NBA Playoffs: Tatum beats buzzer, as Celtics escape Nets in Game 1

Jayson Tatum spun in for a buzzer-beating layup to give the Boston Celtics a dramatic 115-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in the first game of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

Tatum scored 31 points to lead the Celtics, who thwarted a fourth-quarter comeback bid by the Nets to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Tatum added eight assists and two blocked shots, Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Al Horford and Marcus Smart scored 20 apiece for Boston, who took a 96-85 lead into the fourth quarter but trailed 114-111 with less than a minute to play.

Former Celtic Kyrie Irving, booed throughout by Boston fans who still resent his departure for Brooklyn, led the Nets with 39 points. Kevin Durant was the only other Nets starter in double figures with 23.

Irving will no doubt hear from the NBA after a middle-finger salute to heckling fans in the third quarter, but he saved his best gesture for the fourth period, when he scored 18 points to key the Nets' comeback bid.

Irving's long three-pointer over Smart put Brooklyn up 114-111 with 1:04 to play.

But the Celtics clamped down defensively and pulled within one on Brown's driving layup. After Durant missed a three-pointer, Tatum, fed by Smart from across the lane, willed his way through traffic for the game-winner.

A first half that featured 17 lead changes ended with the score knotted at 61-61, but the Celtics, who had been idle since their last regular-season game as the Nets battled through the play-in tournament, pulled away with a 39-24 third quarter.

"Our aggressiveness was great," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said of his team's third-quarter performance. "It was different from the first half. I felt like, offensively, we got going as well, knocked a little bit of the rust off in the first half."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kevin Durant scores 37 as scorching Nets top Jazz

Kevin Durant scored 15 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Brooklyn Nets surged ahead and held on for a 114-106 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night in New York.

The Nets won for the sixth time in seven games following a 3-17 skid as Durant posted his 20th 30-point showing of the season. He made 5 of 7 shots in the third when the Nets shot 60.9 percent (14 of 23) and outscored Utah 38-24.

Durant finished 15 of 23 from the floor and scored at least 35 points in consecutive games for the first time this season. He added nine rebounds and also collected eight of Brooklyn's 31 assists.

Bruce Brown added a season-best 22 points with seven rebounds and five assists as the Nets shot 54.2 percent. Nic Claxton filled in for starting center Andre Drummond (non-COVID illness) and added 11 of his 15 in the decisive third.

Patty Mills contributed 13 as the Nets began taking control shortly after Seth Curry exited with a left ankle sprain. Curry slipped on a wet spot opposite Utah's bench with about four minutes left in the second quarter and was ruled out for the game at halftime.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points on 9-for-23 shooting as the Jazz saw their three-game winning streak stopped. Jordan Clarkson added 19 and Mike Conley chipped in 18 with seven assists as Utah was held to 44.6 percent from the field.

Clarkson scored 10 points as the Jazz took a 28-25 lead when he hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in the opening quarter. The Jazz went scoreless for the final 3:01 of the second as the Nets ripped off eight straight points for a 53-51 lead by halftime.

Brooklyn ripped off a 10-0 run to get a 75-62 lead on Durant's 12-footer with 6:24 remaining. Brooklyn stretched the lead to 84-68 when Durant knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:52 remaining and held a 91-75 edge into the fourth.

Durant appeared to clinch it by hitting an 11-footer and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to give Brooklyn a 108-87 lead with 6:09 remaining.

Utah was within 110-102 on Rudy Gobert's dunk with 98 seconds left but Durant hit a 10-footer on the next possession. Following an errant pass by Blake Griffin, Mitchell hit two free throws to make it 112-106 with 57.2 seconds left but Durant connected with Claxton for an alley-oop dunk with 37.4 seconds left.

-reuters

Warriors prepare for rested James Harden, Rockets in West rematch

LOS ANGELES — After outlasting the no-name Los Angeles Clippers in six games, the Golden State Warriors have a superstar on their hands next.

James Harden and the Houston Rockets in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference finals. That’s when the Rockets let a 3-2 lead slip away and saw the Warriors go on to win their second straight NBA championship.

This time the teams meet in the West semifinals beginning Sunday in Oakland.

“We know them well,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Friday night after his team finished off the Clippers with a 129-110 victory to win the best-of-seven series 4-2. “They’re going to come after you and pick-and-roll. We know they’re already in the Bay waiting for us, so it will be a quick turnaround.”

