That’s the cocktail of emotions running through Paolo Banchero as he walks back to the locker room after a tough loss in Detroit—one that came down to the wire and was decided in the last couple possessions.

Banchero felt he had it. He was this close to putting the team on his back and leading it to a comeback victory in his NBA debut.

The final possessions went something like this: Down 3 with under 40 seconds to go, Banchero went coast-to-coast after grabbing a defensive rebound and finished with a strong right-handed layup. That cut the deficit to 108-107. After a corner three-pointer from Isaiah Stewart, Banchero responded by crashing the glass, drawing a foul and sinking two clutch free throws to pull the Magic within 2 with five seconds remaining. The sold-out crowd inside Little Caesars Arena was going berserk as the game reached its breaking point.  

But this one would end in heartbreak for the rookie. Despite his valiant effort and heroic baskets down the stretch (he even caught a poster earlier in the quarter when he dunked over Cory Joseph), Bojan Bogdanovic hit two big free throws for the Pistons at the end to seal the game. Pistons 113. Magic 109. 

And, so, that walk back to the locker room really stings. The mix of emotions are kicking in, and they don’t feel great. He’s just too competitive to “We’ll get ’em next time” it right now.

But then he’s greeted with a different type of energy upon reaching the locker room.

The future is Paolo. Get your copy of SLAM 244 featuring the Rookie of the Year.

“I remember just being genuinely pretty pissed off that we lost. And I remember getting back to the locker room, and our PR guy, his eyes were, like, lit up and he was hella happy,” Banchero recalls. “He was like, Yo, great job! He asked me if I realized what I even did, and I was like, Man, no—I don’t know. I knew I had a good game, but I wasn’t thinking it’d be this historic thing. I saw my parents after the game, and they were hella happy. I kind of saw the vibe, and it was like, I didn’t want to be happy, but, I mean, it was kind of hard not to [be]. Everyone who came up to me was like, Congrats! And I just was like, Man, we play in two days, let’s go, let’s move on. When you think back to it [now], you realize how big of a moment that really was, being your first NBA game. But not in the moment. I definitely didn’t feel the magnitude of the game or the performance, I just kind of wanted to move on. Especially since we didn’t win.”

The magnitude? Just a few decades- long NBA records being touched. Nothing major at all.   

Banchero’s NBA debut stat line—27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists—made him the first NBA player to post at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his League debut since LeBron James in 2003. Only three other players in the Association’s history ever have: Grant Hill, Willie Anderson and Ron Harper. In the points column, Banchero’s 27 were the most in an NBA debut by a No. 1 pick since Allen Iverson in 1996.

“Honestly, I think I kind of had that feeling during preseason—people always ask me, How did you come out [and] look so comfortable in your first game? For me, I got all the nerves out during preseason,” the Seattle native says. “My first preseason game, I was way more nervous for that than I was for the actual regular season game. Like, once I played those preseason games, I felt like I was already acclimated. So, going into that Detroit game, obviously it’s the first regular season game so everything’s getting turned up, you’re gonna play more minutes or whatnot. And I just remember feeling, like, raw emotions and being excited, but in my head, I just knew I was going to have a good game. I knew I was going to put on a show. Not gonna say I knew I was gonna go for 27 and whatnot, but I just knew I was gonna have a good game and come out strong, because the debut of your rookie year, that’s just a game where you got to be locked in, you got to be focused.”

In the days and weeks that followed, Banchero would continue to place his name in the history books. In his second game, he dropped 20 points and 12 rebounds, and then followed that up with 23 and 5—making him the first teenager ever to score 20+ points in his first three NBA games. In fact, he scored 20+ points in his first six NBA games, joining Grant Hill, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and Elvin Hayes as the only rookies to ever do so. In his 10th game, he dropped 33 points and 16 rebounds, joining LeBron as the only teenagers in NBA history to post 30+ points and 15+ boards in a single outing. Just 48 hours later, he became only the fifth teenager in NBA history to score 30+ points in consecutive games (the others are LeBron, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson). He joined Michael Jordan and Zion as the last three rookies to score 20+ points in 15 of their first 20 games. By the end of the season, he had dropped 20+ points in 40 total games, tying LeBron’s rookie mark. 

Banchero says his Rookie of the Year campaign, one in which he finished averaging 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, really kicked off in the spring of 2022, when he made a decision that shocked many in the industry. The Duke star chose to bypass having a powerhouse agency rep him and instead decided to go with former NBA wing Mike Miller and his LIFT Sports Management firm, a rookie agency with a small client roster at the time.

“Obviously, [Miller] played with and against Hall of Famers, had a great career himself, so he knows what it looks like—he’s done everything I want to do,” says the 2023 NBA ROY. “He’s had teammates who, you know, went on to be some of the greatest of all time. If anyone knows what it looks like to be one of the best, it’s him. So when he said that and preached the importance of putting basketball first and making sure I’m the best player I can possibly be—putting that at the forefront—it really helped me make the decision.”

In Miller, Banchero felt he had not only found an agent, but a true workout partner, trainer and mentor. In fact, Banchero says that instead of referring to Miller as “Mike,” he calls him “Coach.” The ultimate sign of respect, and reflective of how he views Miller and their relationship. The “Coach” tag also makes sense when you factor in that Banchero first met Miller when the latter was an assistant at Memphis under Penny Hardaway a few years back (Miller spent two years with the Tigers). 

Banchero’s first pre-draft training session with Miller was in Miami, and the current Magic star still remembers everything about those early gym days.

“I still tell him to this day, those first three or four workouts we had in Miami, those are the best ones. Those are the ones I always think about—just how much fun they were, just the intensity that we were working at,” says Banchero. “I think, for me, working with Mike, it just has really been my shot that has been one of the biggest things. Him helping me with my shot. The difference between this time last year and this time right now, between just the way I shoot the ball, is night and day. I gotta give most of the credit to him just for helping me and making it easy…It’s just been smooth sailing. I would say my jumper is where he’s helped me the most. I could ask him about any part of the game, any situation or scenario, and he’ll know about it.”  

As fate would have it, a couple of months later, Banchero would get drafted by the Orlando Magic—the same team that drafted Miller in 2000, and where he also won Rookie of the Year (Banchero, Miller and Shaquille O’Neal are the only ROYs in franchise history).

But despite all the individual accolades and personal records set during his debut NBA season, Banchero has already turned the page to the next chapter. When we shot this cover in early May, as playoff euphoria was at its peak, the 6-10 forward said that being a spectator to the postseason has given him a whole lot of FOMO. Ultimately, he’s aware that, fairly or unfairly, his career will be judged based on how much winning he’s able to bring to his team—a challenge that he doesn’t plan on waiting much longer to start making a dent in.

“Watching the playoffs, it just doesn’t feel right that we’re not on that stage—I’m not on that stage. I just feel like that’s where I need to be. That’s where we need to be. That’s where we all want to be,” says the rising star. “So, obviously, it’s gonna take a whole bunch of work, and we’re gonna have to just be a lot better. But I think this year was a step in the right direction—the vibe we had, how competitive we were all year, the teams we beat, the teams we should have beat, it just left a specific taste in our mouth. And, you know, we gotta try and get it next year. I’m excited. I think we’re all excited.”  

The Magic saw a 12-win improvement from last season—the biggest win increase in the Eastern Conference and the third-most in the NBA behind the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder. After starting the season 5-19, Orlando went 29-29 in its remaining 58 games. During that 29-29 stretch, the team had the League’s sixth-best defensive rating (112.8), according to the Orlando Sentinel. The signs are there. A culture and identity shift are brewing. And if you ask Banchero, it’s given him and his teammates a lot of fuel heading into the offseason.

“I think this is the most motivated I’ve been heading into a summer,” he says. “And I think a lot of guys on the team would say the same. I think we all kind of have that same mentality where next year is the year where we kind of put ourselves in that conversation of being one of the better teams in the East, and then in the League.”

SLAM 244 COVER TEES

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Portraits: Marcus Stevens

Styling: Ian Pierno

Barber: Marcos “Reggae” Smith

The post Following His Historic Season, Paolo Banchero is Ready to Take the Magic to New Levels appeared first on SLAM.

So what could the answer be for this Lakers squad? Many fingers are surrounding the NBA point to Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Bogdanovic has been a huge part of this young Pistons team, as the eight-year veteran just signed a two-year extension with them. Acquiring Bogdanovic maybe a goal for the Lakers, but that doesn’t mean Detroit is willing to give him up.

According to Shams, the Pistons have “expressed — significant reluctance about moving Bogdanovic” to any of the dozen teams that have inquired about trading for the 33-year-old forward. It is also important to note that Bogdanovic is in the midst of having the best season of his career statistically. He’s averaging career highs in points per game (21.0), field goal percentage at (50.8), and 43.7 percent from 3-point range.

In addition to that, The Lakers were previously connected to potentially acquiring Bogdanovic before the 2022-2023 season started via trade with the Utah Jazz, but nothing went through.

Coming off a 38-point outing in a loss to the Lakers, where he shot 12 of 22 from the field (54.5 percent) and also buried six threes, you could really see why the Lakers have been pursuing him so favorably. However, Detroit does not seem to have any real urgency to move Bogdanovic and has actually expressed this to rival teams.

This will be an exciting development to see what takes place within the coming days as the NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching.

The post REPORT: Lakers Are Keen On Pursuing Bojan Bogdanovic At the Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

Bogdanovic has scored over 20 points in his last three appearances and is shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 50.9 percent from deep for the season. Although the season is just beginning, it is a great sign to see Bogdanovic shooting lights out early and with great confidence.

Bogdanovic’s stellar shooting made him a huge trade target for other teams, and that specific skill was vital in many of the Utah Jazz‘s playoff runs these past few years.

You could tell that Bogdanovic is worth every penny to the Pistons, as his most recent offensive masterpiece helped to lead the Pistons to their second win of the season against the reigning champs, the Golden State Warriors. Bogdanovic finished with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 5-8 shooting from the field and shot 50 percent (3-6) from three on Sunday.

Cade + Bojan = @BELFORGroup | #AssistOfTheWeek pic.twitter.com/N9TfqUd5Ba

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) October 30, 2022

After being in rebuild mode these last few years, it seems like the Detroit Pistons are turning the corner. By making moves like drafting former OSU standout and SLAM 238 cover star Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, extending Bogdanovic, and adding an explosively offensive rookie Jaden Ivey, along with keeping defensive pressure with Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons seem to have certainly put their foot on the gas this year.

Detroit vs Everybody is the motto.

Cade Cunningham covers SLAM 238. https://t.co/P0L78ZkhIu pic.twitter.com/hqxiGN8J1r

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 26, 2022

Earlier this season, Cunningham said he was confident that the Pistons could “turn the corner.” Although the season has not gotten off to the best of starts for this young Pistons squad, there is still plenty of time left in the season to turn things around. That win against the Warriors proves that this Pistons team has what it takes to play and win against any team they face. They are scrappy, hungry, talented, and young, which is a great combination.

The post REPORT: Bojan Bogdanovic and Detroit Agree On A Two-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

The team has relied on Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to handle the load at the power forward slot, but the team looks to be losing hope in their defensive powers as reports suggest the Heat are looking at trade suitors.

“Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson aren’t the only potential moves that the Heat have been linked to recently,” according to Heavy.com’s Thomas Darro. “Link them to PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as finalizing a reunion between Crowder and the Heat. But another has been Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons and Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz.”

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Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is off to a fantastic start to the young season as he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a staggering shooting at 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His size and length could turn him into a problem under the talented Heat coaching staff, but Heat President Pat Riley always keeps the door open to other options.

Washington is a restricted free agent this upcoming off-season due to the inability to negotiate a contract extension. The Hornets may be focused on providing their star point guard LaMelo Ball an enormous deal for the 2024 season, leaving little cap space to work for Washington.

The Heat wouldn’t mind one-year rentals, especially when there’s a lot of talent that needs to be proven out of the group. The 24-year-old would add the floor spacing, agility, and defensive intangibles that much up well against star rivals like Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Demar Derozan.

Finally, the reunion Heat fans would welcome with open arms. Not too long ago, Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder was part of the resilient 2020 Heat squad that, as a 5th seed, went six games against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The chemistry on display, both offensive and defensively, is in no way bound to be lost in just the two seasons apart.

With this possibly being his 10th straight playoff appearance, a reunion with the Heat opens the door to a final run at a championship.

The post REPORT: Heat Linked to Kyle Kuzma, P.J Washington, and Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

Per the NBA, Ainge had kind words for Zanik: 

“Justin’s basketball acumen, ability to create meaningful relationships throughout the League, and management of our front office are invaluable assets. We’re thrilled that he’ll continue to lead the team.”

Zanik originally joined the Jazz as an assistant GM in 2013. He remained with the Jazz from 2013-2016, joined the Milwaukee Bucks as their assistant GM from 2016-2017, and then hopped back to the Jazz as GM in 2017. 

“My family and I have fallen in love with this great city and the state of Utah, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue this journey with the Utah Jazz,” Zanik said. “I have a deep appreciation for my partnership with Ryan and Danny and am excited about our path forward with Coach Hardy. We look forward to building towards winning the championship our fans deserve.” 

The new-look Utah Jazz opens their season tomorrow against the Denver Nuggets and looks to take their first step in creating a championship team.

Photos via Getty Images.

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Cunningham is now entering Year 2 with the franchise and is looking to grow individually and as a teammate. Cunningham’s rookie season started slowly due to injury, but as the season went on, Cunningham began to heat up. When the season was over, Cunningham averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds while only appearing in 64 games total.

During a recent interview with Andscapes Marc Spears, Cunningham reflected on his first year in the NBA, stating:

“It was tough. I wanted to go through training camp. I wanted to go through preseason and get my early feel before the regular season to fill my game out throughout the league and arenas. Sitting there watching helped my game a lot, mentally especially. I feel like there was a lot of things going on in my mind, but it just kept me poised and really helped me learn about myself and how to keep myself steady and be ready for the next day and ready to go.”

Cunningham’s words and stellar play impressed Pistons Coach Dwayne Casey, who said, “He is just mature,” Casey said. “He has what few players, like Kyle Lowry, have in their career. He’s a born leader. Does he make mistakes like other young players? Yes. But he knows it as soon as he does it. He’s a very smart player. He just has ‘it.’ He is not your typical 21-year-old man.”

Since appearing on the cover of SLAM 238, Cunningham has always been outspoken about wanting to build a special culture in Detroit, which the team has tried to showcase with its recent off-season additions. This past summer, the Pistons added veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Nerlens Noel, and Alec Burks. The Pistons also have other talented young players to keep an eye on Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey, Marvin Bagley III, and Isaiah Stewart.

However, Detroit’s new additions of talent and veteran leadership could not come without a price, and that price was trading away the key and very well-liked Jerami Grant to the Portland Trailblazers.

Cunningham touched on this, saying the following,

“He was a big part of our team. Letting him go was something that really changed the locker room but made me have to step up and be ready,”

When Cunningham was asked what the goal was, the Oklahoma State product said that he believed the Pistons “can turn the corner.”

Cunningham seems more than ready to lead the Pistons back to the ‘glory days,’ and even former NBA player Jalen Rose believes the Pistons have an ‘All-Star backcourt’ pairing in Ivey and Cunningham as well.

“We can turn the corner,” Cunningham said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in here, a lot of depth. We’re coming together more and more each day. We’re figuring each other out more. It’s an exciting time for us. But the league is tough. The league ain’t easy. So, we’re just taking it day by day and trying to get better each day. If we do that, then playoffs are our goal. We’re trying to get into playoffs and really just see where we can go.”

One thing is certain: there is, without a doubt, a storm brewing over in the Motor City, and it is no longer a quiet one.

The post Cade Cunningham is Confident Detroit Can ‘Turn the Corner’ appeared first on SLAM.

Utah has been transparent in its desire to jumpstart a rebuild after trading All-Star cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert over the summer. Through those trades, Utah acquired plenty of draft capital and some solid talent to build their talent around.

Olynyk averaged a career 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 36.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The veteran stretch-center will be focusing on fulfilling whatever role rookie Coach Will Hardy will assign him. When he was asked about Detroit trading him and Saban Lee to Utah, Olynyk said he was surprised and felt like the trade “came out of nowhere,” but he’s “excited to be a part of this out here.”

“I’m excited — I’m excited to be here, and I’m excited to be a part of this out here,” Olynyk said per the Salt Lake Tribune. “I love the people they have in the front office; I think they have a great direction and plan in place in where they want to get to and want to go and how to get there. I believe in them.”

Kelly Olynyk makes his Jazz intro pic.twitter.com/DYdeYZlMI4

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) September 27, 2022

Because of Utah’s rebuilding aspirations, Olynyk compared this process to what he went through in Boston with Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, as that Boston team built an Eastern Conference titan after trading Franchise legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.

“It’s crazy because when I got drafted by Boston, we were almost in the exact same situation with Danny that they’re in here right now. You have some older guys with experience, you have some young guys, you got a bunch of draft picks coming in for the next few years, and you’re just trying to get better every single day, whatever that is,” he said. “And in Boston, we had a young first-year coach in Brad [Stevens], and now we have a first-time, young head coach in Will [Hardy]. And I think it’s going to be great for us — everybody’s going to be pulling the rope in the same direction. And that’s how you move things.”

Olynyk also told reporters that he had come to appreciate Hardy and his coaching staff in the days he’s been around the team. He believes that Hardy has a “basketball mind” and is willing to “let guys play free” and allows players to “be themselves on the court.”

“Kelly is a really versatile player. He’s been around the NBA for a while, so he has a lot of just sort of corporate knowledge of how to play in the NBA,” Hardy said. “But he’s a really smart, skilled basketball player. He can play in a couple of different positions on the floor, and just provides us with a lot of intelligence.”

Above all, Olynyk is looking forward to one thing playing with the Jazz

“It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

The post Kelly Olynyk ‘Excited’ to Play in Utah After ‘Out of Nowhere’ Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The guard broke multiple “the youngest ever” records, including becoming the sixth player in NBA history with at least the same total points, assists, and rebounds through the first 64 games of their career as LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Luka Doncic, Oscar Robertson and Alvan Adams. 

Following a historic season, Cunningham looks to continue to build his legacy in Detroit. The 6′ 6″ sophomore added 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason.

“I didn’t recognize him,” Coach Dwane Casey said per CBS news. “He’s done a really good job with his body.” 

“He looks like a different dude, and that physicality will help him,” Casey added.

Cunningham is committed to winning, and he’s hoping his increased strength will help him decrease his turnovers and maintain a high level of play throughout the season. 

“We have a lot more depth this year,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s realistic to say we’ll have a bunch of locked-in guys that are playing to win. If we do that, the wins will take care of itself.”

The Pistons are seeking redemption this year. Alongside Cunningham, they’ve added Purdue star Jaden Ivey, Memphis center Jalen Duren, and recently acquired sharp-shooter Bojan Bogdanovic. The Pistons open their season on Oct. 19 against the Orlando Magic.

The post Cade Cunningham ‘Looks Like a Different Dude’ After Stellar Rookie Season appeared first on SLAM.

The Detroit Pistons are finalizing a trade to acquire Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 22, 2022

Detroit’s move nets them a veteran scorer that can round out their lineup. Flipping Bogdanovic helps Utah get another center option, a potential point guard off the bench, and fast-tracks their rebuild. Utah has been busy in the trade market after their first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.

The early exit prompted Jazz CEO Danny Ainge to do some soul-searching, where he ultimately concluded that Utah would be better off trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and using the draft capital they acquired to start a rebuild.

Bogdanovic averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The post REPORT: Bojan Bogdanovic Headed to Detroit for Kelly Olynk and Saben Lee appeared first on SLAM.

To achieve their vision – the Larry O’Brien trophy in Salt Lake – a rebuild was necessary. After moving Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, and Jordan Clarkson remain on Utah’s roster.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz and Lakers are currently in ongoing trade talks for the sharp-shooting Bogdanovic.

