The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 12:44 pm | Story: 477841
Photo: The Canadian Press
The NCAA entered into its first NIL licensing deal allowing the use of the March Madness logo to Topps trading cards featuring basketball stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Zach Edey and Tristen Newton.
Since NIL was deregulated in 2021, the NCAA has taken a conservative approach in finding deals, turning down a handful of companies.
“There have been cases we’ve had to decline certain NIL opportunities because we weren’t comfortable doing it,” said NCAA managing director of championships, external relations, Chris Termini.
Fanatics, which owns Topps and runs the NCAA.com shop, was sensitive to the organization’s interests, specifically gender equity.
“Student athletes are equally represented across men’s and women’s basketball, which was important to us and they were very understanding of that,” Termini said.
The eight-card packs that went on sale Monday have six base cards, one guaranteed autograph and one guaranteed parallel card. A few lucky fans could get a rare dual autograph card that might have Clark and Edey or the Iowa star and Reese. Those are in one of every 10 packs.
“They had a rolodex of student athletes already licensed where they already had rights,” Termini said. “That made it relatively easy.”
There is a chance that the card deal could be expanded to other sports down the road.
“This is a shorter program, the 20 student athletes are licensed through Topps,” NCAA Director of Licensing David Clendenin said. “That made it a quicker process for approvals. We are having long-term conversations about basketball but also other opportunities with Topps. There might be larger program in the future where obviously we have a longer runway and we can go out and get, you know, opt-ins from schools or certain athletes.”
The packs, which have an expensive price tag of $140, have been selling well according to the NCAA. This wasn’t the NCAA’s first foray into trading cards as they had a deal with Upper Deck in 2014-15. Those cards, though, featured former players.
There has definitely been a lot of interest in cards again. In January, a Clark card sold for $78,000, which made it the highest price for a women’s basketball player and the second most expensive ever for a female athlete trailing only Serena Williams. Topps has launched more than 120 Bowman U Now cards this season featuring student-athletes, including 61 cards featuring basketball players. Clark has 13 of her own.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 12:19 pm | Story: 477836
Photo: The Canadian Press
MIES, Switzerland — The groups have been set for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at the Paris Olympics this summer.
The draw was held in Mies, Switzerland, with former Australian women’s star Penny Taylor and former NBA superstar and American Carmelo Anthony presenting the groups on Tuesday.
Canada’s seventh-ranked men’s team will be in Group A alongside fifth-ranked Australia, the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain and the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.
In Greece, it will be Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Greece, New Zealand and Slovenia vying for a spot. In Spain, the teams will be Angola, Bahamas, Finland, Lebanon, Poland and Spain.
It’s the first Olympic appearance for Canada since 2000. The Canadian men qualified for the Olympics after a quarterfinal victory over Spain at the World Cup in September.
Canada went on to win its first-ever medal with bronze at the tournament, defeating the U.S. 127-118 in the third-place game in Manila.
Group B will have France, Germany, Japan and the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Latvia. The teams looking to leave Latvia with an Olympic berth are Brazil, Cameroon, Georgia, Latvia, Montenegro and the Philippines.
Group C boasts Serbia, South Sudan, the winner of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico and the defending Olympic champion the U.S. The teams set to play in Puerto Rico are Bahrain, Ivory Coast, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
All four Olympic qualifying tournaments will be held from July 2-7.
The men’s Olympic tournament is scheduled to run from July 27 to Aug. 10.
The fifth-ranked Canadian women’s team is in Group B next to third-ranked Australia, host and seventh-ranked France and 12th-ranked Nigeria.
Group A is made up of Serbia, Spain, China and Puerto Rico. Group C consists of Germany, the defending Olympic champion U.S., Japan and Belgium.
The women’s field is set as all four Olympic qualifying tournaments were played in February, with Canada having qualified from one in Hungary. Canada went 1-2 in the four-team event but received a helping hand when Spain defeated Hungary in the final game of the competition.
The women’s Olympic tournament is scheduled to run from July 28 to Aug. 11.
The group phases for both tournaments will be played in Lille, France.
The top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams qualify for the final phase, which will be held in Paris.