Anticipating a Warriors’ closeout, the Rockets flew to Northern California on Friday to be ready for the series opener. They’ve been resting since Wednesday, when they defeated the Utah Jazz 4-1.

The Warriors were stretched to six games for the first time in the opening round in Kerr’s five seasons.

“One of the things that can happen during the playoffs is you can sharpen your game against an opponent that forces you to do so,” Kerr said. “We had leads in some games that we lost. Every time we thought, all right, we’ve got this, we didn’t have it.”

Kevin Durant had a statement game for the Warriors, scoring 38 of his playoff career-high 50 points in the first half at Staples Center. He was 15 of 26 from the floor, made 14 of 15 free throws and hit six 3-pointers.

Durant was coming off a 45-point performance in a losing effort in Game 5.

“No matter what anybody does, he can get a good shot,” Kerr said.

Harden averaged 27.8 points in the first round against the Jazz, but he struggled at times to get going offensively. His worst effort came in Game 3 when Houston won despite him missing his first 15 shots to set an NBA record for most misses to start a playoff game.

Durant believes Harden’s game is much more than drawing fouls and getting to the line.

“He can score in a variety of ways, so we have to be locked in from the beginning,” Durant said. “You can’t fully stop a guy like that; you’ve got to be ready to play him tough all game.”

Stephen Curry finished with 24 points, the only other Warrior with at least 20 Friday. Klay Thompson had nine points. Both of them were banged up slightly in the game, but Kerr said he’s hopeful they’ll both be good to go Sunday.

Draymond Green had his fifth career playoff triple-double of 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists after not playing well in Game 5.

Warriors center Kevon Looney expects to see the Rockets employ some of the same defensive schemes used by the Clippers, who twice won in Oakland, including a 31-point comeback that was the biggest in NBA history.

“Defending the pick-and-roll is going to be huge,” Looney said. “The Clippers punched us in the mouth and woke us up. They showed us it’s not a cakewalk in the West. Every game is going to be hard.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Stephen Curry scores 38 to push Warriors past Timberwolves

OAKLAND, Calif. — Steve Kerr long ago ran out of superlatives to describe Stephen Curry.

The Warriors coach isn’t even trying anymore, not with the way his All-Star point guard is playing since coming back from a groin injury.


Curry had 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Golden State beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 on Monday night in Draymond Green’s return to the Warriors’ lineup.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points and Kevin Durant had 22 as Golden State prepared for Wednesday’s showdown with Toronto by earning its fourth straight win.

Curry went 7 for 14 from 3-point range.

“He’s good at basketball,” Kerr deadpanned. “Nothing he does surprises me. Even on a night he gets off to a slow start he finds a way.”

Curry, who recently returned after sitting out 11 games with an injured groin, got going after missing six of his first nine shots. He made a pair of 3s and scored 14 points in the third quarter, including Golden State’s final nine of the period, and then made consecutive shots from deep after the Timberwolves closed to 101-93 in the fourth.

Thompson and Durant provided plenty of support. It’s the fourth time this season that the trio has scored 20 or more points in the same game.

Curry is averaging 31.4 points in five games since coming back from the injury.

“We were trying to do a lot in the first half just because we had another playmaker out there,” Curry said. “We were playing really, really fast and excited. Just had to settle in and make the simple play. In the second half we kind of slowed down.”

Green, the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had seven points, 10 rebounds and seven assists after being sidelined for 11 games with a right toe injury. He made his first shot, a 3-pointer, and then playfully challenged the Timberwolves to come guard him.


“I felt like a kid in the candy store the last few days,” Green said. “To come back off a layoff like that, I felt pretty good. I really had no issues at all. It’s good to get back to who we are.”

Karl Anthony-Towns had 31 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota. Derrick Rose added 21 points.

“It’s a great team and to beat a great team you’ve got to play 48 minutes,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We didn’t do that.”

The Warriors led 12-0 early and got a spark from Green.

After making his 3-pointer, Green had a second bucket on a goaltending call against Gorgui Deng, and then scored on a driving layup. The excitable Green also picked up a foul for setting an illegal screen and jawed at a referee while walking down the court.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Robert Covington scored seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in his return after sitting out Saturday’s loss in Portland. … Rose scored 11 points in the second quarter, and then made an outstanding play to block a 3-point attempt by Jonas Jerebko near the Minnesota bench in the third. … Minnesota has lost six straight to Golden State.

