Eagles

With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, the Western Conference is locked, loaded, and ready for battle. The offseason drama has settled, rosters are finalized, and every team is gearing up for what promises to be a fierce and competitive race. From reigning contenders to rising underdogs, the West is stacked with talent and ambition. Let&rsquo;s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season&mdash;no frills, just what you need to know.
<ol>
<li> Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are turning a new page after trading away longtime cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and are now fully embracing Anthony Edwards as the franchise cornerstone. The T-Wolves&rsquo; mix of young talent and veteran leadership gives them a balanced roster around Edwards. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor as a 4-time DPOY, Edwards is primed for a superstar leap, and if the supporting cast, including Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, steps up, the Wolves could be ready to take the top spot in the West.</li>
<li> Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild is no longer a long-term project; they&rsquo;re ready to compete now. However, due to Isaiah Hartenstein&rsquo;s injury to start the season, we&rsquo;re placing the Thunder at no.2 for now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already an All-NBA guard and arguably a top 5 player in the league. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams figure out to be the dynamic inside-out duo around SGA. Add in Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the two new acquisitions this offseason with their capable role players Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, this young core is as versatile as it is exciting. OKC&rsquo;s depth and versatility on both ends of the floor could propel them into serious title contention.</li>
<li> Phoenix Suns The Suns have loaded up for a title run, and with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal leading the charge, Phoenix has one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the league. They have added their most significant hole which is the PG spot with a solid pick up in Tyus Jones, and they have one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. The Suns&rsquo; questions lie in their depth and health, but if they can manage those concerns, they&rsquo;re built for a championship push. Their offensive firepower is unmatched, and if they click, the Suns will be a team no one wants to face.</li>
<li> Memphis Grizzlies Memphis has weathered their offseason storms and enters the season with a gritty identity intact. Ja Morant is back after his injury and suspension last year and he will now play with last season&rsquo;s addition Marcus Smart. Together with the continued growth of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies are primed to be competitive and come back from their prime two seasons ago where they won 50+ games. Memphis&rsquo; defensive dominance paired with offensive firepower ensures they can be one of the top teams in the West with a deep bench with solid role players.</li>
<li> Denver Nuggets After falling short to Minnesota in 7 games last playoffs, the Nuggets will enter the season with their core mostly intact. Nikola Jokić remains the most dominant center and the best player in the game. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. healthy, the Nuggets are poised for another deep run. But perhaps their biggest loss this season was losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency and that might be a hit so they&rsquo;re currently ranked at no.5 to start the year. It could be a lot to ask for young players like Christian Braun or Julian Strawther to fill the void left by KCP, so it will be interesting to see how Denver handles his loss this season.</li>
<li> Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving experiment is back after a successful season last year, where Dallas entered the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 &ndash; when they won the title. The two stars can mesh to create one of the league&rsquo;s most potent offenses and with the continued internal development of young players like Dereck Lively, the Mavs can build on that Finals appearance. With newcomer Klay Thompson set to provide historic spacing for their dynamic duo, Dallas has the talent to climb the standings and challenge the top teams in the West.</li>
<li> New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans&rsquo; fate will always hinge on Zion Williamson&rsquo;s health. When Zion plays, New Orleans is a force to be reckoned with. Now paired with newly-acquired point guard Dejounte Murray, they have a balanced attack capable of competing with any team in the conference with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum still on the fold. If Zion stays on the floor, the Pelicans could find themselves rising up the ranks, but his availability remains the biggest X-factor.</li>
<li> Golden State Warriors The Warriors are clinging to their championship window with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. The addition of capable veterans in Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and DeAnthony Melton gives them depth and personnel that can play in their offense to surround the core of Curry and Draymond Green for their foundation. Health and age are concerns, but if their veterans stay intact, Golden State can&rsquo;t be counted out.</li>
<li> Sacramento Kings The Kings struggled a bit last season after making their long-awaited playoff return two seasons ago, and they&rsquo;re looking to build on that momentum. They have signed DeMar DeRozan and he should bring a new wrinkle to their motion and three-hunting offense. DeRozan&rsquo;s mid range ability should be a welcome addition to Sacramento&rsquo;s offense. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis still lead an explosive offense, but defense remains a question mark. Sacramento&rsquo;s high-flying, fast-paced style makes them a regular-season juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ll need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a deep playoff run.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are counting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis staying healthy for a full season. With the front office standing pat on making moves this offseason, the Lakers&rsquo; success will hinge on their superstar duo. If LeBron and AD can avoid injury, Los Angeles will be a formidable playoff team, but health is always a looming concern with this group.</li>
<li> Houston Rockets The Rockets added veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to guide their young core last season and this season could be the time for them to step up. They finished strong last year behind defensive minded coach Ime Udoka and the result could be a team that surprises many. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have star potential, and younger players Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson add even more excitement. The Rockets also drafted Reed Sheppard with the 3rd pick and Houston is hoping to lay the foundation for success and could push for a Play-In spot this season.</li>
<li> San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama enters his second season, and the Spurs are fully embracing their rebuild around the budding star. While Wembanyama showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie, San Antonio is still in the development phase. But with the addition of Chris Paul, the Spurs now have a capable PG to feed Wemby and the other guys, possibly unlocking a new level to their games. With their young core, the Spurs may not be a playoff team yet, but their future looks incredibly bright with Wembanyama leading the way.</li>
<li> Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers&rsquo; fortunes rest on the health of Kawhi Leonard&mdash;again. After losing Paul George for nothing, Leonard is left to fend LA off by himself in their new arena at Intuit Dome. Gone are the days when LA has the talent to compete with anyone as they&rsquo;re just but a shell of themselves. Leading the way for the injured Leonard will be a 34-year-old James Harden and that might be too much to ask of the aging superstar. However, if Kawhi can return healthy and he can avoid the injury bug, the Clippers will be in the playoff mix, but that&rsquo;s a big &ldquo;if&rdquo; for this squad.</li>
<li> Portland Trail Blazers With Damian Lillard long gone, the Blazers will fully commit another season to their rebuild. Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe form a promising young core, but Portland will likely spend this season focusing on player development. While they won&rsquo;t be in playoff contention, the Blazers are positioning themselves well for the future, with an eye on growth and improvement.</li>
<li> Utah Jazz The Jazz are continuing their rebuild, with Lauri Markkanen emerging as a cornerstone player. While they have some intriguing young pieces like Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah isn&rsquo;t ready to compete just yet. This season will be about development and finding which young players can be part of their long-term plans. The Jazz may not win many games this year, but they&rsquo;re building toward a brighter future.</li>
</ol>

Let’s break down the top 15 teams in the West as we head into this thrilling new season.

2024-2025 NBA Western Conference Power Rankings: A race at the top to start the year

The 2024 NBA Free Agency underway. Here's everything you need to know about the makings and the moves around the NBA.