There will be a draw following the group phase to determine quarterfinal pairings, with the final phase to be played in knockout format.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 11:50 am | Story: 477835
Photo: The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Darko Rajakovic remembers what it’s like to be an eager young basketball coach, trying to absorb as much as possible from more experienced teachers.
Now that he’s the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, he’s happy to impart as much as he can to the next generation of young coaches.
The Raptors held an open practice on Tuesday morning at Scotiabank Arena, with approximately 400 Toronto-area basketball coaches from all levels of the game sitting in the stands, watching how Rajakovic runs his training sessions.
“Back in the day, I was one of those coaches. I was sitting in the stands and listening to the clinics and trying to steal any knowledge I could and learn,” said Rajakovic after the practice. “For me, it’s a path that I went through so I can really respect them showing up on a Tuesday morning in a cold arena and ask questions and be eager to find out new information. I take it very, very seriously.
“Anything that I can do to help any of those coaches and the basketball program in Canada, I’m here.”
He added with a laugh: “Unless when you’re playing against Serbia. Then no.”
The Raptors usually hold their practices and morning shootarounds at OVO Athletic Centre, about 4.5 kilometres west of Scotiabank Arena, but moved it to their arena for the clinic. The day began with assistant coach Ivo Simovic going through basic drills with rookie forward Gradey Dick as his demonstration player, before Rajakovic explained how a normal practice worked, and then Toronto went through its usual set of drills.
“We really didn’t change that much of a regular practice,” said Dick of the full squad session. “We’re so in the thick of the season where it’s more about getting prepared for the next game.
“Not really going too crazy and knowing our bodies because we have a good stretch left.”
As a rookie, Dick’s only NBA practice experience has come under Rajakovic, who is in his first year as a head coach. Guard Ochai Agbaji, who is in his second season in the league after playing for the Utah Jazz in his rookie campaign, said that a Rajakovic-led practice is different than what he experienced in Salt Lake City.
“Darko, I think, brings an intensity to practice,” said Agbaji. “I think that that helps us get ready for the games and put stuff into light and into focus that we need to really take into a game.
“So with his intensity and how intentional he is with things during practice, I think it helps us out.”
The morning wrapped with Rajakovic taking questions from some of the coaches in attendance with Raptors radio commentator Paul Jones serving as M.C.
“I thought that our coaches did a really good job of presenting some of the stuff that we’re doing offensively and defensively,” said Rajakovic. “But it was also very cool to hear coaches ask really good questions.
“We’re really looking forward to continue to build this experience for our coaches and for our fan base.”
Three of Toronto’s injured players were present courtside throughout. Centre Jakob Poeltl (dislocated finger), took one-handed shots in his flip flops when a basket was free. All-star forward Scottie Barnes (broken hand) and centre Chris Boucher (right knee contusion) of Montreal sat on the bench, occasionally stretching on the baseline, as their Raptors teammates practised.
“I think it’s paramount. I think it’s very important for them to be around our team,” said Rajakovic. “Scottie is our team leader. He can always be there and help with his voice. Even (though) he’s 22, he’s still very capable to help our guys and give them encouragement and instruction or whatever it might be.
“Then for Jak and CB as veterans, it’s very important for them to help other guys. But also, I think it’s very important for them to feel that they are still part of the team.”
RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., was not at practice as he mourns the death of his 20-year-old brother Nathan Tyler Barrett.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 11:04 am | Story: 477813
Photo: The Canadian Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell could miss at least another week after breaking his nose in Cleveland’s loss at Houston last weekend.
Mitchell, who has also been dealing with a bruised left knee, got hurt in Saturday’s game against the Rockets when teammate Tristan Thompson accidentally bashed him while going after a loose ball.
The Cavs said Tuesday that Mitchell underwent a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic to realign his nose. He’ll be reevaluated “in approximately one week.”
Mitchell sat out Monday night’s win at Indiana due to the nose and to rest his left knee, which has kept him out of at least seven games since the All-Star break. The Cavs listed him as out with the nasal issue against the Pacers, but Mitchell said Saturday he needed time to get his knee right.