Warriors: Thompson made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first half. … Andre Iguodala did not play because of tightness in his right hip. … Curry, Durant and Thompson have each scored 20 or more points in the same game 35 times as teammates.

COUSINS GETTING CLOSE

DeMarcus Cousins practiced with the Warriors G-League team in Santa Cruz earlier in the day, and then was back on the court at Oracle to put in some extra work before the game against the Timberwolves.

There is still no timetable for Cousins’ return from a torn Achilles tendon, but the four-time All-Star center is definitely getting close.

“We want to make sure he’s really comfortable with his conditioning and movement before we put him out there,” Kerr said. “Everything has come along nicely. This is not about a doctor saying he can’t play. It’s more about when he’s ready to go out there and perform well.”

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Play at Sacramento on Wednesday night.

Warriors: Host Toronto on Wednesday night. The Raptors beat Golden State 131-128 in overtime on Nov. 29.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Big 3 Durant, Curry, Thompson lead Warriors to 128-111 win over Atlanta

ATLANTA — Golden State’s Big Three went for balance.

Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Kevin Durant had 28 and Klay Thompson chipped in with 27 as the Warriors cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 128-111 Monday night, snapping a six-game losing streak on the road.


All three stars have scored more than 50 points in a game this season.

This time, they spread the wealth .

“Our defense set the tone,” Curry said. “Everybody gets to touch the ball.”

With Curry scoring 18 points in the opening quarter, this one was never in doubt.

Golden State raced to a 34-17 lead in the first 12 minutes — Curry outscored the Hawks by himself — and the defending NBA champions won for only the fourth time in 10 games.

Playing for the second time since missing 11 games with a groin injury, Curry hit his first six shots, four of them beyond the arc . He finished 6 of 10 from 3-point range

“I think he’s now back in the groove,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He looked great handling the ball.”

The Warriors led 61-47 at halftime and stretched the margin as high as 24 points, sending the rebuilding Hawks to their third straight loss.

“We needed a win on the road,” Curry said. “We kind of didn’t want to give them life.”



Despite the win, Kerr said he’s not pleased with his team’s performance.

“We’re not where we need to be by any stretch of the imagination,” Kerr said. “We’ve been kind of uneven to this point.”

John Collins led Atlanta with 24 points , and Trae Young added 20.

But it was a tough night for Young, the rookie guard who the Hawks are hoping to turn into their Curry-like centerpiece. He had seven turnovers and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

“I really don’t listen to or care about the comparisons,” Young said. “All I’m thinking about are my teammates and putting them in the best position to win.”

The youngster is struggling with his shot, especially from long range. He’s only connecting on 23.9 percent of his 3-pointers.

“They’re picking me up full court,” Young said. “They’re not going to just sag off and let me have open 3s. I’ve got to find a way to knock them down. I will.”

INJURY REPORT

Hawks forward Taurean Prince could be out for an extended period after spraining his left ankle when he came down on Shaun Livingston while shooting.

Prince hobbled to the locker room in the fourth quarter. Afterward, he headed for home on crutches.

“The X-rays were negative,” Prince said. “We’ll have an MRI tomorrow.”

For Golden State, Draymond Green missed his ninth straight game with a sprained toe on his right foot. He’s expected to miss at least the last two games of a five-game road trip, which ties the longest of the season.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Improved to 31-3 when Curry, Thompson and Durant all reach 20 points. … Golden State has won nine in a row over the Hawks, including four straight in Atlanta. … Thompson has scored at least 20 points in nine straight games, the longest streak of his career. … Kevon Looney scored a season-high 14 points . … Quinn Cook picked up five fouls in only 11 minutes.

Hawks: Jeremy Lin returned after missing two games with a sprained left ankle, scoring 14 points and converting a couple of three-point plays after drawing fouls on drives to the basket … DeAndre’ Bembry didn’t have much luck trying to guard Durant, picking up four fouls. … Atlanta had 18 turnovers and went 5 of 26 from outside the 3-point stripe. “We’ve got to value the ball a little bit better than we have,” coach Lloyd Pierce said.

CURRY’S FOULS

The Warriors star went to the bench after picking up his third foul with 2½ minutes left in the first half.

Kerr strolled over near center court, where Vince Carter was checking into the game for Atlanta.

“A lot of people paid good money to see him play,” Kerr said, referring to Curry.