2024 NBA Free Agency Tracker: All the signings and deals in the offseason

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

With the NBA&rsquo;s 2023 free-agency period pretty much wrapped up, why not take a look at how projecting next year's free-agent market? Obviously, a lot can change between now and then, but let&rsquo;s examine each team&rsquo;s cap situation and how much cap room they project to have next summer.&nbsp;
Next year&rsquo;s free-agency class could feature some big names, including Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Maxey (restricted), Paul George, LeBron James, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, OG Anunoby and DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
For the purposes of this exercise, I&rsquo;m going to separate teams into four spending-power tiers: Cap Space Teams, Non-Tax MLE Teams, Luxury Tax Teams and Second Apron Teams. Also, let's assume that the salary cap will be set at $149,623,000 and the luxury tax will come in at $181,823,000, the maximum 10% jump from this upcoming season set under the new CBA.
CAP SPACE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to have cap space next summer. They have spending access to their cap space, Bird Rights, the Room Exception (projected at $8,495,000) and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
San Antonio Spurs ($77,195,776 under the cap) If Victor Wembanyama is 70% as good as he&rsquo;s hyped up to be entering this season, one would figure that the Spurs will spend big or at least make a meaningful impact on the free-agent market next summer. They project to have an enormous amount of cap space, so it&rsquo;s very possible we&rsquo;ll see San Antonio take on some more bad contracts in trades to give them even more draft capital. Also, they&rsquo;ll want to retain Devin Vassell, who will be a restricted free agent next offseason once the Spurs extend his qualifying offer.
Philadelphia 76ers ($73,034,842 under the cap) The Sixers are perhaps the most interesting team in terms of their 2024 offseason outlook. By letting Tyrese Maxey hit restricted free agency next summer rather than extending him this year, Philadelphia gave themselves serious cap flexibility. Tobias Harris and James Harden both have expiring contracts, so the Sixers will have to use their cap space to replace their production. A Harden trade would obviously change their projected cap room, but it remains to be seen what they&rsquo;ll get back for the former MVP and how much it&rsquo;ll impact their books.
Toronto Raptors ($60,339,034 under the cap) After losing Fred VanVleet, the Raptors are walking a tightrope when it comes to whether they&rsquo;ll compete or rebuild. They face some tough decisions. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are both set to hit free agency next summer, so Toronto needs to decide whether they want to extend or trade their best players. Not to mention, Precious Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. also need new contracts.
Orlando Magic ($58,010,944 under the cap) Orlando has a lot of options for next summer, but the Magic may start with retaining many of their own players. Franz Wagner will likely receive a big contract extension, while Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony will be up for new contracts. Given that Orlando has a logjam in their backcourt &ndash; with Fultz, Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black &ndash; it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see what they do with Fultz and Anthony. The Magic will still have plenty of room to add quality talent for yearly average values over the NTMLE.
Detroit Pistons ($57,781,166 under the cap) Detroit may approach the 2024 offseason similar to how Houston approached this summer, as a young team hoping to use its massive cap space on good veterans in order to take bigger steps toward playoff contention. With that said, the first priority for the team will be agreeing to a contract extension with Cade Cunningham.
Utah Jazz ($50,315,319 under the cap) The Jazz find themselves in a unique position where they could go in two directions. After committing a three-year deal to Jordan Clarkson, they can use their cap space to give 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen a contract extension. If they want to have significant cap space for next summer instead, they can hold off on giving Markkanen an extension until free agency is settled.
Washington Wizards ($47,123,801 under the cap) Despite their cap space next year, don&rsquo;t expect Washington to be a big player in 2024 free agency. In the beginning stages of a rebuild, the Wizards will probably keep their sights on collecting more draft capital. They do have an interesting decision coming up with recent trade acquisition Tyus Jones, whom they&rsquo;ll likely want to keep long-term.&nbsp;
Charlotte Hornets ($41,300,515 under the cap)&nbsp; They may lose some 2024 cap space if they eventually re-sign PJ Washington this offseason, but watch out for Charlotte to be one of the many small-market teams with money to spend next summer. With LaMelo Ball in the first year of his max contract extension, Charlotte may cash in on a marquee player to keep their young star happy.
Brooklyn Nets ($33,048,185 under the cap) The Nets do have the potential to have significant cap space next summer if they choose not to re-sign most of their own free agents. However, the Nets will more than likely focus on exploring the trade market and retaining big man Nic Claxton before reaching next year&rsquo;s free agency. Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O&rsquo;Neale will also hit free agency next offseason.
Indiana Pacers ($20,488,005 under the cap) Indiana could get to an even higher number in cap space if they decline Bruce Brown&rsquo;s $23 million team option next season. If Brown has a good year, the Pacers would likely keep him on a long-term deal that would consume a good chunk of their space. Other impending free agents they might like to keep include Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith.
Oklahoma City Thunder ($10,264,814 under the cap) The Thunder will likely continue to utilize the strategy of taking on short-term, bad-money contracts in exchange for draft capital. As they inch closer to contention, they will be looking at some big-money extensions for many of their young pieces, including one for Josh Giddey next year.&nbsp;
NON-TAX MLE TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap but under the luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $13,644,000), the Bi-Annual Exception (projected at $4,968,000) unless used in 2023-24, and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Chicago Bulls ($19,465,689 under the cap) The Bulls could potentially operate as a cap-space team if they elect to let DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams walk in free agency, but that seems unlikely. In addition, the Bulls could potentially create more space if Lonzo Ball&rsquo;s knee injury is considered career-ending by an NBA/NBPA-appointed physician. (Ball would still be paid, it just wouldn&rsquo;t count against the cap).&nbsp;
Sacramento Kings ($210,669 under the cap) The Kings used up most of their cap space by signing Domantas Sabonis to a big four-year extension that ties him with the team through 2028. As long as they are competitive, they will likely pursue quality pieces with their Non-Tax MLE to support Sabonis and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. They will also likely try to keep Malik Monk and look at extension options for Davion Mitchell.
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New Orleans Pelicans ($487,911 over the cap) The Pelicans are fairly set with their core of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram under contract through 2025. Ingram and McCollum are both extension-eligible this offseason, but the Pelicans may wait on dishing out extensions to maintain flexibility under the tax. New Orleans must also monitor Jonas Valanciunas&rsquo; free agency and a possible extension for Trey Murphy III.&nbsp;
Atlanta Hawks ($1,658,172 over the cap) Similar to the Kings, the Hawks wiped away their cap space when they signed Dejounte Murray and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter to four-year, $120 million and four-year, $90 million extensions, respectively. Already pushing past the salary cap, the Hawks may face a money crunch as they broach the luxury tax line. Retaining restricted free agents Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey next offseason may be tricky.
Los Angeles Clippers ($5,018,261 over the cap) The Clippers are in an interesting spot with George and Leonard both needing new deals, which they will likely get despite their inability to stay on the floor. Many veterans with big salaries will come off the books next year, like Marcus Morris, Nic Batum and Robert Covington. The question is whether the Clippers will continue to commit significant capital to a roster that hasn&rsquo;t met its lofty expectations.
Miami Heat ($7,751,630 over the cap) The Miami Heat are in a holding pattern with their roster as they engage in a Mexican standoff with the Blazers on a Damian Lillard trade, which could see them skyrocket into the deep tax. Outside of the Dame situation, Jimmy Butler will likely look for another big extension this offseason, which will pay him max money deep into his late 30s. They will also have to contend with potentially losing Caleb Martin, who has a player option for 2024-25.
Houston Rockets ($8,734,919 over the cap) The biggest spenders of this past offseason, the Rockets made big moves for Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Houston could get back into the cap-space tier again if they choose to part ways with Kevin Porter Jr. and his non-guaranteed $15.9 million salary. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun will also be up for extensions.&nbsp;
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11,399,749 over the cap) The Cavs are pretty set going into the 2023-24 season and beyond with two max guys (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) and key guys on fairly big deals (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Max Strus). They will likely give Evan Mobley a big extension next offseason, which could push them into the luxury tax in the near future. For next offseason, their only notable free agent is Isaac Okoro.
New York Knicks ($11,400,861 over the cap) This morning, the Knicks inked Josh Hart to a four-year contract extension that pushed them over the cap for 2024-25. Their main concerns for next summer are Immanuel Quickley and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are both up for new contracts. They will likely be able to avoid the tax by declining their team option on Evan Fournier or trading his expiring contract for another expiring deal.
Dallas Mavericks ($13,566,153 over the cap) The Mavericks are not likely to seek pathways to cap space next summer after doubling down on their trade for Kyrie Irving by re-signing him to a three-year, $120 million deal. They should look to retain Josh Green, who will be a restricted free agent. Luka Doncic&rsquo;s happiness looms over all of the Mavs&rsquo; moves, as ESPN&rsquo;s Tim McMahon <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-fear-luka-doncic-may-request-trade-unless-they-build-contender">reported in April</a> that the Mavericks are worried about Doncic potentially seeking a trade elsewhere as soon as next year.
Los Angeles Lakers ($15,380,636 over the cap) The Lakers had a pathway to almost two max slots in the unlikely scenario that they decided to pivot from the LeBron-AD era. However, that option is out the window with them inking Davis to a three-year supermax extension that will keep him with the team through 2028. LeBron James&rsquo; decision to stay with the team or leave will ultimately dictate how the Lakers approach spending next offseason.
Portland Trail Blazers ($20,567,876 over the cap) Portland is in the midst of turning the page to a new era as they look to accommodate franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard&rsquo;s trade request. If they do end up trading Lillard, expect their cap numbers to come down slightly, but not enough to get any meaningful space. Whether Lillard is traded for the Miami package or something else, Portland shouldn&rsquo;t be a major player in free agency for a while.&nbsp;
LUXURY TAX TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap and luxury tax. They have spending access to Bird Rights, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (projected at $5,500,000), and the Veteran Minimum Exception.
Minnesota Timberwolves ($14,474,085 under the tax) The Timberwolves have paid the luxury tax only once since 2007. They should be a tax team once again, with Karl-Anthony Towns' supermax extension and Anthony Edwards' max extension kicking in. In addition, Minnesota will need to use significant capital to keep players like Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, all of whom will be free agents in 2024.
Golden State Warriors ($9,696,462 under the tax) While the Warriors are currently under the tax, they are likely going to re-sign 2024 free agent Klay Thompson to a long-term deal at a lower number or at least use his Bird Rights to acquire another piece at a similar number. Golden State can cut some costs by releasing Chris Paul after the season, as his $30 million salary for 2024-25 is non-guaranteed.
Milwaukee Bucks ($6,142,529 under the tax) The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to big-money deals, committing to the players who won them the 2021 title. Another one of those players, Jrue Holiday, is set to reach free agency and will likely demand max money. In addition, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a supermax extension of up to three years in October and can sign a four-year supermax extension next offseason.
Denver Nuggets ($6,732,627 over the tax) The defending champs have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon locked in through the 2025 offseason. They&rsquo;ve already lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this summer and will be forced to work around the edges with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope potentially heading for free agency next summer.
Boston Celtics ($7,306,800 over the tax) The trade for Kristaps Porzingis pushed the Celtics into the luxury tax for the first time since 2018, and that was before they signed Jaylen Brown to a five-year supermax extension. With Jayson Tatum&rsquo;s own supermax extension on the horizon next year, the Celtics figure to be a tax team, and potentially a second apron team, for the foreseeable future.
SECOND APRON TEAMS
Teams in this tier are currently projected to be over the salary cap, luxury tax and second luxury tax apron ($17.5 million over the tax). They have spending access to just Bird Rights and the Veteran Minimum Exception. The second apron was introduced in the new CBA and prevents teams from using the Taxpayer MLE, trading first-round picks seven years away, signing buyout free agents and taking back more salary than they send out in trades among other restrictions.
Memphis Grizzlies ($13,829,477 over the tax) For the first time under owner Robert Pera, the Grizzlies will be paying the luxury tax. While Memphis probably won&rsquo;t reach the second apron, they are not likely to have enough spare capital to use their Tax MLE and be able to fill out their roster without going over it. Their core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are locked up to big money, long-term deals that will keep Memphis among the league's biggest spenders for likely the next decade-plus.
Phoenix Suns ($27,039,607 over the tax) Phoenix is by far the most limited team when it comes to spending, and they will be for the next few seasons after trading for Bradley Beal&rsquo;s behemoth contract. With four max contracts, including two supermax contracts, the Suns have blown through the second apron. Like this past offseason, the supporting cast around their core four will be mostly minimum-salary contracts.