The 27-year-old received a platelet-rich plasma injection on March 4, when the Cavs said he would be out for their next three games. While he made some progress, Mitchell expressed frustration at not having his usual burst.
Mitchell is averaging 27.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 49 games in his second season with Cleveland.
The Cavs have been saddled with injuries all season with Mitchell and starters Evan Mobley (ankle) and Max Strus (knee) all missing time lately.
Cleveland (43-25) has managed to stay among the Eastern Conference’s top teams despite the rash of injuries and enters Wednesday’s home game against Miami trailing Milwaukee by one game for the No. 2 spot.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 10:52 am | Story: 477807
Photo: The Canadian Press
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been stepping up in a time of need for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minnesota, one of the best success stories of the 2023-24 NBA season, took a hit a couple of weeks ago when all-star forward Karl-Anthony Towns went down with a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Facing the possibility of their first three-game losing streak of the season, the Timberwolves rallied from a 22-point second-quarter deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-100 on the road last Tuesday. Alexander-Walker chipped in a season-high 28 points.
“Nickeil’s been awesome,” Minnesota point guard Mike Conley said post-game. “The last month or so, he’s been lights out. He’s found a great role with our team and he knows when to be aggressive, he knows how to stay within himself for what we want for him and for our team.
“We’ll just keep building with him, he’s got a lot of room to just keep getting better and better and growing so we’re excited for him.”
“It’s no secret, this was probably the biggest game of the season for us,” added Conley.
Down 57-35 with 5:13 remaining, Alexander-Walker scored seven of his eight second-quarter points in helping the Timberwolves close the gap to eight by halftime. The Toronto native went 9-of-10 from the field in 28 minutes off the bench for the game.
“Truthfully, it was just something just kind of took over just being in the moment,” Alexander-Walker said after the win. “I think it was very, just peaceful. Just enjoying being out there, just making reads.
“I think when we got down, more focusing on just playing to win — just bring a spark, bring that energy, play hard. I think for me, that’s what brought it all together and then just kind of came up from all of it.”
Minnesota started out 1-2 without Towns, before the Clippers game kick-started a three-game winning streak which has helped catapult the Timberwolves back into the airtight race for No. 1 in the Western Conference alongside Denver and Oklahoma City.
Before Towns got hurt, Alexander-Walker was averaging 7.2 points in 23.0 minutes per game. In Towns’ absence, however, his numbers have risen to 13.0 points and 30.2 minutes per contest.
“Nickeil is one of those guys who (has) got all the confidence in the world and all the game in the world,” Minnesota star shooting guard Anthony Edwards said last Tuesday. “Once it comes together, we’re going to be a hard team to stop.”
The Timberwolves will need key role players like Alexander-Walker to step up, as Towns underwent surgery last week and will be re-evaluated next month.
“We’re going to need it to happen,” Minnesota head coach Chris Finch said of role players stepping up last Tuesday. “We have a very deep team and that depth helps you in a lot of ways.
“It can help you when you have injuries or foul trouble but it also needs to help you with spreading the production. You’re never going to replace KAT’s skill and on-demand scoring.”
DEFENSIVE NEMBHARD
Andrew Nembhard has played a key role in the Indiana Pacers’ recent defensive turnaround.
The second-year guard from Aurora, Ont., had one of his toughest tests of the season last Tuesday in taking on fellow Canadian and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a 121-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nembhard spent most of his 27 minutes having to guard Gilgeous-Alexander, who still managed 30 points but with far less efficiency than usual, going 12-of-27 from the field.
The Pacers defence held its opponents to 112.8 points per game over the last week, far below their season average of 120.9.
“I think presence has been what we’ve shown,” Nembhard said post-game last Tuesday. “We’ve been physical, we’ve cared a little bit more on that side, we’ve been more competitive and it’s been a team effort. Everybody’s got to be locked in to get stops.”
Nembhard and teammate Aaron Nesmith drew high praise from their head coach Rick Carlisle after the Thunder win.
“They’re becoming young, veteran players,” Carlisle said. “When you attach the word veteran to a guy who’s a young player, you’re giving him a compliment.