“Those conversations continue to evolve, we’ve continued to be in touch with them directly and their representation,” Zanik said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of change this summer, so it’s natural for us to have those conversations.”

The 6’7″ forward averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Bogdanovic. If Bogdanovic is moved to the Lakers, it will be the second trade of the season between LA and Salt Lake. Earlier this summer, Utah gave up Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. 

As the Jazz continue to prioritize and acquire young talent, it is no surprise that they have made Bogdanovic and their remaining vets available.

“We wanted to give the organization every opportunity to build the greatest base of flexibility, young players, and assets going forward to make really good decisions so that we could reach the ceiling that we want to get to,” Zanik said.

The new-look Jazz begins their 2022-23 season on Oct. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.

The post REPORT: Lakers and Jazz in Trade Talks to Acquire Bojan Bogdanovic appeared first on SLAM.

While the team was 19-7 when Danny Ainge took over, the Jazz had only won season playoff series over the past five seasons despite occasional regular season dominance. As the season progressed, Ainge realized that the Jazz “didn’t really believe in each other.”

The personal revelation led Ainge to ship off Gobert to Minnesota, Mitchell to Cleveland, O’Neale to Brooklyn, and Ingles to Portland; however, he never played for the Blazers due to a torn ACL.   

“What I saw during the season was a group of players that didn’t really believe in each other. Like the whole group,” Ainge said, per ESPN. “I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I’m not sure there was belief.”

Ainge was hoping the team would remedy their issues by the beginning of the postseason, but after a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, despite Luka Doncic missing multiple games, Ainge knew it was time to begin their rebuild. 

“When we got to the playoffs, I thought, well, this team that has had some disappointing playoffs, so I thought maybe they’re just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn’t perform well in the playoffs again.”  

“Like I believe every one of these guys went into every game believing they were going to win, don’t get me wrong on that. I’m just saying when adversity hit, the resolve you could see in a team that has a true belief in having each other’s back or one another.”

Utah’s shift to a rebuild was expected after the Jazz dropped another first-round series. Ainge’s ambitious moves to trade Gobert and Mitchell results in Utah receiving a pevy of picks and young players. Utah begins its most challenging season yet against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19.

The post Danny Ainge: Utah Jazz ‘Didn’t Really Believe in Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

That news came just a day before the Nets announced that Kevin Durant had decided to rescind his trade request and that he and the franchise “have agreed to move forward with our partnership.” The Nets are likely confident KD and Kai, combined with the healthy returns of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, the free agent acquisitions of Royce O’Neal and T.J. Warren, and re-signing Patty Mills and Nic Claxton, will help the team make a return to title contention.

However, there is one team that lost out on some superstar talent after Brooklyn decided to keep Irving on the roster, the Lakers. The Lakers were reportedly keen on acquiring Irving through trade this offseason and set up negotiations with third teams like the Pacers and Spurs to make it happen. Trade talks never materialized, though, and now the purple-and-gold will have to search the market a little longer to find more talent.

“We told you a month ago it was not gonna happen,” Charania said about an Irving-Lakers trade during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “As of right now, the Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better. So if there’s a deal out there and they can go get multiple different players, that makes the team better.

"We told you a month ago that Kyrie to the Lakers wasn't gonna happen.. the Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Swjio4siWD

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 23, 2022

Charania added that the Lakers would be looking to add rotation players that they can plug into their lineup. The insider believes players like Patrick Beverly and Bojan Bogdanovic will be targeted in trades during the season.

“Those are the type of moves you’re gonna see the Lakers try to make. I don’t think that they’re done necessarily. I think they’re still gonna try to get this team better. Yes, Kyrie Irving to the Lakers, for now, is not a thing.”

The Lakers will look to improve after adding rookie head coach Darvin Ham, who they hope can turn around Russell Westbrook’s Lakers tenure and help Anthony Davis get back to his top-five player status after a rash of injuries doomed his season and the Lakers’ title hopes over the last two seasons.

The post REPORT: Lakers Will Stay On the Market After Kyrie Irving Trade Talks Stalled appeared first on SLAM.

The moment seemed to hang in the air, but Bogey’s shot was short, Donovan Mitchell nearly fell to his knees in disbelief as Luka Doncic, and the Mavs celebrated getting to round two.

“Oh, man, I thought, ‘He don’t miss a lot of those,'” Doncic said, per ESPN. “My heart stopped.”

For the first time since 2011, the Mavericks have won a playoff series. The 98-96 closeout win also represented Doncic’s first playoff series win and will be the first time he’s moved past the first round in his bright career.

All love.

Great series, @utahjazz. pic.twitter.com/k3iwgdWhO3

— x – Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 29, 2022

Doncic finished Game 6 with 24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in 42 minutes, playing the entire second half as the Mavs rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit. The triumphant comeback came after the Mavs torched Utah’s defense with 14 second-half triples, the most in one half in Dallas playoff history.

“Happiness, man,” Doncic said. “I think we worked really hard to get here. I think we deserve to get past the first round. Everybody fought their ass off today. We didn’t play good today, but everybody was staying together. Keeping everybody together was the key to win this game.”

MAGIC pic.twitter.com/w2eU4CA4sl

— x – Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 29, 2022

The third quarter proved vital as the Mavs outscored the Jazz 36-19 and knocked down 8-12 three-pointers. Ten out of the Mavs’ 13 bucks were assisted, primarily thanks to the decisive decision-making of Doncic out of traps and double-teams. Doncic had one dime but scored 10 points, including two step-back threes in the monumental third frame.

“I like sharing the ball,” Doncic said. “If they’re going to [double-team], somebody is going to be open. We’ve been playing against blitzes or hits the whole season, and I think we did great. Then it’s just basketball, four-on-three.”

Game 1 of the Suns-Mavs second-round series will start on Monday.

The post Luka Doncic On Winning His First Playoff Series: ‘I Think We Deserve to Get Past the First Round’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 

The post Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Entering the game, the Mavs knew they’d be without their best player in Luka Doncic. However, even without their star they nearly beat the Jazz. 

 “Hopefully he gets healthy,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “You always want a great player to get the opportunity to play, whether he’s on your team or the other.”

Utah ultimately won Game 1 by a final score of 99-93. It was a contest in which scoring wasn’t plentiful, but also didn’t lack excitement. In a game of runs, it truly came down to the final minutes to determine a winner. 

When it came down to it, the size difference between the two rosters was the primary factor. The Mavericks lack a dominant 7-footer, as Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber (both 6-foot-10) filled out the center rotation on Saturday afternoon. 

That’s simply not enough size to match up against the Utah centers in Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside, who are both 7-foot-1. Additionally they’re both traditional bigs that are great on the glass. This proved to be a key differentiator, as Dallas was outrebounded 53 to 34. 

“We’ve just gotta rebound the ball, especially playing small. It’s just something we’ve gotta get better at,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd postgame. 

Regardless of when Doncic comes back, the battle on the boards is going to continue to be important. This series could ultimately come down to the style of play. If the Jazz continue to outmatch the Mavs with their size, they’ll have a huge advantage. On the flip side, if Dallas can have success with its small ball lineups and play Gobert and Whiteside off the floor, things could swing in the favor of the Mavericks. 

Both teams failed to score 100 points in Game 1, so every bucket really mattered throughout the contest. It was a tale of two halves for the Jazz, as Bojan Bogdanovic carried the offense in the first half while Donovan Mitchell shouldered the load in the second. 

Of the 45 points Utah scored in the first half, Bogdanovic account for nearly half with 20. In the second half, Mitchell produced 30 of his 32 points on the afternoon. 

While the Jazz didn’t have a consistent primary scorer across the entire game, they got the points they needed in bunches from two of their best offensive players. Gobert finished with just five points on one field goal attempt, but made his impact on the glass and on defense. 

“We had a chance, held them under 100 points. That was tough,” said Spencer Dinwiddie after the loss. 

Although Utah came out on top in Game 1, Dallas should feel extremely optimistic. Without their best player, the Mavericks legitimately had a shot to win. You could argue that when Doncic comes back, the Mavs should be favorites the rest of the way.  

The guard duo of Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson combined for 46 points, but will need to be more efficient moving forward. Those two took a total of 39 shots to produce those points. 

The Mavs started hot from beyond the arc, but cooled off as the game went on. They finished 9-of-32 (28.1%) from deep on the afternoon. If just a couple more of those shots would have gone down, the outcome of this game could have easily been different. 

The Jazz got the win, but it wasn’t necessarily convincing against a shorthanded Mavericks team. This series could still go either way. 

“We’ve got to do a better job of making the easy shots,” said Brunson looking ahead to the next matchup. “We missed a lot of easy shots. Gotta follow our game plan and stick together.”

Game 2 will take place in Dallas once again on Monday evening. 

The post Jazz Win Game 1 With Size, Mavericks Feel Optimistic Moving Forward appeared first on SLAM.

In the Western Conference, one of the most anticipated matchups is between the Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) and Utah Jazz (No. 5) which is a series that will begin on Saturday night. The Mavericks finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, which gave them the slight edge on the Jazz (49-33) for home court advantage. As such, Dallas will host the first two games of the series and also Game 7 if it’s needed. This could become a huge advantage to get the series off on the right foot and potentially close it out at home.

Any advantage will be key for the Mavs, as their superstar in Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 and potentially Game 2 with a calf strain.

The Mavericks had a fairly slow start to the season, but ultimately got better as it went on. Gradual growth and improvement is a good sign for Dallas, as the team could be peaking at the right time. Early in the season, Jalen Brunson began to emerge as a legitimate piece of the roster. He’ll be a primary scorer for the Mavs during the postseason. Alongside him in the backcourt will be Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the cornerstone piece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Washington Wizards at the deadline.

While defense was something that’s held the Mavericks back during the past few seasons, it’s been a strength in the 2021-22 campaign. They finished the regular season as the seventh-best team on that end of the floor with a defensive rating of 101.9. Additionally, Dallas was well-disciplined and took great care of the ball. The Mavs’ 1025 turnovers on the season were the third-fewest of any team.

Lacking a dominant center could detrimental for the Mavs in this series, as they’ll go up against a a deep frontcourt team. Utah was a top-three rebounding team this season, while the Mavericks finished 24th in the league. On the flip side, if Dallas is able to have success using their unique floor-spacing bigs and small ball lineups, Utah could have to play out of character to match up.

Dallas hasn’t won a playoff series since its championship run back in 2011. As such, the Mavs are on one of the longest active droughts in the NBA when it comes to winning a postseason series. Could this be the first time in over a decade that they advance past the first round?

If the Mavericks are going to have success without Doncic, it will likely come down to Dinwiddie and Brunson. Both have been extremely effective this season whether their superstar teammate is on the floor or not. If they struggle while Doncic is out, the Jazz could jump out to an early series lead before heading back to Utah.

Utah had a strong start to the season, but has really struggled of late. In fact, the Jazz went just 7-8 over their final 15 games of the season. While Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have been great once again, the production from the role players around them has been fairly inconsistent. There’s no question Utah has the pieces to make a championship push, but will they all come together and play at the top of their games when it matters most? Scoring shouldn’t be a problem, as Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley are able to score 20 points each on any given night.

During the regular season, the Jazz took second-most shots from deep (40.3 per game) and knocked down 36.0% of them. They also did a great job at getting to the rim and drawing fouls, finishing fourth in the league in free throw attempts this season with 23.4 per game. These are just some of the things that led Utah to the top offensive rating (11.2) in the NBA this season. What’s most interesting about the Jazz offense is that it’s heavily in isolation, as they were bottom five in both assists per game and assist percentage.

However, the playoffs are all about superstars and who can get a bucket when it’s needed, so perhaps that style of play will work in Utah’s favor. The Jazz also don’t take a ton of shots, playing with a slower pace and attempting the sixth-fewest shots in the league this season. This isn’t dissimilar from the Mavericks, who were in the bottom five in terms of field goal attempts in the regular season.

One of the best defenders in the entire NBA, Gobert will be a major factor on that end of the floor against the Mavs. Since the All-Star break, he’s limited opponents to 39.1% when he’s the closest defender.

The duo of Mitchell and Gobert has certainly had its flaws in the past. If the Jazz aren’t able to get out of the first round this season, could it be time for a major roster shakeup? It seems this series could directly impact what the Utah roster looks like moving forward.

In four games during the 2021-22 campaign, the Jazz and Mavericks have split the regular season series. Utah won the first two matchups of the season, while Dallas won the two more recently. That’s indicative of the seasons these two teams have had, as the Jazz looked better to start but the Mavs have been better down the stretch.

Outside of the primary stars in this series, there are several players for both teams that could really impact the outcomes. For Utah, Conley and Rudy Gay are veterans that have the experience to shine in the big moments. However, if they struggle the Jazz could have a rough series. For Dallas, Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock will be important offensively, as they have the firepower to fill it up from beyond the arc. If they aren’t converting from deep and producing points, the Mavericks’ offense could stall.

The post NBA Playoff Preview: Dallas Mavericks Take On Utah Jazz 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.

The evening started with the Washington Wizards looking to even the series against the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks attempting to do the same against the Atalanta Hawks. The evening game was another one vs. eight seed game, with the Utah Jazz taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.

No 1. Philadelphia 76ers 120, No. 8 Washington Wizards 95

The Wizards looked out of their depth Wednesday night, with the D.C. squad trailing by double-digits almost the entire game. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons each finished with 22 points, and Tobias Harris added another 19 points.

Embiid getting wild after the and-one (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/j6Dgb8cBEa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No Wizards player finished with more than 11 points except Bradley Beal, who had a game-high 33 points.

Smooth. (via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/zdxamYksgL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

While the Wizards being down 2-0 in the series is bad enough, the injury to Russell Westbrook could be cause for more concern. Westbrook left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, and if he’s unavailable for the next two games, that might be a wrap for the WIzards. An altercation between Westbrook and a fan stole headlines when Westbrook confronted a fan who dumped popcorn on him.

Lakers’ LeBron James weighed in as well:

By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the was on the other . #ProtectOurPlayers

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2021

No 4. New York Knicks 101, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 92

The most exciting game of the evening belonged to the Eastern Conference’s four vs. five seed matchup. The Knicks struggled in the first half containing Trae Young and entered halftime down trailing 57-44. But the Knicks’ offense came alive in the second half, and the defense held the Hawks to under 20 points in both quarters, which eventually gave them the late third quarter.

It was a big night for Derrick Rose off the bench, scoring a team-high 26 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Four other Knicks also went double-digit in the scoring column, including Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks.

I love playoff basketball. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/P6kJpNtGfh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

Still, Trae Young had another big night for Atlanta, dropping 30 points and seven assists.

That's NASTY, Trae. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/Mo9qBFcXru

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No. 1 Utah Jazz 141, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 129

Offense was easy to come by in the final game of Wednesday night, with a reinvigorated Jazz team dropping 141 points to defeat Memphis. Three players put up more than 20 points for Utah, including Donovan Mitchell (25), Mike Conley (20) and Rudy Gobert (21). Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in an additional 18 points, and Mr. Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson, added 16.

Sensation Ja Morant kept the Grizzlies in the game nearly single-handily at points, finishing with 47 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas both had solid scoring nights, finishing with 23 and 18 points, respectively. Bench scoring was an issue for the Grizzlies, as only 14 points came from their bench all night, and seven of them came from De’Anthony Melton alone.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

The post Post Up: Underdogs Fall Flat in Game Two appeared first on SLAM.

If the first two days of playoff action are any indication of what we can expect the rest of the way, basketball fans across the world are in for a treat. We’ve broken down each of the Sunday’s matchups below.

No. 1 Sixers 125, No. 8 Wizards 118

PHI leads series 1-0

After slipping into the playoffs with a successful play-in tournament, the Washington Wizards were set to face a tough task against the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was close through the first half before the Sixers took control in the third quarter.

Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards with 33 points while Tobias Harris dropped a playoff career-high with 37 points. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons produced 15 rebounds and 15 assists and Joel Embiid scored 30 points. The Sixers played great team basketball and overcame shooting just .312 from deep in the win.

No. 2 Suns 99, No. 7 Lakers 90

PHX leads series 1-0

In a highly emotional game, we saw Chris Paul and LeBron James both take hard falls in Game 1 of this series. While both appear to be good to go moving forward, fans from both teams had to temporarily hold their breath.

Devin Booker carried the Suns offensively in his playoff debut, scoring 34 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds. DeAndre Ayton, who is set to earn an extension this summer, proved his worth as well as he produced 21 points and 16 rebounds. The Lakers’ superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis had a tough game, combining for just 31 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

No. 4 Knicks 105, No. 5 Hawks 107

ATL leads series 1-0

In perhaps the most even matchup on paper of the day, the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks took things down to the wire. In a game between two teams who haven’t been to the playoffs recently, things looked to be headed to overtime before Trae Young silenced the crowd with a game-winning bucket.

Young finished with 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the way for the Hawks. To help him out, Bogdan Bogdanovic caught fire late in the game, scoring 18 points on the night, including four made threes. Surprisingly for the Knicks, Alec Burks led the team in scoring with 27 points alongside Derrick Rose off the bench who produced 17 points. Their best player in Julius Randle struggled offensively, finishing with just 15 points on 6-for-23 from the floor.

No. 1 Jazz 109, No. 8 Grizzlies 112

MEM leads series 1-0

The Memphis Grizzlies came into this series as a major underdog, but took full advantage of the Jazz in Game 1 as they were without Donovan Mitchell. While Utah jumped out to an early first quarter lead, Memphis took absolute control in the second and third quarters. Things got close late in the fourth quarter on a huge Jazz run, but Ja Morant’s clutch buckets down the stretch saved the Grizzlies.

Dillon Brooks was the star of the game, finishing with 31 points on the night, 29 of which came through the first three quarters of play. Ja Morant had a fairly quiet night until the fourth, notching 26 points while Jonas Valanciunas had a 15 point, 13 rebound double-double. In the absence of Mitchell, the Jazz couldn’t get the offense going early enough, as Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring with 29 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter. Rudy Gobert fouled out for the first time all season while Mike Conley contributed 22 points and 11 assists.

The post Post Up: Trouble in Paradise appeared first on SLAM.

Rudy Gobert has looked effective to this point, fresh off of inking his new contract extension, whereas his front court partner, Derrick Favors, has struggled out of the gates.

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

Mike Conley	19.3p, 6.3r, 5.0a
Rudy Gobert	16.7p, 14.3r, 2.7a
Jordan Clarkson	18.0p, 4.7r, 1.0a
Bojan Bogdanovic	15.7p, 5.3r, 1.3a
Royce O’Neale	4.7p, 8.7r, 0.3a
Miye Oni	1.5p, 0.5r, 0.5a
Juwan Morgan	0.0p, 0.5r, 0.0a
Donovan Mitchell	20.3p, 2.3r, 5.0a
Joe Ingles	9.3p, 3.7r, 3.3a
Georges Niang	0.0p, 1.0r, 0.0a
Derrick Favors	7.0p, 5.3r, 1.7a
Shaquille Harrison	0.0p, 0.0r, 0.0a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

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

Biggest Questions

• Will Rudy Gobert prove to be worth his new contract? This was the third largest in NBA history and the most expensive for any big man.
• How effective can Mike Conley be? He wasn’t his best last season but will certainly have the opportunity to raise the ceiling of this Jazz team in the upcoming season.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Utah Jazz: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

After taking a 3-1 lead over the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, they lost three straight games and were eliminated. With that in mind, the Jazz looked to get healthy and make small roster tweaks heading into the 2020-21 NBA season.

Jazz Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• Derrick Favors: After playing for the Jazz from age 19 through age 27, Favors spent last season in New Orleans playing for the Pelicans. Now, he will make his way back to Utah for a second stint, bolstering their frontcourt.
• Udoka Azubuike: Rudy Gobert is one of the best centers in the entire NBA, but you can never have too much depth. With their first selection in the recent draft, they took Azubuike, who stands at 7-feet tall and weighing 270 pounds.