How much cap room is your favorite NBA team projected to have next summer? Blake Stern breaks down where all 30 teams stand.

Which NBA teams project to have the most cap space in 2024?

Today, the NBA announced that the ninth NBA Canada Series will feature two preseason games in Vancouver and Montr&eacute;al in October 2023.
On Oct. 8, two-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors will take on the 2022-23 Pacific Division champion Sacramento Kings at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The Kings feature three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis, 2023 NBA All-Star De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Canadian Trey Lyles, and are coached by unanimous 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown.
On Oct. 12, Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort &ndash; a native of Montr&eacute;al &ndash; and the Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Detroit Pistons at the Bell Centre in Montr&eacute;al.&nbsp;
The Pistons feature 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Cade Cunningham, 2022-23 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Jaden Ivey and 2023 No. 5 overall draft pick Ausar Thompson.
In total, 15 NBA teams have participated in 16 preseason games across six cities as part of The NBA Canada Series, drawing a total attendance of more than a quarter of a million.
Tickets for the NBA Canada Series presented will go on sale at a later date.
Fans can register their interest for exclusive presale ticket access by visiting <a href="http://www.nba.com/canadaseries" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.nba.com/canadaseries&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691183599182000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OWiNp-7b1K2q1CXglTDXi">NBA.com/CanadaSeries</a>. NBA Experiences ticket packages offering premium access to the game in Montr&eacute;al and other events will be available for purchase&nbsp;<a href="https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-canada-series-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-canada-series-2023&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691183599182000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0zkhddQuwtKI19jTbdQZWl">here</a>.
In addition to presenting partner Bell, supporting partners of the NBA Canada Series 2023 include Hennessy, Labatt, Subway and Tangerine.

The NBA announced that the ninth NBA Canada Series will feature two preseason games in Vancouver and Montréal in October 2023.