“Both those guys don’t say a whole lot but they’re two of our guys that bring a consistent level of passion, effort and force to our team on both ends. Right now, we’d be in big trouble without those guys.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press – Mar 19, 2024 / 3:00 am | Story: 477737
Photo: The Canadian Press
New Orleans forward Herbert Jones learned a long time ago the critical component to being an elite defensive stopper was keeping whoever you’re guarding in front of you.
It’s that simple. It’s that difficult, too.
“You do the best you can,” Jones said.
Contrary to popular belief, there HAS been some defense played in the NBA this season (it’s just been tougher). It’s been on display more following the All-Star break and on the heels of that record-setting 211-186 All-Star Game when all signs of guarding anyone vanished.
The numbers post-break speak volumes about the commitment to defense: Entering Monday, NBA teams were averaging around four points per game less than they were before mid-February, dropping from 115.5 to 111.3.
NBA coaches and players have various explanations for that. Maybe defenders are being allowed to get away with more by officials, becoming wise to the tricks of the elite scorers. Or maybe it’s because the NBA playoff race is tightening up down the stretch.
It’s probably as simple as this: Fewer fouls are being called on each team (down from 19.4 per game to 17.5 post-break) and fewer free throws are being attempted (22.7 down to 19.8). Fewer free throws, fewer points.
The NBA says it did not mandate fewer fouls being called.
“We haven’t gotten a memo about it, or maybe I wasn’t paying attention,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That could be the case. Good. If the competitors and teams can figure it out between those four lines, we’re all for it.”
Spoelstra thinks it could be as simple as teams just locking in at an important time of year. Michael Malone, coach of the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, can see that.
“I just think our guys are more disciplined from a personal and game-plan standpoint. I think we’re a lot more urgent,” Malone said. “Our disposition is where it needs to be.”
For Jones, guarding someone boils down to fundamentals. He was taught at Alabama to play defense with his chest. Basically, using his footwork to keep his upper body in front of an offensive player and not reaching with his hands.
As for any discrepancy between the amount of calls before and after the All-Star break, well, Jones said it just depends on the night.
“You really never know how things may go, and I think that’s what the first quarter is about,” Jones explained. “You’re just trying to figure out the flow of the game. I mean, try to be physical coming out to see if you can get away with things. But at the end of the day, whatever the refs call, it’s their call and you’ve got to deal with it.”
San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 center, Victor Wembanyama, impedes the way of just about anyone who dares enter his lane. In this particular instance, though, the rookie conceded a little ground by saying that fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert has a good chance of earning his fourth NBA defensive player of the year award.
“Let him earn it now because afterward it won’t be his turn,” Wembanyama joked.
Gobert’s presence in the middle has been big for a Minnesota team missing Karl-Anthony Towns due to a knee injury. Gobert leads the league in defensive rating and remains the heavy favorite to win the defensive award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Also in the mix are Wembanyama (the league’s leader in blocks), Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen, Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis of the Lakers.
At the start of the season, defense took a backseat as high-scoring games became the norm. There have been 15 instances in which a player scored 50 or more points — 16 if you count Towns’ 50 in the All-Star Game — including a 73-point outburst from Luka Doncic on Jan. 26.
But none have occurred since the break.
Earlier this season, when scorers were posting gaudy numbers, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked if he would lobby for rule changes in an effort to return to old-school defensive games.
He scoffed.
“No, because that would be a waste of time,” Popovich said. “The league has decided how they want this to be played, and we’ve been doing it for quite a while now and it’s not going in the other direction because the fans love it.
“I don’t know this for a fact, but I am going to guess that our ’05 championship against Detroit had the entire league office just hiding and biting their lip and hoping it would be over quickly because it was so freakin’ boring.”
That 2005 NBA championship was a defensive gem the Spurs won in seven games, when only once did San Antonio or Detroit top 100 points.
This season, the Indiana Pacers are leading the way on offense by averaging 123.1 points a game. Every team averages at least 105.8.
“In this league, there’s always an ebb and flow,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. “Defenses catch up to offenses and offenses adjust and defenses adjust. That’s what makes it a unique league. … You have to continue to adapt to what’s going on in the game.”