Jazz Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• Emmanuel Mudiay: Although he had a down year with the Jazz last season, Mudiay was still an important rotation player and facilitator off the bench. He was a consistent three-point shooter and took great care of the ball.
• Tony Bradley: Still just 22 years old, Tony Bradley is still developing his game. He appeared in limited action for Utah last season but was productive when he was on the court. He will bet yet another player under 25 who will no longer be a part of the Jazz core of the future.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Utah Jazz: Offseason Summary 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Where Rudy Gobert is the team’s defensive standout, Mike Conley is the team’s heady veteran and underrated contributor. Jordan Clarkson, dealt to the Jazz last year in a trade that Utah were the winners in, is an elite sixth man. Meanwhile, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bodanovic and Royce O’Neal are Utah’s lethal perimeter threats.

That’s impressive roster building and lends credence to the belief that, even though the Jazz only have a late first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, they’ll make a shrewd decision with it.

Related: Full Utah Jazz 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Jazz Draft Needs

Looking at Utah’s roster, the Jazz front office needs to add depth to their backcourt, as the players projected to be behind Conley and Mitchell on the depth chart next season can’t be relied upon when one of those two sit for important games. With Conley playing only 47 games last season, Utah’s need for a backup point guard is even more apparent.

Finding another strong perimeter defender, particularly one who can excel when defending the more explosive or shifty wings in the league, would also benefit the Jazz.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

Team-by-Team NBA Draft Guides

More: SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Preview

The post Utah Jazz: 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
• Bi-Annual Exception – $3,623,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• How quickly can the Jazz sign Donovan Mitchell to a max extension? Utah messed around with Gordon Hayward and it ultimately cost them when they had to match an offer sheet. They won’t make the same mistake with Mitchell. He’ll likely get a full, five-year max offer as soon as Utah can make it.
• While Utah sign Rudy Gobert to an extension or let him reach free agency in 2021? The Jazz can sign Gobert to a near-max extension this offseason. He’s an annual contender for Defensive Player of the Year and a key member of the team alongside Donovan Mitchell.
• Which of the five partial/non-guaranteed players stick? The most likely scenario is that all five of them are back with the Jazz, at least to start the 2021 season. All had moments and all are on minimum deal. That will probably see them back in Utah.

Projected Team Salary

$147,792,720

Mike Conley is going to pick up his player option. That removes almost all of the intrigue from the Utah offseason. It’s all about Donovan Mitchell’s rookie scale extension and then a possibly extension for Rudy Gobert. If Gobert isn’t interested in locking in long-term, then a trade becomes possible. At that point a relatively quiet offseason could become an exciting one really quickly. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$38,652,720 (12^th out of 30). $17,976,946 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Utah Jazz: 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.

Jazz NBA 2K21 Ratings

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

The post Utah Jazz: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

The seeding games came down to the wire, with some teams relying on their final regular season game to earn a spot in the playoffs or jump higher in the standings. In fact, three Western Conference teams finished with identical records, meaning tiebreakers decided who was seeded where. Players will face off against former teams, rivalries will be showcased, and the best players in the game will square off with one goal in mind.

With the playoff matchups finally set, let’s take a look at each Western Conference series in the first round. Our Eastern Conference series preview is available here.

1 Los Angeles Lakers (52-19)
8 Portland Trail Blazers (35-39)

Upon entering the bubble, the Portland Trail Blazers were 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the final spot in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. After an incredible run behind 2020 Kia NBA Player of the Seeding Games, Damian Lillard, they took control of the No. 8 seed and won the play-in game to solidify their spot against the Lakers in the first round.

In three games head-to-head this season, the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers twice. As good as Lillard has been, it will take high-level play from the rest of his Portland teammates if they are going to challenge Los Angeles in the first round. Although LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Lakers didn’t look all that great in the bubble, going 3-5, we all know that they will be ready to compete in the playoffs.

2 LA Clippers (49-23)
7 Dallas Mavericks (43-32)

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers were first and second, respectively, in offensive rating this season. Both of these teams have a high-powered offense that can score points in bunches. The only issue here is that while Los Angeles has one of the best defenses in the league, Dallas struggles on that side of the ball. This is probably why the Clippers won all three of their head-to-head matchups this season.

While Dallas does have two young superstars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, Los Angeles might be the best team in the NBA to defend them. Doncic will shine and show the world just how good he is, but with two elite wing defenders in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, nothing will come easy for him all series. The Clippers also have the most depth in the entire league, which gives them a huge advantage over the Mavericks whose bench will likely struggle to keep up. Regardless, this matchup should still be one of the most fun to watch in the first round.

3 Denver Nuggets (46-27)
6 Utah Jazz (44-28)

This series will feature a battle between two of the league’s best big men in Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic. While the No. 3 seed seems much higher than the No. 6 seed, Denver finished just 1.5 games ahead of Utah in the Western Conference standings, meaning these two teams are a very even match. One thing that sticks out in this series is that while the Jazz lost a premier scorer in Bojan Bogdanovic over the past couple of months, Denver found a premier scorer in Michael Porter Jr., who led the team with 22.0 points per game in the bubble.

The Nuggets beat the Jazz in all three of their regular season matchups, although just by a total of 11 points. While the battle between each team’s center will be important in this series, so will the guard play. To this point in the season, Mike Conley has been fairly underwhelming and he’ll now miss the first few games of the series to quarantine after leaving the bubble to attend the birth of his son. Both him and Donovan Mitchell will need to play well against Jamal Murray and the variety of long wings that Denver will throw at them.

4 Houston Rockets (44-28)
5 OKC Thunder (44-28)

Last summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets swapped point guards. Russell Westbrook would play for a new team for the first time in his career and Chris Paul would be moved to a team that nobody thought would be a playoff contender. Fast forward to today and these two teams have identical records as they match up in what might be the most intriguing first-round series. In three games played against each other this season, the Thunder took home the crown winning two of those three matchups.

There are two key injuries that could have an impact on this series. Russell Westbrook has a strained quadriceps muscle and is expected to miss at least the first couple of games against his former team and OKC’s lockdown defender Lu Dort is day-to-day with a knee injury. With a ton on the line, Chris Paul will look to prove to his former team that they never should have traded him away. It will be interesting to see how the small-ball Rockets fare in the 2020 playoffs.

The post 2020 NBA Playoff Matchups: Western Conference appeared first on SLAM.

After a dominant February, Donovan Mitchell’s March production hit somewhat of a snag. The 23-year-old struggled from the field and put up just 17.8 points per game during the month (versus the 24.8 he put up previously).

If Mitchell can reverse that trend and Mike Conley can continue to make his own progress, the club could be better equipped for the postseason as a result. Conley averaged 16.4 points and 5.6 assists per game in March, up from the 13.5 and 4.2 he put earlier.

The additional time with the Jazz coaching staff and playbook will only help the veteran.

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 Utah Jazz

Tony Bradley
Mike Conley
Joe Ingles
Royce O’Neale
Miye Oni	–
Bojan Bogdanovic	–
Georges Niang
Rudy Gobert
Jarrell Brantley
Jordan Clarkson
Donovan Mitchell
Emmanuel Mudiay

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check (Hiatus): Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Each of the 22 teams chosen to participate in the unprecedented Walt Disney World bubble will play eight games to determine their final playoff seeding.

The opportunity gives those on the cusp of making a postseason appearance one last shot at getting in. Once finalized, the 2020 NBA Playoffs will be played as they traditionally are and a champion will be crowned in October.

These final eight games will be crucial for teams and stakes will be as high as ever. Not only will they be fighting for the final playoff spots, but with how tight the conference standings are, certain teams can still move up or down more than three spots in the standings. For this reason, the strength of schedule for each of the 22 teams is extremely important.

There are certainly many factors that come into play when looking at how difficult a team’s schedule is, but purely based on cumulative opponent win percentage to this point in the season, let’s see who has the easiest schedules.

1. New Orleans Pelicans (.495)

The team with the easiest remaining schedule is New Orleans, who play six of their eight remaining games against sub-.500 opponents. They are also the only team that has a cumulative opponent win percentage under .500. Still 3.5 games out of the playoff picture, not only will New Orleans have to take advantage of this relatively easy schedule, they will have to rely on other teams fighting for the final playoff spot to perform poorly. Although there are many moving parts, the Pelicans may have the best chance of anyone to steal the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference from the Grizzlies due to their schedule.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (.506)

Over half of Philadelphia’s remaining opponents have a losing record. For a team that is only two games out of the No. 4 seed in the East, having one of the NBA’s easiest schedules going forward is a huge advantage. Their potential playoff opponents and how they match up would vary quite a bit based on where they land in the final standings.

3. Sacramento Kings (.529)

The Sacramento King haven’t fared quite as well as some hoped this season. Nonetheless, they still have one last chance to change that narrative and make the playoffs, even if it is unlikely. The Kings are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot but will have the luxury of playing five of their eight games against teams that are under .500 on the season.

4. Brooklyn Nets (.544)

Not only will the Nets be without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Orlando due to injury, but they’ll also be missing DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and a number of others due to health concerns related to the current pandemic. While they will likely be heavy underdogs in any first round series they participate in, they do have a manageable remaining regular season schedule. Their first two games will be against the Magic and Wizards, who are both below them in the Eastern Conference standings.

T-5. Boston Celtics (.550)

Although Boston has a pretty difficult start to their schedule, four of their final five games are against teams with a losing record. With the amount of talent the Celtics have, this means they should finish out the regular season on a very positive note. Of the teams with a top-five easiest schedule, Boston is one of the best based on their current record. Jayson Tatum, who was looking like a superstar before the season was paused, will be exciting to watch the rest of the season.

T-5. L.A. Clippers (.550)

On opening night in Orlando, the Clippers have a highly anticipated matchup against the Lakers. After that, they have five straight games against teams they should have no trouble with, followed by Denver and Oklahoma City to round out their schedule. The Clippers do have a chance to move up to the top spot in the West and could even slide down to the No. 3 seed, but it seems likely they will finish out where they are now at the No. 2 spot. A fully healthy and rested Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is scary for opposing teams going forward.

7. Orlando Magic (.551)

The Magic will be playing in Orlando like they have many times this season, only now it will be in a different stadium roughly 20 miles southwest of their home court. Orlando will have a touch stretch of Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston in the middle of their schedule, but have a manageable start and finish. Although they have a losing record, they still sit comfortably in the playoffs and would have to have an extremely poor outing to lose that spot.

8. Dallas Mavericks (.555)

Dallas is a team that started off hot but has fallen off more recently. With a fully healthy Luka Doncic and more time for Kristaps Porzingis to get his knee strengthened, the Mavericks will be a dangerous team heading to Orlando. One advantage on the schedule for Dallas is that they will get to play the Suns twice in eight games, who will be without Kelly Oubre.

9. Utah Jazz (.556)

The Jazz are one of the most intriguing teams heading into the bubble. Considering Rudy Gobert was the main domino that fell prior to the league shutdown and the locker room drama that came with it, all eyes will be on them as they play in the first NBA game in over four months. The Jazz will matchup against the short-handed Spurs twice in the restart, which should play out in their favor. Utah will be without their second leading scorer on the season in Bojan Bogdanovic due to a season ending surgery.

10. Indiana Pacers (.562)

Indiana is currently two games behind Miami for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Luckily for them, they play the Heat twice in eight games and will have every opportunity to make a run at that spot prior to the playoffs. With questions surrounding Victor Oladipo given his uncertainty about playing in the restart, it is hard to predict how good this Pacers roster will be.

11. San Antonio Spurs (.567)

It’s tough to see the Spurs make much noise at Disney World with their star big man LaMarcus Aldridge sidelined after season-ending shoulder surgery. On top of this, their schedule only gets gradually tougher as they go. After matching up against Sacramento and Memphis in their first two games, five of their final six games are against teams who have already locked up a playoff spot.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (.573)

As the best team in the NBA this season, the Bucks have quite a few decisions to make in the final eight games of the regular season. Being 6.5 games ahead of Toronto for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they don’t necessarily have to play their best players all that much. With that being said, would they prefer to utilize their regular rotations to rebuild chemistry and knock off some rust? Seven of their eight games are against teams who currently hold a playoff spot.

13. Washington Wizards (.578)

While five teams in the Western Conference are getting a chance to earn a postseason spot that aren’t currently in the playoff picture, the Wizards are the only team from the Eastern Conference that are getting this opportunity. With that being said, they currently sit 5.5 games back of the Magic for the final playoff spot. It would take everything going their way to earn that No. 8 seed in the East but it is not impossible. It does not help that Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans will not be competing with the team at Disney World.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (.583)

Every team has one back-to-back during these final eight games, but Oklahoma City might have the easiest of any. They will play Washington on the first night and Phoenix on the second night of their scheduled back-to-back. The Thunder have struggled against the eight teams they will match up with, going just 6-10 against them to this point in the season. Behind Chris Paul, the Thunder have shocked the world with their play thus far in the 2019-20 season.

15. Houston Rockets (.587)

Houston will look to continue their small-ball style of play in Orlando and with the way they like to play, this long rest and reset might actually benefit them. Although they are the No. 6 seed as of now, they’re only 2.5 games back of the No. 3 seed in a tight Western Conference race. Their schedule will do them no favors as they only play three teams with a losing record and will also play both the Lakers and the Bucks over the final eight games.

16. Phoenix Suns (.589)

Of all of the Western Conference teams heading to Orlando, the Suns have the worst record of all and are a full six games back of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed. Combine that with an injury to one of their best players in Kelly Oubre, Phoenix could be eliminated from the playoff race early on. After starting their schedule against the Wizards, their next seven games are against current playoff teams.

17. Memphis Grizzlies (.597)

The team that five others in the West are chasing for the final playoff spot is Memphis. Currently 3.5 games ahead of the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Kings, the Grizzlies have a solid cushion heading into the bubble but nothing is guaranteed. If they can win over half of their games, they will lock up their spot in the playoffs. This won’t be easy though, with one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league. Two of their first three games are against the Trail Blazers and Pelicans who are chasing them, so they hold their own fate early on.

18. Portland Trail Blazers (.600)

After making a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Trail Blazers are on the outside looking in. Getting one last chance to make a playoff push, it will take an exceptional showing for Portland after a disappointing, injury-ridden season. Not only do the Trail Blazers have a top-five most difficult schedule in the NBA, but their one back-to-back features the Clippers and 76ers, which will be a tough task.

19. Denver Nuggets (.618)

The Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the West this season and hold the No. 3 seed. It will take a productive eight games out of Denver to hold onto this position as they have the fourth toughest schedule remaining. They will even have to play the Lakers and the Clippers in consecutive games towards the end of the eight-game schedule, who are the only teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. One positive for the Nuggets is that Nikola Jokic seems to have slimmed down quite a bit and looks to be in excellent shape.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (.625)

The Lakers have a comfortable 5.5 game lead over the Clippers for the top spot in the West. Due to this, we may see them rest guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis down the stretch once they have secured that No. 1 seed. Regardless, they will have to work for it as their first seven games are against current playoff teams. With how good they have played all season, it is likely that they will have no trouble, even with such a difficult schedule. They may be more interested in starting to build chemistry with their newer additions in Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith.

21. Miami Heat (.636)

After a hot start to the season, the Heat cooled off a bit down the stretch before the NBA hiatus. After starting the season 22-8, they’ve gone 19-16 since Christmas. Perhaps this time off will be beneficial for a team like Miami as they will get to reset and get back on the right foot like they had earlier in the season. It will be fascinating to see how much production they get out of new acquisition Andre Iguodala as well. Miami will only have one game against a team with a losing record while in Orlando before the playoffs.

22. Toronto Raptors (.638)

The team with the toughest schedule over the final eight games of the regular season is the defending champion Raptors. Not only are every single one of their opponents current playoff teams, but they will also have to match up against the top team in each conference – the Lakers and Bucks. A full three games above the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East, Toronto will need to take care of business throughout this difficult stretch to hold their spot.

The post Disney Restart: Strength of Schedule Comparison 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.

Charlotte led the entire game en route to defeating the Russell Westbrook-less Rockets.

Terry Rozier dropped a team-high 24 points with 6 dimes. Devonte Graham added 23 points and 6 dimes.

Jazz 111 (41-22), Pistons 105 (20-44)

Utah blew a 16-point third quarter lead, but battled back to win their fifth straight game.

Rudy Gobert double-doubled with 10 points, 12 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Bojan Bogdanovic added a game-high 32 points.

Nuggets 102 (42-21), Cavs 104 (18-45)

Cleveland battled back from a double-digit second quarter deficit to snap a 4-game losing streak.

Kevin Love dropped a game-high 27 points with 6 boards. Collin Sexton dropped 25 points with 6 boards and 5 dimes. Filling in for injured Darius Garland, Matthew Dellavedova dropped a career-high 14 dimes.

Hawks 101 (19-46), Grizzlies 118 (32-32)

Memphis completely dominated the game from start to finish.

Ja Morant dropped 24 points (4-4 3FG) with 6 dimes. Jonas Valanciunas added a game-high 27 points with 17 boards.

Sixers 114 (38-26), Warriors 118 (15-49)

With Stephen Curry sitting out with the flu (the ordinary illness), Golden State outscored the Sixers by 12 in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory.

Damion Lee dropped a game-high 24 points on 10-17 shooting. Marquese Chriss dropped 13 points with 10 boards, 8 dimes and 1 clutch block.

Kings 123 (28-35), Blazers 111 (28-37)

In a game with major playoff implications, Sacramento thoroughly dominated from start to finish—leading by as much as 26 points during the fourth.

Bogdan Bogdanovic dropped a game-high 27 points with 8 dimes. De’Aaron Fox added 15 points with 11 dimes.

The post Post Up: Warriors Rally To Defeat Sixers Without Stephen Curry appeared first on SLAM.

If this game was any indication, the future of basketball is in very good hands. Luka Doncic (30 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists) came up big for the winners in overtime, but he wasn’t the only young stud to turn in a solid night.

Brandon Ingram had 27 points, Zion Williamson scored 21 and Lonzo Ball hit seven 3’s en route to 25 points for New Orleans.

Kristaps Porzingis led the way on both ends for the Mavs with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Celtics 112 (42-19), Cavaliers 106 (17-45)

Jayson Tatum’s hot streak continued as he chipped in 32 points, 9 rebounds and 6 dimes for the Celtics. The wing shot 5-for-10 from deep, keeping his 3-point percentage at .500 since the All-Star break (38.2% before).

Thunder 114 (38-24), Pistons 107 (20-43)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a team-best plus-12 in his 35 minutes of game time as he scored 27 points on 12-for-15 shooting. Dennis Schroder added 23 on 7-for-14 shooting off the pine.

Magic 113 (27-35), Heat 116 (40-22)

Duncan Robinson shot 9-for-12 from deep en route to a team-high 27 points for the Heat as they picked up a win over their in-state foe.

Wizards 104 (22-39), Trail Blazers 125 (28-35)

Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points in the first half en route to a 25-point night on an efficient 8-for-13 shooting.

Despite the loss, Bradley Beal turned in his 20th straight game with at least 25 points as he finished with 29.

Bulls 108 (21-41), Timberwolves 115 (19-42)

Six Timberwolves scored double-digit points to overcome a 26-point night from Coby White.

Grizzlies 118 (31-31), Nets 79 (27-34)

Twelve Grizzlies got on the scoring sheet as they held the Nets to just 30-for-90 shooting from the field and a staggering 7-for-42 performance from deep. Josh Jackson scored a team-high 19 in 17 minutes off the bench.

Jazz 112 (39-22), Knicks 104 (19-43)

Julius Randle scored 32, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Jazz as Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic each scored 23.

Pacers 100 (37-25), Bucks 119 (53-9)

The Bucks started off hot with 36 points in the first quarter and never looked back as Giannis racked up 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Donte DiVincenzo scored 19 in 23 minutes off the bench to aid the effort, too.

The post Post Up: Luka, KP Lead Mavericks Past Pelicans in OT Thriller appeared first on SLAM.