NBA Canada Series to feature Raptors-Kings, Pistons-Thunder in preseason

Kyle Kuzma doubled his salary in Washington, and Draymond Green ensured that Golden State&rsquo;s championship core stays together.
Free agency in the NBA got off to its traditional fast start on Friday night, with Kuzma agreeing to a $102 million, four-year deal with the Wizards and Green getting a new contract that&rsquo;ll pay him $100 million over four seasons with the Warriors.
Both of those deals &mdash; first reported by ESPN and subsequently confirmed to The Associated Press by people with knowledge of the negotiations &mdash; got done shortly after the 6 p.m. EDT time start to the offseason player movement window. Kuzma had opted out of a contract that would have paid him $13 million in Washington this coming season; he&rsquo;ll now average $26 million over the next four years after scoring 21.2 points per game this past season
Green staying put keeps him alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson with the Warriors, where they have won four titles over the last decade. He opted out of a $27.6 million contract for this coming season, and now is under contract for more years.
The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets lost a free agent they wanted to keep, with Bruce Brown agreeing to sign with Indiana, a person with knowledge told AP. ESPN reported it was a two-year deal worth $45 million.
There was simply nothing the Nuggets could do to compete with that offer &mdash; they could only offer Brown $7.8 million for this season. Brown will average nearly three times that much over the next two years.
<h2>CAP NUMBERS</h2>
Shortly before the 6 p.m. window opened, the NBA confirmed the financial particulars for the coming season.
The salary cap that goes into effect Saturday will be $136.021 million &mdash; the highest in league history, as expected. The tax level is $165.294 million.
All teams will have to commit at least $122.418 million in salaries for the coming year. The first apron level is $172.346 million, the second apron has been established at $182.794 million, the midlevel for non-tax teams is $12.405 million, for taxpayers it is $5 million, and the room mid-level is $7.723 million.

Kyle Kuzma doubled his salary in Washington, and Draymond Green ensured that Golden State’s championship core stays together.

Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma staying put as NBA free agency opens

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.
The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen rebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat while giving teammates an extended breather.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a rare rookie right here,&rdquo; Aaron Gordon said. &ldquo;From Day 1 he&rsquo;s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that because he&rsquo;s always in the right spot. He&rsquo;s in the right place at the right time, and he&rsquo;s been doing that all year.&rdquo;
Braun has a chance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win an NBA title a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.
Braun gave the Nuggets a much-needed lift in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-miami-heat-denver-nuggets-6410e66b0dc6f50f2bbed3b6b7a178b4">Denver&rsquo;s Game 3 rout of the Heat</a>. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA Finals, Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled again.
Braun&rsquo;s remarkable resume includes three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a national title with the Jayhawks last year.
Most rookies who cap their college careers with championships have to bide their time in the pros until it&rsquo;s, well, their time. Braun is two wins away from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.
And one of those years without a title came in 2020, when the pandemic shuttered sports and society at a time the Jayhawks were entering the NCAA tournament as the nation&rsquo;s No. 1 team.
&ldquo;Getting shut down, we feel like we were definitely held back from something,&rdquo; said Braun, who helped Kansas win the national title two years later when he had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Jayhawks&rsquo; 72-69 win over North Carolina in the national championship.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely blessed,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not necessarily an individual accomplishment. I&rsquo;ve been a part of some really good teams with really good coaches and really good players.&rdquo;
Like on the court, he&rsquo;s been in the right place at the right time his whole life.
&ldquo;All year long the one thing I&rsquo;ve talked about with Christian is that he&rsquo;s a winner,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;The guy has won at every level, and here he is in the NBA Finals. It&rsquo;s kind of staying true to form for Christian Brawn.&rdquo;
Malone said he knew Braun&rsquo;s addition was going to be big when the 6-7 shooting guard whose last name is pronounced &ldquo;Brown,&rdquo; helped Denver to a 128-123 win at Golden State in the second game of the season with Murray in street clothes as he worked his way back from a torn ACL.
&ldquo;For a young player playing against the defending world champions on the road, he wasn&rsquo;t afraid,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;That really stuck out to me. Most young kids, they get in a situation or environment like that, they&rsquo;re going to be a little bit over their head, and he wasn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Braun&rsquo;s attitude is that if he&rsquo;s only going to get minutes here and there, then he&rsquo;s going to hustle from the second he checks in to the moment he&rsquo;s summoned back to the bench.
&ldquo;The last two months of the year he was a rotational player for the No. 1 team in the West,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s done his job in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s gone out there and defended, rebounded, ran the floor, moved without it. He&rsquo;s never afraid of the moment, which you have to appreciate for such a young kid.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Obviously, the Final Four kind of helped me with that,&rdquo; Braun said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve kind of been here before.&rdquo;
Several times even.

Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him.

Nuggets’ Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Gabe Vincent scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 21 and the Miami Heat evened up the NBA Finals by overcoming a monster effort from Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday night.
Max Strus scored 14 and Duncan Robinson had 10 for the Heat, who had a big early lead, then got down by as many as 15 before reclaiming the lead in the fourth. Miami outscored Denver 36-25 in the final period, erasing an eight-point deficit going into the final frame.
And even then, they had to dig deep to finish it off.
Jokic scored 41 points and was 16 of 28 from the floor, the last of those shots a 4-footer with 36 seconds left to get the Nuggets within three.
Denver elected not to foul on the ensuing Miami possession. Butler missed a 3, and with a chance to tie, Jamal Murray missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Murray had 18 points and 10 assists for Denver, while Aaron Gordon had 12 points and Bruce Brown scored 11.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Miami. Denver had been 11-0 with a double-digit lead in the playoffs.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami changed its starting lineup, with Kevin Love back in the opening five and Caleb Martin &ndash; who missed practice Saturday with an illness &ndash; coming off the bench. &hellip; The Heat got their 13th win of these playoffs, breaking a tie with the 1999 New York Knicks for the most ever by a No. 8 seed.
Nuggets: Denver hadn&rsquo;t lost a game since May 7 &ndash; four weeks ago. &hellip; Nuggets legends Alex English, LaPhonso Ellis (who actually ended his NBA career with Miami) and David Thompson were among those in attendance.
HERRO UPDATE
Injured Heat guard Tyler Herro played 2-on-2 on Saturday as he continues his efforts to try to return from a broken hand at some point in these finals &mdash; but remained out. Herro got hurt in the first half of Game 1 of Round 1 at Milwaukee. His status for Game 3 is unclear.
EXPANSION TALK
Commissioner Adam Silver told NBA TV before the game that negotiations for the next media rights deal are now a priority since the new Collective Bargaining Agreement has been ratified &mdash; and how expansion talk will come after that.
Silver said he thinks the media deal negotiations will begin &ldquo;in earnest probably this next spring.&rdquo; And after that, plans to add franchises will be the next item on the to-do list.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have anything specific in mind right now,&rdquo; Silver said. &ldquo;But I think it makes sense over time if you&rsquo;re a successful organization to continue to grow. There&rsquo;s no doubt there&rsquo;s a lot of great cities we&rsquo;re interested in having in the NBA.&rdquo;

The Heat evened up the NBA Finals by overcoming a monster effort from Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 111-108 in Game 2 on Sunday.