That’s the consensus of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, too.
“These players are very, very smart and understand how to trick the referees,” said Kidd, a Hall of Fame guard who won a title in 2010-11 with Dallas. “What we’re taught to do is get the rules and figure out how to turn them to our advantage as players.
“It will be a little more physical and players who can make that adjustment will have success.”
___
AP Sports Writers Brett Martel, Schuyler Dixon and Joe Reedy, and Associated Press writer Raul Dominguez, contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 10:16 pm | Story: 477730
Photo: The Canadian Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Malik Monk scored 12 of his 28 points in overtime, Domantas Sabonis had his 50th straight double-double and the Sacramento Kings beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 on Monday night.
“Having a guy like Malik close the way he did was a lot of fun to watch,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown said. “We just put the ball in his hands and put them in pick-and-roll, and he was able to create a little bit of separation and get to his medium game, and he was really on point with it tonight.”
Monk added six rebounds and six assists as the Kings improved to 5-1 in overtime.
“I feel like I was relaxing a little bit in the fourth quarter,” he said. “I was just able to turn that around in overtime and we got the win.”
Sabonis finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox had 23 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for Sacramento.
GG Jackson scored the first basket of overtime to put Memphis in front before Monk scored eight in a row and assisted on a dunk by Sabonis as part of a 12-0 run that helped the Kings outscore the Grizzlies 16-6 in the extra period.
“It’s always great when you have multiple guys who can take over a game,” Fox said. “With (Monk) having it going like that, you know that he’s also still going to make the right play.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 25 points on 8-of-27 shooting. Desmond Bane added 24 points, and GG Jackson had 22.
“Very proud of how our guys competed,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Give the Kings credit, they made big-time plays: Fox at the end of the fourth, Monk taking over in overtime. That was a high-level basketball game. Our guys should be extremely proud.”
The Kings played most of the game without starting guard Kevin Huerter, who exited with a left shoulder injury just 1:51 into the first quarter.
Huerter was attempting a layup when Bane made contact with his left arm, sending him to the ground. Bane was called for a common foul.
Huerter briefly remained on the floor before heading to the locker room while cradling his arm.
Brown did not have an update on Huerter after the game.
Memphis closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 32-28 lead. Sacramento dominated the second, outscoring the Grizzlies 29-15 to go up 57-47 at halftime.
The Kings extended the lead to 63-52 early in the third before Memphis scored 10 straight points to get within one.
Fox made three straight 3-pointers in the final 1:39 of the third to extend Sacramento’s lead to 84-76.
The Grizzlies rallied in the fourth, using a 10-1 run to tie the game at 97 with 4:47 remaining.
Memphis’ Marcus Smart, inactive due to a right ring finger injury, picked up two technical fouls on the bench late in overtime and was ejected.
Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard missed the game due to personal reasons.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At Golden State on Wednesday night.
Kings: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 10:03 pm | Story: 477731
Photo: The Canadian Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — One thunderous dunk provided a perfect snapshot of Anthony Edwards’ second-half dominance Monday night.
Edwards threw down a monster slam over John Collins of the Utah Jazz in the third quarter, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 114-104 victory but leaving both players banged up after the play.
“I was thinking I was going to miss it because I wasn’t close to the rim, but somehow God willed it in for me,” said Edwards, who scored 25 of his 32 points after halftime.
The play immediately went viral on social media. Timberwolves veteran point guard Mike Conley said it might have been the best dunk he’s ever witnessed in person.
“He’s like a cat almost,” Conley said. “He just keeps going forward and lands on his feet. Stuff like that is what makes him who he is and why he can maneuver in the game how he does.”
Edwards said he grew up idolizing players like Vince Carter who were known for their dunking ability. Dunking the way they did has always been a goal for Edwards.
His slam on Monday night certainly put him in that category.
“It gives me chills , man, because I always dreamed of dunking on somebody like that,” Edwards said.
Collins and Edwards were both injured on the play. Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ cheekbone. He raced back to the locker room during a subsequent timeout, popped the finger back in place, got it taped up and returned to action.