Utah took control in the second half, led by 28 points from Bojan Bogdanovic; Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 9 rebounds. Collin Sexton put up 32 points in the loss.

Rockets 123 (39-21), Knicks 125 (19-42)

Houston had a chance to tie the game with the final possession, but New York locked up on defense to shut down the Rockets’ comeback attempt. Rookie RJ Barrett tied a career high with 27 points, including the bucket that put the Knicks ahead for good. James Harden scored 35 points for Houston.

Blazers 130 (27-25), Magic 107 (27-34)

Portland overwhelmed Orlando in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Magic 38-19 to take home the win. CJ McCollum did it all for the Blazers, leading them with 41 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Magic center Nikola Vucevic posted a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Grizzlies 127 (30-31), Hawks 88 (19-44)

Nine Memphis players hit double digits in the victory over Atlanta. Gorgui Dieng paced the Grizzlies with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Bucks 89 (52-9), Heat 105 (39-22)

Miami’s defense held the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to only 13 points as the Heat overwhelmed the Bucks. Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler each chipped in 18 points to Miami’s winning effort.

Mavericks 107 (37-25), Bulls 109 (21-40)

Chicago outscored Dallas 33-17 in the third quarter, a turning point for the game. Six Bulls put up double-digit scoring, led by Coby White’s 19 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 26 points for Dallas.

Pacers 116 (37-24), Spurs 111 (25-34)

Indiana stormed back in the final minutes to leave San Antonio with the win. Malcolm Brogdon scored a team-high 26 points. Patty Mills contributed 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench.

The post Post Up: CJ McCollum Scores 41 Points as Blazers Snap Losing Streak 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 Jazz 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

• Rudy Gobert
• Donovan Mitchell
• Joe Ingles
• Royce O’Neale
• Juwan Morgan
• Rayjon Tucker

The Jazz have rebounded nicely from a rocky start and as many expected prior to the season, the team appears to belong in the top echelon of the Western Conference. It’s unlikely that the franchise makes major changes to its core, meaning Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell aren’t going anywhere.

Joe Ingles is also not going anywhere, as he’s not eligible to be traded this season as a result of signing an extension with Utah earlier in the year. Royce O’Neale, who just signed an extension as well, is also not eligible to be traded. Neither is Juwan Morgan, who inked a deal with Utah in late November, nor Rayjon Tucker, who signed his in December.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Ed Davis

The Ed Davis signing hasn’t worked as well as the team had hoped. The big man was expected to be a major part of the team’s bench, though a leg injury and ineffective play after returning has blanketed hope. He’s making $4.8M this season and $5.0M next and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jazz attempt to shop his deal.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Mike Conley

There have no reports of the Jazz shopping Conley nor any of his discontent in Utah. Conley recently returned from a hamstring injury that robbed him of 19 games and by all accounts, he’s embraced his current role off the bench for the club. However, if the Jazz want to be a true contender, they’ll either need the point guard to revert to Memphis Conley or they’ll need to search for a trade.

The offseason deal for Conley, who is making $32.5M this season, sacrificed some of Utah’s depth and if the team searched for a trade before the deadline, it could certainly regain some of that depth. The team’s trade for Jordan Clarkson alleviated some of those concerns, though Utah’s biggest weakness is its frontcourt rotation behind Gobert. Additionally, adding another wing wouldn’t hurt, especially since the club will have to best the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and LeBron James if it wants to reach the NBA Finals. Trading Conley, who has an ETO worth $34.5M for next season, could be the answer for the Jazz.

Trades Are Possible

• Bojan Bogdanovic
• Tony Bradley
• Georges Niang
• Emmanuel Mudiay
• Nigel Williams-Goss
• Miye Oni

Offseason signing Bojan Bogdanovic has worked out quite well for the Jazz. He’s one of just six players league-wide who is making at least three shots from behind the arc at a 40% rate. Tony Bradley has assumed the back-up center spot in Utah. He’s eligible for a rookie-scale extension after the season. Georges Niang has knocked down 44.1% of his triples this season, proving to be a nice offensive piece for the club. Emmanuel Mudiay, who’s on a one-year deal in Utah, has solidified another contract in the league with his play this season. The 23-year-old has shown flashes this season of what made him an intriguing prospect leading up to the 2015 draft. Nigel Williams-Goss has only appeared in nine games for the Jazz. He’s gotten most of his run with the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League. Miye Oni is another player who’s likely known more by Stars season ticket holders than he is with Jazz season ticket holders.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Another game without a star (this time Paul George), and yet another win for the Clippers. Reaching win number 30 on the season was no breeze though, with the feisty Pelicans leading for a good chunk of the game. But ultimately, Kawhi Leonard was too much to handle. He had himself a phenomenal game, with 39 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. And who could forget Lou Will, who dropped a cool 32 points off the pine.

For the Pelicans, Lonzo Ball had a triple double, scoring 18 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing 11 assists. Derrick Favors was also excellent, scoring 22 points on a perfect 10-10 shooting along with 11 boards.

Bucks 117 (38-6), Nets 97 (18-23)

The Bucks just do not let up. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 12 rebounds in only 25 minutes, Khris Middleton had 20 of his own, and Brook Lopez did a fantastic job protecting the rim, notching 5 blocks.

The Nets were helpless against the brutal efficiency of the Bucks, and it showed with no player scoring higher than 17 points.

Suns 123 (18-24), Celtics 123 (27-14)

Fantastic win for the Suns beating Boston at home. Devin Booker went inferno, with 39 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Deandre Ayton backed that up with a monster 26 points and 15 boards.

Despite the loss, Marcus Smart went bonkers, with a career-high 11 3-pointers made for 37 points, 8 assists and 4 steals.

Pistons 136 (16-27), Hawks 103 (10-33)

It must have been very cathartic for Detroit to finally blow somebody out. Derrick Rose, recently inserted into the starting lineup to fill the playmaking black hole, was excellent. D Rose scored 27 points along with 9 assists and a plus/minus of +24. Andre Drummond also cleaned up as usual, with 16 points, 17 rebounds and 5 swipes.

76ers 90 (28-16), Knicks 87 (11-32)

A surprisingly close game, but all Philly should care about is getting the victory. Ben Simmons was fully in control, ending the game with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.

Raptors 122 (28-14), Timberwolves 112 (15-27)

The Raptors have been butchered by injuries all year, and they finally had their core group together again, and the results were excellent. Fred VanVleet (29 points, 4 steals, 7-8 from deep) barely missed a beat from his weeks-long absence. Kyle Lowry was great too, scoring 28 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and splashing 5 3-pointers.

Bulls 118 (16-28), Cavaliers 116 (12-31)

What an impressive win from the Bulls! Coming into the 4th quarter down a sizable 15 points, none other than Zach LaVine went off. The star guard had 42 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals for a wild performance.

Don’t blame the loss on Kevin Love though. He had a 29-5-6 line and the Cavs outscored the Bulls by 11 points when he was in.

Warriors 109 (10-34), Magic 95 (20-23)

Orlando may have a subpar record, but they’re long, athletic and make you beat them, making this a quality win for a youthful Dubs team. DLO had 26 points, 12 assists and 2 steals along with a beautiful 3 late in the game.

Also, let’s take a moment, even in defeat, to appreciate the comeback of Markelle Fultz. Dude has been a problem for defenses.

Lakers 124 (34-8), Rockets 115 (26-15)

No Anthony Davis and on the road against the Rockets…that’s a quality win right there, Lakers. LeBron was fantastic as usual. He put up 31 points, 12 assists and 5 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all showed out as well.

For the Rockets, Russell Westbrook scored 35 points and James Harden scored 34, but no one else really stepped up.

Jazz 123 (29-13), Kings 101 (15-27)

The Jazz are rolling. Other than a slight hiccup against the Pelicans a couple of nights ago, they’ve been creaming everyone in their path and tonight was no different. Bojan Bogdanovic had a clean 30 points, Rudy Gobert had a monster 28 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Jordan Clarkson had another quality performance off the bench with 20 points.

Thunder 119 (24-19), Blazers 106 (18-26)

Chris Paul had 30 points and 7 assists on 11-15 shooting in just 28 minutes, while his protege and backcourt mate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.

For the Blazers, it’s unfortunately becoming a common trend to see Dame go off (34 points, 6 assists), but lose the game.

The post Post Up: Kawhi Pops Off for 39 Points to Defeat Pelicans appeared first on SLAM.

Undrafted rookie Terrence Davis admitted he was “surprised” when he was told he was going to start, but he rose to the occasion with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and a team-best plus-minus of +20 in an OT win.

Miles Bridges scored 26 on just 15 field goal attempts for Charlotte.

Rockets 122 (25-11), Hawks 115 (8-30)

The present is still amazing, but the future isn’t looking too bad either. James Harden finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks and Trae Young struck back with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and a block of his own.

Despite solid outings from Alex Len, John Collins and Young, the Hawks weren’t able to dig themselves out of an early hole as Houston scored 45 in the opening quarter.

Spurs 129 (16-20), Celtics 114 (25-10)

The Spurs ran out to a 22-3 lead and never looked back as DeMar DeRozan’s 30 points led the way.

Nuggets 107 (26-11), Mavericks 106 (23-14)

Nikola Jokic scored 21 points in the third quarter and capped off a stellar second half with a game-winning shot to sink the Mavericks.

Luka Doncic fell just short of his 12th triple-double of the season, but still put up an impressive 27 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists.

Bulls 108 (13-25), Pelicans 123 (13-25)

Zach LaVine continued his All-Star caliber season with 32 points on 13-for-24 season, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a second half Pelicans charge led by 21 points from Brandon Ingram (29 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 blocks).

Knicks 104 (10-28), Jazz 128 (25-12)

Emmanuel Mudiay put up 20 points off the pine against his former club as the Jazz scored an astounding 72 points in the first half. Bojan Bogdanovic added another 20, knocking down four 3’s in the effort.

Frank Ntilikina was a lone bright spot for New York, putting up 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in 19 minutes of work. He was a +10, a team-high plus-minus for the night.

Heat 122 (27-10), Pacers 108 (23-15)

Seven Heat players scored at least 14 points as Miami rolled to the win.

Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren exchanged words on back-to-back possessions, resulting in Warren being thrown out of the game.

Wizards 89 (12-25), Magic 123 (18-20)

12 different Magic players got in the scoring column as Orlando dominated every quarter of the match-up. Nikola Vucevic’s 29 points led all players as an injury-riddled Wizards squad struggled to hold it down on the defensive end and turned the ball over 23 times on offense.

over 23 times.

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TJ Warren’s 36 points helped give Indiana the scoring edge over Charlotte. Terry Rozier scored 28 points in the loss.

Nets 89 (16-19), Magic 101 (17-20)

Markelle Fultz continues to thrive in Orlando. The third-year guard notched a career high of 25 points in the home win. Aaron Gordon added a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Thunder 113 (20-16), 76ers 120 (24-14)

Philly took the lead heading into halftime and never gave it up. The 76ers connected on 50% of their 3-point attempts on the night; Josh Richardson led the team with 23 points.

Celtics 94 (25-9), Wizards 99 (12-24)

Washington never trailed in their home win, holding a lead as large as 11. Ish Smith paced the team with 27 points. Jaylen Brown put up 23 points and 12 rebounds for Boston.

Nuggets 123 (25-11), Hawks 115 (8-29)

Nikola Jokic’s career-high 47 points powered the Nuggets over the Hawks. Trae Young stood out with several highlight moves and registered 29 points, but fell short of the victory.

Jazz 128 (24-12), Pelicans 126 (12-25)

New Orleans had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but missed the layup as time expired. Bojan Bogdanovic impressed with 35 points; Brandon Ingram matched him with 35 points of his own.

Bulls 110 (13-24), Mavericks 118 (23-13)

It was another night as usual for Luka Doncic. The second-year player registered a triple-double of 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the win.

Bucks 104 (32-6), Spurs 126 (15-20)

San Antonio bested Milwaukee after losing to them in their previous game. DeMar DeRozan (25 points) and Patty Mills (21 points) helped the Spurs get the home victory.

Warriors 98 (9-29), Kings 111 (14-23)

The Kings’ stud backcourt of Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox accounted for 21 points apiece as Sacramento overwhelmed the Warriors. Glenn Robinson III scored a team-high 16 points.

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Cleveland and Charlotte went back and forth in the final minutes, but Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham hit the crucial go-ahead bucket that helped his team get the win. Graham finished with 16 points in 41 minutes, while Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 30 points.

Nuggets 124 (24-10), Pacers 116 (22-31)

It was a career night for Michael Porter Jr., who scored his most points in a game yet with 25 against the Pacers. Jeremy Lamb notched 30 points in the loss.

Raptors 76 (23-12), Heat 84 (25-9)

Miami gutted out the win in this low-scoring affair between two top Eastern Conference teams. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Jazz 102 (22-12), Bulls 98 (13-22)

Five Utah players hit double-digit scoring, led by 19 points from Bojan Bogdanovic. Rudy Gobert added a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 26 points in the loss.

Warriors 84 (9-27), Timberwolves 99 (13-21)

Robert Covington and Shabazz Napier each contributed 20 points to Minnesota’s home win. Glen Robinson III led Golden State with 16 points.

Nets 111 (16-17), Mavericks 123 (22-12)

It was another night of MVP-level play from Luka Doncic. The forward registered 31 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists to propel the Mavs over Brooklyn. Spencer Dinwiddie notched 19 points for the Nets.

Thunder 109 (19-15), Spurs 103 (14-19)

OKC outscored San Antonio 35-27 in the final frame to steal the road win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander provided a spark with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. DeMar DeRozan put up 30 points for the Spurs.

Grizzlies 123 (13-22), Kings 128 (13-22)

Sacramento received the scoring edge from the duo of De’Aaron Fox (27 points) and Buddy Hield (26 points) to come back and beat Memphis. Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant led the team with 23 points.

Pistons 112 (12-23), Clippers 126 (25-11)

Six Clippers players scored 12+ points, led by Montrezl Harrell’s 23 points in 27 minutes. Lou Williams (22 points) and Kawhi Leonard (18 points) added to the offense as well.

The post Post Up: Michael Porter Jr. Scores Career-High 25 Points in Win appeared first on SLAM.

Utah battled back from a 12-point third quarter deficit to get their fifth straight win.

Rudy Gobert dropped 17 points (6-9 FG) with 19 boards and 3 blocks. Bojan Bogdanovic added a team-high 26 points.

Hawks 112 (6-24), Nets 122 (16-13)

Brooklyn turned it on after falling behind by 18 points in the third quarter, eventually winning by double-digits.

Spencer Dinwiddie dropped 16 of his team-high 39 points in the fourth and became the first Net in over 10 years to drop 30+ points in three straight games.

Atlanta has now lost 7 straight.

Wizards 108 (8-20), Sixers 125 (21-10)

After taking the lead 2:34 into the game, Philly would lead the rest of the the way. Joel Embiid dropped a team-high 21 points with 13 boards.

Isaiah Thomas was ejected in the fourth quarter for going into the stands to confront a heckler (who was later escorted out of the arena). Listen to what IT had to say about the incident:

Bulls 119 (12-19), Pistons 107 (11-19)

Chicago outscored the Pistons by 18 points in the second half to secure the dub.

Zach LaVine dropped a game-high 33 points with 5 dimes.

Bucks 123 (26-4), Knicks 102 (7-23)

Milwaukee led for the entire game, and by as much as 29 points during the third quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo needed just 22 minutes to record a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 11 boards and 10 dimes. Khris Middleton added a game-high 23 points.

Kings 115 (12-17), Grizzlies 119 (11-19)

Memphis took the lead at the end of the first quarter and led for the rest of the game.

Jaren Jackson Jr dropped a team-high 18 points with 4 blocks and 3 steals.

Clippers 134 (22-9), Spurs 109 (11-17)

Kawhi Leonard captured his first win in San Antonio, dropping a game-high 26 points with 9 dimes, 7 boards and 4 steals in just 27 minutes.

The Clippers would outscore the Spurs by 16 points in the third quarter and go up by as much as 33 points during the fourth.

Rockets 139 (20-9), Suns 125 (11-18)

Houston outscored the Suns in every quarter, leading to a 20-point cushion during the fourth quarter.

James Harden went off for a game-high 47 points (15-27 FG) with 7 dimes. Russell Westbrook dropped 30 points with 10 dimes.

Phoenix has now lost 6 straight.

Wolves 106, Blazers 113 (-6)

Minnesota kept it close, but the Blazers pulled away in crunch time.

Hassan Whiteside dropped a historic line of 16 points, 22 boards and 7 blocks—the first Blazer to ever do so. Damian Lillard added a team-high 29 points with 7 dimes.

Minnesota has now lost an abysmal 10 straight games.

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Malcolm Brogdon finished a tough, go-ahead layup with 36 seconds left to lift the Pacers over the Lakers, snapping LA’s 14-game road winning streak. The Lakers streak will finish as tied for the third longest in NBA history, 2 shy of the all-time record. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis recorded his 13th straight double-double, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Dwight Howard led the Lakers, dropping 20 points on 10-10 from the field. LeBron added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in the loss.

Hornets 110 (13-17), Kings 102 (12-15)

The Hornets outscored the Kings 30-23 in the fourth quarter to secure the win in Charlotte. Malik Monk led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 9-12 shooting for the Hornets. De’Aaron Fox returned after missing 17 games with an ankle injury, dropping a team-high 19 points in the loss.

Knicks 143 (7-21), Hawks 120 (6-22)

The Knicks’ 143 points is the most the franchise has scored in regulation in 39 years. New York was led by RJ Barrett, who dropped a career-high 27 points on 10-13 shooting. Mitchell Robinson also finished with a career-high of 22 points (9-13 shooting) to go along with 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Knicks’ youth movement is showing out under interim coach Mike Miller, who is now 3-3 since taking over for David Fizdale. Even in the loss, Trae Young went off for 42 points and 7 made threes. Vince Carter added 15 off the bench in his final game in MSG.

Nets 108 (15-12), Pelicans 101 (6-22)

The Nets outscored the Pelicans 15-8 in overtime to pick up the win on the road. Spencer Dinwiddie led the way, finishing with a game-high 31 points. Joe Harris added 24 points, and Jarrett Allen finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks for Brooklyn. New Orleans was led by Brandon Ingram, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Jazz 109 (16-11), Magic 102 (12-15)

The Jazz held off a late surge from Orlando to secure the win at home. Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic each dropped 30 points in the win, the first time since 2008 that two Jazz players finished with 30+ points in the same game. Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 19 rebounds in the win. For the Magic, D.J. Augustin scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Clippers 120 (21-8), Suns 99 (11-16)

Kawhi Leonard (20), Lou Will (24), and Paul George (20) all dropped 20+ points as the Clippers dominated the Suns in LA. For Phoenix, Deandre Ayton returned from his 25-game suspension and led the team with 18 points and 12 boards. Kelly Oubre added 19 points on 8-14 shooting in the loss.

The post Post Up: Pacers Snap Lakers’ Road Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but James Harden is ridiculous.

The Beard dropped 54 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 10 3-pointers, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Pure dominance. Russell Westbrook added 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and some exhilarating fast-break dunks for good measure.

76ers 116 (20-7), Pelicans 109 (6-20)

After a hard-fought win in Boston, the 76ers turned around to take care of business against the slumping Pelicans. Tobias Harris was phenomenal with 31 points and 5 boards on efficient shooting. Joel Embiid put up 24 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, and Ben Simmons bounced back for a stat-stuffing with 24 points, 11 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks.

For the Pelicans, they can at least bask in JJ Redick’s warm reception back in Philly, and Brandon Ingram’s continued scoring dominance.

Lakers 113 (23-3), Heat 110 (18-7)

This was a barnburner.

The Lakers snapped Miami’s previously 11-0 home record to start the season, even amidst an uncharacteristically tough start to the game for LeBron, who had 7 turnovers in the first half. But the Lake Show pulled it together. Bron still got his, with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists, while Anthony Davis dropped 33 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Also, shoutout JaVale McGee, who had five monster blocks on the game, many of which were stuffing Bam Adebayo (no slouch himself!) at the rim.

