the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (36-26).

Brooklyn looks to end their three-game losing streak on Sunday when they head to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (38-27).

The post REPORT: Ben Simmons to be Worked ‘Into Game Shape’ Next Week appeared first on SLAM.

Since spraining his knee in January, the Nets went from 27-15 to losing 11 straight games and struggling to stay in the play-in tournament with a 32-31 record. The teams’ makeup has also changed following the Nets’ blockbuster move to trade James Harden to Philly for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond.

The play status of Kyrie Irving is also up in the air after New York lifted its masking mandate, although nothing has changed for private businesses’ mask mandates. With 19 games left in the regular season, there’s no better than the present for Brooklyn to make a move up the standings and reestablish themselves as the championship contender many around the League expected them to be.

Just don’t expect KD to fall into the narrative that he will be the main reason why that happens.

KD: “I don’t look at myself as that, as a savior. But I know what I can do and how much I can help this team and what we’re missing as a group, but I’m not trying to go out there and win a game by myself tonight or make it all about me. I just try to go out there and help.”

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) March 3, 2022

Durant has averaged 29.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. His return will boost a squad that has missed his production as the featured weapon of the Nets’ offense. Easy Money Sniper doesn’t need to consider himself the savior of the Nets’ season, but he has been sorely missed not just from an offensive standpoint but with his leadership as well.

Heading into their matchup with Miami on Thursday, the Nets will look to earn just their second win out of the All-Star break and prevent a three-game losing streak after losing to the Raptors in back-to-back contests. The weight of that will fall on Durant, Curry, and Patty Mills since Irving is still prohibited from playing home games.

The post Kevin Durant on His Return: ‘I Don’t Look at Myself as That, as a Savior’ appeared first on SLAM.

One of those players is forward Tobias Harris, who has seen his production take a slight dip since the addition of Harden. In Harden’s first two games as a 76ers, Harris scored a total of 18 points, six in the first game and 12 in the second, both well below his current season average of 18.3 points per game.

Harris recently spoke to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick about this change in his role and how he was more concerned with winning games than the total number of points he has at the end of the game.

“It’s been two games,” Harris said. “I’m not worried about my offensive points and production. I think everybody has this notion of, ‘Oh, you’ve got to score this many points.’ Yeah, I get it, but at the end of the day I’m a winner and I incorporate into winning basketball. If that’s me taking 15 shots or if that’s me taking eight shots, it is what it is.

“As long as we’re winning basketball games, that’s what the name of the game is about. A lot of people may not like to hear that, but that’s the predicament we’re in right now. We have a lot of firepower, especially with James and Joel on this team. So my goal is to be out here, be ready, and when shots are available and the opportunity is there, take advantage of it and do whatever I can for our group.”

While Harris has had to take a backseat to Harden, the first signs for the team have been encouraging, albeit in just two appearances thus far, the 76ers are 2-0 with Harden so far, winning both games over the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves by double-digits.

In his first outing as a 76er, Harden put up 27 points and 12 assists and followed that up with a 29 point, 16 dimes, and 10 rebound triple-double.

The 76ers acquired Harden as part of the blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap. Simmons has yet to suit up for the Nets, but Curry and Drummond have played six times thus far, with Curry averaging 17.8 points per game over those appearances and Drummond averaging 9.8 points per game.

The 76ers and Nets are scheduled to face off next Thursday, March 10, in Philadelphia.

The post Tobias Harris on New Role: ‘At the End of the Day I’m a Winner’ appeared first on SLAM.

But his teammate on both the 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, Seth Curry, told ESPN’s Nick Friedell that Simmons shouldn’t have to apologize to Philly fans.

“Business is business,” Curry told ESPN after Thursday’s shootaround. “I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologize to us or whatever? I understand the business; he doesn’t need to apologize to anybody. When he’s on the court, I know he’s going to do his job and he’s going to do what he does. So I understand the business. He was doing what he felt was best for himself business-wise and personal-wise.”

Simmons has yet to play a game this season, last suiting up for the 76ers in the 2021 playoffs, after refusing to play for Philadelphia this year and demanding a trade. Simmons got his wish at the trade deadline and was shipped off the Nets along with Curry and Andre Drummond and draft picks in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn either, with Nets Coach Steve Nash stating it’s unlikely he will return before the Nets and 76ers’ matchup in Philadelphia on March 10 due to conditioning issues via the New York Post.

Before this season, Simmons had already established himself as a star in the NBA. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive team selection, and earned a 2019-20 All-NBA team nomination. This has resulted in Simmons having career averages of 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game over his career.

The Nets and 76ers are still in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, with Philadelphia (35-23) in third place and Brooklyn (31-29) in eighth place.

The post Seth Curry on Ben Simmons’ 76ers Exit: ‘He Doesn’t Need to Apologize’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark, the 76ers intend to sign center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract in the coming days.

Cauley-Stein is in his seventh NBA season after getting drafted sixth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2015. The 28-year-old center played in Sacramento for four seasons before being traded to the Golden State Warriors for half a season and signing with the Dallas Mavericks the following offseason.

Dallas is where Cauley-Stein remained before getting cut by the team on Jan. 15, as he was struggling to find playing time for the Mavericks.

This season Cauley-Stein has only played 18 games and averaged 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game over a total of 177 minutes thus far. This is a departure from Cauley-Stein’s usual production, as, over his career, he has maintained a respectable average of 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Following the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to Philly and Ben Simmons to Brooklyn, the 76ers are in need of a backup center for Joel Embiid. Andre Drummond, who previously served as the team’s backup, was shipped to the Nets and Seth Curry as part of the Harden trade.

The 76ers are currently in the midst of a fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, currently third in the conference with a record of 35-23, just 2.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat.

The post REPORT: 76ers to Sign Willie Cauley-Stein to 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

After Brooklyn was dominated by the Knicks for three quarters Wednesday night and was down 18 points in the fourth, the rookie out of LSU led a furious comeback hitting numerous big shots, including a deep three with less than ten seconds left to shock the Knicks in Madison Square Garden 111-106.

The @BrooklynNets overcame a 28 point deficit as rookie Cam Thomas and veteran Seth Curry lifted them to victory in a battle of the NYC franchises! #NetsWorld@sdotcurry: 20 PTS, 6 AST, 6 3PM@24_camthomas: 21 PTS, 4 REB pic.twitter.com/ObbtspZHlu

— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2022

After shooting 2-11 from the field for five points in the first three frames, he scored seven of his 16 points in the fourth to spark a 15-0 Brooklyn run to take the lead. Then with Brooklyn hanging on to a 106-103 lead, Thomas knocked down the biggest shot of the game, a step-back three-pointer with 3.7 seconds remaining in the game.

“It was 16 on the clock, 10 on the shot clock, so we just went in the backcourt. I saw coach tell them everyone flatten out, so I knew it was one-on-one time,” Thomas said, breaking down the clinching play via the New York Post. “So I just went to my go-to move. So glad it went in because I was struggling. I went like 1-for-9, 1-for-10 to start, wasn’t getting any calls, so I just had to keep playing through it, keep playing, so I’m glad it worked out for us.”

Cam Thomas knocks down a DEEP 3-pointer to put the @BrooklynNets up 6 late. The Nets were down by as many as 28 points.

3.7 remaining on ESPN pic.twitter.com/56LlsNCuag

— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2022

This is not the first time Cam Thomas has come up huge for Brooklyn. Last month he made a huge basket to seal a win over San Antonio.

The Nets play one more game against the Washington Wizards on Thursday night before the All-Star break.

The post Cam Thomas Finishes Off Brooklyn Nets Biggest Comeback in 25 Years appeared first on SLAM.

Steve Nash said there’s a “small chance” Kevin Durant could play in the first game vs the #Celtics coming out of the break, but it’s more likely he takes a little more time. #Nets #NBA

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) February 16, 2022

That would be the Nets’ first game coming out of the All-Star break. Nash made sure to downplay the chance of Durant returning to the lineup for the first time since he sprained his MCL in January.

Steve Nash downplays the chances of Kevin Durant returning right out of the break and says they haven’t really seen yet what kind of condition Ben Simmons is in. Not a lot of reason to predict a quick turnaround after All-Star.

— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) February 16, 2022

Since Durant went down for a month and some change, the Nets have struggled mightily and undergone some massive personnel changes as well, falling to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-27 record after losing 11 games in a row.

The Nets also decided to trade James Harden and Paul Millsap for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond during a blockbuster trade deadline deal, flipping two players that could turn the tide on both the Nets’ and 76ers’ season.

The two-time Finals MVP is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game for the Nets, enough to garner an All-Star consideration thus far, as well as some MVP consideration before he got hurt.

The post ‘Small Chance’ Kevin Durant Returns Against the Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

Bembry was clearly a hot target in free agency, as reports indicate he may already be prepared to sign with a new team.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bembry is “closing in” on signing a deal to join the Milwaukee Bucks in the coming days.

Following the Nets blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, and Seth Curry, Brooklyn had to waive someone to create roster space for the incoming players; that player turned out to be Bembry.

Before being cut, Bembry was a pivotal contributor to the Nets, starting in 20 of the 48 games he played in, averaging 19.8 minutes, 5.8 points, and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Bembry’s addition will be a big help to a Bucks team dealing with a shortage of back-court players at the moment. Pat Connaughton, George Hill, and Wesley Matthews are currently out with injuries, and Donte DiVincenzo was traded to the Sacramento Kings.

The Bucks will need Bembry at his best, as Milwaukee is heading to the second half of the season in a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks (36-23) are currently third in the East, just 1.5 games back of the first-place Miami Heat, and only 2.0 games up on the sixth place Boston Celtics.

The post REPORT: DeAndre’ Bembry Close to Signing With Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

The Sixers say James Harden is out through the All-Star break as he continues to rehabilitate his left hamstring, and that he won’t play in the All-Star Game.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 14, 2022

Harden was traded last week to the 76ers in a blockbuster trade for Ben Simmons. The Nets received Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two future first-round picks for Harden and Paul Millsap.

Philly. : @sixers pic.twitter.com/msEe0qokz3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 14, 2022

The next chance Harden will get to make his 76ers debut will be when Philly plays the Minnesota Timberwolves (30-27) on Feb. 25. Harden has averaged 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field but a career-low 33.2 percent shooting from deep.

On Tuesday, the 76ers (34-22) play the Celtics (33-25).

The post James Harden Out Through All-Star Break appeared first on SLAM.

The reason for the deal boiled down to a shared frustration that the superstar trio of Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant couldn’t get on the court for a consistent stretch of their time together in Brooklyn.

“These decisions to move on from a player like that, of that caliber, are never easy ones,” Marks said per The Athletic. “I think it’s just a feeling; it’s a feeling when, you know, look, this is not working, whether it’s on the court, off the court, for a variety of different circumstances. I give James credit for being open, upfront, and honest.”

After several days of will they-won’t they speculation, they ultimately decided to part ways because it was clear to the Nets it was time for a change. Marks said the Nets were willing to keep Harden and make it work if a trade didn’t materialize on Thursday.

“This was something that James and myself talked about over the last few days”

Nets GM Sean Marks talks about how the James Harden trade came about: pic.twitter.com/HsW3X36yzX

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 11, 2022

According to Marks, Harden didn’t give any other reason for wanting to leave Brooklyn after less than two seasons and playing just 16 games with Irving and Durant. Most of which were due to injuries, and for right now, Irving’s decision to not get vaccinated against COVID-19 violates New York’s vaccine mandate.

“I probably wouldn’t be honest with myself if I thought we weren’t all frustrated that they couldn’t be together on the court at one time, and that being one of the reasons (Irving’s vaccine status), sure,” Marks said. “One is another is obviously injuries. We’ve seen Kevin have injuries, we’ve seen James have injuries, you know, there’s a lot of factors going in there.”

The Nets are looking to end their 10-game win streak but won’t be playing Ben Simmons for the foreseeable future as he climbs his way back into shape. Meanwhile, Irving has reportedly grown frustrated with his limited availability. Brooklyn looks to get back on track against the Heat on Saturday.

Sean Marks speaks on Kyrie’s limited availability pic.twitter.com/Qx7cEoZuCR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 11, 2022

The post Sean Marks On James Harden Trade: ‘It’s A Feeling When, You Know, This Is Not Working’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Nets’ choice of who to cut came as a bit of a surprise.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets waived forward DeAndre’ Bembry to make room for the three players set to join Brooklyn.

Bembry had to be waived due to the trade between the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers that sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.

With the Nets acquiring one more player than they sent to the 76ers, a roster cut had to be made, with Bembry being the odd man out.

Bembry was a bit of an odd choice, as he has been a regular contributor to Brooklyn throughout the season, and the reactions to the news reflected that.

Bembry has played in 48 games for the Nets this season, starting 20 of them, and in 19.8 minutes per game, he’s averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

The ’21-22 campaign is Bembry’s sixth season in the League, spending his first four years with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Toronto Raptors last season and the Nets last summer.

NBA teams will now have the opportunity to claim Bembry off waivers before hitting free agency if he is not claimed. It’s doubtful that Bembry will be without a team for long, as several contenders will likely be looking to add Bembry in the coming days.

The post DeAndre’ Bembry Waived by Nets Following Blockbuster Trade appeared first on SLAM.

According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Nets are flipping the Beard and Paul Millsap for Ben Simmons and 76ers sharpshooter Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and draft capital.

BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are finalizing trade sending James Harden for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and draft picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2022

There was a will-they-won’t-they vibe coming from the Nets as they’ve suffered through a nine-game losing streak after Kevin Durant went down with an MCL sprain, and Harden has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. They’ve also been contending with Kyrie Irving, who remains unvaccinated but, as a part-time player, gets to play games on the road.

The same goes for the 76ers, who received a trade request from Ben Simmons after being heavily criticized by Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid after the 6ers lost to the Hawks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

Since then, reports have flip-flopped on Harden wanting to leave Brooklyn, only for ESPN to confirm that the Beard does want to leave but is wary of the backlash that’ll come with making a trade request from his second team in as many years. 

Simmons’ trade request also boils down to his reported mental health issues after hearing his coach and long-time teammate publicly question what’s behind his struggles to deliver a title to the 76ers. Before Thursday’s blockbuster trade between the 76ers and Nets, Simmons was linked to the Timberwolves, Kings, Trail Blazers, and the Hawks.

They were asked to essentially sell the house just to acquire Simmons, forcing the Kings out of the Simmons Sweepstakes.

The Nets play the Wizards on Thursday, and the 76ers play the Thunder on Friday.

The post REPORT: James Harden Traded to the 76ers appeared first on SLAM.

With less than 24 hours left before the trade deadline and Nets Coach Steve Nash claiming James Harden is not being traded, rumors of a possible Harden to Philadelphia still exist.

One player that is tired of the scenarios is Sixers forward Tobias Harris. Even if the team can’t get Harden at the trade deadline if the pursuit continues in the offseason, Harris’ contract would need to be moved to open up cap space.

But for now, with Harris’ having experienced in-season trades four times during his NBA career, he openly admitted via ESPN that the rumors that have surrounded his team this season have been difficult for the team to ignore.

“That will be good for us because you’re just hearing everybody’s name. I’ll just be honest, it’s one of those things — trade rumors always come around, even for guys around the NBA, but in this situation, yeah, I was reading an article, and there were five guys on the top 10 list to be moved, whatever,” he said. “So, obviously don’t get twisted: that has an impact on guys’ mental, psyche, focus, all the way down the line. So we’ll see what happens.”

“I think everybody else is in the same position as well, checking their phones to see what happens,” Harris said. “It’s our livelihoods and our jobs.”

It has been rumored by the Philly Voice that there are two potential teams with cap space, notably the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sixers could move Harris to clear space for a possible James Harden deal.

The post Tobias Harris Frustrated Being Included In Philadelphia 76ers Trade Rumors appeared first on SLAM.

TRADES:

The Lakers and Knicks didn’t make any moves according to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers will reportedly be focusing on the buyout market.

No deal for the Lakers, source tells ESPN. THey’ll focus on the buyout market.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

Houston is trading Daniel Theis to the Celtics for Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando, and Enis Freedom. Freedom has been waived by the Rockets.

Boston is sending guard Dennis Schroder to the Rockets in the deal, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/4RFdjoULq3

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Wizards are trading Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis.

The Wizards will send Davis Bertans in deal too, source tells ESPN. Mavericks send a second-round pick to Wizards. https://t.co/RJdybUd0Lw

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Wizards are flipping Montrezl Harrell for Charlotte’s Vernon Carey and Ish Smith.