Collins was ruled out for the entire fourth quarter while being evaluated for a possible concussion. His injury was later confirmed to be a head contusion.
Edwards’ dunk gave a short-handed Minnesota team an emotional boost during a critical stretch. The Timberwolves lost Naz Reid to a first-half head injury and were already playing without injured starters Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“It gives everybody energy,” Edwards said. “It makes everybody want to defend, want to get stops. It makes the game more exciting.”
Edwards also totaled eight assists, seven rebounds and two blocks over 38 minutes. His relentless energy on both ends of the court put the Jazz on their heels throughout the second half.
“That’s who he is,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “He’s an All-Star. He’s a hell of a player.”
Edwards has had three consecutive 30-point games. He’s averaged 31.5 points in back-to-back wins over Utah on 58% shooting from the field.
“He’s always been a guy who can really flip a game around,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Knows when to raise it. Knows when to make the big play. Can sometimes make it out of nothing. But now he’s like way more polished with what he’s doing. He’s a little more composed, not rushing it as much.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
.
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 9:44 pm | Story: 477728
Photo: The Canadian Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell scored 27 points while tying the Lakers’ single-season record for 3-pointers in a 136-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
Russell’s six 3-pointers against the Hawks gave him 183 this season, passing Kobe Bryant’s 180 in the 2005-06 season and tying Nick Van Exel’s franchise record set in 1994-95. Russell’s latest standout shooting display was highlighted by a beautiful 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer followed by two more early in the fourth to tie the record before the Lakers emptied their bench.
“That’s really cool, honestly,” Russell said. “Just to get credit for your game and what you work to do and showcase it every night, and then to get credit for something like this, it’s just really cool.”
Russell also had 10 assists, while Anthony Davis had 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers snapped a two-game skid with their 13th win in 20 games since losing in Atlanta in late January.
Davis left Saturday’s loss to Golden State early with a scratched cornea in his left eye, but the All-Star big man recovered quickly enough from the resulting blurry vision to play a full game against the Hawks. Davis said he chose not to wear goggles.
“I’ve been through that phase in high school,” said a grinning Davis, who wore prescription glasses and goggles at times while growing up in Chicago before he got corrective eye surgery several years ago. “I’m out of that phase. Obviously (I would have) if the doctors had told me I needed it, but I didn’t need it.”
Los Angeles, which hasn’t lost three straight games since early January, also moved back up to ninth place in the Western Conference standings with this win and Golden State’s loss to New York. While Russell had another prolific game and Davis looked sharp down low, James produced another outstanding effort, giving him 65 points on 25-of-37 shooting in the past two games.
“Bron is Bron, and it’s that time of the year,” Davis said. “He’s shooting the ball extremely well. He’s been in attack mode, finding guys. He’s been locking in defensively.”
Jalen Johnson scored 25 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 for the Hawks, who have lost four of five overall and three of four on their West Coast road trip.
“I thought we were ready to play, (but) there’s two Hall of Fame players that were unselfish, and I thought they played really well,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s hard to sustain a defensive effort against a team that’s playing the way they are offensively. When the ball isn’t going in, it’s even harder. They made us pay for any mistake we made.”
Johnson went down in obvious pain after rolling his ankle while landing with 6:47 to play. Johnson, who only returned two games ago from a sprained ankle, was able to leave the court moments later under his own power. Snyder wasn’t sure about the severity of the new injury.
Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu had 11 points and four rebounds while playing 19 minutes in his return from a 13-game injury absence due to a sprained left toe. Okongwu, a Los Angeles-area native who starred at USC, hadn’t played since Feb. 12, shortly before the All-Star break.
Trae Young missed his 12th straight game following hand surgery. He scored 26 points with six 3-pointers while the Hawks racked up 138 points in their victory over the Lakers in January.
Los Angeles gradually pulled away from the Hawks all night, hitting 60% of its shots in the first half while moving the ball smoothly. Russell beat the buzzer with his fourth 3-pointer to boost the Lakers’ lead to 111-86 heading to the fourth.
UP NEXT
Hawks: At Phoenix on Thursday.