Heat roar back late, beat Nuggets 111-108 to even NBA Finals at 1-1

DENVER (AP) &mdash; It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more &lsquo;yeah, buts&rsquo; than any city should have to stomach. Finally, 47 seasons into an entertaining, often frustrating and almost always overlooked journey in the NBA, Denver is at the center of the basketball world.
The Nuggets &mdash; yes, those&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nuggets-jokic-nba-playoffs-moe-english-issel-d9ad3489061168cedfd864113a02003f">sometimes-lovable and often-forgettable Nuggets</a>&nbsp;&mdash; are in the NBA Finals.
The way they made it says everything about their near half-century in the league, and just how different this team is from every Denver team, even the really good ones, that preceded it.
The Nuggets brushed aside their long-held irrelevance by completing their first sweep in 44 NBA playoff series. They&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-lakers-9f7a28f73a56c431672d840c93185b60">did it against the Los Angeles Lakers</a>, the team that has caused them so much of their pain. Before the Western Conference finals, Denver was 0-7 in playoff series against the Lakers. Now, Denver is 1-7.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like shock a little bit,&rdquo; Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said, echoing a sentiment certainly being felt across the franchise&rsquo;s long-suffering fan base. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re just like unsure, like, are you sure we don&rsquo;t have more time on the clock? Are you sure we don&rsquo;t have another quarter to play or another game to play?&rdquo;
With all due respect to Dan Issel, Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and everyone else who ever wore rainbows, Nikola Jokic is the best player to put on a Denver uniform. He recorded his eighth triple-double of the playoffs in Monday night&rsquo;s 113-111 win over LA, surpassing a record for a single postseason held by none other than Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain.
Jokic, who was 0.2 assists short of averaging a triple-double this season, got beat out for his third straight MVP this season by Philly&rsquo;s Joel Embiid. Fans see it all as par for the course in a city where the team that debuted in the ABA as the Denver Rockets &mdash; not the better-known, better-respected Denver Broncos &mdash; really put the town on the national sports map. That was in 1967. The Broncos were still a laughingstock but the local basketball team put out a good product right away.
It was good enough to make the Nuggets a no-brainer when the ABA folded in 1976 and the NBA went picking through the wreckage to invite a few teams to join.
Between then and now, the city has seen its share of the spotlight. John Elway brought two Super Bowl titles home and Peyton Manning another. The Colorado Avalanche, who share a home (Ball Arena) and an owner (Stan Kroenke) with the Nuggets, have won hockey&rsquo;s Stanley Cup three times, including last year. Even the Colorado Rockies have been to the World Series. The Nuggets only trip this close to the title came in 1976 when they lost in the last ABA final to Julius Erving and the Nets.
David Thompson; Larry Brown; Doug Moe; English; Issel; Anthony; George Karl; Allen Iverson; Chauncey Billups. All those coaches and players spent time in Denver. None ever got too close to that NBA title trophy while here. Before this week, Denver made the NBA conference finals four times, and lost all four.
It conspired to make the place little more than flyover territory &mdash; a city with high altitude that the schedule makers often tuck into other teams&rsquo; itineraries as part of long road trips with more exciting final destinations &mdash; LA, New York, Miami.
But Denver? It was a great place to take a night off &mdash; or, put more diplomatically, for teams to exercise the 21st-century NBA practice of &ldquo;load management&rdquo; for their best players.
While NBA titles, and the fanfare that comes with them, have been built on the shoulders of megastars for decades, the Nuggets never were part of that scene.
In fact, Jokic was the exact opposite of that when he arrived in 2014. Rather, he was a doughy second-round draft pick known only to the insiders who followed the Serbian hoops scene.
&ldquo;Everybody gets cracked up into his stats but I don&rsquo;t think a lot of people talk about, like, this part of his game,&rdquo; LeBron James of the Lakers said after the sweep, as he pointed toward his head, indicating Jokic&rsquo;s mastery of the cerebral part of hoops. &ldquo;Maybe it&rsquo;s not talked about it, because a lot of people don&rsquo;t understand it, but I do. He&rsquo;s special.&rdquo;
Great as Jokic has been, it&rsquo;s the addition of another under-the-radar player, guard Jamal Murray, and his return to full health that helped get this team over the top.
Murray was a lottery pick out of Kentucky in 2016, the year Ben Simmons was the top pick and considered the NBA&rsquo;s Next Big Thing. Murray blew up in the bubble during COVID, bringing Denver within a series of the finals, only to see the Lakers snuff out another season. He missed the next two playoffs due to a devastating knee injury. These playoffs, Murray is feeling great. He averaged 32.5 points in the four-game sweep of LA.
&ldquo;I think our chemistry is at an all-time high, the way we play, the way we read the game without even speaking,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We talk that language on the court.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just beautiful basketball, honestly.&rdquo;
With the Nuggets in their first NBA Finals after all these years, it will be hard to find anyone in Denver who would argue with that.

It took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, but the Denver Nuggets are finally heading to the NBA Finals.

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history Monday night, sweeping the Western Conference finals with a 113-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jamal Murray scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets, who overcame LeBron James&rsquo; 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit with a tenacious finish in Game 4 to earn their first conference title in their 47 NBA seasons.
James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists after the highest-scoring postseason half of his career, but even the top scorer in NBA history couldn&rsquo;t keep the deep, dynamic Nuggets from their sixth consecutive victory overall.
James missed two tying shots in the final seconds, with Aaron Gordon appearing to block his shot at the buzzer.
Jokic earned his eighth triple-double of the playoffs by the third quarter, breaking Wilt Chamberlain&rsquo;s 1967 NBA record for triple-doubles in a single postseason. The Serbian big man also led the Nuggets&rsquo; tenacious defensive effort despite picking up his fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter &mdash; and when Denver needed a big basket, Jokic delivered that as well.
The Lakers erased a seven-point deficit and tied it with five minutes to play, but Jokic hit a 25-foot fallaway 3-pointer. After Anthony Davis hit two free throws to tie it with 1:11 left, Jokic muscled his way past Davis for the tiebreaking layup.
James then badly missed a strange fallaway jumper with 26 seconds left. After Murray missed a turnaround to give the Lakers one last chance, James&rsquo; drive at the buzzer was thwarted by Murray and Gordon, who scored 22 points.
The Nuggets will cap their superb season under coach Michael Malone by playing for their first NBA championship. Denver both eliminated the Lakers for the first time in eight playoff meetings and swept a playoff series for the first time, likely earning several days off before the finals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nikola Jokic and Michael Malone celebrate the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history <a href="https://t.co/Ic7y6hkkeZ">pic.twitter.com/Ic7y6hkkeZ</a>
&mdash; Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1660851131042414598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Unless the Boston Celtics make basketball history by rallying from their 3-0 deficit in the East finals, Denver will host the eighth-seeded Miami Heat to open the NBA Finals, beginning June 1.
James scored 21 points in the first quarter and worked desperately to keep the Lakers competitive in the final game of his 20th NBA season. But the Lakers couldn&rsquo;t even force a Game 5, with an apparently exhausted Davis scoring 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and adding 14 rebounds.
Austin Reaves scored 17 points for the Lakers, who were swept in a playoff series for the 11th time in team history, including nine best-of-seven series.
The loss ended seventh-seeded Los Angeles&rsquo; incredible turnaround after starting the season 2-10 under new coach Darvin Ham. After bolstering their roster at the trade deadline and surging into the postseason with two months of strong play, the Lakers then knocked off second-seeded Memphis and eliminated defending champion Golden State to stir their worldwide fans&rsquo; hopes for one of the most unlikely championship runs in NBA history.
Facing elimination for the first time in their remarkable playoff run, James and the Lakers responded with their best half of the series, taking a 73-58 halftime lead on James&rsquo; broad shoulders. He had 21 points in the first quarter, tying his playoff career high for a quarter in his record 282nd postseason game. He then matched his career high for points in any first half.
But the Nuggets responded with a relentless third quarter, taking their first lead less than eight minutes after halftime. Denver pushed its lead to seven before the Lakers rallied, with Davis&rsquo; putback dunk tying it with 5:02 to play.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope converted a four-point play in the first quarter. He finished with 13 points. ... The Nuggets have yet to trail in any series, and they&rsquo;re 8-0 at home in the playoffs &ndash; 10-0 since March. Denver is 12-3 overall in the postseason.
Lakers: James got an accidental 3-pointer in the first half when his lob pass to Rui Hachimura went in the basket. ... Ham shook up his starting lineup for the Lakers&rsquo; last chance, replacing struggling D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt with Dennis Schr&ouml;der and Hachimura. The moves immediately worked, with the two new starters combining for 19 points in the first half. ... James&rsquo; 21 points were the most by a Lakers player in a playoff first quarter since at least 1997. ... Veteran Tristan Thompson had four points in 10 minutes during the most significant playing time of his Lakers career, which began in the final weekend of the regular season. &hellip; Kyrie Irving watched the game from courtside. The star free-agent guard has been linked to a reunion with James on the Lakers next season. Other fans at courtside included Vin Diesel, Adam Sandler and Aaron Donald.

Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history.

Jokic leads Nuggets to first NBA Finals, eliminating LeBron's Lakers

On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place at the Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis in Chicago from May 15-21.
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games as well as shooting and strength-and-agility drills. Coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine will begin May 17 on ESPN2 from 2-6 p.m. ET and continues May 18 from 4-8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The NBA Draft Combine will also be available on the ESPN App. Strength-and-agility drills and shooting drills will be broadcast live on the NBA App on May 15 from 3-5 p.m. ET.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-announces-45-draft-prospects-competing-in-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 13-14 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.
Unfortunately, projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama won't be in attendance at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine as he has yet to finish his season overseas with Metropolitans 92.
Below is a list of expected attendees for the 2023 NBA Draft Combine:
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trey Alexander (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Seth Lundy (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Amari Bailey (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kevin McCullar (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Mike Miles Jr. (TCU)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Reece Beekman (Virginia)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandon Miller (Alabama)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Anthony Black (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Miller (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adem Bona (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Leonard Miller (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Brown (Missouri)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Toumani Camara (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Omari Moore (San Jose State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kris Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Grant Nelson (North Dakota State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Noah Clowney (Alabama)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
James Nnaji (Barcelona [Spain] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ricky Council IV (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Gradey Dick (Kansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Pickett (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Nikola Djurisic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Zach Edey (Purdue)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adam Flagler (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers [Oceania] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyonte George (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Adama Sanogo (Connecticut)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Marcus Sasser (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Taylor Hendricks (UCF)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Slawson (Furman)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jett Howard (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
GG Jackson II (South Carolina)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Colby Jones (Xavier)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan [Serbia] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jarace Walker (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mojave King (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Bobi Klintman (Wake Forest)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Dereck Lively II (Duke)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Chris Livingston (Kentucky)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Isaiah Wong (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.

NBA announces 78 Draft Combine participants, but no Victor Wembanyama

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)&nbsp;&mdash; Stephen Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points and answered time and again to will the defending champions on in their quest for a repeat, Kevon Looney grabbed 21 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Sacramento Kings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/game/gsw-vs-sac-0042200167">120-100 in Sunday&rsquo;s winner-take-all Game 7</a>.
Curry&rsquo;s points are the most in NBA history in a Game 7, topping former teammate Kevin Durant&rsquo;s 48 for the Nets against Milwaukee in 2021.
The Warriors fell behind 2-0 in this series then won twice on the road in front of a hostile, cowbell-clanging crowd in the state capital to become the first reigning champion to drop the first two games and win any postseason series.
Now, bring on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals with all that NBA Finals history with James and Golden State dating to his Cleveland days. Game 1 is Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Sacramento&rsquo;s special comeback season is over long before these young Kings had planned. After snapping a 16-year playoff drought &mdash; longest in NBA history &mdash; under Coach of the Year Mike Brown, playoff-starved Sacramento earned a No. 3 seed but missed advancing to the second round for the first time since 2004. No more Light the Beam at Golden 1 Center this season.
Curry shot 20 of 38 with seven 3s and delivered after almost every big play by Sacramento as Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled on both ends again. But Thompson came through in some crucial moments, too.
Malik Monk&rsquo;s putback and three-point play with 14.6 seconds remaining in the third pulled Sacramento within six only for Thompson to hit a long 3 and convert a four-point play to make it 91-81 heading into the final 12 minutes.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists but the Warriors held De&rsquo;Aaron Fox in check as he scored 16 points on 5-for-19 shooting in his third game playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand.
Trailing 58-56 at halftime, the Warriors opened the second half with a 13-4 burst to take a 69-62 lead and force a Kings timeout at the 7:50 mark.
Sacramento scored early on with a beautiful combination of classic give-and-goes and long jumpers off crisp passing around the perimeter.
But Curry kept coming, and Looney kept scrapping to create second and third opportunities during his brilliant series on the boards.
Curry fired from way back with precision and fearlessly drove to the basket with jaw-dropping acrobatics all afternoon to send Kings fans to the exits late in the fourth.
Thompson began 1 for 10 missing his first five 3s before connecting at the 9:18 mark of the third. Golden State, playing just its fourth Game 7 under Steve Kerr since the 2014-15 title run, was smart down the stretch after 18 turnovers in Game 6 led to 23 Kings points and Kerr calling his team &ldquo;wildly undisciplined.&rdquo;
Kerr had no doubt before the deciding game &mdash; and he went back to Draymond Green in the starting lineup for Game 7 with the season on the line after the fiery forward came off the bench the previous two contests following a Game 3 suspension for stepping on Domantas Sabonis.
&ldquo;These guys are champions, defending champions from a year ago, four in the last eight years, these guys know the deal,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a sense of confidence and a sense that we&rsquo;re going to go get it done.&rdquo;
Just before the final buzzer, Kerr offered a long embrace to Brown &mdash; Golden State&rsquo;s former top assistant who once coached the Warriors during Kerr&rsquo;s health absence and just guided the Kings&rsquo; remarkable turnaround.

Stephen Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points and the Warriors beat the Kings, 120-100, to advance to the second round.