Charlotte is acquiring Washington center Montrezl Harrell for Vernon Carey and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Pacers are reportedly working on a deal to send Torrey Craig to the Suns for Jalen Smith.

The Celtics will acquire Derrick White from the Spurs.

Romeo Langford and Josh Richardson are included in the deal to the Spurs.

The Celtics are trading PJ Dozier and Bol Bol to the Magic for a future second-round pick.

The Celtics are trading PJ Dozier and Bol Bol, a future second and cash to the Magic for a future second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Dozier and Bol are both out for the season. Cost-savings for Boston.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Spurs are working on a trade for Goran Dragic and are expected to buy out his contract. The Mavericks, Bucks, Bulls, and Clippers are reportedly interested in the Dragons services. Thad Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 second-round pick are headed to the Raptors.

The Raptors are trading Dragic and protected 2022 first-round picks to the Spurs for Thad Young, Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round pick via Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Pick is protected 1-14 in 2022; 1-13 in 2023 and would turn into two seconds beyond that. https://t.co/SN0sFyVurm

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Bucks have traded Rodney Hood and Semi Ojele to the Clippers, Serge Ibaka to the Bucks, Donte DiVencenco to the Kings and Marvin Bagley is headed to the Pistons on Thursday according to Woj.

ESPN Sources:
Full trade participants:
Kings: Donte DiVincenzo, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson.
Bucks: Serge Ibaka, two future second-round picks, cash.
Clippers: Rodney Hood, Semi Ojele.
Pistons: Marvin Bagley Jr.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz is receiving Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Juancho Hernangomez of the Spurs in a three-way deal. Spurs receive Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, and the Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, and a second-round selection.

The Utah Jazz are acquiring guard Portland’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Spurs’ Juancho Hernangomez in a three-way deal, sources tell ESPN. The Spurs gets guard Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, and the Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes and a second-round pick.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2022

The Pacers are sending Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. 

Jeremy Lamb AND Justin Holiday. https://t.co/0GbRwKcRBP

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

The Pelicans receive CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, and Tony Snell in a trade with the Blazers. Portland gets Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, and a protected first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

Full trade, per sources:
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

The Pacers trade Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick from Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick from Houston, and a 2027 second-round pick from Utah.

Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick via Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah, per sources.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2022

The Clippers and the Blazers agreed to a trade last week. The Clippers move Eric Bledsoe, Justice Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. 

The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022

RUMORS:

REPORT: James Harden is pushing for a trade to Philadelphia by ‘screaming in every way he possibly can,’ to get out of Brooklyn.

James Harden is pushing for a trade and is ‘screaming in every way he possibly can’ to get out of Brooklyn, per @WindhorstESPN. https://t.co/D7l2VI9IZq pic.twitter.com/GcFCoivKjF

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 9, 2022

REPORT: Philadelphia refuses to include Maxey in any deal, causing Brooklyn to counter with an asking price of Simmons, Curry, Thybulle, and Drummond. Philadelphia is hesitant to have Curry, though Mills would reportedly end up in Philadelphia.

Update: Sixers have refused to include Tyrese Maxey in any deal with Brooklyn. Nets have countered with an asking price of Simmons, Curry, Thybulle, and Drummond. Sixers are hesitant to include Curry. Any deal would likely send Patty Mills to Philly aside from Harden.

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) February 9, 2022

Brooklyn needs to see Curry in the deal alongside Simmons for them to be willing to move Harden.

This is from Sunday night’s BS Podcast and nothing has changed — Brooklyn wants Seth in any Harden deal. (And Embiid loves playing with Curry.) pic.twitter.com/sTD2vyY1co

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 9, 2022

Teams around the League think a deal between Philadelphia and Brooklyn is close to being done and that it would open the ‘floodgates’ if the agreement were to be done before tomorrow’s deadline.

It sounds like rival teams think a deal between Brooklyn and Philadelphia may be getting close. One team told me “They’ve kind of put other talks on hold. If that deal finally happens, then the floodgates will open around the league for a lot more to happen.”

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 9, 2022

Philadelphia has talked to Oklahoma City about Tobias Harris, though it may be a ploy to put more pressure on Brooklyn to trade Harden before tomorrow’s deadline.

Now arrives another stretch of uncertainty, with the trade deadline approaching Thursday afternoon and sources telling The Inquirer that the Sixers have explored trading Tobias Harris. https://t.co/Kv6MEFjDDh

— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) February 9, 2022

Buddy Hield may not end up in Indiana after claims of Pacers opening to flipping him to another team before the Thursday deadline.

Small trade note: As of now — and everything can change in the next 26 hours — the Indiana Pacers do not plan to trade Buddy Hield despite some interest from other teams, sources tell ESPN.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 9, 2022

Detroit is listening to offers for Jerami Grant but may wait until the offseason to move him. Detroit wants two first-rounders in exchange for Grant, and the Portland Trail Blazers have shown the most interest. 

Pistons Listening To Offers On Jerami Grant, Could Wait Until Offseason For Trade https://t.co/nImk0qLAHF

— RealGM (@RealGM) February 9, 2022

The post LIVE: NBA Trade Deadline Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down Sunday’s games here.

No. 2 Suns 120, No. 4 Clippers 114

PHX Leads Series 1-0

In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, both teams were without their best player. It came down to which secondary star would step up to the occasion, with Devin Booker taking the edge. While the Suns won the opening matchup of this series, we know all too well the Clippers are still in it after surviving 2-0 deficits in each of their last two series.

Booker led all players with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Outside of him, five other Suns scored in double-figures as Phoenix inched by without Chris Paul. For the Clippers, Paul George notched 34 points while Reggie Jackson finished with 24. DeMarcus Cousins provided a huge spark off the bench with 11 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes, but it wasn’t enough.

No. 1 Sixers 96, No. 5 Hawks 103

ATL Wins Series 4-3

The Sixers have been trusting the process for years now, hoping that they would finally get over the hump. They had the chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday in Game 7 against the Hawks, but fell short at home. Ben Simmons continued to be the weak link in the series, lacking aggressiveness on offense as Philadelphia failed to crack 100 points on the night.

Joel Embiid scored 31 points to go along with 11 boards while Tobias Harris and Seth Curry produced 24 and 16 points respectively. No other Sixers scored in double figures. Kevin Huerter was deadly for the Hawks on offense on Sunday with a team-high 27 points. Trae Young finished with a 21-point and ten assist double-double and Danilo Gallinari gave Atlanta a huge boost off the bench with 17 points. The Hawks will now face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The post Post Up: Hawks Stun Sixers and Suns Take Series Lead appeared first on SLAM.

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 106, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 109

Atl leads 3-2

It looked like the 76ers had this game wrapped up early, taking a 26 point lead in the first half. But in the fourth quarter, the Hawks came roaring back to take a three-point win. Trae Young again led the Hawks in scoring, dropping 39 points, seven assists and three steals. The Hawks got good minutes from their bench, with Danilo Gallinari scoring 16 points and Lou Williams going for 15. John Collins had a 19 point, 11 rebound double-double, his second game in a row with a double-double.

The 76ers got monster games from Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. Embiid finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, and Curry had 36 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Unfortunately, Embiid and Curry were the only ones who made their presence known on offense. The duo were the only two 76ers players to score a field goal in the second half. No other player broke double-digit scoring; Ben Simmons and Furkan Korkmaz both got to eight points.

Now headed back to Atlanta, the 76ers will need to win this crucial Game 6 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 111, No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 119

LAC leads series 3-2

After news broke, concerns were plenty among Clippers fans that Kawhi Leonard would not be playing Wednesday night due to a knee injury. But Paul George would steal the highlights, sending the Clippers to a road game victory. George had a crazy night, going for a game-high 37 points and 16 rebounds while chipping in five assists and two blocks. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. had strong evenings, with Morris going for 25 points and Jackson 22. As a team, the Clippers couldn’t miss, shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

The Jazz had a tough night defensively, struggling to contain George, but Donovan Mitchell had a night to forget. While his 21 points don’t jump out at you, his 6-for19 shooting splits are an eyesore. Bojan Bogdanovic had a lights-out shooting night to keep the Jazz in the game, scoring a team-high 32 points on 9-for-17 shooting from three-point range. The Jazz really missed Mike Conley, Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson split point guard duties with limited success to replicate Conley’s impact.

Utah will have the chance to even the series on the road in LA in Game 6 on Friday night.

The post Post Up: Underdogs Take the Lead appeared first on SLAM.

(#1) Philadelphia 76ers 100, (#5) Atlanta Hawks 103

Series tied 2-2

Things looked bleak for the Hawks early in Game 4, with star guard Trae Young struggling to score in the first half and their bench going 0-8 from the field, being outscored 20-10.

As a result, Atlanta found themselves in an 13-point hole.

Entering the second half 3-12 from the floor, Young eventually was able to flip the switch and erase the deficit, squeaking out a narrow three-point win in the end. Young finished his night with 25 points (on 8-26 shooting) and 18 assists, tied for the second-most in playoff history.

Continuing a strong semifinals series, Bogdan Bogdanovic tallied 22 points for the Hawks, who had double-double performances from both Clint Capela (12 points, 13 rebounds) and John Collins (14 points, 12 rebounds). It was a rough night of shooting for the entire Hawks team, with Atlanta shooting just 36.6 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three but they willed themselves to a win nonetheless.

While losing a winnable playoff game is already bad enough for the Sixers, there are reasons to be even more upset for Philadelphia fans, as All-Star center Joel Embiid exited the game in the second quarter with a knee injury.

Embiid returned for the second half but struggled, going 0-for-12 from the field and ending the game with 17 points and 20 rebounds. However, the scoring of starters Seth Curry (17 points) and Tobias Harris (20 points) kept Philadelphia’s offense afloat.

The 76ers shot the ball much better than their opponents (43.5 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range) but their 12 turnovers (compared to just four for the Hawks) may have been the difference.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night, at 7:30 PM (EST) on TNT.

(#1) Utah Jazz 104, (#4) Los Angeles Clippers 118

Series tied 2-2

In the first two games of the series, the Clippers looked overwhelmed by the Jazz. Four games into their matchup against their series against Utah, the Big Two of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George seem to have found their groove during back-to-back blowout wins.

Los Angeles bolted to a 17-point lead in the first quarter and maintained that gap for nearly the rest of the game. By the end of the contest, both The Klaw and Young Trece dropped 31 points, while veteran forward Marcus tacked on an additional 24 points.

Unfortunately, injuries were a talking point following the contests, with Leonard suffering a knee injury late in the Clippers’ victory.

With Donovan Mitchell going 9-26 from the field while facing LA’s stifling perimeter defenders, the Jazz struggled to be competitive in Game 4 despite Spida getting to the line a game-high 15 times to score 37 points. Fellow guard Jordan Clarkson had a tough shooting night, scoring eight points in 30 minutes on 3-for-12 from the field and 2-8 from deep.

Sharpshooter Joe Ingles was massively efficient for the Jazz though, scoring 19 points on 7-for-9 from the field, while Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 18 points.

The Jazz will have a chance to retake the series lead in Game 5, back home in Utah, on Wednesday night.

The post Post Up: We’re All Tied Up appeared first on SLAM.

Morey’s tweet-in-question is a screenshot of Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry’s Instagram post congratulating his brother Seth Curry for his 30 point performance against the Washington Wizards. Accompanying the photo, Morey tweeted out “join ‘em:” a not-so-subliminal message to Stephen that if he can’t beat the 76ers, the next best option would be to make the city of brotherly love a permanent destination. The tweet racked up over 16,000 likes.

join ’em pic.twitter.com/ta2mxXO92O

— Daryl MorΞy (@dmorey) June 3, 2021

Morey defended the post in a subsequent tweet, asserting that he was simply noting that he was thrilled that Seth Curry is on the 76ers (Curry was one of Morey’s first acquisitions upon joining the 76er’s front office).

“My goodness folks I am talking about the fact that we are all thrilled @sdotcurry is here with the @sixers — nothing else!” Morey then tweeted.

The League, however, seemed to disagree.

$75,000 fine from the league for Daryl Morey’s tweet involving Steph Curry the other day pic.twitter.com/zkXJCwV4XE

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 7, 2021

This is not the first time Morey has been the target of a tampering fine from the League; in December 2020, he was fined $50,000 for reposting an old photo celebrating James Harden breaking the Houston Rockets franchise assist record (at that time, the trade market for Harden was in full swing, and many believed the 76ers to be front runners). Morey claimed the tweet was automated, and not intentional.

Stephen Curry is slated to become a free agent after the end of next season.

The post Daryl Morey, Sixers Fined $75,000 For Stephen Curry Tampering Tweet appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down both of Sunday’s games here.

No. 1 Sixers 124, No. 5 Hawks 128

ATL leads series 1-0

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks came out hot in Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, making a huge statement on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks were up by as many as 26 early in the game after going on a 17-0 run and held a 19-point lead with just over eight minutes remaining. From there, the Sixers would climb back in and nearly pull off a late comeback win, pulling within three points with a minute remaining. 

Young scored 25 of his 35 points in the first half, with Bogdan Boganovic carrying the team late, finishing with 21 points. John Collins produced 21 points of his own while Kevin Huerter led the reserve unit with 15 bench points. Joel Embiid returned to action from his knee injury, notching 39 points and nine rebounds. Ben Simmons finished with 17 points and ten assists while Tobias Harris and Seth Curry both scored 20+ points each. 

No. 4 Clippers 126, No. 5 Mavericks 111

LAC wins series 4-3

Luka Doncic came out with intention in Game 7, notching 19 first quarter points and 29 through the first half. After being down by five points early in the second half, the Clippers went on a 24-4 run to finish the third quarter to go up 15 points entering the final frame. After being down 15 or more nearly the entire fourth quarter, Dallas went on a 13-3 run late in the game to pull within seven points with two minutes left, but couldn’t get within striking distance.

Terance Mann played a huge role in the Clippers’ win, scoring 13 points off the bench in a game where all of his buckets felt like they came at the perfect time. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Marcus Morris combined for 73 points, 21 assists and 21 rebounds in Game 7. Doncic finished with 46 points, 14 assists and seven boards. 

The post Post Up: Mavericks Fall While Hawks Soar appeared first on SLAM.

In what have been two of the most discussed first-round matchups, Dallas Mavericks floor general Luka Doncic stole the spotlight in the final game of the evening thanks to his 42-point, 14-assist outing.

But was it enough to get past a Los Angeles Clippers team that had won two straight to even the series?

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 129, No. 8 Washington Wizards 112

PHI wins series 4-1

The first of three teams to be bounced from the playoffs tonight, the Washington Wizards couldn’t hang with the Philadelphia 76ers even without Joel Embiid playing.

Sharpshooter Seth Curry exploded for a team-high 30 points and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons silenced his critics with 19 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and two blocks. Meanwhile, veteran forward Tobias Harris rounded off a nice first-round series with 28 points and six assists of his own.

Washington showed some promise at points over the five-game series but, ultimately, Philly had too much talent for the D.C.-based squad.

The Wizards got another good game from youngster Rui Hachimura, who had 21 points on 8-for-13 from the field. All-Star Bradley Beal capped off another spectacular season with a game-high 32 points, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Nonetheless, Washington’s lack of depth proved to be costly down the stretch. The Wizards trailed by just two at halftime, but as the game got deeper, Washington’s starters began to lose steam, and Philadelphia pulled away.

No. 4 New York Knicks 89, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 103

ATL wins series 4-1

The New York Knicks disappointed a packed Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night when they were the second team pf the day to be eliminated from the playoffs.

In what was a tough series for the big man, Knicks star forward Julius Randle had another disappointing outing for New York, putting up 21 points on 8-for-21 shooting, while also turning the ball over eight times.

Randle finished the playoffs averaging 18 points, 4.0 assists and 4.6 turnovers per game while shooting 29.8 percent from the field—a stark contrast from the 45.6 percent he shot from the floor in the regular season.

Reggie Bullock, who averaged 8.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range, started the game off well. Bullock went for 12 points in the first quarter after nailing four shots from beyond the arc; but he was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

The star of the show, 22-year-old point guard Trae Young, put together another masterpiece with a game-high 36 points. Wednesday was the third time in the series where Young scored at least 30 points in the series, as the Knicks defense continued to be confounded by his craftiness.

Atlanta also received double-digit contributions from De’Andre Hunter (15), Clint Capela (14) and John Collins (13) in the points column, while holding the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field.

The Hawks will be moving to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll take on the 76ers.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 126, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 110

UTA wins series 4-1

The third and final team to get booted from the playoffs was the Memphis Grizzlies.

Still, just as young guns Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks shined for the Grizzlies throughout the series, the duo was excellent yet again on Wednesday, with both scoring 27 points.