Carter smiled.

Curry picked up only one foul the rest of the way, playing a little over 29 minutes.

ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

Young was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for October and November after averaging 15.6 points and 7.6 assists in the first month and a half of the season.

Despite the accolades, he isn’t satisfied with his performance.

“Personally, I haven’t played the way I wanted to,” he said. “I know I haven’t.”

UP NEXT

Warriors: Continue their road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday.

Hawks: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kevin Durant’s 49 points carry Warriors past Magic

OAKLAND, Calif. — Ever the perfectionist and competitor, Kevin Durant knows he should have scored well more than 50 points if a few more shots had fallen.

“I’m pretty sure all my teammates felt that way,” the typically efficient Golden State star said.


Durant scored a season-high 49 points, giving Golden State the lead on a three-point play with 1:19 left before hitting a 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining to send the Warriors past the Orlando Magic, 116-110 on Monday night.

“I still missed 17 shots. I tricked off a 50-piece. I felt like I had some shots that I wish I could have made last game and this game,” Durant said.



“I could be in a better groove I feel like. Just playing a lot of minutes and having the ball in your hands, especially with the way the game is, the flow of the game. Obviously if you can score a little bit, you’re going to score some points in this league.”

Durant topped his 44-point performance two nights earlier with another brilliant outing on both ends, even if he didn’t like shooting 16 for 33. Klay Thompson was his scoring sidekick once more as the two-time defending NBA champions played without injured All-Stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.



Thompson hit his sixth 3 of the night to tie it with 1:45 left and finished with 29 points.

The past three games, Durant has scored 125 points and Thompson 91.

“It was hard to stop them. That’s why they’re such great players,” Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic said. “They made shot after shot at the end.”

Durant became the seventh player in Warriors history to post consecutive 40-point games — along with Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, Curry, Antawn Jamison, Purvis Short and Thompson, according to Elias.

Vucevic had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Magic, who were coming off a victory at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.


Durant also had nine assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, having taken his defense to another level the past week.

He and Thompson have carried the load as the Warriors won a third straight following a rare four-game losing streak.

Golden State closed the third on a 12-2 run to pull within 83-79 heading into the final 12 minutes. Mo Bamba’s 3 with 10:35 to go gave the Magic an 88-79 lead before Thompson answered from deep the next two possessions.



Quinn Cook, starting in place of Curry, contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists as Golden State concluded a four-game homestand by beating the Magic for the 11th straight time — the Warriors’ second-longest active streak against an opponent after 16 wins in a row against Phoenix.

The Warriors shot just 4 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half and fell behind 64-47 at the break. They hope two-time MVP Curry will return at some point during their upcoming five-game road trip. Curry missed his 11th straight game with a strained left groin, while Green sat out a sixth in a row and eighth in all with a sprained right toe.

Evan Fournier made four of his first six shots then missed his final eight for Orlando.

CURRY UPDATE

Curry scrimmaged Monday and is scheduled to go through a full practice Tuesday, making it possible he could play Thursday at Toronto.

“He might,” coach Steve Kerr said.

Curry was hurt Nov. 8 against the Bucks trying to contest a shot in transition by Eric Bledsoe.

“Steph looked good today. Totally dominated the film crew,” Kerr quipped. “They couldn’t guard him. (Assistant) Willie Green put up a pretty good fight, but he’s a couple of years past his prime.”

TIP-INS

Magic: Aaron Gordon began 0 for 6 then left in the third with lower back tightness and didn’t return. … The Magic are 2-2 on the road vs. the West. … Orlando hasn’t beaten the Warriors since Dec. 14, 2012, and not in Oakland since Dec. 3 that same year.

Warriors: Durant is 29 of 30 from the free throw line the past two games. “I’m trying to stay over 90 this year. Hopefully my 3-point percentage comes up, too.”… Golden State is 7-1 against the Eastern Conference this season. … The Warriors won their sixth straight at home vs. Orlando. … Green was limited to conditioning work Monday and rode the bike. He needs to be on the court a couple of times before Kerr is ready to put him back in a game. … Key reserve Alfonzo McKinnie was sidelined a sixth consecutive game.

UP NEXT

Magic: Continue their West Coast swing at Portland on Wednesday.