Pacers 110 (17-9), Hawks 100 (6-20)

The Pacers are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league; and they don’t even have Victor Oladipo back.

All five starters hit double digit points again, with Malcolm Brogdon leading the way with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists. The Hawks have been, to put it mildly, awful. Trae Young had a rare rough game, going 9-30 from the field, DeAndre Hunter chipped in 21 points and Jabari Parker had 20, but overall, just another bad loss for a Hawks team that could use reinforcements.

Hornets 83 (12-16), Bulls 73 (9-18)

It’s legitimately shocking to see such a low scoring game. Nowadays, this is commonly the score at the end of 3 quarters.

Every Hornets starter scored in double digits, while no Bulls player scored more than 12 points. Honestly, the less we discuss this game the better.

At least we were offered this awesome Lauri Markkanen slam:

Bucks 127 (23-3), Grizzlies 114 (8-17)

The Bucks could be on an all-time run if they keep this up. They have not lost since Nov. 8 and have now won S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-N games in a row. And Giannis is barely playing! He dropped 37 points and 11 rebounds in only 27 damn minutes.

But this is not a one man team. The Bucks are deep, and full of capable players who can comfortably play multiple positions and knock down 3-pointers. Right now, they’re the clear favorite to represent the East in the Finals.

On the bright side, the Grizzlies finally got that breakout Jaren Jackson game. Jackson, who has been mired in consistent foul trouble virtually all season, blew up for 43 points on 9-15 from 3-point range. He is dripping with potential and brief glimpses of production, but my man has got to stay on the court.

Jazz 114 (15-11), Warriors 106 (5-22)

This game was probably closer than it should have been considering the Warriors’ depleted state, but ultimately, the Jazz got the W, and sometimes that’s all that matters.

Bojan Bogdanovic stayed hot from deep, converting 8 of his 13 attempts for 32 points, while Donovan Mitchell had 28 points, and Gobert added a solid 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Jazz are not perfect and Mike Conley has struggled to fit in, but they usually flip the switch as the season progresses. Also, check out this wicked move by Mitchell for the slam:

Clippers 124 (20-7), Timberwolves 117 (10-15)

Despite a roaring and inspired Timberwolves comeback from 27 points, the Clippers put them away when the going got tough. Missing Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green, the dynamic duo of PG and The Klaw took it upon themselves to wreck absolute havoc. Kawhi scored 42 on 19-19 from the free throw line, while George dropped a monstrous 46, making them the first Clippers duo to ever score 40 points each.

The game was a blowout, until it was not, and that was mostly thanks to the grit of Karl Towns (39 points, 12 rebounds) and Andrew Wiggins (34 points) putting the team on their back. There are no moral victories in professional sports, but the Wolves’ refusal to give up should be commended.

Knicks 103 (6-20), Kings 101 (11-14)

The Knicks have won two in a row! Repeat, the Knicks have won two in a row! Thanks to Julius Randle’s 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, and good bench contributions from Mitchell Robinson, Elfrid Payton and Damyean Dotson, New York now has their first winning streak of the season. There is talent on this team, but it is either raw, repetitious or misused. The tide may be turning.

The Kings fought their way into the playoff chase after a brutal 0-5 start to the season, but losing to the Knicks will not keep them there for long. Buddy Hield was a flamethrower from deep, draining 6 3’s en route to 34 points and 12 rebounds. A minor silver lining: Marvin Bagley has worked his way back from a thumb surgery and is quietly putting up numbers in limited minutes.

The post Post Up: Lakers Snap Heat’s Perfect Home Game Streak in Barnburner appeared first on SLAM.

“That was pretty bad,” admitted James, who expressed compassion for the refs who somehow missed it.

LeBron finished with 20 points and 12 assists, as Los Angeles earned a 121-96 road win against Utah.

Per ESPN:

“It was the worst thing, probably one of the worst things I’ve ever done in my career,” James said after the game. “I didn’t realize I did it until halftime. One of my coaches showed me.”

Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic didn’t take quite as long to recognize the miscue, signaling to referee Jacyn Goble as soon as it happened.

“That’s one of the worst ones I’ve ever done in my life,” [James] could be heard saying to the fan on the Spectrum SportsNet broadcast of the game.

“I feel bad for the refs on that one because they’ll probably get a write-up on that or something,” James said. “That was pretty bad.”

Related LeBron James: Spurs ‘Why My Jump Shot is a Lot Better Today’

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After succumbing to a pre-Thanksgiving loss to the Celtics, the Nets roared back in their second consecutive game against Boston. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie was fantastic in Kyrie Irving’s absence, scoring 32 points, dishing out 11 assists and swiping 2 steals. Third year center Jarrett Allen continued his solid play of late, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 boards on 7-12 shooting.

The Celtics have played excellent ball recently, despite losing Gordon Hayward to a hand injury. Jayson Tatum has bounced back from his sophomore slump to take over the scoring reigns this year, and he scored 26 points, corralled 9 rebounds and collected 4 steals in the first game of Black Friday.

Raptors 90 (14-4), Magic 80 (7-11)

The Raptors just keep on winning. Amid a slew of free agent departures and injuries to Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, Toronto has kept on chugging. They can even sustain an off-night from Pascal Siakam thanks to Norm Powell exploding for 33 points and Fred VanVleet putting up 22 and 7 steals.

The Magic shot 34% from the field, and that’s really the only stat you need to know to get an idea of how their night went.

Hornets 110 (8-12), Pistons 107 (6-13)

PJ Washington has continued his impressive rookie campaign, scoring 26 points and grabbing 4 steals on an efficient 9-12 shooting performance.

It’s been an uninspiring start to the season for Detroit, but at least Derrick Rose has proven to be a spark plug off the bench. He dropped 23 points on 8-12 shooting, and also provided us this adorable moment with his son, PJ, before the game.

Bucks 119 (16-3), Cavaliers 110 (5-14)

Giannis set the tone instantly with a dunk on the first play of the game, as the Bucks won their 10th straight game to finish off the Cavaliers. The Greek Freak remains a beast, and it’s incredible that he makes 33 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks seem ordinary.

Even in defeat, the Cavs have been competent. Rookie Darius Garland showed out with 21 points, 6 assists and 5 three-pointers. Keep an eye on the rook, because he’s going to be a stud in this league for a long time.

76ers 101 (13-6), Knicks 95 (4-15)

The 76ers had a sluggish start, as they were outscored 18-31 in the first quarter, but they eventually got their act together to take care of business. Joel Embiid was fantastic, scoring 27 points (albeit on a subpar 7-19 shooting), corralling 17 boards and swatting 3 shots, while Ben Simmons brought the 76ers home with a late-game inbounds steal and score.

He also converted this acrobatic layup on the move.

Jazz 103 (12-7), Grizzlies 94 (5-13)

In perhaps the most visually appealing game this season (seriously, each team absolutely nailed their throwback jerseys), the Jazz were too much to handle for the young Grizz. Bojan Bogdanovic put up 33 points, Rudy Gobert chipped in a solid double-double and Donovan Mitchell added 20 points of his own.

Thunder 109 (7-11), Pelicans 104 (6-13)

The Thunder came back by outscoring the Pelicans 30-20 in the 4th quarter. Dennis Schroder led the way off the bench with 25 points and 7 assists, while Steven Adams finished them off with a thunderous (pun intended) slam dunk down the stretch.

The Pelicans are swill biding time before the Zion Williamson’s highly anticipated debut, but in the meantime, Brandon Ingram seems content to keep on cooking. He had the smoothest transition from spin move to dunk:

Heat 122 (13-5), Warriors 105 (4-16)

It’s so weird to see the record 4-16 next to the Warriors, but that’s what happens when Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are absent.

The Heat have been one of the best stories of the young season, riding a new wave of their young talent (Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow) to supplement their veteran core of Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Kelly Olynyk. the team shot a blistering 52% from deep. Also, they never miss on the gorgeous Miami Vice city edition jerseys.

Spurs 107 (7-13), Clippers 97 (14-6)

The Spurs broke out of their surprising downward spiral by giving the Clippers their first loss when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both shared the court together.

For the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge had one of his most complete games of the season, going for 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks.

Pacers 105 (12-6), Hawks 104 (4-15)

Despite a monstrous Trae Young performance (49 points on 16-28 shooting with 8 three-pointers and 9-9 from the line), the relentless Pacers pulled away in overtime. No other starter on the Hawks scored more than 7 points.

With Malcolm Brogdon back in the fold, Indiana has been rock solid this season. Every starter scored between 16 and 20 points; the epitome of a group effort.

Mavericks 120 (12-6), Suns 113 (8-10)

Luka Doncic went scorched earth all over the poor Suns. The Slovenian sensation dropped 42 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in a convincing victory against the Suns. Tim Hardaway Jr also chipped in 26 points.

The Suns have slowed down a tad after an impressive start to the season, but a core four of Devin Booker, Aron Baynes, Kelly Oubre and Ricky Rubio has outscored opponents by 8 points per 100 possessions all season, and center DeAndre Ayton is set to return soon. The future is bright in Phoenix.

Blazers 107 (8-12), Bulls 103 (6-14)

Melo is looking like his old self, and every moment is beautiful to watch. He scored 23 points and grabbed 11 boards, while teammate Hassan Whiteside swallowed a Blazers franchise record 10 blocks to go along with 15 rebounds. Maybe he grew dissatisfied with his NBA 2K rating again.

For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led the way with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and so far, zero public disputes with Jim Boylen today.

Lakers 125 (17-2), Wizards 103 (6-11)

Well, that was certainly a blowout. The Lakers have been on fire this season and they showed no signs of letting up Friday at Staples. LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way per usual, with commendable contributions from Rajon Rondo (who threw two beautiful alley-oops), JaVale McGee and Danny Green.

The post Post Up: Trae Young Drops 49 Points, But Hawks Succumb to Pacers in OT appeared first on SLAM.

Kemba Walker made his return to the court following a neck sprain sustained last week and he delivered. Walker registered a season-high 39 points as he scorched the Nets’ defense. Kyrie Irving was inactive for his return to Boston.

Pistons 101 (6-12), Hornets 102 (7-12)

Detroit failed to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded, losing this game by just one point. Charlotte meanwhile boasted six double-digit scorers, led by Bismack Biyombo (19 points). Blake Griffin put up 26 in the loss.

Magic 116 (7-10), Cavaliers 104 (5-13)

Orlando dominated in the second half to get win No. 7 this season. Evan Fournier led the team with 30 points. Collin Sexton scored 20 points for Cleveland.

Jazz 102 (11-7), Pacers 121 (11-6)

Indiana continues to turn heads as they keep the wins coming. The Pacers received big scoring nights from Domantas Sabonis (23 points), TJ Warren (23 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (22 points). Bojan Bogdanovic notched 30 points against his former team.

Kings 91 (7-10), 76ers 97 (12-6)

Despite the close score, Philly was in control throughout. Joel Embiid put up 33 points one game after going scoreless.

Knicks 98 (4-14), Raptors 126 (13-4)

Toronto scored 37 points in both the second and fourth quarters as they pulled away. Pascal Siakam scored 31 points in 30 minutes of action.

Heat 108 (12-5), Rockets 117 (12-6)

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 61 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in the win. Heat rookie Tyler Herro contributed 22 points.

Clippers 121 (14-5), Grizzlies 119 (5-12)

Montrezl Harrell hit the game-winning tip-in layup with 2.3 seconds left to break the tie. Harrell co-led the team in scoring (along with Lou Williams) with 24 points.

Hawks 102 (4-14), Bucks 111 (15-3)

Giannis Antetokounmpo recored a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds in Milwaukee’s home win. Jabari Parker put up an impressive 33 points against his former team.

Timberwolves 113 (10-8), Spurs 101 (6-13)

The duo of Andrew Wiggins (26 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (23 points) helped pace Minnesota’s scoring as they outlasted San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge notched 22 points in the loss.

Wizards 140 (6-10), Suns 132 (8-9)

Washington had the scoring edge thanks to Bradley Beal (35 points), Thomas Bryant (23 points) and Ish Smith (21 points). Devin Booker scored 27 points to lead the Suns.

Lakers 114 (16-2), Pelicans 110 (6-12)

Anthony Davis came up clutch in the final seconds, knocking down three free throws to steal the win in New Orleans. Davis finished with a monstrous 41 points against his former team. LeBron James made history as the fourth player ever to reach 33,000 points.

Thunder 119 (6-11), Blazers 136 (7-12)

Portland continues to click on all cylinders, getting their second win in a row. Damian Lillard led the team with 27 points, while the team also got key contributions from CJ McCollum (22 points), Hassan Whiteside (21 points) and Carmelo Anthony (19 points).

Bulls 90 (6-13), Warriors 104 (4-15)

Warriors rookie Eric Paschall gave the team a spark with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 36 points for the Bulls.

The post Post Up: Anthony Davis Comes Up Clutch in Return to New Orleans appeared first on SLAM.

New York led from start to finish as they secured the home win. Julius Randle put up a game-high 30 points for the Knicks.

Pacers 115 (8-6), Nets 86 (5-8)

Indiana received a scoring a boost from the Holiday brothers, with Aaron (24 points) and Justin (20 points) leading the team to victory. Brooklyn struggled without star Kyrie Irving; Spencer Dinwiddie (28 points) was the only Nets player with more than 10 points.

Hornets 96 (6-8), Raptors 132 (9-4)

Toronto took control in the second half, scoring 32 points in the third quarter and 40 in the final frame to close out Charlotte. OG Anunoby’s 24 points helped the Raptors secure their ninth win.

Bucks 115 (10-3), Bulls 101 (4-10)

Giannis Antetokounmpo put in a dominant performance of 33 points in 33 minutes. Brook Lopez added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Blazers 108 (5-9), Rockets 132 (11-3)

The Beard and The Brodie showed why they are an elite pairing, helping Houston to its eighth straight win. James Harden finished with 36 points, while Russell Westbrook registered a triple-double of 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Spurs 110 (5-9), Mavericks 117 (8-5)

Luka Doncic continued his special season with a career-high night. Doncic scored 42 points and hit the pivotal dagger to clinch Dallas’ win; he also added a triple-double to top off his performance.

Celtics 99 (11-2), Suns 85 (7-5)

Jayson Tatum paced Boston with 26 points, and Kemba Walker added on 19 points in the road win. Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points.

Timberwolves 112 (8-6), Jazz 102 (8-5)

Minnesota scored 36 points in the fourth quarter to seal their road win in Utah. Karl-Anthony Towns (29 points, 13 rebounds) and Jeff Teague (21 points, 11 assists) gave the Wolves a boost. Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 18 points for the Jazz.

Thunder 88 (5-7), Clippers 90 (8-5)

Paul George hit the go-ahead bucket against his former team to give the Clippers the win. George put up 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Chris Paul, also facing his former team, contributed 22 points for the Thunder.

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic Drops Career-High 42 Points in Win appeared first on SLAM.

After a sluggish start to the season, the Pacers have now won five of their past six games after knocking off the pesky Pistons. One of the keys to their victory? The Pacers bench throttled the Pistons bench, outscoring them 51-28. Domantas Sabonis has become a nearly automatic double-double, as he paced the team with 17 points, 14 boards and six assists on the night.

With Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose and Reggie Jackson all sidelined due to various injuries, Detroit is sorely lacking playmaking options. Third-year guard Luke Kennard has done an admirable job vacuuming up more possessions, and he dropped 29 points, six rebounds and five assists while playing a game-high 41 minutes.

Orlando Magic 118 (3-6), Memphis Grizzlies 86 (2-6)

This was a complete demolition. The Magic were in control all game, and put the nail in the coffin by outscoring the Grizzlies 34-8 in the 4th quarter. It was a beautifully balanced effort, with Nikola Vucevic looking back like his old self with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and two steals. French guard Evan Fournier continued his solid season with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Jonathan Issac has become a fully-fleshed defensive terror. He had 22 points on 9-11 shooting, and now has a whopping 16 blocks in his last four games.

For Memphis, it was simply one of those down games a young, inexperienced team is bound to have throughout the rigors of an 82-game season. Their highest scorer was center Jonas Valinciunas, who put up 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Cleveland Cavaliers 113 (3-5), Washington Wizards 100 (2-6)

Of all the games on tonight, somehow this one ended up on national TV. but surprisingly, it was…kind of good basketball. The Cavaliers brought a balanced approach to D.C., with seven players scoring in double digits and Tristan Thompson leading the way w9ith 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks on 67% shooting

The Wizards may be off to a rough start to the season, but their young frontcourt comprised of Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds on 21-29 shooting. Plus, Rui threw down this filthy dunk:

Sacramento Kings 121 (3-6), Atlanta Hawks 109 (3-5)

Ever since their perplexing and disastrous 0-5 start, the Kings have gone on to with three of their last four games to right the ship. Buddy Hield led the way with 22 points, while Bogdon Bogdanovic had a terrific game off the bench, scoring 20 points along with four rebounds, five assists and converting 83% of his 3-point attempts.

The Hawks continued their downward spiral, and are now 1-4 in their last five games. On the bright side, Trae Young is still making a mockery of the poor fools tasked with guarding him. He dropped a cool 30 points, 12 assists and five steals on 54% from the field.

Toronto Raptors 122 (6-2), New Orleans Pelicans 104 (1-7)

Is it possible to win most Improved Player two years in a row? Because Pascal Siakam is making a hell of a case to go back-to-back with the award after winning it last year. The dude just dropped a career-high 44 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He’s a monster, and he just joined Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan as the only Raptors players with multiple games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

It’s sad seeing the Pelicans drop to a league-worst 1-7, but there are multiple silver linings. Brandon Ingram has taken the next step from ambiguous young player with potential to a star, super-human Zion Williamson’s debut is just around the corner and even if the losing continues, they are in line to add another quality prospect to their current treasure trove.

But as of now, it’s been rough.

Minnesota Timberwolves 125 (5-3), Golden State Warriors 119 (2-7)

This was a wild game. Andrew Wiggins popped off for 40 points, Karl Towns had a 20-14 double-double and Robert Covington had a quietly excellent night, scoring 17 points, corralling 11 rebounds, snatching five steals and swatting three blocks

A 2-7 record is pretty brutal for the “Dubs”, but it was a blast to see D’Angelo Russell balling again after a week off due to injury. He carried the Warriors, with 52 points, nine rebounds, five assists and seven three-pointers made.

New York Knicks 102 (2-7), Dallas Mavericks 102 (5-3)

In the surprise of the evening, the previously 1-7 Knicks strutted into Dallas and defeated old pal Kristaps Porzingis. Marcus Morris Sr. stepped up big-time with 29 points and nine rebounds, with Julius Randle scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Dallas’s two studs were phenomenal (Luka had a ridiculous 38-14-10 triple-double and Porzingis had 28 points, nine boards and five blocks), but the rest of the Mavericks starters combined for a measly…six points. That just cannot happen.

Denver Nuggets 100 (6-2), Philadelphia 76ers 97 (5-3)

What a fantastic comeback for the Nuggets! Down 19 points in the 4th quarter, they clawed their way back, and then Nikola Jokic went full Joker and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater 3-pointer. Boom. Now that’s a way to end the night.

The 76ers, who started the season 5-0, have now succumbed to three straight losses. To be fair, they were missing Ben Simmons, who orchestrates so many actions for them and serves as a strong first line of defense on the perimeter. Joel Embiid had 19 points, 15 rebounds and one soul-snatching block, but he also coughed up the rock eight times.

Utah Jazz 103 (6-3), Milwaukee Bucks (6-3)

What a thriller. Despite trailing virtually all game, the Bucks tied it up at 100 a piece thanks to excellent efforts from Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 13 rebounds), Khris Middleton (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Eric Bledsoe (22 points, eight rebounds, five assists). It was a valiant comeback effort with the potential to turn into a quality win.