Brooks’ scoring output through the series was impressive, putting up 25.8 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting, and Morant paired that with his 30.5 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting. While Memphis’ season may be over, their young core is only just getting started.

Despite feeling ill coming into the game, Utah Jazz centerpiece Donovan Mitchell handled the Grizzlies with ease, dropping 30 points and dishing out 10 assists.

Defensive weapon Rudy Gobert may have had even more impact than Mitchell though, as the Steiffel Tower notched a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double while blocking three shots.

Despite moving on to the second round, the Jazz didn’t leave the court entirely happy, as starting guard Mike Conley left the game early due to injury. The All-Star’s status moving forward is unclear, but Utah will need him when they take on one of the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 100, No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 105

DAL leads series 3-1

Playmaking extraordinaire Luka Doncic rewrote history books at the end of Wednesday night’s slate of games.

Doncic put up a blistering 42 points and 14 assists, scoring or assisting on 31 of the Mavericks 37 made field goals. The only other player to finish with double-digit scoring for Dallas was Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 20 points.

Fifth-year pro Dorian Finney-Smith was hugely impactful for Dallas on the defensive end, helping keep Kawhi Leonard (who shot 7-19 from the field) contained, while snatching the opponent five times and recording a block.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who had even the series at 2-2 following Game 4, kept the game within reach all night. They even cut the Mavs’ lead to one point with under one minute left.

But, in the end, they couldn’t stop Doncic enough to come out on top. Clippers forward Paul George finished with a team-high 23 points, while Leonard and Reggie Jackson (6-12 from 3-point range) each had 20 points.

LA just couldn’t get the buckets to fall on Wednesday night, shooting just 41.3 percent from the field as a team.

Game 6, which will be in Dallas, takes place on Friday, June 4.

The post Post Up: Three Teams Sent Packing appeared first on SLAM.

Expansion, on any level, scares the standard. Somebody, a while back, said that if it isn’t broke, then it doesn’t need to be fixed. And that sunk in to the deepest roots. Movement, thought and life were fixed. They were stuck in neutral. And whether through blissful ignorance or wishful dominance, it was accepted that change should be fought.

Expansion isn’t easy and if it isn’t easy then people are scared of the work. They’re scared to even acknowledge that work is necessary, that it’s healthy to move forward.

But every now and then the change comes no matter what because uncomfortable as it may be, transformation is essential. It comes as a furious wave that crashes down so violently that everything in its wake is gone.  It’s unavoidable.

Then…expansion. Then…a brand new world where normal is pulling from 40 and turning around before the inevitable splash.

Stephen Curry is expansion. He is change. He is revolution. His footprints are being left in water but they will never fade. He changed the way the game is played, the way it’s theorized and the way it’s consumed.

The shift he’s leading goes beyond the 94×50. Where scowls and anger once lived, a 32-watt smile has replaced them. His dominance is accompanied by joy and by a willingness to leave the door open for everyone behind him. He’s spent years sharing his success with artists and activists and flocks of adoring fans.

His next step, the Curry Brand, is meant to establish even more change.

“It started almost two years ago with the idea that having a purpose-driven brand and having that tied into everything that we create is something that is near and dear to me and who I am,” the three-time champ tells SLAM. “We can really create lasting impact and change in the community through the Brand, through footwear, through apparel and being able to tell these amazing stories and collab with amazing people throughout the process.”

The Brand’s motto is “Change the game for good.” That means changing history, changing sneaker construction and changing negative situations for everyday people into positive ones. The world of Curry Brand is being built on those principles. No. 30, for real, wants to help.

“It’s about being a good listener, first and foremost,” he says. “Being aware of and appreciative of the platform that I have to be able to highlight amazing people and amazing stories and just collab with so much good positivity in the world. There’s so many opportunities to do that across the board. Within the world of sports, for the next generation, and the corporate world and just all across the spectrum. And for me, I think it kind of came naturally with how I play the game, that we have our mantra ‘Change the game for good.’ Just trying to blaze my own trail with how I approach within those 94 feet of the court.

It’s the same kind of mindset with people that are overcoming amazing obstacles and odds, to achieving success at the highest level and being able to amplify those stories and those people to the fullest. It’s rewarding but also how and why I am in this position to be able to turn amazing things on the court into amazing opportunities and lasting change off the court. So I’m gonna continue to do that.”

In addition to all the communities he’s already helped in the Bay Area, the two-time MVP has kicked off his newest sneaker, the Curry 8, with actionable initiatives. Colorways of the new silhouette have been released in partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, with notable photographer Devin Allen, with an Oakland-based artist named Hueman and in support of youth girls basketball teams. His brother, Seth, his former teammate, Andre Iguodala, and his current teammates, Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee, have all been hooping in the 8s. That’s only two months in. There’s way more to come off the court. Court refurbishments, community events (when it’s safe) and much more will continue to roll in. Curry and his team are committing to taking both short-term and long-term steps to ensure that they leave the game better than they found it.

“The stars kind of aligned in terms of being able to, no pun intended, make a splash on the scene with a brand new innovation and brand new silhouette with Curry 8 and Flow technology but also with Curry Brand and creating new energy around what I stand for and the change that we’re trying to make and how people can experience the brand and the mission and what we say we’re gonna do. So it’s been an amazing two-year run to just get to the launch of the Brand these last two and a half months—it feels like it’s been longer—it’s been two and a half, three months. Off to a great start and we’re gonna continue to double down on doing what we said we’re gonna do.”

But back to on-the-court for a moment. All the philosophical disruption that No. 30 has caused throughout his career has just been equaled by his footwear.

Rubber in basketball sneakers? The company with the one star has been including rubber in their basketball sneakers for 100 years. The Golden Gate Bridge, the same bridge on those Dubs uniforms, is only 84 years old. That’s how damn long rubber has been around in hoops.

The Curry 8 has no rubber. The Curry 8…Has. No. Rubber.

Expansion.

Stephen’s sneakers make use of Flow technology. It’s a completely new advancement that has produced an outsole that nobody has ever seen before. The seven-time All-Star has been getting down in the 8s. As of this writing, the man’s averaging 30 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds a game, on 49 percent from the field, 42 percent from deep and 93 percent from the stripe. He’s done it all in the 8s. Outings with 62 points and with 57 points were accomplished in the 8s. A night where he drilled 11 three-pointers was accomplished in the 8s. Eleven different matchups where he hit for at least 30 points were all accomplished in the 8s.

The Flow tech is lighter and more responsive than anything else that he’s played in before.

“It’s game-changing,” Curry says of Flow. “I think you look at shoes across the board on the market, to be able to obsolete rubber and to have an all-foam outsole that does so many different things…the cushioning, the response is second to none. For me, I’ve always had that balance, and getting real technical, in terms of that core feel and feeling like I’m glued to the floor and I can stop on a dime and change directions. Finding that balance is always kind of a give and take. With the Flow, for me, traction is a huge piece to being at my highest performing abilities on the court. Usually you hear that squeak and it’s always like, that’s the telltale sign of traction but that means the rubber is kind of sliding on the floor a little bit and that’s where that squeak comes from. This is a learning process for me and what Flow does, there’s no squeak at all which allows responses to be a lot faster.

“It’s obviously working on the court right now,” he grins. “We’re enjoying just the different feel of what that kind of looks like on the court, and knowing that we’ve kind of flipped how traditional shoes are made and flipped it on its head, and it’s obviously light but it’s got everything you need for me to be the best basketball player that I can be. And we bring some dope aesthetics and colorways and materials to it.”

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The one-time scoring champ has already debuted a handful of crazy player exclusive colorways in the still early stages, in addition to the joints that have hit the market (peep page 28 for more info on those colorways). There was a beautiful tribute to Gigi and Kobe Bryant and to his own daughters at the end of January, a trio of blazingly shiny “Warriors” options and a mismatched pair that honored the famed “We Believe” Warriors from the ’07 campaign. Curry’s had a hand in cheffing up flavors for nearly a decade now and he shared with us the biggest thing he’s learned in all that time.

“Just being authentic and being consistent with [colorways],” he says about his personal creative mindset. “We’ve had some amazing highs, some lows. Learning lessons when it comes to how you create genuine energy and storytelling around things that make me tick, things that are part of my history and part of my background, people that have poured into me throughout my entire life and my basketball career. That kind of underrated mindset, it’s not necessarily aspirational, but it’s something that is a part of a lot of people’s DNA in terms of being overlooked and underrepresented and finding ways to just look for that opportunity [to show] and know that they belong and have goals. And, like, for me, it’s always about being authentic to who you are and finding clever ways to bring visuals and energy and depth to it. It goes back to the team that you have, and seeing things two steps ahead, and I do love that process.”

Process is work and his work now speaks for itself. It’s not only that he’s completely uprooted the outdated basketball philosophies—it’s that he’s done it with a bravery that is somehow rooted even deeper than what came before him. What the world perceives as unwise doesn’t faze him.

On the court, he’s the person who can completely alter his shooting mechanics from shot to shot and they’ll still drop, whether from 75, 30 or 15 feet. Off the court, he’s the one who took the road less traveled and found out that it made all the difference. The mind of a visionary and the actions of an innovator.

“It’s part of being an athlete, and to your point, it kinda manifests itself on and off the court,” he says of his fearlessness. “But it comes with the work that you put in and the people that you are around, for sure. And so the team that I get to work with and I just understand that we are trying to be great in everything that we do. It’s OK to take chances, take some risks, kind of push the envelope a little bit and be in a situation where you’re driving the conversation as opposed to being followers. And so, for us, for me, that’s always been a part of my DNA, on and off the court.”

Even this story, even writing about Stephen Curry and all his success in this way could scare people. To think about him storming the game with the same force as an uncontrollable wave, as nature unleashed, is uncomfortable. But there’s no growth in being comfortable.

The expanded mind terrifies the unexpanded mind. Stephen Curry is terrifying. His game is terrifying. His way of thinking is terrifying. The world he’s forged is terrifying.

Don’t try to fight it. Just sway with the flow.

The post Stephen Curry is Expanding the Realm of Possibilities appeared first on SLAM.

Supplementary scorers like Tobias Harris and Seth Curry have looked solid early but all eyes will be on if young stars Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle can take addition leaps in 2020-21.

For more information about the numbers behind our Heat Check series, hop over to our main Heat Check 2020-21 post.

Joel Embiid	28.3p, 13.3r, 2.7a
Seth Curry	13.8p, 2.8r, 3.8a
Tony Bradley	4.0p, 8.0r, 1.0a
Tobias Harris	17.3p, 8.3r, 2.5a
Shake Milton	10.5p, 1.0r, 1.8a
Danny Green	4.8p, 2.5r, 1.5a
Mike Scott	5.3p, 2.3r, 0.0a
Furkan Korkmaz	6.0p, 2.0r, 1.0a
Ben Simmons	14.3p, 9.3r, 6.0a
Terrance Ferguson	0.0p, 0.0r, 1.0a
Dwight Howard	5.5p, 5.5r, 0.5a
Matisse Thybulle	0.0p, 0.3r, 0.0a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Philadelphia 76ers appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down the 76ers’ depth chart for the 2020-21 season below. We’ve also previously published a summary of the 76ers’ offseason.

Biggest Questions

• Will the 76ers give up Ben Simmons for James Harden? As the situation in Houston gets worse by the day, Philadelphia is one of the most likely destinations for Harden if he is indeed traded. However, it may come down to the Sixers getting comfortable moving off of Simmons.
• Are their shooting problems fixed? Philadelphia made quite a few moves this offseason to improve their shooting and create more space for Joel Embiid and Simmons. This could completely change their offense from last season in a positive way.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Philadelphia 76ers: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

The site was home to the century old Camden High School, whose classic castle tower structure was demolished a couple of years ago to make way for a state-of-the-art $133 million new facility that is expected to be ready for students next fall (classes have since gone virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).

In the old building, the Wagner family’s imprints were four decades deep, where each hoop star helped propel Camden onto the national stage.

First, it was Milt Wagner, who led the Panthers to a state championship in 1979 and was a McDonald’s All-American in 1981. He and Camden teammate Billy Thompson went on to Louisville, where together they won an NCAA national title in 1986. Milt was then drafted in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft, and ultimately reunited with Thompson while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Together, they won an NBA championship two years later.

They are currently the only teammate duo in history to win titles together at all three levels.

Milt’s son, Dajuan Sr. (above), donned Camden’s purple and gold almost two decades later and instantly became one of the Garden State’s all-time greats. He averaged 27.3 points as a freshman and 35.3 points as a sophomore. He led the Panthers to a state title as a junior (which included an 80-point performance) and famously dropped 100 points in a game against Camden County Tech as a senior. The All-American graduated Camden as New Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 3,462 points. The career points and three-digit single-game performance are still-standing state records. After one season at Memphis under John Calipari, Dajuan would get selected with the sixth pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His professional career, though, was cut short due to a series of injuries and health issues, including a battle with ulcerative colitis.

Almost two decades after the Dajuan days at Camden, his son, DJ, is now rocking the same purple and gold threads that his father and grandfather once did—all while being labeled  next heir to the city’s throne. Only a sophomore, DJ is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023.

DJ is ready to write his own story, to make his version of the Wagner legacy one for the books.

***       

Dajuan Sr. remembers when DJ wanted to play on a football team with his older brother. DJ was only 4 years old at the time, while his sibling was 7. Their football coach was a little uneasy with letting DJ participate in all of the activities with such a big age gap.

Yet, Dajuan Sr felt like DJ had that extra edge to his step.   

“When they got to their first day of equipment, they were contact hitting. The coach told me he didn’t want to let him hit, [but] I’m like, ‘Let him hit!’” Dejuan Sr. said. “ He was a big kid [for] his age. [DJ] wanted to hit. It was full contact. These kids were three years older than him.”

“The next day, we’re in the house around five or six o’clock. Practice was around six, seven o’clock. He came in the front room, ‘Dad, I got practice today?’ That’s when I knew he wasn’t no p—y! They were hitting him and they weren’t taking it easy on him either.”

Dajuan Sr. wanted to be careful when it came to introducing basketball to his kids. He knew the family name held a lot of weight in the sport, especially in Camden. DJ initially took a liking for football and so the family spent evenings and weekends on the gridiron instead, until his passion for basketball eventually surpassed all other sports.

“You have most of these parents, they live through their kids,” Dajuan Sr. said. “When I was coming up, because my dad played too, at the time I didn’t think it was pressure. But as a parent, you think about it. You’re overprotective of your kid. That was the thing about letting [DJ]  play football. Letting him start his own lane. Once he got old enough to hear stories and know that his family—we play basketball—he said he wanted to play basketball. We told him we’re going to do what we got to do to give him the best chance to fulfill his dream.” 

DJ indeed grew up hearing all the stories from around the neighborhood about who his dad and grandpa were. It was unavoidable. He eventually saw tapes of the older Wagner’s putting in work with the Camden moniker stitched in gold on their jerseys.

DJ studied those tapes. He memorized some of the stories. 

“It’s crazy watching my dad and grandpa play in high school because just to see them in the same situation I am, playing for Camden High, it’s just crazy,” DJ said. “I love watching their tapes. Just seeing the way they played in high school and how crazy it was because it was the same way when they were in high school—maybe even crazier…Seeing their old highlights, I think is pretty cool.” 

Even when DJ had his pick of neighboring private schools to choose from, attending Camden High was the destiny he wanted from the jump.

“I never really looked at it as pressure. I just always was excited,” DJ said. “I used to always just love to hear about the stories when my dad and grandpa were in high school, and how crazy the games used to be. When I was younger, I used to always go to Camden games, watch them play in States. I always thought about just playing for Camden High and how crazy it would be. I always wanted to play for them, seeing how passionate their fans [are]—that environment.”

His mother, Syreeta, saw just how much her son wanted to carry on the Wagner family’s basketball heritage and join the same culture that embraced their family years ago.

“All he talked about when he was younger was playing for Camden High School. That’s all he talked about,” said his mother, Syreeta. “For him to actually be living in this moment, playing for Camden High School, wearing his purple and gold… that moment is everything to him. That was one of his dreams, to play for Camden High after his dad and his grandpa. He’s living out one of his dreams already.”  

During DJ’s freshman season, it was looking like the youngest Wagner was on his way to breaking the 20-year drought for the Panthers. Camden — who  hasn’t won a state title since 2000, when Dajuan Sr. was in 11th grade—was ranked No. 16 in the country by MaxPreps this past March. Their record was 29-1 (they went on a 25-game winning streak at one point) heading into the NJSIAA Group 2 tournament semifinals, but then the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The elusive state title run will have to wait. As for the upcoming 2020-21 season, the state association will allow teams to compete in league play, yet a postseason state tournament has yet to be confirmed and feels unlikely.