Warriors: At Raptors on Thursday trying for a ninth straight victory in the series and fifth in a row in Toronto.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors come back to beat Wizards; Green, Beal ejected

OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State lost its emotional leader when Draymond Green was ejected shortly before halftime. The defending champs were sloppy again, even forgetting several plays after one timeout and still somehow won — but it has hardly been easy so far.

Kevin Durant had 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help rally the Warriors from 18 points down and beat the Wizards 120-117 on Friday night, a game marred by a fight between Green and Washington’s Bradley Beal that led to both being tossed.

Stephen Curry added 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds, hitting two 3s and two free throws in the final minute of the third quarter to get Golden State within 97-87 heading into the final 12 minutes. Then Klay Thompson and Durant made 3s early in the fourth for a four-point game. Thompson scored 18 points.

Durant’s jumper with 1:20 to go put Golden State up by five, but the Warriors still needed his two free throws with 9.4 seconds left. John Wall missed an off-balance 3 then Washington couldn’t capitalize on one final chance.

David West made two straight baskets for the Warriors midway through the fourth but Otto Porter Jr. hit consecutive 3-pointers for the Wizards, answering a 3 by Durant with a baseline dagger on the way to 29 points for the Wizards.

With 19.5 seconds left in the second quarter, Beal held the front of Green’s jersey with his left hand while grabbing Green around the jaw with his right. That enraged Green, who threw his right arm in frustration and wrapped arms with Beal as if hugging, then other players joined the scrum.

“It was a scuffle. I’m not going to go into details about it. I’ll do that with the league tomorrow,” Beal said. “We just got into it and things got out of hand and we both got ejected. I told my teammates I can’t put myself in a situation like that to leave them out there to battle out against a tough team without me out there.”

Green had to be pulled away from the skirmish by Andre Iguodala and Warriors security personnel. Green was tossed after getting his second technical foul. The back of his uniform was torn from near his right shoulder down to his waist.

“I thought Draymond defended himself and bit the bullet of being ejected for the game,” West said.

Green was hit with his first technical at the 8:05 mark of the second quarter for arguing an offensive foul call. He had six assists, three points, three rebounds and three blocks before his early exit.

The Warriors are still trying to figure things out, having given up 17 offensive rebounds two nights earlier in holding off the Raptors and also committing 17 turnovers — which they did again Friday.

Golden State began 1 for 10 from 3-point range while committing seven turnovers and allowing six 3s by early in the second quarter. But the Warriors did enough to win a fourth straight at home against the Wizards.

“We’re not ready, we’re still not ready,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re not locked in.”

Wall had 20 points and 14 assists for Washington. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 and Marcin Gortat had 18 for the Wizards, whose three-game winning streak to open the season was snapped in embarrassing fashion with a 102-99 overtime loss at the Lakers on Wednesday.

AL ATTLES NIGHT

The Warriors honored beloved Al Attles, who missed his tribute night because he’s in the hospital. The 80-year-old Attles is in his 58th year with the franchise as a player, coach of the 1975 title team, a GM and now ambassador.

Kerr wore an itchy, “100 percent polyester” retro suit for the occasion, while Warriors players wore shooting shirts featuring his likeness and a bobblehead was the giveaway.

His wife, Wilhelmina Attles, son, Alvin Attles III, and Hall of Famer Rick Barry represented him during an on-court tribute after the first quarter.

“Great to honor him,” Kerr said. “I know our fans who have been following us for a long time know about Al’s influence, but 57 years with the organization, obviously he won the championship with the team in ’75, was GM, drafted Chris Mullin, one of the best players early on in the Warriors history. He’s pretty much done it all. Fitting tonight we will honor him and his family. We know he’ll be watching on TV. I hope he’s not offended by my suit.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Washington shot 15 for 33 on 3s. … C Ian Mahinmi played almost 13 minutes after he had been questionable with a sprained left ankle.

Warriors: Key reserve Shaun Livingston was out for personal reasons to attend a funeral. … Rookie Jordan Bell was inactive for the first time as C JaVale McGee became available after sitting out Wednesday against Toronto. “Some guys are guaranteed minutes every night, some aren’t,” Kerr said of his plans in the season’s early stages.

UP NEXT

Wizards: At Sacramento on Sunday.

Warriors: Host Pistons on Sunday seeking an eighth consecutive home victory in the series.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Green shows range, leads Warriors past Jazz for 2-0 lead

OAKLAND, California — Draymond Green showed Quin Snyder his hot hand and range up close, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points before a brief knee scare late in the Golden State Warriors’ 115-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday (Friday Manila time) for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Kevin Durant added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Stephen Curry had 23 points, seven assists and played smothering defense as Golden State stayed unblemished through six playoff games.