Curry scores 50 points, leads Warriors past Kings 120-100 in Game 7

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; His team huddled up before taking the floor, Harrison Barnes hollered a message to the Kings with their special season on the line: &ldquo;Leave it all on the floor and take this series back to Sac!&rdquo;
With spectacular performances on both ends against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the Kings are going home to Sacramento for Game 7 against the defending champions.
Malik Monk can only imagine what a winner-take-all showdown might be like with a chance to extend this long-awaited playoff run as all those supporters try to will their Kings into the second round.
For Curry and Co., there&rsquo;s no imagining necessary &mdash; they know what hostile road environments feel like for elimination games, having been there so many times over the past decade on the way to four titles.
&ldquo;Man, I never been to Game 7, so I don&rsquo;t know. I don&rsquo;t know what to expect,&rdquo; Monk said. &ldquo;I just know I&rsquo;m going to go out there and play 110 percent, give it my all, and continue to do what I&rsquo;ve been doing, and that&rsquo;s attacking the rim and making plays for my teammates. So I&rsquo;m going to be ready.&rdquo;
Facing elimination, upstart Sacramento shined on both ends and hardly looked to be feeling any added pressure in a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/warriors-kings-nba-playoffs-2023-48443f77587597953cf2cbadf9530b60">commanding 118-99 Game 6 victory</a> Friday night.
Whenever Curry worked his offensive magic, Monk or Fox or Keegan Murray did something brilliant of their own. With big man Domantas Sabonis in foul trouble, others like Trey Lyles came through to quiet a fan base dreaming of a Warriors repeat title.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve put ourselves in a situation where we have to be the team that&rsquo;s playing with desperation, obviously on the road in a Game 7. There&rsquo;s a lot of belief that we can do that,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of belief in every single guy that&rsquo;s going to be out there on the floor, that we can make the necessary adjustments. If it is an energy thing, that&rsquo;s something you can control and correct it. So you&rsquo;ve got to embrace the challenge of what&rsquo;s in front of us and try to go get the job done.&rdquo;
If the Kings got a glimpse of their homecourt advantage in the initial two games of this series, Golden 1 Center might be at another level on Sunday.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be rocking. We&rsquo;ve had loud games this year,&rdquo; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox said. &ldquo;Coming out for Game 1, I think our guys were amazed at what was going on. But going back there for a Game 7, I feel like &mdash; everybody doesn&rsquo;t get to experience a Game 7, but not a lot of people get to experience a Game 7 in Sacramento.&rdquo;
Coach of the Year Mike Brown joked he doesn&rsquo;t have &ldquo;magic dust&rdquo; regarding what to do against the Warriors other than compete with the same physical authority on both ends because he has seen Golden State thrive through all the toughest moments.
Brown was the Warriors&rsquo; top assistant before joining the Kings.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have to play at our best. Again, they&rsquo;re the champions,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have to play at an elite level for 48 minutes against these guys because they&rsquo;re going to bring it, trust me.&rdquo;
All that work to earn the No. 3 seed and home court sure matters now for these Kings &mdash; &ldquo;that&rsquo;s part of the reason why we bust our behind all year,&rdquo; Brown said.
The Warriors, meanwhile, must regroup and try to rediscover the energy and efficiency they had in a 123-116 win Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. On Friday, they missed 10 free throws while shooting 35 &mdash; three that Curry couldn&rsquo;t convert and three missed by Andrew Wiggins. Klay Thompson shot 2 for 9 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;When I said that was the best win of the season Game 5, this is probably the worst loss of the season, but there&rsquo;s no time to hang our heads,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;Luckily for us, we still have another crack at it. I still have absolute belief in this team that we can go get it done on the road. It will be a tall task but we are up for it and I know we will respond.&rdquo;
Curry is counting on that, too, and knows it will start with smart basketball despite the challenging atmosphere.
&ldquo;Coming out with a sense of composure is a big thing, especially if you&rsquo;re on the road because it&rsquo;s going to be hostile and their crowd is going to be into it,&rdquo; Curry said.
Brown has embraced the notion of his young team learning on the fly in what is the first playoff series for most. Each game, each situation provides new experiences and opportunities for growth.
He is thrilled by how the Kings have handled outside noise, such as anyone who counted Sacramento out of this series before the ball had even tipped in Game 1.
&ldquo;The job&rsquo;s not done,&rdquo; Brown said, &ldquo;so we&rsquo;ve got to see how we&rsquo;re going to respond in a Game 7 for the first time as a group.&rdquo;
WARRIORS AT KINGS
Series tied at 3-all. Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Warriors &mdash; trying to improve to 19-0 in playoff series against Western Conference opponents under coach Steve Kerr dating to the team&rsquo;s 2014-15 title run &mdash; know every miscue will be magnified after their 18 turnovers led to 23 Kings points in Game 6.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Sacramento&rsquo;s Kevin Huerter. After struggling all series with his shot &mdash; 20 of 52 in the first five games &mdash; the fifth-year forward hit two crucial 3s down the stretch and might have a performance to build on going into the decisive Game 7. &ldquo;You got no idea. It feels good,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Just got to see the ball go in sometimes.&rdquo;
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Sabonis has a cut beneath his left eye after being hit on a jump ball by Kevon Looney. Fox insists he&rsquo;s doing great despite the broken index finger on his shooting hand. He scored 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting and had 11 assists but will strive to cut down on turnovers after committing 11 over the past two games. &ldquo;I feel fine. Obviously at times it&rsquo;s going to hurt, but that is what it is,&rdquo; Fox said.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Golden State won once on the Kings&rsquo; home floor in Game 5 after a dismal regular season on the road and now the defending champions must find a way to quiet the playoff-starved, cowbell-clanging Sacramento crowd to save the season after losing Games 1 and 2 at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings will host Game 7 against the Warriors, and they're counting on their passionate fans to create a hostile environment.

Kings hope their home crowd can carry them in Game 7 vs. Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Malik Monk scored 28 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox added 26 points and 11 assists, and the Sacramento Kings staved off elimination in their first-round playoff series by beating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 118-99 on Friday night in Game 6.
Now, a winner-takes-all Game 7 is back in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon.
Rookie Keegan Murray scored 15 points with four 3-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first playoff double-double, and the No. 3-seeded Kings withstood every scoring surge the defending champions made on their home court and shined in nearly every facet of this one with their special season on the line.
Kevin Huerter, struggling with his shot all series &mdash; 20 of 52 coming into the game &mdash; hit a 3 with 6:23 to go and another with 4:58 left as Sacramento gave the state capital one more chance to Light the Beam.
Curry scored 29, Klay Thompson 22 and Kevon Looney pulled down 13 more rebounds to give him an NBA-leading 85 this postseason. He was coming off a career-high 22 rebounds in a Game 5 win at Golden 1 Center.
But the Kings, in the postseason for the first time since 2006, answered almost every big play by Golden State in the third quarter and capitalized on regular miscues. They outhustled the Warriors to the boards.
The Kings led 90-80 heading into the final 12 minutes. Curry hit an early 3, only for Trey Lyles to connect moments later. When Curry drove for a layup the next possession, Monk made one of his own.
Curry's 3 with 9:28 left got Golden State within 99-89 before Fox hit.
Fox's first points came on a jumper with 2:18 left in the first on his first shot. He then scored again the next time down still dealing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand. He shot 10 for 18.
Sacramento snapped a six-game losing streak on the Warriors' home floor dating to a win on Feb. 25, 2020.
Lyles wound up with 12 points and 10 rebounds as others picked up the slack with Domantas Sabonis in foul trouble. The big man had seven points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 5:17 left.
Fox had been frustrated with his poor fourth quarter in Wednesday's 123-116 defeat in which he went 0 for 6 from the field and was scoreless &mdash; the most shots he had ever taken in a final period without scoring.
Draymond Green came off the bench for a third straight game and received a rousing standing ovation when checking in for the first time at the 6:26 mark of the opening quarter. He had 10 assists.
Both teams took a while to warm up, with Sacramento starting 6 for 23 and Golden State 6 of 19.
PAYTON'S DEGREE
Golden State guard Gary Payton II surprised mother Monique with his college diploma in person Friday morning. Payton had&nbsp;<a class="link " href="https://apnews.com/article/payton-degree-warriors-playoffs-99e8594d7391b9fb6755a5d9fdf1b6e7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:promised her he would finish his degree;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="43" data-v9y="1">promised her he would finish his degree</a>&nbsp;at Oregon State, and he did so recently to complete a major in human development and family science.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento's bench outscored the Warriors' reserves 52-21. ... The Kings were 4 of 16 to start from deep but finished 17 of 45. ... Sabonis suffered a cut under his left eye on a jump ball with Looney in the second quarter.
Warriors: Curry missed three free throws, practically unheard of, as his team went 25 of 35 from the line. ... The Warriors gave up 23 points on their 19 turnovers. ... Green picked up his third foul at the 7:09 mark of the second quarter. ... Golden State is 8-3 in Game 6s dating back to their 2015 title run and 22-11 in close-out games.