“I was mad. We were all mad because we were right there,”  DJ said about his freshman season ending abruptly. “We made it to States, and as soon as we got there, they just cancelled everything. It hit us pretty bad because we were excited, we were anxious to play in the states and hopefully win the state and then even winning TOC—that’s like the bigger version, that’s for the whole state. So, we were just upset when they cancelled it. Especially for the seniors on our team. We were right there, so it was crazy.”

Father and son McDonald’s All-American duos are a rarity, with only a handful in history: from Rick and Jalen Brunson (as fate would have it, Rick become the head coach at Camden in 2019) and Doc and Austin Rivers, to Ricky and Justice Winslow and James Blackmon Sr. and Jr. Of course, the fifth duo is Milt and Dajuan. But a grandfather/father/son All-American trio? That’s never happened.

At the NBA level, the father-son(s) list is a bit longer: Dell, Seth and Steph Curry, Joe and Kobe Bryant, Mychal and Klay Thompson, Bill and Luke Walton, Tim Hardaway Sr. and Jr., among many others. But a grandfather/father/son League trio? Nope, not at this level either. If DJ’s trajectory continues at this pace, the Wagner family can very well become the first family to achieve this feat on multiple playing levels. 

“It’s like a cycle going all over again. I think everything happens for a reason,” Dejuan Sr. said. “My dad was in Europe when I was coming up [and he] used to come home every summer.  I never got a chance to work on my game with my dad. So, me getting sick, I was here with [DJ] and I think that’s how he developed quicker skill-wise—he got way more skills than I had at that age.”

Regardless of what the future holds, living in the moment is all that DJ and the Wagner family are interested in. Forty years of basketball prowess across three generations, this journey isn’t new to them. Even DJ, with a No.1 ranking and all, is focused on becoming one of the best.

His father, on the other hand, thinks DJ could be better than he ever was.

“People think I’m crazy when I say it,” he continued. “I go off, you know, because I remember when I was younger [and] I played at a high level. I just think when I was his age, he’s better than me. [That’s] what I go back to—what I could do at that age. [He’s] more skilled.”

Portraits by Johnny Lewis

The post DJ WAGNER IS READY TO CONTINUE THE FAMILY LEGACY appeared first on SLAM.

Philadelphia will have a totally revamped roster as they attempt to make a deep run in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Sixers Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• Seth Curry: The Philadelphia 76ers have their primary playmaker and pure passer in Ben Simmons but they’ve long needed a modern-day point guard that can excel from the perimeter. Curry, a career .443 percent shooter from deep, fits that description.
• Danny Green: Danny Green is another superb sharpshooter that’ll space the floor for Simmons and Joel Embiid. He also replaced Josh Richardson as a dependable perimeter defender, while having the added benefit of being a three-time NBA champion that knows what it takes to win it all.

Sixers Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• Al Horford: Al Horford didn’t work out in Philly, plain and simple. Despite being one of the most skilled big men in the league, and a two-way player who has made every team he was on prior to landing with the Sixers better, the fit was forced and Philadelphia failed to utilize his talents correctly.
• Josh Richardson: Josh Richardson was once seen as one of the up-and-coming 3-and-D wings and now that the Philadelphia 76ers have moved him, perhaps he’ll re-establish his strong reputation. However, Richardson did do fairly well in his time with the Sixers, averaging 13.7 points per game.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Philadelphia 76ers: Offseason Summary 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Putting a major emphasis this offseason on improving their poor defense, Dallas made quite a few moves to shake up the roster. Additionally, they were able to select three players in the top 40 of the 2020 NBA Draft to help the team going forward.

Mavericks Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• Josh Richardson: With Dallas putting defense as their top priority, Richardson was the perfect player to acquire. Not only is he a premier wing defender, but he also is productive on the offensive end of the floor. Last season he averaged 13.7 points per game while shooting .341 from deep.
• James Johnson: We the Mavericks Dallas get bullied quite a bit in the playoffs last season by the Clippers. It felt like they didn’t have the tough-nosed veteran who gave them grit and the ability to fight back and be physical. Johnson will fix this issue immediately, as he is known for being one of the toughest players in the league. He also brings them quite a bit of defensive versatility.

Mavericks Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• Seth Curry: With all of the offensive firepower Dallas had last season, trading away Seth Curry won’t be the end of the world. However, his .452 shooting from beyond the arc was third-best in the NBA last season and will be missed.
• Delon Wright: Wright was one of nine players who played at least 20 minutes per game last season on average. He was a key piece of their rotation and brought play-making and energy off the bench. Look for Tyrell Terry to fill the void left by Wright as a spark plug off the bench.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Dallas Mavericks: Offseason Summary 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Headed to Philadelphia in the swap is sharpshooting combo guard Seth Curry.

The Mavs will additionally received pick No. 36, which they’ve used on Colorado forward Tyler Bey.

The move gives Dallas a defensively-oriented wing and a prospect while trimming approximately three million off Philly’s books. The Sixers, of course, add one of the league’s elite deep threats in Seth Curry.

There is a familiar tie to the deal as well, Curry is married to recently hired Sixers head coach Doc Rivers’ daughter.

The post Dallas to Acquire Josh Richardson in Exchange For Seth Curry appeared first on SLAM.

Presented by Foot Locker’s 12 Days of Greatness

2020 NBA Draft

2020 NBA Draft Trades & Notes

The New York Knicks packaged picks No. 27 and No. 38, then sent them to the Utah Jazz for pick No. 23 (SLAM story)

The Milwaukee Bucks acquired pick No. 45 in exchange for a pair of future second rounders (SLAM story)

The Thunder pocketed pick No. 34 tonight, along with Al Horford and a future first in exchange for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson (SLAM story)

The Pistons will now draft at No. 16 after acquiring the pick from the Rockets along with Trevor Ariza (SLAM story)

The Oklahoma City Thunder flip Ricky Rubio to the Minnesota Timberwolves to up to No. 17 (SLAM Story)

Landry Shamet and Luke Kennard on the move in three-team deal involving pick No. 19 (SLAM Story)

Knicks trade back two spots late in first round to add early second round pick (SLAM Story)

Nuggets give up future first round pick to Pelicans to acquire RJ Hampton (SLAM Story)

Pistons acquire Tony Bradley and pick No. 38 for cash considerations (SLAM Story)

Grizzlies acquire pick No. 30 from Celtics to acquire Desmond Bane (SLAM Story)

Sixers trade Josh Richardson and No. 36 pick to Mavericks for Seth Curry (Slam Story)

Thunder pick up No. 37 pick from Wizards to select Vit Krejci (SLAM Story)

Pelicans trade Pick No. 39 to Jazz who take Elijah Hughes (SLAM Story)

Charlotte acquires Nick Richards from New Orleans who was picked at pick No. 42 (SLAM Story)

Clippers move up two spots late in second round to acquire Jay Scrubb at pick No. 55 (SLAM Story)

Kenyon Martin Jr. traded to Rockets after being selected by Sacramento with pick No. 52 (SLAM Story)

We consolidated the final 2020 NBA mock drafts from some of our favorite draft experts (SLAM story)

The post SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Recap appeared first on SLAM.

However, if Dallas wants to be seen as a championship contender, they’ll need to compete with at least the triumvirate of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. In order to do that, they’ll need to make slight but significant upgrades all over the roster.

Related: Full Boston Celtics 2020 Salary Cap Preview

Mavericks Draft Needs

With the Mavericks looking to add a third star to the roster, the players selected with their picks in the 2020 NBA Draft may not even be on the roster on opening night.

If Dallas was to keep their picks though, addressing their defense would be the obvious priority.

There are quite a few players in the rotation that are difficult to replace but not the most impactful defenders. Of course, if Dallas manages to swing a trade for an additional star, then players with higher salaries will be sent away. As a result, the Mavs have to be even more careful to select the right players.

If Dallas can find a defensive-minded wing or guard with one of their two picks in the upcoming draft, then they should walk way from draft night satisfied. Because of their lack of depth at small forward, the Mavericks would likely prefer a wing.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

The post Dallas Mavericks: 2020 NBA Draft Preview appeared first on SLAM.

In addition to a summary for each of the 30 teams (accessible in the link grid below), we’ve also tiered the top NBA free agents league-wide and published a general comparison of all teams’ cap space. Follow @SLAMnewswire on Twitter for constant offseason updates as we head into free agency.

Projected Roster Players

Projected Free Agents

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Is Willie Cauley-Stein going to opt in? Cauley-Stein is at the point in his career where he could make more than $2.3M on the open market, but it’s not a guarantee. He seems to be fairly happy in Dallas and with Dwight Powell making his way back from a torn Achilles’, Cauley-Stein should have a path to plenty of playing time.
• Will Tim Hardaway Jr. deviate from the plan of opting in? Hardaway will be hard-pressed to find a team that will pay him $18.9M this offseason. He’s also still young enough that long-term security shouldn’t be a concern just yet.

Projected Team Salary

$151,977,957

The Mavericks have one more season before they can be major offseason players. They’ll likely run it back with a lot of the same team as last season, as both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Willie Cauley-Stein are likely to opt in. Look for Dallas to use their MLE to bring in another wing player, but on a short-term contract. This will allow the Mavs to conserve space for the 2021 offseason. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$42,837,957 (16^th out of 30). $29,788,398 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Dallas Mavericks: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve listed the entire roster with comparisons to last year’s launch rating below. We’ve also identified some general NBA 2K21 ratings trends for the league as a whole.

Mavs NBA 2K21 Ratings

View the NBA 2K21 player ratings for other teams below.

The post Dallas Mavericks: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

In March, just prior to the shutdown, Porzingis was averaging 23.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Pair the solid numbers with his absurd length and unprecedented perimeter game (shout out Rick Carlisle’s analytics team), he’ll be a must-watch candidate in Orlando.

Porzingis isn’t the only one that was flexing for the Mavs in March. Seth Curry posted 21 points per game of his own in the contests he suited up for during the period and that doesn’t even include the 37 points he dropped on the Miami Heat in late February.

Tim Hardaway Jr. cracked the 20-point mark in the month of March, too, giving Luka Doncic plenty of possible options to run through now that the season is back.

SLAM’s Heat Check series compares each individual player’s personal production in the month of March with their production prior. The goal is to get a sense of the direction in which players were trending when the league stood still. For a more in-depth description, check out our Heat Check (Hiatus Edition) introduction.

Heat Check Dallas Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis
Seth Curry
Boban Marjanovic
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Courtney Lee
Delon Wright
Justin Jackson
Dorian Finney-Smith
Maxi Kleber
Luka Doncic	–
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
J.J. Barea
Willie Cauley-Stein

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check (Hiatus): Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Part and parcel with the league’s restart plan is the fact that players can opt out of the Disney World games without breaching their contract, but whether or not players will forfeit a prorated share of their contract when they opt out or not depends on whether they’re formally excused or not due to a medical issue.

Many of the players who will forego suiting up for the squads when the league resumes are facing the same injuries that they faced prior to the shutdown, most notably the likes of Kevin Durant and John Wall, who were expected to be out for the season regardless and will not alter those plans to take part in the unprecedented campaign extension.

Other players that have already revealed that they won’t participate at Disney did not appear on injury reports prior to the shutdown.

In addition to players who will sit out due to recent positive COVID-19 diagnoses – like DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie – there are players like Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo who will take the opportunity to sit despite being active in mid-March.

To get a sense of where player’s stood when the league shut down in March, I’ve combed through the league’s final injury reports from prior to the shutdown, noting any instances where players were formally listed as “out”.

A total of 19 of the 22 Disney-bound teams had at least one such player in their most recent injury report prior to the shutdown. All told, 49 NBA players from those teams were listed as “out” on their team’s last injury report before the league ground to a halt on the night of March 11.

At least 11 of those players that were listed as “out” in March are not expected to play at Disney World. Many of the rest have long returned to health and will be active in Orlando later this month.

Out Then; Out Now

Of the 11 players that are expected to be out of action when the Disney World games tip off, three had missed the entire 2019-20 campaign. Not all players that spent the first seven months of the season on the sidelines will forego the return, however.

Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers has been sidelined since breaking his leg in March of 2019 but has been cleared to suit up for his squad after the extended layoff.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson is another example of a player that could make his season debut at Disney. Roberson has been on the sidelines since January, 2018.

A grand total of 30 players that were “out” the day the league stood still are now at least reasonably expected to be back at full health on July 30.

Out Then; Available Now

Naturally, there are a number of cases where availability isn’t known or at least hasn’t been verified. This list could grow with confirmations that players like Nigel Williams-Goss or Justin James are deemed eligible.

In addition to those less documented cases, there’s no consensus yet that a player like Malcolm Brogdon, who has recovered from his right quad injury but now faces recovery from COVID-19, will actually suit up at Disney World, or if a late signee like Jontay Porter, who inked a deal mid-rehabilitation on March 10, will make his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Other players like Memphis’ Grayson Allen and NOLA’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, much like Roberson, could potentially be capable of returning but don’t yet have a formally revealed clean bill of health.

Additionally, not all players that were available in March are expected to suit up for their teams during the restart. I’ve published a dynamic list of NBA players who’ve voluntarily opted out of the Disney World games but these aren’t the players that I’m concerned about here.

Below is a list of the additional players that won’t play for medical reasons. For several of these players, the hiatus represented an opportunity to undergo surgery to treat nagging injuries. LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Utah Jazz elected to go this route.

Other players will sit out of the restart after testing positive for the coronavirus during the shut down. A trio of Brooklyn Nets players, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, have done exactly that and this list may grow if more players see positive diagnoses closer to the July 30 tip off.

Available Then; Out Now

The post List of Injury Updates Ahead of NBA Restart appeared first on SLAM.

Cameron Brink is a 6-4 unicorn from Southridge HS in Beaverton, OR, and a consensus top-5 player in the class of 2020. She’s also the goddaughter of Dell and Sonya Curry, who were close college friends of her own parents at Virginia Tech. Her dad, Greg, was a teammate of Dell’s, while mom Michelle was a star hooper who roomed with Sonya, a Hokie volleyball standout. They’ve been extended family ever since, meaning Cam grew up with Stephen and Seth as virtual big brothers. And though it took a while, it was the Currys’ influence that helped turn Cam into a hardwood star in her own right.

“Dell and Sonya really instilled this love of the sport in her,” Greg Brink says. “That’s when the competitive juices really started with her, when she saw how the Curry family was engaged in the sport. That relationship has meant everything from a basketball perspective.”

Had it not been for the Currys, it’s possible that Cam would’ve remained the self-described “goofy” kid who was more interested in art than basketball. But at the Currys’ urging, she came out for one of Dell’s youth camps, and eventually joined school and club teams. Her mom says middle school was when Cam made the jump from disinterested kid to potential star. 

“It was really amazing to watch how she went from zero skills to just being so competitive that it drove her development,” Michelle Bain-Brink says. “From sixth grade to eighth grade it really was a rapid transition.”

Among Michelle’s clearest memories from that time came when Cam was in seventh grade, playing the post in a practice scrimmage. “She started to get frustrated—she hated waiting for the ball to be passed into her,” Michelle recalls. “So all of a sudden she got a rebound and went coast to coast. Multiple times. It was like, Who is this kid?”

Everybody knows who that kid is now: a McDonald’s All-American, a two-time state Player of the Year, and a two-time gold medalist after helping USA Basketball’s 2018 FIBA U17 and 2019 FIBA U19 teams to World Cup titles. She’s done it by rapidly expanding her skill set and range, modeling her game on some of the WNBA’s very best. “Breanna Stewart is just so amazing, and I feel like we have a lot of similarities,” Cam says. “Elena Delle Donne, too—pretty much any versatile 1 through 5 player.”

Her dad says Cam has always known what kind of player she wants to be. “When she was young and people would ask her what position she played, she would always respond, ‘I play all five,’” Greg says. 

A combination of hard work and a relentless competitive streak has turned that vision into undeniable reality. “She is incredibly competitive—she has this love for the game, and she absolutely hates to lose,” Greg says. “She just wants to kill you. It’s a little scary sometimes.”

Once she wraps up her prep career, Cam will take that lethal game to Stanford, where conveniently she’ll be just down the road from Stephen and his family. Chef Curry is happy to help Cam tweak her ever-improving jump shot, so don’t be surprised if she makes the occasional drive over to her bro’s house for some work. “He’s a good resource for me,” Cam understates. “I’m sure we’ll get some shots up.”

Size, a killer instinct, and maybe the greatest shooter of all time helping her fine-tune her shot? Cameron Brink really might not be fair.

—

Ryan Jones is a Contributing Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @thefarmerjones.