Gordon Hayward overcame a poor Game 1 and slow start in this one to score 33 points, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out for a Jazz team missing injured point guard George Hill. He was ruled out earlier in the day because of a sore left big toe.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Green received chants of “Dray-mond!” when he headed for the locker room with 7:24 to play, then cheers when he returned at the 5:16 mark. He came up awkwardly after hitting the floor on a drive, then grabbed at his left knee – which the team said he “tweaked.”

Snyder made it clear when the series began he won’t be alienating Green again by daring him to let it fly from long range – or saying anything that could be perceived as criticism.

Five months after the Jazz coach questioned Green’s perimeter range and commented about allowing the emotional Golden State star to shoot from way out, Snyder said before the game he had learned his lesson about fueling the All-Star forward.

Green has been fueling himself just fine, and his teammates, too – delivering on the offensive side this game after establishing the Warriors’ defensive intensity during the first five playoff games.

All his 3s were in the first half as the Warriors led wire to wire again. Golden State’s six straight victories to begin a postseason are a franchise record.

Green also had seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and another block to bring his six-game playoff total to 20.

The Jazz will have to hope more of their shots start falling once back home at altitude.

Hayward began 1 for 5 but bounced back after going 4 for 15 in Game 1.

Utah cut the lead to six on Rodney Hood’s jumper with 9:55 remaining in the third and trailed by 10 heading into the final 12 minutes. The Warriors went on a 5-0 run and the Jazz couldn’t do much more to threaten.

Shelvin Mack started in Hill’s place and scored 14.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr missed his fourth straight game as he deals with symptoms stemming from complications after two back surgeries following the 2015 championship run. Kerr won’t travel with the team to Utah as he seeks answers in his healing and goes to medical appointments. Mike Brown and a veteran coaching staff are leading the way.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Stephen Curry: 74 wins isn’t really a goal, it’s winning crown

It’s still over a month before the NBA regular season starts, but reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry is already managing some lofty assumptions from fans.

Since the arrival of another former MVP Kevin Durant to the Bay Area, expectations have never been higher for last year’s runners-up, who eclipsed the 1996 Chicago Bulls’ record for most wins in the NBA regular season, by winning an unprecedented 73 games.

The 28-year-old sharpshooter, however, clarified that the Dubs are not really aiming to break their own single-season record, and are simply focused on winning another championship.

“74 (wins) isn’t really a goal. If it happens, it happens. All of our energy will be spent on getting ourselves ready for a championship run,” Curry said in a video posted on the Warrior’s official Twitter page on Tuesday.

“We want to have a great regular season obviously, we don’t want to have any slip-ups, but I don’t think coming into the season with the goal of 74 is a good focus. It’s about winning a championship,” he added.

The three-time All Star also addressed the team’s roster changes, after parting ways with core players Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes, as well as bench players Leandro Barbosa and Mo Speights, to accommodate Durant’s signing. The team, however, managed to sign veteran big men Zaza Pachulia and David West on cheap deals.

“I think we’ve added some great character guys that will fit right into our identity and who we are as a team, and there’s only one goal this year: obviously to win a championship, so whatever it takes to make that happen, I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” he said.

The Golden State Warriors will open the 2016-2017 season at home against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25.  Khristian Ibarrola

  
@StephenCurry30 took some time out of his ongoing Tour of Asia to speak with the media about the upcoming season… pic.twitter.com/MRrPhocgjd
 
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) September 5, 2016

source: sports.inquirer.net

Durant’s mother, the ‘Real MVP,’ subject of Lifetime movie

OKLAHOMA CITY — With a single sentence uttered by her world-famous son Kevin Durant, Wanda Pratt’s life changed forever.

“You the real MVP.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder star said those now-famous words during his emotional acceptance speech for the 2014 NBA MVP award before Mother’s Day. Pratt became the central figure of one of the most memorable speeches in sports history.

“Of course, I knew he that would mention me in the speech, or I believed he would mention me in the speech,” Pratt said during an interview with The Associated Press. “But I didn’t expect it to be to that magnitude, so I was quite caught off guard.”

During the speech, Durant recalled some of Pratt’s sacrifices for him and his brother, Tony, as they grew up in the Washington D.C. area. He described how the young single mother gave them hope, kept them out of trouble and sometimes went without food to make sure her boys were fed.