Lakers: Host Philadelphia on Friday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 9:40 pm | Story: 477729
Photo: The Canadian Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 34 points and Miles McBride added a career-high 29 to lead the New York Knicks to their fourth straight win, 119-112 over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
The Knicks raced out to an 18-4 lead early in the game and never trailed as they earned just their fifth win in their last 19 meetings against the Warriors.
“This team has demonstrated all year there’s a lot of fight, a lot of heart, a lot of toughness and a lot of togetherness to the group,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So there’s a belief that we can win. We always talk about our defense, our rebounding, taking care of the ball. I thought we shared the ball extremely well tonight.”
Josh Hart had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double in the past 21 games for New York, while playing all 48 minutes.
“You can’t say enough about the job Josh did as well. Josh’s toughness was huge for us in this game,” Thibodeau said.
Donte DiVincenzo added 18 points for the Knicks.
Stephen Curry scored 27 points to lead Golden State and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors fell to 17-18 at home this season.
“I don’t know what the answer is,” Curry said about the struggles at home. “If we did, we would be able to get ahead of it.”
Golden State chipped into a deficit that reached 15 points, getting within four early in the fourth quarter but could never get over the hump and lost another home game.
“Just one of those nights where we didn’t really get anything going from that starting group,” coach Steve Kerr said. “They’ve been really good but it just felt like from the very beginning we were swimming upstream. I think it was 15-4 out of the gate and we didn’t once have the lead in the game. We made a good comeback, but I just didn’t think we were disciplined enough throughout the game to earn the win.”
Brunson made enough shots to keep the Knicks in control and is averaging 40.3 points on the first three games of this Western swing.
The Knicks were without forward OG Anunoby, who flew home after his surgically repaired right elbow flared up. Thibodeau said an MRI came back clean and that Anunoby is day to day. Thibodeau said Anunoby is unlikely to rejoin the team for the final game of a four-game trip on Thursday at Denver.
Anunoby missed 18 games earlier because of the injury before returning last week against Philadelphia. He played three games before the injury flared up again.
Anunoby’s absence gave McBride a chance to at his 10th career start and he delivered in a big way.
He played tight defense early against Curry as New York held Golden State scoreless for the first 3:53 of the game — the longest game-opening scoring drought for the Warriors in more than three years.
McBride scored 19 points in the first half — two off his career high — and the Knicks led 62-56 at the break.
“We wanted to add more shooting to the floor,” Thibodeau said. “That’s really, you know, why we did it. When they sent the second defender (at Brunson) now we have another 3-point shooter out there. We thought that would make a difference.”
UP NEXT
Knicks: Visit Denver on Thursday night.
Warriors: Host Memphis on Wednesday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 8:30 pm | Story: 477726
Photo: The Canadian Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz 114-104 on Monday night.
Edwards scored 25 of his 32 points in the second half to help the Timberwolves pull away late. It was his second consecutive 30-point game against the Jazz and third in a row overall.
His effort on both ends of the court swung a tight game in Minnesota’s favor.
“He’s always been a guy who can really flip a game around,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Knows when to raise it. Knows when to make the big play. Can sometimes make it out of nothing. But now he’s like way more polished with what he’s doing. He’s a little more composed, not rushing it as much.”
Naz Reid added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting but did not play after halftime due to a head injury. Reid’s absence further depleted a Minnesota frontcourt already missing Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns because of injuries.
The Timberwolves scored 27 points off 17 turnovers and beat Utah for the second time in three days.
“The game really just came down to our inability to take care of the ball,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Collin Sexton led Utah with 24 points. Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and 12 rebounds following a six-game absence due to a bruised right quadriceps. Keyonte George added 15 points and eight assists.
John Collins had 11 points and six rebounds for the Jazz in three quarters. Collins did not play in the fourth while being evaluated for a concussion. His injury was later confirmed to be a head contusion.
Utah lost its second straight home game despite outscoring Minnesota 22-8 in second-chance points.
Edwards picked up the slack on offense in Reid’s absence. He scored five third-quarter baskets — highlighted by a thunderous dunk over Collins that injured both players — to help the Timberwolves open an 83-77 lead late in the period.