Portraits by Michael M. Jones.

The post Stanford Commit Cameron Brink Is Primed for GREATNESS appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis posted a season-high 38 points in the W, his third straight game with 20 or more points. Seth Curry was Dallas’ second-leading scorer with 27 points. Luke Doncic missed Sunday’s action with a thumb sprain.

Bucks 93 (52-8), Hornets 85 (21-39)

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the last nine points for the Bucks, finishing the day with 41 points to give Milwaukee its sixth straight win. The Greek Freak also grabbed 20 boards. Brook Lopez added 16 points.

Clippers 136 (41-19), Sixers 130 (27-24)

The Clippers had four players who finished with 20-plus points as Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 30 points. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, one of the L’s top 1-2 bench duos, finished with 24 apieces in L.A.

Nuggets 133 (41-19), Raptors 118 (42-18)

Nikola Jokic messed around and had a triple-double (23 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists) on Sunday night. This was Jokic’s 43rd triple-double of the season. Jamal Murray finished with 22 points.

Kings 106 (26-34), Pistons 100 (20-42)

De’Aaron Fox sealed the game with a bucket down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento overcame a 17-point deficit in front of their home crowd. Buddy Hield put up 19 points off the bench.

Lakers 122 (46-13), Pelicans 114 (26-34)

It was one of those nights from LeBron James, who posted 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds against the Pelicans in the Big Easy. With no Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma filled in the void, scoring 20 points in the win. Averly Bradley and Danny Green had 10 apiece.

Wizards 124 (21-37), Warriors 110 (13-47)

Bradley Beal scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. His streak of 25-plus point games is now at 18 (franchise record). David Bertans went 8-of-10 from beyond the arc and put up 29 points in 30 minutes.

The post Post Up: LeBron Posts Triple-Double in Win Against Pelicans 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

The Magic played incredible, with Terrence Ross recording a season-high 33 points, Nikola Vucevic having 27 points and 10 boards and Aaron Gordon enjoying his first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

D’Angelo Russell was solid for the Wolves, scoring 28 points and dishing 7 assists with a respectable +8 plus/minus on the night.

Hawks 141 (18-43), Nets 118 (32-36)

This wasn’t just a promising game for the Hawks because they won, but also due to the fact that their young core of players were the biggest contributors to their success. Trae Young dropped 22 and 14 assists. John Collins popped off for 33 and 12 boards. Kevin Huerter scored 15 on an efficient 60% from the field. The rook DeAndre Hunter had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Cam Reddish had perhaps his best game of the season with 26 points on 6-9 from deep.

As for the disappointing Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie did his best with 24 points and 13 assists, but it simply wasn’t enough.

Hornets 99 (21-38), Raptors 96 (42-17)

Well, this was a surprise.

The Raptors usually steamroll objectively inferior opponents, but not tonight, apparently. No Hornets starter even scored 20 points, but they all reached double figures. Solid performances from Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry weren’t enough to offset a bench that only mustered nine points.

Despite all that, there was still a chance to win, with the game tied at 96 with about two seconds left, Hornets ball. But Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was called for an off-ball foul. Tough way to lose.

Heat 126 (37-22), Mavericks 118 (36-24)

This was a very quality win for the Heat, beating a bona-fide playoff team in the West and one of the best offenses in league history. Jimmy Butler predictable led the way in scoring with 26, but Duncan Robinson (24 points, 6-9 from deep, +24 plus/minus) and Kelly Olynyk (13 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists in only 19 minutes) were the unsung heroes.

For Dallas, despite a Seth Curry explosion of 37 points and stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis both scoring in the 20’s, Miami was too tough.

Kings 104 (25-34), Grizzlies 101 (28-31)

The Kings are closer to the 8th seed than you think. After beating the Grizzlies, a team currently above them in the chase, Sacramento is only three games out of a playoff berth. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 25 points in what was a very solid all-around team win.

The Grizzlies are crumbling right now, through no fault of their own. Young bigs Jaren Jackson Jr and Brandon Clarke are out with injuries, and they traded two reliable wings in Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill for a Justise Winslow, who is still recuperating from injury. Dillon Brooks led all scorers with 32.

Bucks 133 (51-8), Thunder 86 (37-23)

This was simply an annihilation. The scary part is OKC is a tough, gritty and respectable team with the second best record in the entire damn league since Thanksgiving. But they were no match for Milwaukee and their unskilled star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped an easy 32 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 measly minutes.

Pelicans 116 (26-33), Cavaliers 104 (17-42)

The Pelicans have now won six of their last 8 games thanks to a mixture of superhuman Zion Williamson efforts and excellent supporting cast members in Brandon Ingram (an All-Star!), Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, plus a deep cadre of role players.

Ingram led the Pels with 29 points, Zion followed with 24 and Holiday had 22.

Pistons 113 (20-41), Suns 111 (24-36)

We were just treated to a throwback Derrick Rose game.

Rose dropped 31 points and the game-sealing bucket, a beautiful driving, off-balance floater. Also, shoutout to Brandon Knight, who has endured many tough injuries, for scoring 19 points in the win.

Jazz 129 (37-22), Wizards 119 (21-37)

Between a losing streak, uncharacteristic drop in efficiency and some epic role confusion over who is starting and sitting between Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale, Utah needed this. Donovan Mitchell once again put the team on his back, going for 30 points and this monster dunk on poor Rui Hachimura.

Bradley Beal can’t be happy after dropping 42 points, 5 boards, 10 assists and 2 steals and still coming away with a loss.

Clippers 132 (40-19), Nuggets 103 (40-19)

Big win for the Clips, who inch closer to the Nuggets for 2nd place in the Western Conference standings.

It was quite the balanced victory, with all ten rotation players notching between 19 and 25 minutes.

Paul George had 24 on an efficient 9-15 shooting, and Kawhi had 19 points on 50% shooting.

The post Post Up: Giannis Antetokounmpo Goes Off Against Thunder appeared first on SLAM.

McMahon also reported that the left-handed Brunson intends to try and play through the shoulder injury. If Brunson is to return, it will come when Dallas is back at home next Wednesday, as he’s already been ruled out for the remaining three games of the Mavs road trip. Brunson could undergo surgery on the injury this offseason.

Brunson has been a key part of the Mavericks rotation this year, averaging 17.9 minutes per game over 57 appearances, including 16 starts. The second-year guard has averaged 8.2 points per game, while shooting career-best percentages nearly across the board.

Without Brunson, Dallas is leaning heavily on Seth Curry and Delon Wright alongside Luka Doncic in the backcourt. The Mavericks have also worked veteran J.J. Barea back into the lineup on a more regular basis as well.

If Brunson is able to play through his injury, it will give Rick Carlisle the depth necessary to play matchups and rest players as necessary over the last month and a half of the season.

The post Mavs Guard Jalen Brunson To Play Through Torn Labrum appeared first on SLAM.

Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds as he picked up a win in the city that let him go a season ago. CJ McCollum and Dame Lillard combined for 49 points.

James Harden had a season-low in points, scoring 13 in 36 minutes.

Pistons 116 (15-27), Celtics 103 (27-12)

Sekou Doumbouya scored 24 points on just 13 shots and Derrick Rose added 22 as the Pistons picked up an upset win in Boston.

Magic 119 (20-21), Lakers 118 (33-8)

Aaron Gordon (21 points) put on a dunk show at the STAPLES Center and Markelle Fultz (21 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) came up big in crunch time to take down the No.1 team in the west.

LeBron James had 19 points and 19 dimes in the effort.

Nets 106 (18-22), 76ers 117 (26-16)

Tobias Harris scored a game-high 34 on 14-for-20 shooting and grabbed 10 boards to lead the Sixers’ scoring effort. Ultimately, Philadelphia’s defense secured the W, holding Brooklyn to 16 fourth quarter points after trailing at the end of the third quarter.

Wizards 106 (13-27), Bulls 115 (15-27)

Zach LaVine’s hot streak continued, and this time it got the struggling Bulls a win. The Seattle-native finished with 30 points, 7 boards and 7 assists as he went 6-for-11 from deep.

Spurs 100 (17-22), Heat 106 (28-12)

Kendrick Nunn dropped 33 on a blistering 13-for-18 shooting night to put Miami past San Antonio.

Mavericks 127 (26-15), Kings 123 (15-26)

Luka Doncic stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 17 assists and Seth Curry provided a spark off the pine with 21 points and five made 3’s.

Sacramento’s trio of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes combined for 77, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Dallas.

Hornets 86 (15-29), Nuggets 100 (28-12)

Michael Porter Jr.’s time to shine was well worth the wait. His energy off the bench (19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals in 28 minutes) led Denver past Charlotte.

Terry Rozier scored a game-high 20 for Charlotte.

Pacers 104 (26-15), Timberwolves 99 (15-25)

Domantas Sabonis scored 29 on 13-for-17 shooting and tacked on 13 rebounds and 6 dimes to lead Indiana. His plus-minus of +21 led all players in his 36 minutes of playing time.

Raptors 130 (26-14), Thunder 121 (23-18)

Oklahoma City cut Toronto’s 30-point lead down to just three in the fourth quarter, but the defending champs were able to right the ship in the game’s final minutes to escape with a win.

Norman Powell scored a team-high 23 for Toronto and OG Anunoby added 21 points, 5 boards, 5 dimes and 3 steals.

Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 25 off the bench for OKC.

The post Post Up: Markelle Fultz Leads Upset in LA, Melo Wins in Return to Houston appeared first on SLAM.

In this post, just one of a series of 30, we’ll break down the reports that have started to trickle out about Mavs players that may or may not be on the move. While there’s no guarantee when it comes to a league as wild as the modern NBA, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on each squad’s roster as the deadline draws near.

Players Unlikely To Be Traded

• Kristaps Porzingis
• Luka Doncic

A pair of trades gave the Mavericks their building blocks of the future. The team dealt away a future first-round pick in order to move up in the 2018 draft and select Luka Doncic. Then, prior to last season’s trade deadline, Dallas traded future draft picks to obtain Kristaps Porzingis from New York. It’s unlikely the team makes as big of a splash at this year’s deadline and it’s even more unlikely that it deals away either franchise player.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Tim Hardaway Jr.

A move to the starting lineup back in November was the catalyst to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s revived season. In 24 starts this year, the wing is averaging 16.0 points per game while making 42.7% of his shots from downtown. 

He’s making $20M this season as a result of the contract the Knicks gave him back in 2017 and the 15% trade kicker that came with it. The uncertainty that comes with THJ could play a factor in teams taking on his deal. He has a player option worth $19M next season and there’s no word on whether he plans to pick it up.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Courtney Lee

Courtney Lee is making $12.8M in the final year of his contract. He came over in the Porzingis deal, though no one really expected him to be a member of the squad long-term. The 34-year-old has played sparingly for the Mavs, appearing in just 10 games this season. His mid-sized salary along with the fact that he doesn’t have a role on the team, makes him a major candidate to be moved. 

Trades Are Possible

• Dwight Powell
• Delon Wright
• Maxi Kleber
• Seth Curry
• Dorian Finney-Smith
• Justin Jackson
• J.J. Barea
• Isaiah Roby
• Jalen Brunson
• Ryan Broekhoff

Dwight Powell inked an extension with the Mavs this past offseason on a deal that will keep him under team control through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another one of his signature under-the-radar, yet efficient campaigns, as he’s currently sixth in the league in true shooting percentage. Delon Wright is having a nice first season in Dallas. He’s seeing 20.8 minutes per game, helping the Mavericks to have one of the better benches in the league. Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith each became trade eligible on January 15, as the team re-signed both players this offseason using some version of Bird rights. Seth Curry’s $32M contract runs through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another fine season from behind the arc. Justin Jackson came to the Mavs in the Harrison Barnes deal last year and in his first full season with the club, he’s seeing just under 16 minutes per game. Long-time Maverick J.J. Barea has the right to veto any trade, as he re-signed on a one-year deal with the club. 2019 second-round pick Isaiah Roby hasn’t yet appeared in an NBA game. The forward is mostly gaining experience with the Texas Legends of the G League. former second-round pick Jalen Brunson has two more years left on his deal, though his contract in 2021-22 is non-guaranteed. Ryan Broekhoff saw action in 10 games for the Mavs before breaking his fibula. There is no timetable for his return.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry led Dallas with 26 points apiece.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in a highly-anticipated matchup.

Per The AP:

“It’s going to be a test for us,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with 48 points and 14 rebounds. “The Lakers are one of the best teams in the league. We’ve got to play good basketball. We’ve got to move the ball. Obviously as a team, we don’t want to lose two in a row.”

The winning streak was the Bucks’ longest since a franchise-record 20 consecutive victories by the 1970-71 championship team that featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, and Oscar Robertson.

“I’m proud of the way the guys fought to the very last second tonight,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “To find a way to be close in the fourth quarter and have an offensive rebound and give ourselves a chance, I think it’s just a sign of the competitive nature of this group.”

Related Giannis: ‘My Rookie Year We Won 15 Games. Now We Won 15 in a Row’

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘We Don’t Want to Lose Two in a Row’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis stepped his game up in Luka Doncic’s absence, racking up 26 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. His plus-minus of +20 led all players.

Seth Curry added 26 points off the pine to help bring an end to the Bucks’ 18-game win streak.

Giannis Antetokounmpo brought his game, leading all players in points (48) and rebounds (14). No other Bucks starter scored double-digit points as the rest of the team shot just 35.1 percent from the field.

Wizards 133 (8-17), Pistons 119 (11-16)

Bradley Beal led the way with 35 points and 10 assists and Isaiah Thomas scored 23 in his return from injury as the Wizards scored 43 points in the first quarter and never looked back.

Derrick Rose scored 22 off the pine, but the Pistons suffered from the absences of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

Cavaliers 113 (6-21), Raptors 133 (18-8)

Pascal Siakam (33 points), Kyle Lowry (20) and Norman Powell (26) lit up the scoreboard as Toronto picked up a blowout win.

Spurs 107 (10-16), Rockets 109 (18-9)

The Rockets overcame a 25-point deficit — its largest ever in a victory — to deliver a payback blow to their in-state rival.

Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 31 points and James Harden scored 28 on 10-for-29 shooting.

Heat 111 (19-8), Grizzlies 118 (10-17)

The rookies ran the show for both sides as the Grizzlies picked up a win while wearing their Vancouver-inspired throwback jerseys.

Ja Morant had a team-high 20 points and 10 dimes and Brandon Clarke added 14 points and nine boards off the bench.

Tyler Herro scored 22 for Miami and Kendrick Nunn added another 18.

Trail Blazers 111 (11-16), Suns 110 (11-15)

Kelly Oubre (24 points) completed a four-point play in the final minute to give Phoenix the lead, but Dame Lillard came right back with an and-1 of his own to give Portland the win.

CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony and Lillard combined for 80 points.

Bulls 106 (10-19), Thunder 109 (12-14)

Zach LaVine dropped 39 on just 25 field goals, but it wasn’t enough as the Bulls let go of a 21-point first quarter lead as Chris Paul (30 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals) led the OKC comeback charge.

The post Post Up: Porzingis, Curry Snap Bucks’ 18-Game Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

“It bothers me,” Young admits, emphasizing that he’s a completely different basketball player from the guy he was traded for on Draft Night in 2018.

The 21-year-old is putting up nightly averages of 28.2 points and 8.3 assists for the 5-16 Atlanta Hawks.

Per ESPN:

“We’re going to be compared throughout our whole careers,” Young says on Doncic. “That’s fine, that’s what it’s going to be — it happened on draft night, and I don’t think it’ll stop until we’re both retired.”

‘Trae Young vs. Luka Doncic’ has become so much of the conversation around your early career. Does it bother you that people can’t seem to separate you two guys because of what happened on draft night?

Trae Young: “Yeah. For me, it bothers me — I just love playing basketball, I know he does. So it bothers me because it’s annoying just getting asked about it all the time. But I know it comes with it. I didn’t ask for it to happen, but it happened. … It’s two totally different situations, two totally different players. He’s playing well, I’m playing well. Just let it be.”

Luka is an MVP candidate right now. Is there a part of you that wants to show that the Hawks made the right decision?

TY: “Obviously there’s a little bit of motivation there — I have a lot of different thoughts and motivations, so that’s a little bit of it. I think both teams did what’s best for them. I think what we have going on: the rebuilding process, getting a lot of young guys and trying to build that way, build this city up, build the culture we have. It’s great, it’s growing. We have a lot of fans here that are supporting us. Obviously in Dallas, they’re more in a win-now situation: going and getting all those free agents, getting Kristaps [Porzingis], Tim [Hardaway Jr.], Seth [Curry], They got a lot of guys that are veterans in this league. Two totally different situations.”