Interest in Pratt’s story has remained high, and now she’s the subject of a movie of a Lifetime original movie called, “The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story,” which will premiere Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

“I don’t think anyone really thinks a movie will be made about their life,” Pratt said. “That is something that is really uncommon, and I am blessed to be a person who gets a story made about them.”

Queen Latifah is executive producer for the movie, and Cassandra Freeman stars as Pratt. The movie focuses on how Pratt struggled to make ends meet for her children and persevered with the help of family and carefully chosen friends. Her efforts paid off when Tony graduated from college and Kevin made it to the NBA.

“It’s a blueprint,” Durant said. “We didn’t have a lot, but we knew how to stick together and work hard. Anything can happen.”

Pratt said Durant’s famous humility is rooted in his early life experiences. She said Durant always has been generous, even when the family didn’t have much.

“One of the things I have always taught my son is that we are blessed,” she said. “Even though we didn’t have a lot of things, we are blessed.”

Even though Durant now is one of the wealthiest athletes in the world and towers over Pratt at nearly 7-foot tall, she is still mom. And she still delivers tough love.

“Always know your responsibility as the parent,” she said. “Always hold that dear. Never lose that. No matter how old they are, no matter how much they’re doing in their lives, you are always going to be the parent.”

Pratt’s fame has given her a chance to fulfill her mission in life __ to help pregnant teenage girls, teenage mothers and single mothers.

“I help them from my life experiences,” she said. “Being my son’s mother has afforded me the opportunity and the platform for my experiences to be heard and to bring inspiration and hope to those who would look at me because of my son’s success.”

Pratt hopes her story inspires not just the mothers, but entire families, too.

“The message for the story is hope,” she said. “No matter what you go through in life, no matter what the obstacles are __ because we all face obstacles and struggles __ it’s not so much about the details of the story, it’s just that through the highs and lows and ebbs and flows, you have to continue to push forward, because there is a brighter day.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Westbrook keys Thunder Rally

Russell Westbrook poured in 30 points with 12 assists and nine rebounds on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a 122-112 NBA victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Thunder forward Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 assists for his eighth double-double of the season as Oklahoma City bounced back from a Christmas Day loss to the Chicago Bulls.

As they had two days earlier, the Thunder got off to a slow start, largely because they were unable to contain Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried.

Faried scored 10 of his 25 points and pulled down three offensive rebounds in the first six minutes.

Denver, effectively double-teaming Durant, led 61-53 at halftime. They extended the lead to 11 points to open the third quarter, but Durant scored 12 points in the third period to help the Thunder take a one-point lead into the final frame.

With 7:17 left in the fourth, Thunder center Enes Kanter completed a three-point play to give the hosts a 101-97 advantage.

Kanter added two free throws to stretch the lead to six, and a layup from Joffrey Lauvergne, a Westbrook Dunk and a fastbreak Dunk from Serge Ibaka put Oklahoma City up 107-99 with 5:09 to play.

Denver again cut the lead to three but would get no closer, Durant delivering two layups and Dion Waiters converting a steal into a dunk as the Thunder rolled to the finish.

“I do think we’re capable of being better,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “I think we’ve shown that. I think the concentration, the focus and just the will to defend at the level I think we’re capable of defending has to be an area we continue to grow and get better at.”

Grizzlies halt skid
In Memphis, the Grizzlies snapped a two-game skid with a 112-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Grizzlies took their record to 17-16, avoiding dropping below .500 for the first time since November 15.

“We just wanted to win,” said the Grizzlies’ Spanish center Marc Gasol, who scored 16 points with six assists. “Last night (in Charlotte) we played two and a half quarters of good basketball and it’s not enough.”

The Lakers went into the game allowing a league-worst 107.2 points per game, and could do little to slow the Grizzlies offense.

Memphis connected on 45 of 80 shots for a 56.2 percent average and handed out a season-high 30 assists.

“We need to focus a lot more,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of his team’s defense.

“Seems like we are stepping too slow. I don’t think it’s physical to be honest with you, because tonight the effort was there. From the mental standpoint, we just look like we’re fried.”

But Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant was again feeling the physical strain, this time with a sore right knee.

“Honestly, I wasn’t going to play,” Bryant said, adding that he changed his mind because he knew that with his retirement coming at the end of the season, fans across the country are turning out to see him play.