Then, Bojan Bogdanovic happened.

Not only did he win the game with this ice-cold three-pointer, but he also dropped 33 points.

Brooklyn Nets 119 (4-4), Portland Trail-Blazers 112 (3-6)

Apparently, if you scored 50 or more points in the NBA today, your team lost. Despite Damian Lillard’s herculean 60-point effort, his Trail-Blazers dropped to 3-6 in the brutal Western Conference. Get this man some more help.

Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie led the way for the Nets, with 33 and 34 points, respectively.

Los Angeles Lakers 95 (7-1), Miami Heat 80 (6-3)

The Lakers are fun again! They haven’t lost since opening night, the fans are louder than ever and there’s no drama around the team after years of behind-the-scenes tension. Bottom-line: this team is championship-level good, and they’re playing like it.

Anthony Davis stuffed the stat sheet yet again, with 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and three blocks, while LeBron controlled all facets of the game as he had himself a tidy 25 points along with four rebounds and six assists.

The post Post Up: Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic Hit Buzzer-Beaters To Seal Victories appeared first on SLAM.

Derrick Rose, who made his NBA debut 11 years ago today, hit the go-ahead bucket late to put the Pistons up for good. Andre Drummond impressed with 18 points and 18 rebounds.

Bulls 98 (1-3), Knicks 105 (1-3)

Bobby Portis showed out for the Knicks, leading the team with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and several clutch threes down the stretch. Chicago led for the entire game until New York rallied late in the fourth quarter.

76ers 105 (3-0), Hawks 103 (2-1)

Joel Embiid put in a monster effort of 36 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals to propel Philadelphia to the win. Trae Young put up 25 points and dished out nine assists for the Hawks.

Magic 95 (1-2), Raptors 104 (3-1)

Toronto went old school with their dinosaur-themed jerseys and court, and they didn’t disappoint. The duo of Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam combined for 50 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

Jonathan Isaac scored 24 points in the loss.

Cavaliers 112 (1-2), Bucks 129 (2-1)

It was an all-around effort for Milwaukee in the win as seven players hit double-digit scoring. Khris Middleton led the team with 21 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo almost notched a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Thunder 112 (1-3), Rockets 116 (2-1)

Russell Westbrook came out victorious over his old squad on Monday. The former MVP did it all, posting a line of 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. James Harden poured in 40 points for Houston.

Warriors 134 (1-2), Pelicans 123 (0-4)

Golden State finally earned its first win of the season after a rocky start. Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell combined for 50 points and 19 assists.

Brandon Ingram notched 27 points for the Pelicans.

Blazers 110 (2-2), Spurs 113 (3-0)

Damian Lillard scored 18 straight points for the Blazers and had a chance to tie it at the end, but his 3-pointer rimmed out as time expired. DeMar DeRozan paced the Spurs with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Jazz 96 (3-1), Suns 95 (2-2)

Donovan Mitchell won the game for Utah with a last-second free throw after drawing a foul with the game tied 95-95. Mitchell finished with 25 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic dropped 27 points for the Jazz.

Nuggets 101 (3-0), Kings 94 (0-4)

Jamal Murray (18 points) and Gary Harris (17 points) led the way for Denver in the road win. Richaun Holmes came up huge for the Kings with 24 points and 13 boards.

Hornets 96 (1-3), Clippers 111 (3-1)

L.A. outscored Charlotte in each of the game’s four quarters as they cruised to a win. Kawhi Leonard gave the Clippers a scoring edge with 30 points; teammate Lou Williams added 23 points off the bench.

The post Post Up: Derrick Rose Comes Up Clutch; Joel Embiid Goes Off appeared first on SLAM.

Miami battled back from a 21-point third quarter deficit to force overtime and eventually beat a very good Bucks team on the road.

Bam Adebayo dropped 19 points (on 9 shots) with 13 boards and 8 dimes. Goran Dragic added a team-high 25 points.

Sixers 117 (2-0), Pistons 111 (1-2)

Down 13 points in the third quarter, Tobias Harris (team-high 29 points) helped Philly completely erase the deficit by the end of the period.

With Joel Embiid nursing an ankle sprain, Al Horford stepped up with 23 points, 9 boards and 5 dimes.

Magic 99 (1-1), Hawks 103 (2-0)

After scoring 38 points in the Hawks’ season opener, Trae Young went off once again.

Young dropped a game-high 39 points with 9 dimes and 7 rebounds and hit some clutch buckets.

Celtics 118 (2-1), Knicks 95 (0-3)

Boston completely ran away with the game in the second half, outscoring the Knicks by 28 points.

After a rough couple games, Kemba Walker bounced back with a game-high 32 points on 11-17 shooting.

Pelicans 123 (0-3), Rockets 126 (1-1)

When Russell Westbrook drops a triple-double, he team usually wins. And that was the case for the Brodie’s new team tonight.

Westbrook dropped 28 points with 13 assists and 10 boards. James Harden added a team-high 29 points.

Raptors 108 (2-1), Bulls 84 (1-2)

Toronto took an 8-point lead into halftime and continued to blow the game wide open during the third quarter. The lead would eventually balloon to 26 points during the fourth quarter.

OG Anunoby dropped 17 points with 6 boards and 4 blocks and had a +25 plus/minus. Pascal Siakam added a game-high 19 points and had a +22 plus/minus.

Pacers 99 (0-2), Cavs 110 (1-1)

Cleveland picked up a nice win on a night that they celebrated late broadcaster Fred McLeod.

Kevin Love dropped 21 points (on 8 shots) with 13 boards and 9 assists. Tristan Thompson added a team-high 25 points (including his first career three-pointer) and had a +23 plus/minus.

Wizards 122 (1-2), Spurs 124 (2-0)

San Antonio narrowly came away with the dub in a game that featured 17 ties and 23 lead changes.

LaMarcus Aldridge dropped a game-high 27 points with 9 boards. DeMar DeRozan (26 points) came through in the clutch with some big buckets.

Kings 81 (0-3), Jazz 113 (2-1)

Wearing their crispy ’90s throwback unit, Utah took a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back. The lead would grow to as much as 37 points during the second half.

Bojan Bogdanovic dropped a game-high 26 points with a +32 plus/minus. Donovan Mitchell added 15 points and 4 dimes and had a +36 plus/minus.

Clippers (2-1), Suns (2-1)

The cards were stacked against the Suns. No DeAndre Ayton or Ricky Rubio. Second night of a back-to-back. But they managed to make a big statement by defeating the Clippers.

Devin Booker dropped a game-high 30 points with 8 dimes and 6 boards. And despite foul trouble, Kelly Oubre added 20 points and 3 steals in just 22 minutes.

—

Ryne Nelson is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @slaman10.

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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.

Utah Jazz NBA 2K20 Ratings

This table is updated as of Nov. 22, 2019

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“The biggest thing is just to get back to my roots,” says the 22-year-old, who adds that defense is what got him drafted into the NBA.

Mitchell credits San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with making him take extra pride in locking up opponents as a member of Team USA this summer.

Per The Salt Lake Tribune:

“For me, the biggest thing is just to get back to my roots. The biggest thing is to elevate my defense, to get back to what got me drafted,” Mitchell told The Salt Lake Tribune after defeating Canada in the USA’s final pre-World Cup exhibition game. “I think that’s one thing I’ve prided myself on, and I think (USA head coach Gregg Popovich) has really put that in my head as well.”

Mitchell says that’s “something I want to really take on” in the Jazz’s upcoming season.

“Whether it’s vocally, off the floor in the hotel room with the guys, or on the floor, I’m just trying to find ways to become a leader,” Mitchell said. “Being a captain of the team, it allows me to try to improve my leadership skills. It’s a big year coming up, and I think those will be really evident in this upcoming year.”

And the Jazz’s big additions this year, in the form of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, will only help Mitchell’s life on the offensive end, opening him up to 100% effort on defense, too. “I’m excited. The biggest thing is spacing on the floor, guys who can create and knock shots down. Bogey, who shoots damn near 40%, Mike can get into the paint, hits about 36% from 3, that opens up a lot,” Mitchell said. “And being able to play off each other, that’s something that will be really huge for me.”

Related Donovan Mitchell: ‘I Got Drafted Because of My Defense’

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Below is a list of the contract types the Utah Jazz 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.

Utah Jazz

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 Utah Jazz Roster Count: 2019 Training Camp 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.

In 81 games for Indiana, Bogdanovic averaged 18.0 points per game. He shot .425 from beyond the arc this season and .402 from three in 2017-18.

Bogdanovic’s new pact will represent a significant pay raise over the two-year, $21 million deal he inked in 2017 but his impact on the Pacers justifies it. He’ll join another new addition, Mike Conley, on a Jazz club eager to take advantage of the uncertainty in the Western Conference.

The post Jazz To Sign Bojan Bogdanovic To Four-Year Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Four of five Clippers starters finished in double digits, as Danilo Gallinari posted 26 points. Ivica Zubac had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds), Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell combined for 53 points off the bench. The Clippers are now in fifth place in the Western Conference.

Bucks 127 (55-19), Cavaliers 105 (19-55)

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 27 points and grabbed 10 boards. Khris Middleton had 17 points and Eric Bledsoe and Tony Snell had 12 apiece. The Bucks improved to a League-best 55-19.

Pacers 124 (45-29), Nuggets 88 (49-23)

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 of his 35 points in the first half, setting a career high. Both Myles Turner (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Domantas Sabonis (15 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles. Aaron Holiday and Tyreke Evans had 11 off the bench.

Hornets 115 (34-39), Raptors 114 (51-23)

Trailing two, Jeremy Lamb got the ball, lost control and heaved it from half court to give Charlotte the win at the buzzer. He finished with 13 points. Dwayne Bacon was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points.

Rockets 113 (47-27), Pelicans 90 (31-44)

James Harden had 29 points in 28 minutes of action. Eric Gordon, who knocked down six 3-pointers, finished with 18 points. Chris Paul had 10 points and 13 dimes, and Clint Capela was two points shy of getting a double-double, but had 17 rebounds.

Spurs 115 (43-31), Celtics 96 (43-31)

Boston had no answer for LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 48 points at TD Garden. He also grabbed 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).

Warriors 121 (50-23), Pistons 114 (37-36)

Twenty-four hours after losing to Dallas, Steph Curry (26 points) and Klay Thompson (24 points) combined for 50 points in the home win. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green each had 14 points. This is the Warriors’ sixth-straight season with 50 or more wins.

Lakers 111 (32-41), Kings 106 (36-37)

LeBron James finished with 29 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds to get his eighth triple-double of the season and snap a five-game losing streak. Kyle Kuzma had 21 third quarter points and finished with 29 points. The Kings came back from a double-digit deficit and cut it to two with 16 seconds in the game, but LeBron James made it a two possession game.

The post Post Up: LaMarcus Aldridge Puts Up 48 Points Against Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

Wes Matthews tipped in an offensive board with less than two seconds to give the Pacers a much-needed win to move into third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Prior to scoring the game-winner, Matthews locked up a red-hot Paul George in the final minute of action.

Bojan Bogdanovic led Indiana with 23 points.

Russell Westbrook recorded another triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 dimes and four steals and George dropped a game-high 36 points.

Mavericks 99 (27-41), Nuggets 100 (45-22)

Denver moved just a game out of first place in the Western Conference thanks to Nikola Jokic’s third winning shot of 2019. Before Jokic’s floater won the game, Luka Doncic (24 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, two steals) threw down a dunk in traffic with 5.8 seconds to go on what looked like a potential winner.

Dirk Nowitzki knocked down three 3’s for Dallas.

Cavaliers 91 (17-52), Magic 120 (32-38)

The Cavaliers never stood a chance as the Magic ran out to a 16-point first quarter lead and never looked back.

Aaron Gordon, DJ Augustin and Nikola Vucevic combined for 60 points to lead Orlando.

Collin Sexton was a bright spot for Cleveland, scoring 23 points — his plus-minus of -17 was the best of all the Cavs’ starters.

Kings 120 (33-34), Celtics 126 (42-27)

Buddy Hield’s game-high 34 points wasn’t enough as Kyrie Irving racked up his second career triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 12 dimes.

The Kings started off strong, leading 38-25 at the end of the first quarter, but 70 second half points from the Celtics spearheaded the comeback.

Lakers 98 (31-37), Raptors 111 (49-20)

Kawhi Leonard hit five 3’s en route to a team-high 25 points as the Raptors cruised to their ninth straight win against the Lakers.

Los Angeles, who has lost six of its last seven, scored only 14 points in the final quarter. LeBron James finished the night with 29 points, four rebounds and six assists.

Timberwolves 100 (32-37), Jazz 120 (39-29)

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 24 points as the Jazz held onto the six-seed in the Western Conference. Three different Timberwolves dished out at least six dimes (Joe Ingles: 6, Mitchell: 6, Ricky Rubio: 8).

Karl-Anthony Towns had a game-high 26 points.

The post Post Up: Nikola Jokic Makes Third Game-Winner of 2019 appeared first on SLAM.

Indiana built a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter to hand the Knicks their seventh straight loss.

Darren Collison had 16 points, 9 dimes and 3 steals. Bojan Bogdanovic scored a game-high 24 points.

Cavs 99 (17-51), Sixers 106 (43-25)

Philly blew a 10-point lead with less than 5 minutes left in the fourth, but they managed to close out the game.

Joel Embiid finished with 17 points, 19 boards, 5 dimes and 4 blocks. Ben Simmons scored a game-high 26 points with 10 boards and 8 assists.

Lakers 123 (31-36), Bulls 107 (19-50)

The Lakers battled all the way back from a 20-point second quarter deficit to snap a five-game losing streak.

LeBron James dropped a game-high 36 points with 10 boards, 4 assists and several high-flying dunks.

Bucks 130 (51-17), Pelicans 113 (30-40)

Milwaukee led by as much as 22 points in the third quarter and prevented the Pelicans from getting close during the second half.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 24 points with 9 boards, 5 assists in just 26 minutes.

Spurs 112 (39-29), Mavs 105 (27-40)

San Antonio was able to pick up a rare road win against a struggling Mavs team.

DeMar DeRozan scored a team-high 33 points with 6 dimes and 4 steals.

San Antonio has now won six straight. Dallas, on the other hand, has lost six straight.

Wolves 107 (32-36), Nuggets 133 (43-22)

Denver outscored the Wolves by 10 in the fourth quarter to beat Minnesota for the third straight time this season.

Jamal Murray dropped a team-high 30 points with 3 steals and a +20 plus/minus. Paul Millsap had 23 points (8-12 FG) with 5 boards and a +23 plus/minus.

Blazers 125 (41-26), Clippers 104 (39-30)

CJ McCollum caught fire in the fourth as Portland outscored the Clippers by 20 points in the final period.

McCollum dropped 23 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth and finished with a +20 plus/minus.

—

Ryne Nelson is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @slaman10.

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Chicago had a 1-point lead with 7 minutes to play when the Pacers went on an 8-0 run. Indiana never let the Bulls get close after that.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored a game-high 27 points (on 14 shots) with 6 boards and 2 steals. Myles Turner added 10 points, 11 boards and a career-high 7 blocks.

Magic 106 (30-36), Sixers 114 (41-23)

Playing without Joel Embiid for the sixth straight game, Philly was able to pull off the win behind Jimmy Butler’s clutch play.

Ben Simmons scored 16 points with 13 boards and 8 dimes. Tobias Harris added 21 points, 12 boards, 5 assists and a +15 plus/minus.

Rockets 107 (39-25), Raptors 95 (46-19)

After a dismal third quarter where they were outscored by 20 points, the Rockets closed out the game with a 38-point fourth quarter.

James Harden scored 19 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth. Houston has now won six straight games.

Blazers 111 (39-25), Grizzlies 120 (26-40)

Memphis outscored the Blazers by 13 in the fourth quarter to take the lead for the first time and close out the game.

Mike Conley scored a career-high 40 points (on just 18 shots!!) and was a +15 plus/minus on the night.

Thunder 120 (39-25), Wolves 131 (30-34)

Minnesota beat the Thunder for the third straight time this season and certainly look like they have OKC’s number.

Karl-Anthony Towns dropped a game-high 41 points with 14 boards and one monster dunk on Jerami Grant.

Celtics 128 (39-26), Warriors 95 (44-20)

Boston jumped out to a 25-point halftime lead and never looked back, eventually handing the Warriors their worst home loss of the season.

Gordon Hayward dropped a game-high 30 points (12-16 FG) with 7 boards, 4 assists and a +32 plus/minus. Kyrie Irving added 19 points with 11 assists and a +20 plus/minus.

—

Ryne Nelson is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @slaman10.

The post Post Up: Celtics Dominate Warriors at Oracle ☘️ appeared first on SLAM.

Utah outscored the Spurs by 15 points in the second quarter, and San Antonio never managed to get back in to the game.

Donovan Mitchell dropped a game-high 23 points with 5 assists, 5 boards and a +21 plus/minus.

Cavs 90 (11-45), Pacers 105 (37-19)

Indiana jumped out to a 13-point lead after the first quarter and held on to a double-digit lead for most of the game.

Bojan Bogdanovic finished with a game-high 23 points. The Pacers have now won five games in a row.

Hornets 129 (27-28), Hawks 120 (18-37)

Charlotte could not miss a shot—leading the entire game, and by as much as 20 points early in the fourth quarter.

Kemba Walker scored a game-high 37 points with 9 treys and a +15 plus/minus. It was his fourth straight 30-point game.

Kemba hit em with 9⃣ TREYS tonight. Can't stop this man! (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/3BfOPBzJui

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 10, 2019

Raptors 104 (41-16), Knicks 99 (10-45)

Toronto did not bring their A game to New York but were still able to eke out a win.

Kyle Lowry dropped a game-high 22 points (on 10 shots) with 5 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

New York has now lost a putrid 16 games in a row.

Clippers 123 (31-26), Celtics 112 (35-21)

Boston had a 28-point second quarter lead and ended up losing the game at home. The team was boo’d off the court.

Coincidentally, Kyrie Irving left the game with 2:28 left in the second quarter with a bruised knee, when Boston’s lead was 20.

Montrezl Harrell scored a game-high 21 points with 6 boards off the bench.

Wizards 134 (24-32), Bulls 125 (13-43)

Washington detonated for 42 points in the second quarter, taking a 15-point lead in to halftime.

In their first game back in Chicago, Bobby Portis (10 points, 12 boards, 4 assists) and Jabari Parker (20 points, 6 assists, 4 boards) both exacted their revenge.

Bradley Beal dropped a game-high 31 points with 4 assists and 4 steals.

Jabari Parker catching BODIES back in Chicago (via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/RLyodERIfz

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 10, 2019

Pelicans 90 (25-32), Grizzlies 99 (23-34)

Memphis went on a run to end the third quarter, outscoring New Orleans by 13 in the period. Even with Anthony Davis playing, the Pelicans couldn’t make a comeback in the fourth.

Joakim Noah had a throwback performance of sorts, dropping a team-high 19 points with 14 boards and 3 dimes off the bench.

Thunder 117 (36-19), Rockets 112 (32-23)

Thanks to a 42-point second quarter, Houston was able to rip open a 26-point second-quarter lead. But OKC would return the favor with a 42-point quarter of their own in the third.

Paul George went off for a game-high 45 points (on 22 shots) with 11 boards and 3 dimes.

Russell Westbrook (21 points, 11 assists, 12 boards) recorded his ninth straight (!!!) triple-double but also turned the ball over 10 times.

Magic 103 (24-32), Bucks 83 (41-14)

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee soreness), Milwaukee had arguably their worst performance of the season. They were outscored in every quarter, and shot a miserable 32.6 percent overall and 17.1 percent from three.

Nikola Vucevic once again led the way for the Magic, scoring 15 points with 17 boards and 5 assists.

The post Post Up: Paul George Drops 45 Points in Comeback Win Over Houston appeared first on SLAM.

Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet combined for 63 points to carry the load while Kawhi Leonard had the night off.

The Hawks led by eight at halftime, but they were only able to muster up 33 points in the second half as Toronto cruised to the W.

oh that boy Trae Young got DIMES (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/ONaQDQjbfr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 8, 2019

Lakers 129 (28-27), Celtics 128 (35-20)

Kyrie Irving got to the rack with 11.5 seconds to go for a go-ahead bucket and it looked like it was the nail in the coffin after Brandon Ingram was blocked with three seconds to go; however, the ball somehow bounced its way to Rajon Rondo, who got a shot off from the elbow with just 0.2 seconds to go.

LeBron James had a triple-double with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 12 dimes and three steals. Kyrie Irving had a team-high 24 points, eight assists and two steals for the Celtics.

Los Angeles shot a paltry 7-for-18 from the free throw line, but they hit a franchise-record 22 shots from behind the arc on 53.7 percent shooting to make up for it. Kuzma and James each hit five shots from deep.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 18 points in the second quarter before dropping 42 points in the third quarter to spark the comeback.

https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1093694446380638208

RAJON RONDO HAD TO SHOW OUT IN BOSTON. THAT’S GAME. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/IGdKw2WKzU

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 8, 2019

“Home.”

This game meant even more for Rajon. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/NjiLglGaHK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 8, 2019

Grizzlies 95 (22-34), Thunder 117 (35-19)

Russell Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 13 rebounds, 15 assists and four steals and Paul George knocked down six 3’s en route to 27 points as the Thunder overcame a halftime deficit to blow out the Grizzlies.

Spurs 118 (32-25), Trail Blazers (33-21) 

The Spurs made up a 21-point deficit when DeMar DeRozan made a jumper with two minutes to go in the third quarter to tie things up, but the Trail Blazers got back on track and made the next bucket and led the rest of the way.

DeRozan scored a game-high 35, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Portland’s trio of CJ McCollum (30 points), Damian Lillard (24) and Jusuf Nurkic (22) taking care of business on the offensive end.

Rudy Gay heats up for 16 3rd quarter PTS in Portland! #GoSpursGo

Watch the 4th on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/LQ3bMLI1s8

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2019

"Coming in hot & high!" #RipCity pic.twitter.com/0zLWGvtoca

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 8, 2019

Clippers 92 (30-26), Pacers 116 (36-19) 

The Pacers scored 71 first half points as the Clippers struggled to score in their first game since moving Tobias Harris.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored a game-high 29 for Indiana on 12-for-19 shooting. Myles Turner was the Pacers’ defensive anchor with four steals and six blocks to go along with his 17 points.

Timberwolves 112 (25-29), Magic 122 (23-32)

Terrence Ross turned in his third 25-point outing in the Magic’s last four contests as he dropped 32 points off the bench to lead all scorers.

An offensive outburst in the game’s first three quarters — Orlando had 102 points entering the fourth — put the game to bed.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins combined for 50 points.

The post Post Up: Rajon Rondo Hits Game-Winner in Boston, Terrence Ross Stay Hot appeared first on SLAM.

Down 20 in the third quarter, the Clippers rallied back to steal a dub in Charlotte.

Lou Williams caught fire late in the third and fourth quarters, dropping 15 straight points. He finished with 31 points off the bench and a +18 plus/minus.

Just hours before he was traded to the Sixers, Tobias Harris added a game-high 34 points (and the game-winner) against his former team.

Celtics 103 (35-19), Cavs 96 (11-43)

With Kyrie Irving out with a hip strain, Jayson Tatum went off for a team-high 25 points (on 13 shots) with 7 boards and 3 blocks.

It wasn’t Boston’s prettiest win, but they’ve now managed to win 10 of their last 11.

Lakers 94 (27-27), Pacers 136 (35-19)

The 42-point loss was the worst defeat of LeBron James’ career. Nuff said.

The game was competitive in the first quarter, but Indiana went on a run in the second to open up a 23-point halftime lead. Things got out of hand in the second half as the Pacer lead eventually reached 46 points.

Bojan Bogdanovic finished with a game-high 24 points and a +37 plus/minus.

Pistons 105 (24-29), Knicks 92 (10-43)

Detroit never trailed during the game, but never really was able to pull away with a commanding lead.

Blake Griffin finished with a game-high 29 points with 8 assists, 5 boards and a +24 plus/minus.

New York has now lost a miserable 14 straight.

Raptors 119 (39-16), Sixers 107 (34-20)

The game was marred by poor officiating, but Toronto once again looked like the superior team.

Kawhi Leonard scored a team-high 24 points (on 11 shots) with 7 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Serge Ibaka (20 and 10) double-doubled for the seventh straight game and finished with a game-high +24 plus/minus.

Wolves 106 (25-28), Grizzlies 108 (22-33)

With Marc Gasol sitting out due to a possible trade, Mike Conley went off for a team-high 25 points with 9 dimes, 3 steals and a +20 plus/minus.

With just nine players available, Memphis jumped out to a 19-point lead during the first quarter, only to see their lead dwindle to 1 in the second. The rest of the way was an up-and-down battle, but the Grizz were able to hold on.

Magic 122 (22-32), Thunder 132 (34-19)

OKC rallied back from a 12-point deficit in the third to take a 14-point lead of their own in the fourth.

Russell Westbrook had his seventh (!!) consecutive triple-double with 16 points, 16 assists and 15 boards.

Paul George put up a game-high 39 points with 8 boards and 3 steals.

Heat 118 (25-27), Blazers 108 (32-21)

Coming off of a three-game home losing streak, the Heat picked up a huge win in Portland.

Dwyane Wade had 22 points, 9 boards and 3 assists off the bench. Hassan Whiteside dropped a team-high 28 points (11-12 FG) with 11 boards, 4 steals and a +16 plus/minus.

D-Wade's midrange package is a thing of beauty (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/mN5FieoiSB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 6, 2019

The post Post Up: Heat Bounce Back With Crucial Victory in Portland appeared first on SLAM.

L.A. rallied all the way back from a 23-point third-quarter deficit to take the lead with 6:18 in the fourth.

Lou Williams scored 26 of his game-high 39 points in second half and finished with a +19 plus/minus.

Bulls 118 (12-41), Hornets 125 (26-26)

After winning their second game in a row, Charlotte is now back where they’ve been most of the season: at .500.

SLAM 220 cover subject Kemba Walker dropped a game-high 37 points with 10 assists and 6 boards.

Nets 89 (28-26), Magic 102 (22-31)

Orlando outscored the Nets by 17 points in the second half to pull away with the dub.

Nikola Vucevic scored a game-high 24 points with 12 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks and had a +20 plus/minus.

Bucks 131 (38-13), Wizards 115 (22-30)

Milwaukee ripped open a 21-point halftime lead and never looked back.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 37 points with 10 boards and a +22 plus/minus.

Mavs 111 (24-28), Cavs 98 (11-42)

Dallas outscored the Cavs by eight in the fourth quarter to close out the game.

Luka Doncic finished with a game-high 35 points with 11 boards and 6 dimes.

Pacers 95 (33-19), Heat 88 (24-27)

Indiana rallied in the second half to snap a four-game losing streak without Victor Oladipo.

Bojan Bogdanovic finished with a game-high 31 points.

Pelicans 108 (23-30), Spurs 113 (32-22)

San Antonio had a 22-point lead with 5:55 remaining and nearly blew all of it by the final minute.

Luckily for the Spurs, Tim Frazier missed a three that would have tied the game with just seconds remaining.

LaMarcus Aldridge finished with a game-high 25 points with 14 boards and a +18 plus/minus.

San Antonio has now won five straight.

It's gotta be Manu under that mask… (via @spurs) pic.twitter.com/oRbOOLfG9Q

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2019

Lakers 101 (27-26), Warriors 115 (37-15)

Los Angeles took a one-point lead with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and then the Golden State onslaught began.

Over the next eight minutes of game clock, the Warriors opened up an 18-point lead to close out the game.

Earlier in the third quarter, Boogie Cousins (18 points, 10 boards, 4 assists) swung the momentum in the Warriors’ favor after throwing down a Dunk of the Year candidate (his achilles is looking just fine).

Kevin Durant added 21 points, 11 dimes, 5 boards and had a +21 plus/minus.

That was FILTHY, Boogie (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/fTpPSNnTH9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 3, 2019

Nuggets 107 (37-15), Wolves 106 (25-27)

After nine lead changes and 11 ties, Denver was able to gut out the win in Minnesota.

The All-Star big man matchup between Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns stole the show. While KAT scored a game-high 31 points, Jokic triple-doubled (13 points, 16 boards, 10 dimes) and threw a full-court dime to Malik Beasley for the game-winning layup.

Denver has won six in a row.

Hawks 118 (17-35), Suns 112 (11-43)

Trae Young dropped 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as Atlanta rallied late in the game.

John Collins tied a career-high with 35 points while adding 16 boards and had a +15 plus/minus.

Phoenix lost their 10th in a row.

Rockets 125 (30-22), Jazz 98 (30-24)

Houston built a 13-point lead heading into halftime and never looked back. By the end of the fourth, the Rockets’ lead had ballooned to 29.

James Harden had one of his most complete games of the season, finishing with game-high 43 points (on 22 shots), 12 boards, 5 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and had a +31 plus/minus. Sheesh!

Sixers 108 (34-19), Kings 115 (27-25)

Sacramento had a 13-point lead in the third, only to see the game tied by 7:54 in the fourth.

Luckily for the Kings, Buddy Hield was red hot. He scored a game-high 34 points with 7 treys and hit a number of super-clutch buckets.

The post Post Up: DeMarcus Cousins Sparks Warriors to Win Over Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

OKC and Chicago played down to the wire. That’s when Lauri Markkanen, aka The Finnisher, stepped in, with the second-year big man using a spin move and floater to give his team the lead for good with just under five seconds. Markkanen finished with 24 points in 28 minutes.

LAURI MARKKANEN FOR THE WIN (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/b9n2NawuqE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 8, 2018

Raptors 105 (21-6), Nets 106 (9-18)

Brooklyn and Toronto battled all the way into overtime; in total, there were 15 lead changes throughout the game. D’Angelo Russell led his team to the win behind his 29 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kawhi Leonard dropped 32 points in the loss.

https://t.co/gbIIrqRAEb

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 8, 2018

Nuggets 107 (17-8), Hornets 113 (12-13)

Denver was down by 11 with five minutes left before they stormed back to get the game within one possession. Thanks to clutch play from Kemba Walker (21 points) and Tony Parker (19 points), the Hornets were able to hold on.

Kemba is cooking (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/cXPSTkcwp4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 8, 2018

76ers 117 (18-9), Pistons 111 (13-10)

Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin engaged in a fierce battle throughout this one. Butler scored 26 of his 38 points in the second half alone. Griffin contributed 31 points but came up short in getting the win.

SHEESH https://t.co/yaPGf62wNx

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 8, 2018

Pacers 112 (15-10), Magic 90 (12-14)

Indiana took control of the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back. They shot an impressive 47.3 percent from the field in the win. Bojan Bogdanovic paced his team with 26 points in just 29 minutes.

BOOM BABY! https://t.co/1N6R42H0zY

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 8, 2018

Kings 129 (13-11), Cavaliers 110 (5-20)

De’Aaron Fox just continues his breakout sophomore year. The point guard used an array of moves and quickness to drop 30 points on the Cavs, along with 12 assists. Fox’s backcourt mate, Buddy Hield, added 25 points to the winning effort.

De'Aaron Fox in transition! #SacramentoProud 57#BeTheFight 53

: https://t.co/L3VurkatG8 pic.twitter.com/JCdxdtHEjS

— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2018

Grizzlies 107 (15-9), Pelicans 103 (13-14)

Memphis turned it on to end the game, going on a 15-3 run en route to securing another win. Jamychal Green led the Grizzlies in scoring with 24 points. The Pelicans enjoyed 20-point games from Julius Randle (26 points), Anthony Davis (25 points) and Jrue Holiday (20 points) in the losing effort.

GROWN MAN SLAM

24 points for @Jmyke1 pic.twitter.com/Gvs7bue2kn

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 8, 2018

Lakers 120 (15-10), Spurs 133 (12-14)

L.A. led for much of the first three quarters and even half of the fourth quarter, but San San Antonio executed down the stretch to get the win. The Spurs shot 50.5 percent the field. DeMar DeRozan led his team with 36 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. LeBron James had 35 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the loss.

DeMar. Buckets. DeRozan. https://t.co/lfkbprw0KU

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 8, 2018

Heat 115 (10-14), Suns 98 (4-22)

The second half was all Miami as the Heat only turned it on when it was winning time. Bam Adebayo (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Justise Winslow (20 points, eight rebounds and six assists) led Miami to the win. No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix.

BAM flies in for the BIG TIME oop! #HEATCulture

WATCH on #NBA League Pass: https://t.co/L3VurkatG8 pic.twitter.com/Dzjj60nvE0

— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2018

Warriors 105 (18-9), Bucks 95 (16-8)

No one player led Golden State to the win, rather it was an all-around effort for the reigning champs in the win. Four of Golden State’s five starters hit double digits, with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry each dropping a team-high 20 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo put in 22 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

The Warriors' ball movement is on another level (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/93iqkgFbfp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 8, 2018

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Lauri Markkanen Remembers John McCain: ‘I Will Be Forever Grateful’

The post Post Up: Lauri Markkanen Hits Game-Winner to Beat Thunder 🎈 appeared first on SLAM.

New York erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat one of the League’s hottest teams in overtime.

Emmanuel Mudiay (28 points, 7 dimes) hit big shot after big shot and Kevin Knox dropped a career-high 26 points, but the pervading talk about this game will be about Mario Hezonja’s dunk and step-over on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

When pressed about the incident after the game, Giannis told reporters, “I’m going to punch him in his nuts next time.” He was dead serious.

THAT STAREDOWN (via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/zKFqlknhrr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 1, 2018

Giannis on Hezonja stepping over him: "I'm going to punch him next time."

(via @APOOCH) pic.twitter.com/VG8MnjsV7m

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

Warriors 102 (15-9), Pistons 111 (13-7)

Stephen Curry returned after an 11-game absence, but Golden State could not get its offense going in this one.

The Warriors shot a combined 6-26 from three and turned the ball over 15 times as they trailed for most of the game.

Blake Griffin (26 points, 5 assists) and Andre Drummond (16 points, 19 boards) led the way for Detroit, who has now won five games in a row.

Blake Griffin puts Damion Jones on a POSTER (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/NLN2ycHtH3

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

Nets 88 (8-16), Wizards 102 (9-14)

Washington picked up a much-needed win after getting completely blown out in Philly the night before.

John Wall had 30 points (on 24 shots) and 9 assists to lead the Wizards.

Brooklyn, who lost in a double-OT heartbreaker on Friday, has now dropped six games in a row.

Raptors 106 (20-4), Cavs 95 (4-18)

Even without Kyle Lowry, Toronto was able to come away with a win in Cleveland.

Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and 9 boards to lead the Raptors to their eighth straight win. The Cavs, on the other hand, are now on a four-game skid.

Good luck stopping Kawhi on his way to the cup (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/2PxahJFOVB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

Bulls 105 (5-19), Rockets 121 (11-11)

Lauri Markkanen returned after missing the first 23 games of the season, but Chicago still lost in blowout fashion in Houston.

The Rockets outscored the Bulls by 16 in the first quarter and never looked back. As usual, James Harden led the way for Houston, finishing with 30 points, 7 dimes and 6 boards.

Chicago has now lost six games in a row.

Celtics 118 (13-10), Wolves 109 (11-12)

Boston is once again starting to resemble a rising superpower, having won four of their last five games.

In by far his best game of the season, Gordon Hayward came off the bench to score 30 points (on 16 shots) with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Celtics were whipping the ball around the court, recording 30 assists for the fifth time in their last seven games.

That pass by Marcus Smart tho… (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/3zP5PSkeDN

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

Pacers 110 (13-9), Kings 111 (10-11)

Bookending the night with another highly entertaining game, the Pacers and Kings went back-and-forth with 25 lead changes.

Both Bogdanovic’s played excellent ballgames, with Indy’s Bojan dropping 27 points and Sacramento’s Bogdan scoring 20 with 6 assists.

Willie Cauley-Stein (17 points, 13 boards) gave the Kings the lead for good with a put-back dunk with 16 seconds remaining.

CLUTCH! Willie Cauley-Stein cleans up the glass (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/xEo0Np9Vaf

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 2, 2018

The post Post Up: Young Knicks Outlast Bucks in Overtime appeared first on SLAM.

Cleveland fell short in its first game of the post-LeBron James era (part two). Kawhi Leonard, however, put on a show in his first game with Toronto, scoring 24 points and putting Tristan Thompson on a poster.

KAWHI BACK (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/MRWtH5jvZq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

Kyle Lowry had 27 points in his first game without backcourt mate DeMar DeRozan.

Bucks 113 (1-0), Hornets 112 (0-1)

The Hornets mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter but couldn’t close it out as the Bucks came out on top. Nicolas Batum missed a chance to win it as the buzzer sounded.

Nic Batum wasn't even close pic.twitter.com/8rd8VMqMvX

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 18, 2018

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in the win.

Nets 100 (0-1), Pistons 103 (1-0)

The Pistons held on to the win in Detroit thanks to 24 points and 20 rebounds by Andre Drummond. Blake Griffin had 26 points of his own, but was also rejected hard at the rim by Jarrett Allen.

JARRETT ALLEN DENIES BLAKE GRIFFIN AT THE RIM (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/FQ1oFKniyK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2018

Grizzlies 83 (0-1), Pacers 111 (1-0)

Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points) and Victor Oladipo (16 points) helped the Pacers make easy work of Memphis. The game marked Mike Conley’s return to the court after missing most of last season; he made Cory Joseph fall at one point during the game.

WE GOT A MAN DOWN IN INDIANA (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/QJIyrbYbRV

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

Heat 101 (0-1), Magic 104 (1-0)

Aaron Gordon’s 26 points and 16 rebounds led the way for Orlando in the win. Mo Bamba had 13 points and seven rebounds in his NBA debut. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade received a huge applause as he entered the game that kicks off his last season in the league.

Dwyane Wade gets the BIG applause as he enters the game. Respect to the legend's last season (via @MiamiHEAT) https://t.co/nO0KNmwoZC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2018

Hawks 107 (0-1), Knicks 126 (1-0)

The Knicks set a franchise record with 49 points in the second quarter against Atlanta. New York was led by 31 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. against his former team. Undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier surprised with a huge slam.

Allonzo Trier with the HAMMER (via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/S1CJA31E1k

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

Pelicans 131 (1-0), Rockets 112 (0-1)

New Orleans spoiled James Harden’s MVP trophy celebration with an easy win on ESPN. Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic combined for 62 points while Elfrid Payton added a triple-double.

32 PTS, 16 REB, 8 AST, 3 BLK for Anthony Davis in Houston!@PelicansNBA beat the @HoustonRockets 131-112.

Nikola Mirotic: 30 PTS, 10 REB, 6 3PM
Elfrid Payton: 10 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST
Julius Randle: 25 PTS, 8 REB
James Harden: 18 PTS, 10 AST, 9 REB#DoItBig #KiaTipOff18 pic.twitter.com/G4Et321Rvd

— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2018

Timberwolves 108 (0-1), Spurs 112 (1-0)

DeMar DeRozan marked the start of his Spurs career with a win behind his 28 points and go-ahead bucket. LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points and 19 rebounds to the effort. Jimmy Butler had 23 points in his return after a drama-filled last week; he chopped it up with DeRozan in pregame.

What Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan talkin' about? (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/xhNGd8So0q

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

Jazz 123 (1-0), Kings 117 (0-1)

Donovan Mitchell (24 points) led the way for Utah with support from Joe Ingles (22 points) and Rudy Gobert (19 points, 15 rebounds). Willie Cauley-Stein (23 points, seven rebounds) led a scrappy Sacramento team that didn’t go away easily.