Related SO ICY: Trae Young Is Proving All His Doubters Wrong

The post ‘It Bothers Me’: Trae Young Doesn’t Like Comparisons to Luka Doncic appeared first on SLAM.

Evan Fournier put up 31 points in DC. Markelle Fultz had a career-high 20 points and D.J. Augustin had 24 bench points.

Pistons 127 (8-13), Cavaliers 94 (5-15)

Blake Griffin scored a point for each minute he played, finishing the night with 24 points, including six 3-pointers. Andre Drummond posted another double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds). All five of Detroit’s starters sat the fourth quarter in the rout.

Mavericks 118 (14-6), Pelicans 97 (6-15)

Luka Doncic, the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month, had a 33-point, 18-rebound performance in the Big Easy. Seth Curry contributed 19 off the bench, and Tim Hardaway and Max Kleber finished with 12 apiece.

Heat 121 (15-5), Raptors 110 (15-5)

Jimmy Butler scored eight consecutive points in less than a minute in overtime to finish with 22 points to go with his 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Bam Adebayo scored 18 and Justise Winslow had 17 as the Heat snapped the Raptors’ seven-game winning streak and gave them their first home loss this season.

Lakers 105 (18-3), Nuggets 96 (13-5)

The Lakers started 1-0 on their three-game road trip at the Pepsi Center as LeBron James (25 points) and Anthony Davis (25 points) combined for 50 points. Dwight Howard had 13 and 6 off the bench. The Lakers face Utah tomorrow night.

Spurs 135 (8-14), Rockets 133 (13-7)

With the game on the line in double OT, DeMar DeRozan sank two free throws to give San Antonio the W at the AT&T Center. Lonnie Walker IV had a career-high 28 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer to send it to overtime.

Clippers 117 (16-6), Trailblazers 97 (8-13)

Paul George scored a team-high 25 points, his 6th 25-point game this season as the Clippers have won 9 of their last 10 games. Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverly had 11 apiece.

The post Post Up: LeBron James & Anthony Davis Combine for 50 Points to Defeat Denver 🤫 appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down the overall ratings for each player and sorted them by team so that you can see how your squad stacks up against the rest of the league.

Dallas Mavericks NBA 2K20 Ratings

This table is updated as of Nov. 22, 2019

Can’t get enough 2K? SLAM’s dedicated gaming channel, @SLAMftw, is blowing up. Hit us with your best uploads and watch our streams!

More NBA 2K20 Ratings

The post NBA 2K20 Ratings: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Below is a list of the contract types the Dallas Mavericks have heading into training camp. This resource will be updated as players are signed and waived. Check back often to see if your team’s roster configuration has changed.

Dallas Mavericks

For a complete list of all the NBA teams and links to each team’s roster breakdown, check out our 2019 NBA Training Camp Index. Follow the curators of this database, Chris Crouse and Austin Kent, on Twitter.

More NBA Training Camp Rosters

The post Dallas Mavericks Roster Count: 2019 Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

Curry had a career year for the Mavs back in 2016-17 but missed the entire 2017-18 campaign with an injury an eventually moved on to Oregon. In that lone season with Dallas, however, he averaged 12.8 points per game while shooting .427 from beyond the arc.

Curry ended up improving upon that mark, hitting .450 from three in 2018-19 with Portland.

The post Seth Curry To Sign With Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

This list is maintained by @AustinKent. Please forward any omissions, clarifications or helpful reminders about how the alphabet works to him on Twitter.

The post 2019 NBA Free Agency Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

Steph wore the “International Boulevard” colorway of the 6 en route to a game-high 37 points while Seth rocked a black/red Blazers colorway as he finished with 16 points including a three-pointer in the fourth which put Portland briefly up with a little over a minute to play.

Andre Iguodala had on the “90s Kid” Nike KD 12 as he came up with a clutch strip of Damian Lillard in the final seconds to seal Golden State’s 114-111 victory.

The rest of Game 2’s best kicks are just below.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Playoff Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

The elder Curry’s 37 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists led the Golden State Warriors to a dramatic 114-111 victory over the Trail Blazers, overcoming a 16-points, 4-steal performance from Seth.

Portland now heads back home down 2-0 in the series, and still without any answers for Steph and the Dubs.

Per ESPN:

“It worked out perfectly tonight,” Stephen Curry joked after the game. “He played well, and we won.” The room laughed. It was the perfect older brother thing to say. But damn it, Seth Curry wanted this one. And Sonya wanted it for him, too.

“You know what my prayers have been?” she said, looking over at her younger son. “For Seth to steal the ball from Stephen, go down and hit a shot and lift his arms up.”

Seth actually did that Thursday. In fact, three of his four steals in the game came at the expense of his older brother.

“I feel like I’ve seen every Warrior game over the last 10 years,” Seth Curry said. “Every Steph game. So I feel like I know some of the things they like to do and some of the things he likes to do.”

Related ‘Seth Really Feels Like He’s Better Than Steph’: Curry Brothers Ready for Battle

The post Stephen Curry Outduels Seth Curry in Game 2 appeared first on SLAM.

“They outplayed us the majority of the night,” Kerr told reporters following the win, which included a 17-point comeback from the Warriors.

Stephen Curry (37 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) outdueled his brother Seth (16 points, 4 steals), and Damian Lillard had his pocket picked by Andre Iguodala with time running out and a chance to tie the game from beyond the arc.

Per The San Fran Chronicle:

“We stole that game,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after his team overcame a 17-point, second-half deficit to seize a 2-0 series lead at Oracle Arena. “I thought they outplayed us the majority of the night.”

Portland guard Damian Lillard — the Oakland native who has led the Blazers to the West finals for the first time in 19 years — went up for a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left, only for Golden State forward Andre Iguodala to knock the ball out of his hands. Iguodala passed the ball to Stephen Curry, who launched it into the air to run out the clock. Curry then found Iguodala next to the Warriors’ bench and, grinning, high-fived Iguodala three times.

This was a celebration befitting a nationally televised larceny.

“They played like a championship team would at home,” Portland head coach Terry Stotts said of the Warriors. “They made plays in the last three minutes and we didn’t. They’ve been at this a long time. There isn’t much they haven’t seen.”

Related Post Up: Curry Bros Shine as Warriors Complete 17-Point Comeback

The post ‘We Stole That Game’: Warriors Take 2-0 Series Lead Against Portland appeared first on SLAM.

The night was all about the Curry Brothers as Steph (37 points, eight rebounds, eight assists) and Seth (16 points, four steals, game-high +13 plus-minus) went head-to-head in Oakland.

Portland led by as many as 17 in the second quarter, but a 39-point third quarter by Golden State sent both sides tied heading into the final frame.

Damian Lillard (23 points, 10 assists) had a chance to tie in Portland’s final possession, but Andre Iguodala stripped the ball away before he could get a shot off.

Draymond Green played a key role, stuffing the stat sheet with 16 blocks, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.

The post Post Up: Curry Bros Shine as Warriors Complete 17-Point Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

Curry was making “practice shots,” according to Damian Lillard, who struggled through a 19-point performance (on 4 of 12 shooting) for the Trail Blazers.

Terry Stotts and his coaching staff were left searching for answers on how to slow down Curry in the Western Conference Finals (hint: there aren’t any.)

Klay Thompson added 26 points for Golden State, and Steve Kerr also received key contributions from his bench.

Per The AP:

“Practice shots,” Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said of Curry’s wide-open chances.

So far, the Warriors are showing they can keep winning until Kevin Durant gets healthy.

“I know what I’m capable of on the floor. The situation calls for me to be a little bit more aggressive and hopefully that’ll continue,” said Curry, who came in shooting 37.1% on 3s this postseason. “Obviously it’s nice to see the ball go in. I didn’t shoot the ball well for 4 1/2 games the last series and got off to a good start tonight. I want to maintain that. Every game is different, you’ve got to re-establish yourself. That’s my perspective no matter how I play.”

Curry shot 12 for 23 in his fourth 30-point performance this postseason, finding far more open looks than he had in the last round against Houston. The two-time NBA MVP outplayed the Portland duo of Lillard and CJ McCollum, who combined to go 11 for 31 against a strong Golden State defense.

“It’s not one-and-done. We’ve got a series, it’s one loss,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “We’ve got to play better, particularly at the offensive end, but we’ve got to be better at both ends.”

Related ‘Seth Really Feels Like He’s Better Than Steph’: Curry Brothers Ready for Battle

The post ‘Practice Shots’: Stephen Curry Torches Portland With 36 Points in Game 1 appeared first on SLAM.

And according to Chris Strachan, a longtime family friend, “Seth really feels like he’s better than Steph. He’s always felt that way.”

The elder Curry brother’s Golden State Warriors will host the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

Per The Athletic:

“Steph was making everything,” Strachan recalled [having watched the brothers play 1-on-1 in the summer of 2013] on Monday. “Seth even blocked a couple of shots and they went in because he blocked them. Seth famously says, ‘Steph is the luckiest dude in the whole world.’ Seth really feels like he’s better than Steph. He’s always felt that way.”

This is a big part of who they are, why they work so well together. Steph and Strachan have the same fervor rooting for Seth. And when Steph is on the court, Seth and Strachan root hard for Steph.

“So many years I watched Steph playing in the Western Conference finals, the NBA Finals, being in the crowd,” Seth told reporters this week.

“So it’s going to be fun to be out there on the court, competing to get to (the Finals). It’s a dream come true for us two.”

Related Damian Lillard: Blazers ‘Really Confident’ vs Golden State

The post ‘Seth Really Feels Like He’s Better Than Steph’: Curry Brothers Ready for Battle appeared first on SLAM.

McCollum’s heroics pushed the Portland Trail Blazers to a dramatic 100-96 road win, and into the Western Conference Finals.

An emotional Damian Lillard said this was their reward for staying the course following a humiliating first round playoff sweep at the hands of the lower-seeded New Orleans Pelicans last season.

Per The Athletic:

“I like big moments, man,” McCollum said afterward. “I make my name off big moments. That’s how I got here. Playing big in high school (Canton, Ohio), big games in college (Lehigh), and playing big in games as a younger player in the NBA.

“But this is what I live for. This is when I play my best basketball,” McCollum said.

He also had the game’s biggest defensive play, chasing down Jamal Murray and blocking the fastbreak layin attempt by the Nuggets’ star guard.

McCollum credited Seth Curry for cutting off Murray’s lane to the basket.

“Then (Murray) just put it right there for me and I just went and got it, ‘Bron style,”’ McCollum said. “Shout out to my guy Bron (LeBron James). It was a mini-version of LeBron’s block on (Andre Iguodala) a few years ago (in the NBA Finals). It’s something I will remember forever. I might have to get a picture of that one.”

The post CJ McCollum: ‘I Make My Name Off Big Moments’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Blazers and Nuggets have been neck and neck all series, and with Portland pulling away 104-90 late in Game 6, things got heated between the two teams. Will Barton and Seth Curry shoved each other, culminating in Barton sticking his finger in Curry’s eye.

Safe to say the encounter did not sit well with Seth, who called it “really sassy.”

Curry has performed respectably in this bloodbath of a series, especially in Game 4, when he drained 4-6 threes off the bench for 16 points.

Barton has had a similar impact for the Nuggets. When he scored over 9 points, the Nuggets have gone 3-1 in the series. But when he fails to reach that threshold, Denver has been beaten both times.

Game 7 is Sunday. Grab your popcorn. And your eye patches.

RELATED: Damian Lillard Pushes Blazers to Game 7 vs Denver

The post Seth Curry: Nuggets ‘Got A Few Sassy Dudes Over There’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Nuggets Torrey Craig wore the “Candy Canes” as Denver evened up the series with Portland with a 116-112 victory. Malik Beasley wore yet another LeBron opting for his custom colorway of the Nike LeBron 15 and Maurice Harkless went with the more recent “Remix” Nike LeBron 16.

Check out the rest of Sunday night’s NBA playoff sneaker action below.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Playoff Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

Toronto took care of business at home as four Raptors finished with 20-plus-point performances: Pascal Siakam (23 points), Norman Powell (23 points), Kawhi Leonard (22 points) and Danny Green (21 points).

Spurs 112 (47-34), Cavaliers 90 (19-62)

LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Davis Bertans had 14 apiece.

Hornets 104 (38-42), Pistons 91 (39-41)

Kemba Walker scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half as the Hornets have won three straight and are doing everything to get that eighth seed.

Thunder 132 (47-33), Timberwolves 126 (36-44)

Russell Westbrook (27 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) got his 32nd triple-double of the season in Sunday’s matinee. Paul George also had 27 points, too, and Dennis Schroder had 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Thunder are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference.

Nets 108 (41-40), Pacers 96 (47-34)

D’Angelo Russell posted 30 points to give the Nets a playoff berth since 2015. Joe Harris was the team’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. Jarrett Allen had 12 and Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert had a combined 30 bench points.

Mavericks 129 (32-48), Grizzlies 127 (32-48)

Salah Mejri’s bucket in the fourth quarter kept Dallas’ hopes alive. He then scored the first seven points in overtime, finishing the game with 19 points.

Rockets 149 (53-28), Suns 113 (19-62)

James Harden only needed three quarters to get a 30-piece in the rout. The Rockets also made 27 3-pointers, setting a new NBA record for most made 3’s by a team. Eric Gordon (26 points) led the team with eight triples.

Bucks 115 (60-21), Hawks 107 (29-52)

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30 points helped the Bucks get to 60 wins for the first time since 1981. Khris Middleton chipped in 21 points.

Magic 116 (41-40), Celtics 108 (48-33)

The Magic will see postseason play after breaking a seven-year playoff drought. Terrence Ross was Orlando’s leading scorer with 26 points; Nikola Vucevic finished with a double-double (25 points, 12 rebounds) and Evan Fournier dropped 24.

Knicks 113 (16-64), Wizards 110 (32-49)

Mario Hezonja put a 30 points (career high) and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute left. Kevin Knox put up 16 points and Dennis Smith Jr had 15 off the bench.

Blazers 115 (51-29), Nuggets 108 (53-27)

Damian Lillard led all scorers with 30 points. Enes Kanter, filling in the void with Jusuf Nurkic out, had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Seth Curry and Rodney Hood had 11 points apiece off the bench.

Pelicans 133 (33-48), Kings 129 (39-42)

Ian Clark had a career-best seven 3-pointers to finish the game with 31 points. Elfrid Payton was big down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 25 points in crunch time.

Lakers 113 (37-44), Jazz 109 (49-31)

Four of five starters finished in double digits. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 32 points. Despite finishing with five points, Jemerrio Jones, who was a late season acquisition, grabbed 16 rebounds in his first start in front of the Staples Center crowd.

Warriors 131 (56-24), Clippers 104 (47-34)

It was a special night at Oracle Arena. Golden State brought out the “We Believe” jerseys for their final regular season game at home. Stephen Curry had 27 points as the Warriors clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The post Post Up: Warriors Clinch Top Seed in Win Over Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

Kemba Walker scored 38 points in the second half en route to 47 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Charlotte’s sluggish first half — the Hornets’ other four starters combined for six points on the night.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 25 points and four steals.

Cavaliers 113 (19-59), Suns 122 (18-60)

Devin Booker shared the love as he dropped 13 dimes to go along with his game-high 25 points.

Pistons 102 (39-38), Pacers 111 (46-32)

Seven different players scored double-digit points as the Pacers shot 54.5 percent from the field as a unit. Domantas Sabonis had 18 points, 12 rebounds and a plus-minus of +14 in 23 minutes off the bench.

The loss moved the Pistons just 1.5 games out of ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Heat 105 (38-39), Celtics 110 (46-32)

The Heat outscored the Celtics in each of the final three quarters, but a 19-point first quarter deficit was too large to overcome.

Point guards stole the show as Goran Dragic had 30 points and five steals while Kyrie Irving dropped 25.

Bucks 131 (58-20), Nets 121 (39-39)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe combined for 57 points as the Bucks extended their lead atop the Eastern Conference to three games.

Bulls 105 (21-57), Knicks 113 (15-62)

Mitchell Robinson held it down for the Knicks on his 21st birthday, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds, four dimes and three blocks on 100% shooting from the field.

Kadeem Allen had a plus-minus of +20 in just nine minutes of work for New York, chipping in seven points, three boards, five dimes and a steal.

Magic 109 (38-40), Raptors 121 (55-23)

The Magic had a chance to move into the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference after the Heat lost in Boston, but the blistering-hot Raptors shot 19-for-37 (51.4%) from deep. Danny Green scored a game-high 29 points and hit seven 3’s.