“I got on the bus and saw all the fans,” Bryant said of the sizeable contingent of Lakers backers in attendance. “I would feel really awful if I didn’t come in here and play.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

James, Durant arrive at All-Star as NBA’s 1A, 1B

NEW ORLEANS — With the first pick in the 2014 NBA All-Star fantasy draft…

”I’d go with LeBron,” Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan said.

”I’ll take KD,” said Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving.

That’s how close it is right now between LeBron James andKevin Durant.

They are the very best of the NBA’s best, both so talented that even guys who play against them every night have trouble deciding which one they think is better.

”I think it’s almost a situation where you have 1A and 1B, because both give you so many different things out on the court,” Minnesota’s Kevin Love said.

”1A, 1B,” agreed Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, who were knocked out of the playoffs by Durant two years ago and James last year.

”As journalists you’re always going to try to choose, but me as a basketball player and playing against them, they’re both great.”

James was the MVP of the game in 2008, the last time the NBA’s All-Star weekend came to New Orleans. These days, he’s the MVP of most seasons, winning four of the last five awards. But King James might be giving up the throne this time, with multiple players believing Durant will emerge with his first MVP award this season.

”I think it’s ultimately going to be KD and LeBron, and KD’s team is No. 1 in the West right now,” Portland’s Damian Lillard said. ”He’s getting 40 every night and flirting with a triple-double, so I think if they had to pick an MVP right now it would be KD.”

But MVP is decided by a media panel. Nobody voting for that ever shares the floor with James or Durant. What about somebody like Carmelo Anthony, who plays the same position, is sandwiched between them at No. 2 in the scoring race, and has teamed with both on the U.S. Olympic team?

”As far as Durant, he’s a hell of a scorer, great scorer, gets better every year in all facets of his game. Never seen somebody his height shoot the ball the way he’s capable of shooting the ball,” Anthony said.

”Then you look on the flip side with LeBron, you have somebody who’s so powerful, so athletic, can do so many things, can change a game in so many different ways throughout the course of a game. So going up against those two guys, it’s a totally different mindset, game plan, focus that you have to have because it’s coming at you from a lot of different ways.”

James has been considered the game’s best player for a while now, having moved past Kobe Bryant. Durant was the sensational scorer – he’s on his way to a fourth scoring title in five years – but without the full array of skills that James possessed.

But even with his 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, James isn’t the only guy filling up every stat category. Besides his 31.5 points per game, Durant is also averaging 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

Love said James is like ”Old Faithful,” because ”you know what he’s going to give you,” and added that ”at this point it’s going to be very tough to pass him” as the best player in the world.

But he seems in the Durant category when it comes to the MVP ballot.

”I have to say with what Kevin Durant is doing at this point, it’s pretty unbelievable,” he said. ”Scoring the ball at such a high clip, and then you look at the stat sheet and he’s filling it up in other categories as well. His team is winning, and LeBron is having a great year, but it just seems like what KD has done has been pretty unbelievable.”

James caused a stir this week when he said he believed he’d go down as one of the top four players in history during an interview with NBA TV that will air Monday. Yet even as he looks toward his place in the future, he seems aware his status at the present could be in jeopardy.

”LeBron for a few years has known Kevin Durant has been coming as a player,” said Dwyane Wade, James’ teammate in Miami.

”He wants to be the best, one of the greatest of all-time and he knows that this young guy is coming and he’s trying to protect his turf.”

Durant sent a loud statement when the Thunder routed the Heat in Miami during his incredible scoring run of 12 straight games with 30 or more points. He scores so easily that even other guys who can fill it up are in awe, and Irving said he’d pick Durant at No. 1 in part because of what Durant could do for his own stats.

”It’s an easy assist,” Irving said. ”Going up the floor, he’s shooting from everywhere now. So you just throw him the ball. He’s on fire.”

But everyone already knew Durant could score. It’s the way he has added to his game while leading Oklahoma City to the league’s best record even without the injured Russell Westbrook that has put him in the discussion with James.

James has two straight NBA titles, beating Durant in the first one, and that might be the tiebreaker over the ringless Durant. And it appears now a tiebreaker may indeed be necessary.

”There’s not one you can really just put over the other right now at this moment. It’s a tight race,” Atlanta’s Paul Millsap said. ”It all depends on what you’re looking for, to be honest with you.”

source: sports.inquirer.net