SPN CYCLE#UTAatSAC | #TakeNote https://t.co/I1nSB7Pg1K

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 18, 2018

Mavericks 100 (0-1), Suns 121 (1-0)

No. 1 and 3 picks Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic squared off in Phoenix, with the Suns coming out on top thanks to Devin Booker’s 35 points. Doncic had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes while Ayton had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.

It's halftime but we're still thinking about this pass. How Luka how? (via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/1B0kvZyIs8

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

Nuggets 107 (1-0), Clippers 98 (0-1)

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring with 21 points while Paul Millsap led the team in rebounds with 16 on the night. Will Barton and Gary Harris combined for 39 points. Boban Marjanovic stole the show with 18 points and a poster, standing dunk.

Boban doesn't even need to leave the ground to put you on a poster (via @LAClippers) pic.twitter.com/yB566ahktB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 18, 2018

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These Pacers just don’t stop fighting. Despite Cleveland holding a 17-point halftime lead, Indiana came all the way back in the second half, holding the Cavs to 33 points in the game’s final two quarters to grab a crucial series lead.

On a relative off-night for Victor Oladipo (18 points on 5-of-15 shooting) and Myles Turner (8 points and 10 rebounds), it was Bojan Bogdanovic (30 points) who led the way. He knocked down seven triples and, at one point in the fourth quarter, scored 12 straight points for Indiana. LeBron (28 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) answered Bogey’s personal 7-0 run with one of his own, but couldn’t get any help from his supporting cast down the stretch other than a Kevin Love (19 points, 6 rebounds) three.

In the final nine minutes of the game, only Love and LeBron scored for Cleveland. With that said, the Cavs had a chance to win at the buzzer after Darren Collison split a pair of free throws. However, J.R. Smith’s halfcourt heave was a little bit short, securing the W for the home team.

Safe to say this was a bad loss for the Cavs who, yet again, looked like a completely different after halftime than they did before it. Now, Indy firmly has homecourt advantage heading into Game 4, in which Cleveland will need a lot more help from the bench/shooters in if it’s going to be a winnable one.

Wizards 122, Raptors 103 (Raptors lead 2-1)

No sweep incoming for No. 1 seed Toronto. The Washington backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal (28 points apiece) dominated on both ends of the floor, scoring at will and helping force a bunch of turnovers (they combined for 7 steals as Toronto committed 18 miscues). Mike Scott and Kelly Oubre (12 points apiece) played well off the bench.

While it wasn’t particularly close score-wise after Washington’s big second quarter, this was a pretty physical game with some fiery scuffles. Markieff Morris and O.G. Anunoby got into it just 2.5 minutes after tip, with both earning techs. Then, later on, Wall, Beal and Serge Ibaka got T’d up after Jonas Valanciunas wouldn’t give up the ball following an offensive foul.

DeMar DeRozan (23 points) and Kyle Lowry (19 points, 8 assists) paced Toronto offensively but, without the injured Fred VanVleet, the Raptors’ bench struggled again. If VanVleet’s shoulder keeps limiting him, Toronto will have some issues to contend with.

Bucks 116, Celtics 92 (Celtics lead 2-1)

Somehow, after weak showings in Boston, the Bucks are right back in this series. Milwaukee got out to a hot start and never looked back, holding the Celtics to 12 points in the first quarter and building a 23-point lead by the break. It was never really close at any point.

Khris Middleton (23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), Giannis Antetokounmpo (19 points) and Eric Bledsoe (17 points) got the Milwaukee offense going early on and the Bucks stayed in rhythm all night. It helps when Thon Maker (14 points, 5 blocks) and Giannis are making unicorn-like plays on both offense and defense.

5️⃣first half blocks for Thon Maker. Milwaukee is absolutely rolling (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/CbCZmHfebO

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 21, 2018

Giannis is a bad, bad man (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/Kgw1gbYbnF

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 21, 2018

With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown held in check — and Terry Rozier essentially a non-factor — Boston just had a hard time scoring. The Celtics still control this series but there’s the risk that getting such a dominant W could kickstart Milwaukee a little bit going forward.

The post Post Up: Pacers, Wizards And Bucks Hold Serve At Home appeared first on SLAM.

With Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young all sitting out of a meaningless regular season finale — the Pacers are locked in as the 5th seed — Indiana played like a team just waiting to start the postseason. The Hornets took advantage, scoring 37 first quarter points en route to an easy win.

@NBA MILESTONE ALERT @DwightHoward has passed Shaquille O’Neal for 14th place on the league’s all-time rebounding leaderboard (13,100)!!! #BuzzCity

(up next: 13. Hakeem Olajuwon – 13,748) pic.twitter.com/yEtO5a7u9W

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 11, 2018

Dwight Howard (14 points, 17 rebounds) passed Shaq for 14th place on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list while Kemba Walker (15 points) capped off another great statistical campaign. Frank Kaminsky added 24 points off the bench for a Charlotte team that might look very different come October, and with good reason.

76ers 121 (51-30), Hawks 113 (24-58)

15 in a row. Thanks to 15 threes (and 74 points) from the trio of J.J. Redick, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, the 76ers held off the Hawks to set a franchise record for longest winning streak. Even Dario Saric leaving the game early with a chipped tooth couldn’t stop Philly as the 76ers set team history.

We’ve got a Trust the Process chant in Atlanta tonight as the Hawks make an attempt at the stripe. pic.twitter.com/QzPOpy37bZ

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 11, 2018

If Philly wins tomorrow night against the Bucks, the 76ers will be the No. 3 seed in the East. But, if they lose and the Cavs beat the Knicks, the 76ers will slip to No. 4. Taurean Prince (27 points) paced Atlanta in the Hawks’ final regular season game.

Wizards 113 (43-38), Celtics 101 (54-27)

With nothing to play for — and Kyrie Irving still out — the Celtics faded away after a strong opening frame as the Wizards, trying to get into some sort of rhythm before the playoffs, got a huge game from John Wall (29 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists) in a much-needed W. Washington is currently the No. 8 seed but is tied with the Heat, so a Miami loss to the Raptors and a Wizards win over the Magic tomorrow would lead to a Wizards-Celtics first round matchup.

Jaylen Brown (27 points) led the way for the Celtics, who will be the No. 2 seed.

Suns 124 (21-61), Mavericks 97 (24-58)

Prior to Tuesday, Suns rookie forward Alec Peters had scored 46 points all season. Then, he dropped 36 (on 8-of-13 three-point shooting) to close out Phoenix’s season on a relative high note — since the Suns already clinched the NBA’s worst record. It has been a lost season for both Phoenix and Dallas, and such was apparent by the lineups both teams used in their final games. Still, it’s really cool for a guy like Peters to have a career night when finally given an opportunity.

The only players in the @NBA this season to have at least 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 three-pointers…@petersalec and @JHarden13 pic.twitter.com/5MiDOo526h

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 11, 2018

Jazz 119 (48-33), Warriors 79 (58-24)

Yeah, that score isn’t a typo. Utah dominated all night in a win that gave the Jazz the inside track to the No. 3 seed in the West. Golden State — without Steph Curry or Andre Iguodala but with the rest of the rotation mostly intact — only scored 33 points in the first half. A 40-point margin of victory for Utah didn’t even do the beatdown complete justice.

Donovan Mitchell (22 points) capped his incredible rookie regular season in fitting fashion by breaking Damian Lillard‘s rookie record for three-pointers with his 186th and he did it with another game to play.

Donovan Mitchell breaks the record from the corner! #TakeNote #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/sfnS1XUUZR

— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2018

Rockets 105 (65-16), Lakers 99 (34-47)

The actual result of this game wasn’t the biggest story from it, with it affecting neither Houston’s playoff positioning nor LA’s lottery situation. That would be Andre Ingram, who spent 10 years in the G League before the Lakers called him up for the last two games of the regular season.

He promptly drilled his first four shots, including three triples, and wound up with 19 points (on just eight shots) in his NBA debut, along with three blocks. The 32-year-old Ingram is the oldest American rookie since the 1960s. His heroics weren’t enough to lead LA to comeback win but they did get the Staples Center crowd going nuts. Definitely one of the coolest storylines of the season.

Andre Ingram in crunch time! #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/d0RYAOcm36

— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2018

In not-as-nice news, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute appeared to dislocate his right shoulder on a dunk attempt in the second quarter. It was the same shoulder he hurt earlier in the season. The Rockets really need his defense for the postseason, so a serious injury could be debilitating should Houston run into the Warriors down the road.

The post Post Up: Andre Ingram Captivates And The 76ers Keep It Going appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Paul‘s layup high off the glass with a second to go gave the Rockets a thrilling win over Portland. That was good for two of his 27 points as Paul helped Houston hold off a furious Blazers surge. Portland went on a 19-2 fourth-quarter run to complete a 24-point comeback and tie the game. Damian Lillard did not play for Portland and CJ McCollum led the team with 16 points.

CP3. Game. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/9c0SVbZOjK

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 6, 2018

Cavaliers 119 (49-30), Wizards 115 (42-37)

The Cavs trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter, but LeBron James took over, scoring 13 over the final six minutes to lead Cleveland to a comeback win. LeBron finished with 33 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds. He also scored or assisted on eight of the Cavs’ final nine field goals. John Wall had 28 to lead the Wizards, who fell into a tie with the Bucks for the 7 seed in the East with three games left.

JORDAN CLARKSON 360 (via @cavs) pic.twitter.com/DipjlX5OqB

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 6, 2018

Nets 119 (26-53), Bucks 111 (42-37)

Allen Crabbe hit the go-ahead three, then another one a minute later to give the Nets a win in Milwaukee. Crabbe scored 25 points and went 5-10 from three overall to lead Brooklyn. The Nets shot 55 percent as a team. Khris Middleton led all scorers with 31 points and made all 11 of his free throw attempts. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.

Giannis!!!

Every game with this guy… (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/qtawUTV34N

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 6, 2018

Pacers 126 (47-32), Warriors 106 (57-22)

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points to lead the Pacers to a season sweep over the defending champions. This is the first time the Warriors have been swept by an Eastern Conference team since 2013-14, while the Pacers have now won six out of seven and have three games remaining in the regular season. Kevin Durant had 27 points, five rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Warriors.

We’re jammin’ pic.twitter.com/3kJLms387g

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 6, 2018

Jazz 117 (46-33), Clippers 95 (42-37)

The Clippers’ slim playoff hopes to a huge hit with a blowout loss to the Jazz on Thursday. They now trail Minnesota and Denver by two games with three left to play. The Jazz, on the other hand, have now won 27 out of 32 and are in position to host their first-round series. Seven Jazz players scored in double-figures in the win, led by Donovan Mitchell, who had 19. Austin Rivers matched that with 19 of his own to lead the Clippers.

getting crafty again (via @utahjazz) pic.twitter.com/lPUQ9078pu

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) April 6, 2018

Nuggets 100 (44-35), Timberwolves 96 (44-35)

Jamal Murray had 22 points, all five Denver starters scored in double figures, and Devin Harris had 20 off the bench as the Nuggets held on at home. Denver took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Minnesota chipped away and eventually tied it on a shot from Karl-Anthony Towns with 3:19 to go. Less than two minutes later, however, Towns fouled out, depriving the Timberwolves of their biggest offensive threat. He finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but the Nuggets hit their free throws down the stretch to win.

this is a hand sport pic.twitter.com/u8S6XEjQEw

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 6, 2018

The post Post Up: Chris Paul’s Game-Winner Lifts Rockets To Win Over Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

A 15-point advantage in the third quarter gave the Pistons their third win in a row as Andre Drummond recorded the fourth-ever 24-point, 23-rebound and four-assist game. Anthony Tolliver (14), Reggie Jackson (13) and Reggie Bullock also scored in double-digits.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 15 points.

Bulls 92 (24-51), Heat 103 (41-35)

Josh Richardson scored 22 as the Heat downed a shorthanded Bulls team without Lauri Markkanen (DNP – Tank) to hold onto the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Goran Dragic added 17.

All five Chicago starters (Noah Vonleh, David Nwaba, Roblin Lopez, Cameron Payne, Justin Holiday) and sixth man Bobby Portis scored in double-digits in the effort.

EVEN THE BASELINE CAMERA MAN BIT ON THAT FAKE (via @DefPenHoops) pic.twitter.com/EwOcBHTs32

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 30, 2018

THAT BAM BOY GOT BOUNCE (via @miamiheat) https://t.co/8l24whvQFO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 30, 2018

Thunder 99 (44-32), Spurs 103 (44-32)

At one point it seemed like the Spurs’ season was on the brink of collapse; however, LaMarcus Aldridge’s clutch jam in the final minute of the fourth quarter secured San Antonio’s seventh win out of its last nine and moved the Spurs to fourth in the Western Conference.

Aldridge finished the night with 25 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks while Patty Mills chipped in 14.

Paul George led the Thunder with 26 points, six assists and four steals.

Pacers 106 (45-31), Kings 103 (24-52)

Victor Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 49 points and scored all seven of Indiana’s points in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

Buddy Hield scored 20 off the pine for the Kings.

Bucks 116 (40-15), Warriors 107 (54-21)

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 32 points spoiled Kevin Durant’s return to the Warriors’ lineup as the Bucks led by 18 after three periods of play. Khris Middleton chipped in 23 and Eric Bledsoe added another 20.

Quinn Cook led the Warriors with 30 points while Durant scored 10 in 17 minutes.

Giannis just pushed KD aside like a rag doll (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/H2ggArpb5e

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 30, 2018

‘BARI BUCKETS (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/g7KLppTugC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 30, 2018

The post Post Up: Giannis Antetokounmpo Spoils Kevin Durant’s Return to the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t play in the second half with a left knee contusion as the Spurs’ uncharacteristic road struggles continued. Washington got whatever it wanted offensively after a slow opening frame. Seven Wizards scored in double figures as Washington won the rebounding battle 50-36 and had 33 assists on 46 field goals.

Aldridge limped off the floor in the second quarter and never returned, playing just 17 minutes. Still, he led the Spurs with 13 points. Bryn Forbes added 12 points off the bench. This looks like a team that desperately needs Kawhi Leonard to make a surprise return before, or even during, the playoffs.

Raptors 114 (55-20), Nuggets 110 (40-35)

With each loss, Denver slips further and further away from the No. 8 seed in the West. The Nuggets are just 2-4 on their current seven-game road trip, which ends Friday night in Oklahoma City, and — as has been the case in recent years — can’t figure it out away from Pepsi Center.

Nikola Jokic (29 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists) had a monster game but it wasn’t enough for the Nuggets, who led by eight at the start of the fourth quarter. However, they went cold right as the Raptors’ really good bench got hot, leading to a gamechanging 15-2 run that swung the momentum in favor of the home team.

Jakob Poeltl just Mozgov’d Millsap! (via @Raptors) pic.twitter.com/QVHLToIRGS

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) March 28, 2018

Neither Kyle Lowry nor DeMar DeRozan (26 points and 16 assists combined) were particularly effective offensively, so solid games from Jonas Valanciunas (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Fred VanVleet (15 points in 25 minutes off the bench) helped a lot. The Raptors also blocked 16 shots as a team, as four players had three or more swats.

Rockets 118 (61-14), Bulls 86 (24-50)

Even with James Harden resting, the Rockets cruised, knocking down 18 threes and forcing 18 Chicago turnovers. Eric Gordon (31 points) and Chris Paul (13 points, 10 assists) paced the offense in a game Houston led by 21 at the half. The win was the Rockets’ 10th straight, another double-digit winning streak that has managed to go under the radar for a team that has lost just once since January 26th.

Back-to-back ’s for @TheofficialEG10!

31pts
8 3PT pic.twitter.com/1C1SpgR3Ar

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 28, 2018

With the loss, the Bulls clinched their first 50-loss season since the 2003-04 campaign. They’ve lost six games in a row. Lauri Markkanen (22 points) was the only Chicago starter to make more than two shots on the night.

Trail Blazers 107 (46-28), Pelicans 103 (43-32)

New Orleans survived another Anthony Davis injury scare but wasted a monster game (36 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks) from its superstar as Damian Lillard (41 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals) and Jusuf Nurkic (21 points, 10 rebounds) were just too much down the stretch.

Lillard is definitely on the outside looking in with regards to the MVP race — behind the likes of Harden and LeBron, maybe AD too — but he continues to put up ridiculous numbers every night for a Blazers team that just keeps winning. He picked up the backcourt slack for his partner-in-crime, C.J. McCollum, who was just 3-for-19 from the field.

@DAME_LILLARD TIME IN NOLA pic.twitter.com/UMFNtW0P84

— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 28, 2018103

Jrue Holiday (21 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) notched his first triple-double of the season. Down 105-103 with the shot clock off, the Pelicans had a pair of great chances to take the lead but E’Twaun Moore missed two good looks from three and Portland sealed the deal at the free throw line.

Heat 98 (40-35), Cavaliers 79 (44-30)

LeBron’s latest return to South Beach — against his now twice-former teammate Dwyane Wade — didn’t go so well, either for him or the Cavaliers. LBJ (18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) just seemed a little out of it on both ends of the floor, as he committed six turnovers and posted a -19. The Heat came out with energy and kept Cleveland at hand the rest of the way, making good use of a strong first quarter.

Father Prime not having it (via @MiamiHEAT) pic.twitter.com/eNCXrBmDtD

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) March 28, 2018

The Cavs were just 4-for-26 from three-point range. James Johnson and Josh Richardson (15 points apiece) played good defense for Miami and were solid on the boards. Kelly Olynyk added 19 points off the bench.

Mavericks 103 (23-51), Kings 97 (24-51)

For the second time in a week, what happened outside the Golden 1 Center overshadowed what went on inside. With the city of Sacramento mired in protests after the death of Stephon Clark, the Mavs’ win over the Kings in a battle of lottery teams took a backseat to real life.

Smaller group of #StephenClark protestors that have blocked the doors of the main entry to Golden 1 Center in Savramento before Kinds & Mavericks tonight. Arena locked down. pic.twitter.com/dfi9dHQl35

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 28, 2018

Harrison Barnes (20 points) and Dennis Smith Jr. (19 points in 25 minutes) led the way for Dallas, which won just its ninth road game of the season. Skal Labissiere (19 points, 8 rebounds) helped spur a furious comeback for Sacramento at the end of regulation but it fell just short.

Pacers 92 (44-31), Warriors 81 (54-20)

Golden State — without Steph, KD, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green — somehow led this one by 15 at one point before Indiana locked down defensively in the second half, holding the Warriors to 33 points over the final 24 minutes. Fresh off clinching a playoff spot, the Pacers kept up with the 76ers and moved within a half-game of No. 3 Cleveland.

Victor Oladipo (24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) made big after big play while Thad Young (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Bojan Bogdanovic (17 points) hit some huge shots to help the Pacers come back against a somewhat handicapped version of the defending champs.

Clippers 105 (40-34), Bucks 98 (39-35)

With the Pistons five games out, the Bucks aren’t really in danger of missing the playoffs but their iffy play as of late is a little bit concerning entering the postseason. On the other hand, the Clippers picked up a big game on the No. 8 Timberwolves (who lost last night to Memphis) and moved in front of the Nuggets.

UNGUARDABLE! @AustinRivers25

#PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/SlgvC8xjcm

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 28, 2018

It was a pretty balanced effort for LA, which made 15 threes (on just 28 attempts) and had five players in double figures. Tobias Harris (19 points) was solid against his former team and Austin Rivers knocked down the dagger with 94 seconds left to play. Giannis (26 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks) and the rest of the starters played well, despite not getting much help from Jabari Parker (1-for-12 from the field) and the rest of the bench.

The post Post Up: The Rockets And Blazers Are Unstoppable appeared first on SLAM.

The Knicks got 26 points out of Tim Hardaway Jr. and 18 off the bench from newly-signed Troy Williams, but it wasn’t enough as the Giannis Antetokounmpo notched 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Khris Middleton scored a game-high 30.