Trail Blazers 132 (49-28), Timberwolves 122 (34-43)

Evan Turner became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double off the bench while shooting 100% from the field, chipping in 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 25 minutes.

Seth Curry also clocked out with an efficient night off the bench, scoring 19 points in 22 minutes on 5-for-9 shooting from deep.

Sixers 102 (49-28), Mavericks 122 (31-46)

No Luka was no problem for the Mavericks as Justin Jackson scored a team-high 24 points to lead Dallas past Philadelphia.

The post Post Up: Kemba Walker Drops 38 in Second Half, 47 on the Night in Utah appeared first on SLAM.

Portland went into halftime with an 18-point lead, which would grow to 28 points during the third quarter.

Damian Lillard finished with 11 points, 7 dimes, 6 boards and a +20 plus/minus. Seth Curry added a team-high 20 points with 4 treys.

Portland has now won 5 straight games.

Warriors 118 (51-23), Grizzlies 103 (30-45)

Memphis took a 1-point lead with 9:25 left in the game, but the Warriors would go on to outscore the Grizzlies by 16 points the rest of the way.

Kevin Durant dropped a game-high 28 points on an inhuman 12-13 FG with 9 boards, 5 dimes and a +30 plus/minus. Stephen Curry also had 28 points with 10 boards, 7 dimes and a +17 plus/minus.

Pacers 99 (45-30), Thunder 107 (44-31)

OKC was down by 10 points early in the third quarter, and 6 minutes later, they were up by 14 points thanks to a 24-0 run.

Paul George scored a game-high 31 points with 4 treys and a +17 plus/minus. Russell Westbrook recorded his 29th triple-double of the season with 17 points, 12 assists and 11 boards.

Wizards 124 (31-45), Suns 121 (17-59)

Washington withstood a 50-point outburst by Devin Booker to snap a 5-game losing streak.

Bradley Beal dropped a team-high 28 points with 5 treys.

Phoenix has now lost 5 straight games.

Lakers 100 (33-42), Jazz 115 (45-30)

Utah led the entire game, growing the lead to 22 points by the fourth quarter.

Rudy Gobert scored a game-high 22 points with 11 boards, 3 blocks and a +28 plus/minus.

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Is Mr. Efficient in Win vs Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

The legendary hip-hop producer—he’s made beats for Jay-Z, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and pretty much every other big rapper in the industry over the last 15 years—has also been a professor at Duke since 2010, teaching courses like “Hip-Hop History” and “Hip-Hop Cinema” in the African & African American Studies department.

Despite growing up in nearby Winston-Salem, 9th Wonder didn’t become a diehard Duke fan until the early ’90s, when the Blue Devils won back-to-back titles and reached the national championship game in three out of four years. Some 20 years later when 9th started teaching at Duke, he received a Twitter DM from the star of those Duke teams: Grant Hill. 9th invited Hill—a beatmaker in his own right—to come by his studio and kick it. Hill brought along his old friend and then-Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel, and through Capel, 9th eventually met Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“He talks about my Instagram a lot,” 9th says of Coach K, who is now a friend. “Like he’ll say, Man, you put a lot of stuff on your Instagram. Because he’s a lurker on the ’Gram. Nobody knows this guy’s IG. He’s on there.”

Coach K is right—9th is constantly posting about Duke hoops on social media, bragging about his Blue Devils. “Arguably, we’re the most watched team in basketball,” the professor explains. “Probably the only team that’s watched more than us is the Golden State Warriors. Whether you are a Duke hater or supporter, you are watching us.”

Over the years, 9th has built relationships with future pros who have passed through the Duke program, from Jabari Parker to Jayson Tatum, and they stay in touch. But it’s always in his capacity as a teacher first and a fan second. Seth Curry and Miles Plumlee were among his first students, and this year he’s spotted Tre Jones and Zion Williamson in his classes, too.

“I may swing by a practice or two, just to see what’s going on and just say what’s up. I definitely go to the games. But the majority of the time, my interaction with those players is in my classroom,” he explains. “You gotta do my work, bruh. Like, Where’s that paper? What’s up with that presentation, though?”

The bravest Blue Devils have even shown up at 9th’s studio to rap for him. Marvin Bagley III could really rhyme, 9th says. There’s an unreleased track featuring Parker, Amile Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon all rapping stashed away somewhere in his studio. Grayson Allen stopped by once. And this past summer when 9th met high school stars Cole Anthony, Armando Bacot and Cassius Stanley at Nike EYBL’s Peach Jam, they all wanted to spit for him, too. “Everyone claims they got bars,” he laughs.

Bars or not, the door to his studio is always open. “I’m in academia, but I also care about the culture these guys receive. They’re already receiving an amazing basketball culture, but the other side of things, I’m very cognizant of giving them that.”

—

Abe Schwadron is the Managing Editor at numberFire and a former Senior Editor at SLAM.

Photo by Jon Lopez.

The post How Producer and Professor 9th Wonder Influences Duke’s Basketball Stars 🔵😈 appeared first on SLAM.

Lillard is unfazed by the fact that he’ll be going up against Stephen Curry and his younger brother Seth.

“I’m shooting against the Curry’s in they hometown… I’m going to win, I’m in there to win.” — @Dame_Lillard

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) January 29, 2019

Dame plans on beating the sharp-shooting brothers “in their hometown” of Charlotte.

Per The Oregonian:

“I’m going to win,” Lillard said after practice on Tuesday. “I’m in there to win so of course I think I’m going to win.”

Lillard confirmed reports last weekend that he and teammate Seth Curry will participate in the event during NBA All-Star weekend next month (Feb. 15-17).

“We’re going to be in there together, that’s confirmed,” Lillard said. “I know he’s in and I’m in. I’m shooting against the Currys, in their hometown.”

This year will give Lillard — who attempts eight triples per game and is eighth in the NBA in threes made this season with 142 — another chance at the three-point crown after coming up short in 2014 under the East vs. West format.

“I’m coming back for it this year.”

The post ‘I’m Going to Win’: Damian Lillard Predicts Three-Point Contest Victory appeared first on SLAM.

After Saturday night’s 28-point and 12-rebound performance, LaMarcus Aldridge notched his 15th double-double of the season. With no DeMar DeRozan (sore left knee), Rudy Gay had a double-double of his own (22 points, 11 rebounds).

Grizzlies 106 (20-30), Pacers 103 (32-16)

Four of five of the Grizzlies’ starters finished in double digits with Mike Conley leading the way with 22 points to snap an eight-game losing streak. Jaren Jackson Jr finished 20, Marc Gasol had 18 and Justin Holiday scored 16.

Nuggets 126 (33-15), Sixers 110 (32-18)

Nikola Jokic had another amazing stat line (32 points, 18 boards, 10 assists) as the Nuggets defeated a shorthanded Sixers squad. Jokic joined Oscar Robertson as the only two players in NBA history with multiple 30-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist games before turning 24. Denver dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Sixers, 42-22.

Warriors 115 (35-14), Celtics 111 (30-19)

Kevin Durant put up 33 points at TD Garden to give the Warriors their 10th straight win. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Stephen Curry caught fire, hitting five three-pointers in a row, to finish with 24 points. Curry extended the lead to four after making two key free throws down the stretch.

Blazers 120 (31-20), Hawks 111 (15-33)

CJ McCollum got his first career triple-double (28 points, 10 rebounds, 10 dimes) in the home win. Seth Curry, who got the start with Damian Lillard out, finished with 22 points. The Blazers shot 50 percent from the field.

The post Post Up: Kevin Durant Puts Up 33 Points in Win Over Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

Jusuf Nurkic was a consistent beast throughout tonight’s game, putting up 27 points and 12 rebounds. Seth Curry came up huge in the second half, going off on a personal scoring binge. And CJ McCollum added 24 points to the scoring column.

But it was the hometown hero, Damian Lillard, who delivered in the clutch. The Oakland native hit a massive three-pointer to beat the Dubs.

For the hometown. Shout out to @Dame_Lillard, one of the realest in the League. (via @trailblazers) pic.twitter.com/NaEBoBwyhO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2018

Rockets 127 (19-15), Celtics 113 (20-14)

The Celtics mounted a furious comeback, overcoming a 17-point deficit to take a 77-76 lead in the second half. But James Harden and the Rockets couldn’t be stopped. Harden went off for 45 points and 6 dimes, constantly carving up the Celtics’ defense.

James Harden: A Plethora of Moves. (via @nba) https://t.co/7XrNK1tYql

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2018

Kings 117 (19-16), Lakers 116 (20-15)

LeBron James was sidelined for this game with a strained groin. So his young teammates picked up the slack. Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball combined to score 75 points for the Lakers. The Kings didn’t quit, though, even when the purple and gold had a 15-point lead. They outscored LAL by 12 in the fourth quarter, setting Bogdan Bogdanovic up for a crazy game-winning three-pointer.

Bogdan Bogdanovic with some revenge for Vlade and C-Webb and Peja and Mike Bibby and Doug Christie. And Bobby Jackson, too. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/QrOPX295bk

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2018

Sixers 114 (23-13), Jazz 97 (17-19)

The Sixers used a balanced team effort to convincingly beat the Jazz. They had 31 assists on 43 field goals, held the Jazz to 38 percent shooting and got a triple-double from Ben Simmons and a double-double from Joel Embiid. JJ Redick scored 24 to lead the team.

Lol imagine having to guard Ben Simmons (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/9MUcxB405Y

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2018

Bucks 112 (24-10), Knicks 96 (9-27)

Giannis Antetokounmpo went for 31 points and 14 rebounds tonight as the Bucks finished out a home-and-home series against the Knicks with back-t0-back wins. Milwaukee had 57 team rebounds, in part due to Enes Kanter being ejected for fighting with Antetokounmpo.

Who wins in a fight, Giannis or Kanter? (via @fswisconsin) pic.twitter.com/Qsflk0Od1G

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 28, 2018

The post Post Up: Damian Lillard Buries Game-Winner in Oakland appeared first on SLAM.

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Paul George: four years, $167 million with Thunder

Chris Paul: four years, $160 million with Rockets

Kevin Durant: two years, $61.5 million with Warriors

Nikola Jokic: five years, $146.5 million with Nuggets

Clint Capela: five years, $90 million with Rockets

Aaron Gordon: four years, $84 million with Magic

Zach LaVine: four years, $78 million with Bulls

Marcus Smart: four years, $52 million with Celtics

Dirk Nowitzki: one year, $5 million with Mavs

Jusuf Nurkic: four years, $48 million with Blazers

Derrick Favors: two years, $36 million with Jazz

Will Barton: four years, $54 million with Nuggets

Dante Exum: three years, $33 million with Jazz

Jerami Grant: three years, $27 million with Thunder

Avery Bradley: two years, $25 million with Clippers

Fred VanVleet: two years, $18 million with Raptors

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: one year, $12 million with Lakers

JJ Redick: one year, $12 million with Sixers

Rudy Gay: one year, $10 million with Spurs

Joe Harris: two years, $16 million with Nets

Montrezl Harrell: two years, $12 million with Clippers

Aron Baynes: two years, $11 million with Celtics

Wayne Ellington: one year, $6.3 million with Heat

Derrick Rose: one year, $2.1 million with Timberwolves

Davis Bertans: four years, $20 million with Spurs

Raul Neto: 2 years, $4.4 million with Jazz

Monte Morris: three years, $4.8 million with Nuggets

Torrey Craig: two years, $4 million with Nuggets

Raymond Felton: one year, $2.4 million with Thunder

Amir Johnson: one year, $2.4 million with Sixers

Gerald Green: one year, $2.4 million with Rockets

Shabazz Muhammad: one year, $1.8 million with Bucks

Kevon Looney: one year, $1.6 million with Warriors

Ian Clark: one year, $1.6 million with Pelicans

Derrick Jones Jr: one year, $1.6 million with Heat

Salah Mejri: one year, $1.6 million with Mavs

On the Move

LeBron James: four years, $154 million with Lakers

DeMarcus Cousins: one year, $5.3 million with Warriors

DeAndre Jordan: one year, $24.1 million with Mavericks

Jabari Parker: two years, $40 million with Bulls

Isaiah Thomas: one year, $2 million with Nuggets

Julius Randle: two years, $18 million with Pelicans

Trevor Ariza: one year, $15 million with Suns

Tyreke Evans: one year, $12 million with Pacers

Rajon Rondo: one year, $9 million with Lakers

Dwight Howard: one year, $5.3 million with Wizards

Kyle Anderson: four years, $37 million with Grizzlies

Doug McDermott: three years, $22 million with Pacers

Ersan Ilyasova: three years, $21 million with Bucks

Nemanja Bjelica: three years, $20.5 million with Kings

Mario Hezonja: one year, $6.5 million with Knicks

Marco Belinelli: two years, $12 million with Spurs

Tony Parker: two years, $10 million with Hornets

Alex Len: two years, $8.5 million with Hawks

Kyle O’Quinn: one year, $4.5 million with Pacers

Luc Mbah a Moute: one year, $4.3 million with Clippers

Brook Lopez: one year, $3.4 million with Bucks

Channing Frye: one year, $2.4 million with Cavaliers

Glenn Robinson III: two years, $8.3 million with Pistons

Yogi Ferrell: two years, $6.2 million with Kings

Seth Curry: two years, $5.6 million with Blazers

Nerlens Noel: two years, $3.5 million with Thunder

Bryn Forbes: two years with Spurs

Anthony Tolliver: one year, $5.8 million with Timberwolves

Lance Stephenson: one year, $4.5 million with Lakers

Ed Davis: one year, $4.4 million with Nets

Shabazz Napier: two years, $3.5 million with Nets

Michael Beasley: one year, $3.5 million with Lakers

James Ennis: two years, $3.4 million with Rockets

Pat Connaughton: two years, $3.4 million with Bucks

Elfrid Payton: one year, $2.7 million with Pelicans

Vince Carter: one year, $2.4 million with Hawks

Jeff Green: one year, $2.5 million with Wizards

Dante Cunningham: one year, $2.5 million with Spurs

Jose Calderon: one year, $2.4 million with Pistons

Omri Casspi: one year, $2.4 million with Grizzlies

Zaza Pachulia: one year, $2.4 million with Pistons

Greg Monroe: one year, $2.2 million with Raptors

JaVale McGee: one year, $2.1 million with Lakers

Shelvin Mack: one year, $2 million with Grizzlies

Mike Scott: one year, $1.9 million with the Clippers

Michael Carter-Williams: one year, $1.8 million with Rockets

Nik Stauskas: one year, $1.5 million with Blazers

Noah Vonleh: one year deal with Knicks

Troy Williams: one year, $1.5 million with Pelicans

The post 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State cruised to a 108-85 victory in Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena, completing their sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stephen Curry led the way with 37 points and KD posted a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists).

Here’s how players around the League reacted to the game, and to the Warriors hoisting the Larry O’Brien:

GS trying to set the tone early. Said forget trying to win it at home, let’s end this tonight.

— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 9, 2018

Safe to say Steph gunning for that MVP. As he rightfully should tho. #nbafinals2018

— Patrick Patterson (@pdpatt) June 9, 2018

Atleast compete like it’s the finals. Smh

— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) June 9, 2018

The bay about to be litttttttt

— Marreese Speights (@Mospeights16) June 9, 2018

This is getting ugly to watch ughh!! pic.twitter.com/Z0gV5dY3xA

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) June 9, 2018

I can’t wait until the day I’m playin’ in the NBA Finals!

— Forever Humble (@taureanprince) June 9, 2018

No more basketball to watch… that’s weak.

— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 9, 2018

3 of em!!! @StephenCurry30

— Seth Curry (@sdotcurry) June 9, 2018

Name Doris Burke the Finals MVP

— Francis Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) June 9, 2018

As a basketball player, if seeing another team win a championship doesn’t motivate you to work harder, then this ain’t for you.

— Terrence Ross (@TFlight31) June 9, 2018

I really hope @StephenCurry30 gets his first finals MVP… he deserves it #NBAFinals

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) June 9, 2018

Congrats to a legit pro my guy, @andre and @SteveKerr. It’s a amazing blessing and accomplish it 3/4 xs has to be amazing

— Channing Frye (@Channing_Frye) June 9, 2018

And of course, as soon as the game ended, players began to recruit LeBron James:

Get ready for a summer of reporters thirsty for click-bait!!!!!

— kuz (@kylekuzma) June 9, 2018

Let the Fun begin #cLeaveLand pic.twitter.com/hgWixRyQG2

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) June 9, 2018

pic.twitter.com/lO4giEDfet

— Dejounte Murray (@DejounteMurray) June 9, 2018

Trust The Process!!!! Find a new slant @KingJames

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 9, 2018

League gonna be weird as hell next year lol.

— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) June 9, 2018

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The post NBA Players React to Game 4 of the Finals, Warriors Championship 🏆 appeared first on SLAM.

Simply put, Collins is a struggling franchise’s dream.

Need a clean-cut guy to appear on banners in the arena? The 6-10 power forward had a role in a 2017 ad campaign with Express Men, so we know he’s comfortable around cameras.

Got a community event in need of a positive role model to speak to the youth? The well-spoken dude hasn’t met a volunteer outing that he didn’t like.

Want to generate some viral buzz on your social media page? That’s easy. Load one of Collins’ epic one-handed slams onto your Facebook timeline and watch the likes go loco.

Born in Layton, Utah to a military family, Collins jumped around from Guam to Turkey to the Pacific Northwest before settling down in West Palm Beach, Florida. He’d blossom on the courts there, eventually becoming one of the Sunshine State’s top players in 2015.

Instead of keeping things local with his collegiate decision, Collins took his talents to Wake Forest to amplify his game even more under Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning, a smooth big in his own right back in the day with Kansas.

Collins averaged a ho-hum 14.4 minutes and 7.3 points his freshman year at Wake, but he started turning heads with an impressive 26.6 minutes and 19.2 points a contest his sophomore frame, earning himself ACC Most Improved Player honors and a slot on the First-Team All-Conference squad in the process.

Atlanta was so impressed with his growth they nabbed him with the 19th pick in the 2017 draft. And from the moment Collins got into the League — the young Hawk tallied at least 13 points and five boards in five of his first seven NBA games — he made his presence known with hustle, scrappy rebounding and an insane amount of jams. With regards to the latter, he’d finish with 123 regular-season slams, more than LeBron James or Karl-Anthony Towns.

Alas, there is a dark side to all of the dunking. If folks see your high-wire act too often, you get pegged as some sort of circus act. If you recall, that’s what happened to another freakish Hawks forward not too long ago named Josh Smith. For nine polarizing seasons, Smith was the No. 1 point of contention around Philips Arena. The 2005 Slam Dunk champion dazzled half the gym with his air-bending acrobatics, yet he disheartened the others with ill-advised jump shots.

Luckily for the Hawks, the more-disciplined Collins doesn’t appear to be headed down the same bumpy road as J-Smooth. Still, it’s impossible to ignore some of the early parallels.

“People see the highlights and go, ‘There goes that guy that’s dunking all the time,’” says Collins, who tallied 10.5 points, 7.3 boards (a team-high 3.5 of those were offensive) and 1.1 blocks per game during his rookie season. “I have two sides to my brain: one says average 30 points a night and the other side is trying to humble myself and realize it takes a lot of time to reach where these elite-level players are at. It kinda creates this middle ground where I’ve been playing.”

Collins, a no-brainer selection for this past February’s Rising Stars contest, is particularly proud of improvements he’s made with his jumper. “I’ve slowly but surely been able to work my way out to where people are actually contesting my shot,” admits Collins, who sharpened his field-goal shooting to a more-than-respectable 60% in March. Further illustrating his comfort from outside as the campaign progressed, Collins made as many three pointers in an April 3 game in Miami (three) as he attempted in two years in college (one) and the first three months of the NBA season combined (two).

But let’s temper expectations from 23 feet. Collins will never be confused for Steph (or even Seth) Curry from beyond the arc. He knows that’s not his lane. This young man’s gonna make the good portion of his money from the post.

When you see him working in the paint for put-backs and offensive boards, notice how often he’s getting fouled. The 20-year-old stud was making veteran moves under the rim, going to the charity stripe 186 times, good for third-best on the team. And they weren’t wasted visits, either. Collins shot a respectable 71.5% from the free-throw line this year.

His hard work wasn’t limited to his shooting. An elite rebounder in college, Collins remained active with the loose balls while sharpening his other interior tools. He led the team in total blocks (80) by a large margin and, in general, made things uncomfortable for foes in the paint.

“I’m 20 years old playing against these 25- and 26-year-old grown men,” says Collins. “I’m still developing.” Can’t you just see Hawks GM Travis Schlenk grinning now at that statement? While other young talents might offer similar lip service in season-ending interviews, Collins’ words resonate with conviction. This kid really does feel like ’17-18 is merely the first chapter in what will be spectacular NBA career.

“The first thing I want to do this summer is put on some weight, some muscle,” says Collins, who presently tips the scale around 240 pounds. “I just want to keep building my game away from the rim. At my height, and with my athleticism, I can do multiple things on the court — guard, shoot, do whatever the case may be.”

The Hawks have three first-round picks in June’s NBA draft. While we have no clue what Schlenk and co. plan to do with those selections — of course, the same uncertainty lies with the team’s strategy towards this summer’s free agency market — we do know that things will look very differently on Atlanta’s bench when next season tips off.

On April 25, head coach Mike Budenholzer and the team parted ways. Details have been slight as to what caused the sides to separate. All we’re certain of is that whomever takes the reigns — the search has reportedly been narrowed down to four names: Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce, Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga — will have the blooming Collins, brilliant forward Taurean Prince and blur of a guard Dennis Schroder as a firm foundation.

Speaking of building, Philips Arena will unveil a $192 million renovation, the second-largest makeover in League history, at the beginning of next season. With massive new scoreboards, creative culinary offerings and Topgolf Swing Suites, the Hawks’ PR team will have plenty to hype to potential season-ticket holders.

But shiny toys will only enthrall fans for so long. After a while, the product on the court will have to rival that at the concession stands. And no matter when that time finally comes in Atlanta, we bet John Collins will be somewhere in the middle of it all having a ball.

—

DeMarco Williams is a SLAM contributor. Follow him on Twitter @demarcowill.

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post On the Rise: John Collins is Set to Soar with the Hawks 📈 appeared first on SLAM.

Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry will have season-ending surgery on his left tibia, league sources tell ESPN. Recovery process is expected to take 12-14 weeks, and Curry is expected to be fully recovered and on the court by the start of July 1 free agency.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2018

The 27-year-old Curry has not played this season and will hit free agency over the summer. He averaged 12.8 points per game in the 2016-17 campaign.

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The post Report: Seth Curry To Have Season-Ending Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Charlotte had just a 1-point lead with 9:50 remaining when the team went on a 9-0 run. Orlando was never able to recover.

After missing two games with a bruised left shoulder, Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with 29 points (7-16 FG) and 7 dimes.

Knicks 97 (11-12), Pacers 115 (13-11)

New York was reeling without Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr and Enes Kanter. Courtney Lee was under the weather, and the Knicks couldn’t get anything go.

The game was essentially over mid-way through the second quarter, and Indy’s lead ballooned to 38 points by the third.

Lance Stephenson, at least, was thoroughly entertaining.

Born Ready. Forever. (via @Pacers) https://t.co/zeo6vJEpW8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 5, 2017

Suns 115 (9-16), Sixers 101 (13-10)

After starting just 2-11, Devin Booker finished with 46 points. In Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons‘ house. Just two nights after he dropped 38 points in Boston.

Phoenix may be headed for the lottery once again, but D-Book is worth the price of admission.

Devin Booker finishes with 46 POINTS vs Philly

The Suns win, 115-101 (via @Suns) https://t.co/wjetEMN4Xi

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 5, 2017

Nets 110 (9-14), Hawks 90 (5-18)

Despite committing 24 TOs, the Nets came away with a blowout win on the road.

Brooklyn opened up a 29-point lead in the fourth as they cruised to their third victory in their last five games.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 16 and 10 to lead the Nets.

Bucks 100 (12-10), Celtics 111 (21-4)

Despite a 40-piece by Giannis, the Celtics were control the game essentially from start to finish.

Jayson Tatum began the game a scorching 4-4 from three, and Al Horford continued his point-center ways with 20 points, 9 boards and 8 dimes.

JAYSON TATUM IS ON

He’s 4-4 from three vs the Bucks (via @celtics) https://t.co/W3JKHhJvHR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 5, 2017

Cavs 113 (17-7), Bulls 91 (3-19)

Leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate Dwyane Wade returned to the desolation that is his former team to lead Cleveland to an easy W.

The Cavs’ 12th straight W is the longest winning streak in the League, while Chicago’s nine straight losses are the longest active streak as well.

Wade finished with 24 points on 9-13 shooting.

Wolves 92 (14-11), Grizzlies 95 (8-15)

Speaking of losing streaks, Memphis finally snapped their 11-game run of futility with a narrow W against the Wolves.

Tyreke Evans continued his reclamation season with 16 points and 9 assists in the victory.

Warriors 125 (19-6), Pelicans 115 (12-12)

Golden State overcame a 20-point halftime deficit to capture their fourth straight win on their current 6-game road trip.

The dub was dampened by a scary-looking ankle injury to Stephen Curry (31, 11 dimes, 5 boards) in the game’s final minutes. Thankfully, X-rays were negative.

Steph heads to the locker room for X-rays on his ankle (via @anthonyVslater) pic.twitter.com/B1CJFqW1ek

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 5, 2017

Nuggets 105 (13-10), Mavericks 122 (7-17)

Don’t look now, but the Mavs have won five of their last eight. They don’t have the talent to make the playoffs, even when Seth Curry returns. But it’s clear the tank has not yet been engaged.

Harrison Barnes had 22 points and 10 boards to lead Dallas.

Pistons 93 (14-9), Spurs 96 (16-8)

A week ago, it was “time to take Andre Drummond and the Pistons seriously.” Now, not so much.

The Pistons dropped their third in a row despite leading for most of the game.

Pau Gasol had 15, 10 and 4 for the Spurs.

Wizards 69 (12-11), Jazz 116 (13-11)

In case you didn’t read the score correctly, Washington didn’t even put up 70 points in an NBA game.

They were outscored by 34 in the first half, and Utah’s lead only continued to grow.

Donovan Mitchell played just three quarters and had 21 points on 8-13 FG, as Utah won their sixth straight.

Donovan Mitchell’s handle (via @utahjazz) https://t.co/F7LQwhRAID

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 5, 2017

The post Post Up: 21-Year-Old Savage appeared first on SLAM.

Barnes, only 25, thrived in his first season in Dallas as he became a primary scoring target for the first time in his career. He averaged a career-best 19 points per game, as the Mavericks began the process of passing the torch from Dirk Nowitzki to Barnes. While some numbers took a dip with the added workload—his three-point percentage was down three percent—Barnes began to show his potential as a stretch four. At 6-8, Barnes is the ideal smallball four and the Mavs are buying into that line of thinking. The question is, can Barnes improve on certain aspects of his game and carry a team back out of the basement of the Western Conference?

With Dirk in the twilight of his career, Barnes is going to continue to see more minutes at the four. After playing about half of his time at power forward in Golden State, Barnes played 60 percent of his minutes on the floor at the four last season, according to Basketball Reference. However, Dallas posted a plus/minus of -3.0 per 100 possessions last season. Could that be due to Barnes’ teammates more than him? Potentially. But if the former Tar Heel is going to be the frontcourt anchor of the new-look Mavs after Dirk retires, he is going to need to improve his rebounding and defensive numbers.

Barnes is a broad bodied forward, but still only weighs in at 210 pounds. A strategy that head coach Rick Carlise may want to emphasize this season with Barnes is pairing him alongside a true center, such as Salah Mejri. Last season, when the two were on the floor together (14th most of any two-man lineup), Dallas allowed a shade under 100 points per 100 possessions and had a positive net rating of 2.0.

Pairing Barnes with a rim protecting big—like Nerlens Noel—could mask some of the issues that come with his lack of rebounding, as pairing Barnes with another versatile big did not go very well. For example, he and Dwight Powell got killed on the glass and the duo allowed more than 111 points per 100 possessions when on the floor together. Barnes’ trajectory in this League may be at power forward, but his unique skill set means that he works best with a select group of players.

The Mavericks have not missed the playoffs in back-to-back years during the 2000s and owner Mark Cuban is always looking for ways to improve the team. While they are still in the beginning stages of a perceived rebuild with Barnes entering the second year of his four-year $95 million contract, Dirk only has so many years left before he hangs them up for good. The team brought in Dennis Smith Jr with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 Draft and he is expected to compete for Rookie of the Year. Along with DSJ, they still have savvy veteran Wesley Mathews Jr, Yogi Ferrell, who had a breakout season in ’16-17, an improving Seth Curry, and Noel, who is playing with hopes of securing a big deal next summer.

This is going to be an exciting year for Dallas with Smith in the fold, but the biggest storyline for them isn’t the explosive rookie but rather if Barnes can live up to his potential as a leader of the next group of stars.

Previous Rankings
Has Never Been Ranked on the #SLAMTop50

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2017-18—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

No. 50 – Dion Waiters
No. 49 – Ben Simmons 
No. 48 – Brook Lopez 

The post SLAM Top 50: Harrison Barnes, No. 47 appeared first on SLAM.

Today at 6pm PST, the last day of the SC30 Camp, Under Armour will host the first ever Select HS Showcase at the Kezar Pavillion in San Francisco. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPNU. It’s open to the public and admission is free.

Put in work. #DubNation come @StephenCurry30 and the 's top HS players at the #SC30Select Showcase Game Tues, Aug. 8 at Kezar Pavillion. pic.twitter.com/9aCPJTCiWJ

— Under Armour Basketball (@UAbasketball) August 8, 2017

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h/t Ballislife

The post Steph Curry Teams Up With JellyFam At SC30 Select Camp appeared first on SLAM.

Smith Jr spoke to ESPN about his decision to join Under Armour, saying “I am definitely excited to be a part of team Under Armour as I get ready to go into [training] camp for my rookie year. Under Armour is an explosive brand in basketball right now, and I’m excited to join Stephen [Curry] and Seth [Curry] and the team at UA in making our mark together.”

Seth Curry is Smith Jr’s teammate in Dallas and ESPN reports that Seth was instrumental in getting Smith Jr on-board.

“Seth was able to spend some time with him, and Seth was telling me how good of a person he is,” Kris Stone, UA’s Basketball Sports Marketing Director, said. “Coming from Seth, and understanding what the Curry family is all about, that really resonated with us.”

Smith Jr, the ninth pick in June’s draft, averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists at Summer League. The 6-2, 19 year-old-year spent one season at NC State where he put up 18 points and 6 assists per game, electrifying crowds with his amazing leaping ability. Under Armour is banking on Smith’s athletic showmanship to help build his fanbase.

UA also signed incoming rookies Josh Jackson (Suns) and Terrance “2K” Ferguson (Thunder). Smith, according to ESPN, will be one of the faces of the upcoming Drive 4, the brand’s next flagship team sneaker.

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h/t ESPN

The post Dennis Smith Jr Agrees to Three-Year Deal with Under Armour appeared first on SLAM.

More below from Under Armour: 

The following high school basketball players have been selected to participate this year:

• Aaron Wiggins – Greensboro, NC
• Anfernee Simons – Altamonte Springs, FL
• Bol Bol – Santa Ana, CA
• Bryan Antoine – Tinton Falls, NJ
• Cameron Reddish – Norristown, PA
• Cassius Stanley – Los Angeles, CA
• Chol Marial – Cheshire, CT
• Chris Herren Jr. – Portsmouth, RI
• Darius Garland – Brentwood, TN
• Devon Dotson – Charlotte, NC
• Elijah Weaver – Cocoa, FL
• Jahvon Quinerly – Hackensack, NJ
• Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – Kansas City, KS
• Joey Baker – Fayetteville, NC
• Jontay Porter – Columbia, MO
• Josh Green – Phoenix, AZ
• Keldon Johnson – South Hill, VA
• Moses Brown – Queens, NY
• Nazreon Reid – Asbury Park, NJ
• Prentiss Hubb – Upper Marlboro, MD
• Scottie Lewis – Hazlet, NJ
• Shareef O’Neal – Los Angeles, CA
• Silvio DeSousa – Bradenton, FL

New to the camp this year is Dallas Mavericks guard, Seth Curry. Coming off of the 2017 Stephen Curry Asia Tour together, Seth will work alongside Stephen and offer players curriculum and on-court instruction. NBA skills coach Brandon Payne will guide the players as Lead Skills Trainer alongside professional basketball trainer Rob McClanaghan, in addition to basketball commentator and former college basketball coach Fran Fraschilla as Lead Coach, and Under Armour brand ambassador and longtime ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas as Lead Big Man Coach.

SC30 Select Camp is built on the foundation of arming players with the fundamentals essential to guard play by highlighting the importance of balancing growth on and off the court. The program features basketball training and competition, including four on-court sessions, four film sessions.

The post Roster for 2017 Stephen Curry Select Camp Announced appeared first on SLAM.