“It gives me chills, man, because I always dreamed of dunking on somebody like that,” Edwards said.
Edwards dislocated his finger on the dunk but popped it back into place in the locker room during a timeout and returned to the game with a taped-up finger.
Utah rallied and took a 90-88 lead on a 3-point play from Markkanen. Minnesota then pulled away for good when Edwards capped a 12-1 run with back-to-back baskets, putting the Timberwolves up 100-91 with 5:50 left.
“I was rushing some things and obviously turnovers cost us the game tonight,” Markkanen said. “I’ll take the blame for that. … But overall it was fun to be back out there with my teammates.”
Utah raced out to a 20-8 lead midway through the first quarter after scoring 13 straight points on six consecutive possessions. Reid stopped the run with back-to-back baskets. Utah’s offense didn’t cool down before the quarter ended.
The Jazz shot 61% from the field, with Sexton and George combining for eight of the team’s 14 first-quarter baskets. They led 35-19 following back-to-back layups from Sexton.
Minnesota erased the deficit midway through the second, tying it at 46 on Jaden McDaniels’ turnaround jumper. Consecutive baskets from Collins and Taylor Hendricks put Utah back in front and helped the Jazz take a 59-53 lead into halftime.
UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts Denver on Tuesday.
Utah visits Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
The Canadian Press – Mar 18, 2024 / 7:57 pm | Story: 477724
Photo: The Canadian Press
CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and found Nikola Vucevic for a key hook shot with 9.3 seconds left, helping the Chicago Bulls edge the Portland Trail Blazers 110-107 on Monday night.
“It’s sometimes more than just making a shot,” teammate Alex Caruso said of DeRozan’s performance in a game-high 40 minutes. “It’s boxing out against their guys that are crashing hard. It’s finding Vooch on the mismatch down low to hit the layup to keep us up three. He’s just a winner at heart.”
Vucevic had 22 points and nine rebounds in Chicago’s third win in four games. Ayo Dosunmu finished with 23 points and 10 assists.
Anfernee Simons scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter for Portland, but couldn’t get off a 3-point attempt from the top of the key before time expired. Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 15 rebounds in his sixth consecutive game with at least 20 points.
The Blazers lost for the seventh time in nine games.
“Maybe half a second,” Simons said of how close he was to getting the final shot off. “We had a couple good opportunities and they just didn’t fall.”
The Bulls’ NBA-leading 24th clutch victory — a game that is within five points with under five minutes left — moved them within a game of .500 at 34-35. But they were outscored 32-21 in the final quarter.
“We got lackadaisical, we got careless with the ball and started to be not so aggressive,” DeRozan said. “We let them get downhill, fouled them, let them get layups. We let go of the rope a little bit.”
Each team played without its second-leading scorer. Bulls guard Coby White missed his third straight game with a right hip strain, and Portland’s Jerami Grant sat out for the fourth straight contest with a right hamstring strain.
Dosunmu was 9 for 17 from the field while running the offense in White’s absence. He scored a career-high 34 points during Saturday night’s 127-98 victory over Washington.
With 3:32 left in the fourth, Simons drilled a contested 3-pointer from the left wing to put Portland up 105-104 for their first lead since the first quarter. But Simons’ potential go-ahead attempt from long distance rimmed out with 34 seconds remaining.
Vucevic’s turnaround hook shot made it 108-105 with 9.3 seconds left, and Caruso fouled Simons intentionally to put him on the free-throw line rather than allow him a chance at a tying 3 on the next possession.
“A really heads-up play,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “We talked about fouling up three.”
Portland entered Monday averaging the third-most turnovers in the NBA, and its miscues weighed heavily once more. The Bulls scored 19 points off 13 Blazers turnovers, including a driving Vucevic dunk on a fast break opened by a Torrey Craig steal that put Chicago up 82-66 with 3:15 left in the third.
“It just was a tough passing night for us,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “End of the game I don’t think we executed very well down the stretch when it really counted.”
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Return to Portland on Wednesday for the first of two straight home games against the Clippers.
Bulls: Visit the Rockets in Houston on Thursday.
___