The Kings forced a Game 7 against the Warriors, beating Golden State 118-99 on Friday night in their first-round playoff series.

Monk, Fox lead Kings past Warriors 118-99 to force Game 7

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Draymond Green had his highest-scoring game in more than five years and the Golden State Warriors won the first road game of their series against Sacramento, beating the Kings 123-116 Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead.
Green had 21 points and seven assists in his first game back in Sacramento since getting ejected and later suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis&rsquo; chest in a Game 2 loss.
Golden State now can try to wrap up the series with a fourth straight win at home on Friday night.
The defending champion Warriors withstood another raucous crowd in Sacramento and showed off their road mettle that had been missing so often this season.
Golden State won only 11 games away from home in the regular season and lost the first two games in Sacramento before making the key plays in the second half to beat the Kings and extend their record to 28 straight playoff series with at least one road win.
The Kings trailed by 12 early in the fourth quarter after a layup by Curry but wouldn&rsquo;t go away. They chipped away at the deficit behind 11 points in the next five minutes from Monk &mdash; who went down briefly with what looked like a left knee injury &mdash; to make it a one-point game with just over four minutes left.
But the Warriors pulled away late after Monk missed a potential game-tying 3 with 1:04 to play.
Andrew Wiggins made a turnaround jumper to make it a five-point game and Curry put it away with a three-point play with 22.1 seconds left that made it 122-114.
Klay Thompson added 25 points, Wiggins had 20 and Kevon Looney matched his career-high with 22 rebounds.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 24 despite a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-fox-injury-kings-warriors-7217265572c8f19edc5fa8642f5ae6dc">broken index finger</a>&nbsp;on his shooting hand, and Monk and Sabonis added 21 points apiece for Sacramento.
Fox got the start despite breaking the tip of the index finger on his shooting hand late in Game 4. He played with a splint on the finger and showed no ill effects from the injury, making all three of his attempts from long range in the first quarter to help Sacramento build a 10-point lead.
The Warriors got going in the second quarter with Thompson making three 3-pointers during a 12-0 run that helped Golden State take a 60-56 lead at the half.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry moved past Magic Johnson (3,701) into fifth-place all-time in playoff scoring with 3,727 points. ... Looney became the first Warriors player with two games with at least 20 rebounds in the same playoff series since Nate Thurmond did it against Milwaukee in 1972. ... Golden State got called for two transition take fouls in the fourth quarter.
Kings: Sacramento went from shooting 8 for 12 from 3-point range in the first quarter to 0 for 9 in the second quarter &mdash; the Kings&rsquo; most misses without a make in any quarter this season.
UP NEXT
With a win on Friday night, the Warriors would improve to 19-0 in playoff series against Western Conference teams since coach Steve Kerr took over in 2014-15.

The Warriors won the first road game of their series against the Kings 123-116 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Curry leads Warriors past Kings 123-116 for 3-2 series lead

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; First, Draymond Green suggested to Warriors coach Steve Kerr that he come off the bench for Game 4 against the Sacramento Kings after Golden State had played so brilliantly without him.
Then at halftime Sunday, a couple of assistant coaches offered up the idea to Kerr that Green should defend De&rsquo;Aaron Fox for the final two quarters.
Those collaborative, spot-on moves helped overshadow a late blunder, and now the defending champions are all tied up in their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Stephen Curry scored 32 points but gave Sacramento a late chance when he called a timeout Golden State didn&rsquo;t have, then the Warriors held on to beat the Kings 126-125 on Sunday when Harrison Barnes missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
&ldquo;These games are coming down to the wire, and you&rsquo;ve just got to really finish possessions and try to give yourself the best chance, and then sometimes, it&rsquo;s just, does the ball go in or not,&rdquo; Kerr said.
Fox had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Sacramento. His 3 with 28.7 seconds left pulled the Kings within one, then Curry missed a 16-foot jumper on the other end and Keegan Murray corralled the rebound. With Curry and Green defending, Fox dished to former Warrior Barnes for the potential game-winning 3, which hit the back of the rim.
&ldquo;Wide open,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;Fox trusted me to take that shot. Back rim. On to the next but I feel confident in where we are.&rdquo;
Golden State led 126-121 with 42.4 seconds left when Curry called the excessive timeout, and Malik Monk made the technical free throw for Sacramento.
Klay Thompson made a baseline 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer and another with 3:24 left, finishing with 26 points for the Warriors.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night at Sacramento&rsquo;s Golden 1 Center, where the Kings went ahead 2-0. The Warriors struggled on the road all year.
&ldquo;As good as this feels, it&rsquo;s got to be quickly forgotten about,&rdquo; Thompson said.
Curry&rsquo;s 3 with 4:10 remaining gave Golden State a 121-117 lead and he finished 11 for 22 with five 3s while dueling all afternoon with Fox.
After Monk&rsquo;s layup made it 107-106 Kings with 9:03 to play, Curry responded with a driving layup and a 3 in a 14-second span.
Green came off the bench after serving a one-game suspension while the Warriors dominated Thursday&rsquo;s Game 3 without him. Given the momentum and success, Kerr stuck with Jordan Poole in the starting five Sunday.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a firm believer if something isn&rsquo;t broke you don&rsquo;t fix it,&rdquo; Green said.
He made a nifty behind-the-back pass for a Curry 3 midway through the fourth, then swatted a shot by Domantas Sabonis with 1:37 left.
Green, disciplined for stepping on Sabonis&rsquo; chest in the fourth quarter of Game 2, checked in to a rousing ovation with 6:38 left in the opening quarter and wound up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He and Fox picked up double technicals at the 5:43 mark of the first.
Sabonis added 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and now heads home determined to get the Kings closer to winning their first playoff series since eliminating Dallas in the 2004 first round.
&ldquo;We made some timely mistakes, especially in the fourth quarter,&rdquo; coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;This is where our playoff inexperience comes into play because you can&rsquo;t rest out there, or you can&rsquo;t think that you can play something a certain way and the champions are not going to make you pay the price.&rdquo;
Poole scored 22 points, Andrew Wiggins added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, and Kevon Looney pulled down 14 rebounds to go with eight points and six assists.
Murray&rsquo;s 3 with 10:43 left pulled the Kings within 102-99 after a 7-0 burst to begin the fourth after the 3 by Thompson to end the third put the Warriors ahead 102-92. Brown instructed his young star to &ldquo;let it fly&rdquo; and Murray shined under the matinee lights, scoring 23 points.
Thompson&rsquo;s driving and dishing is something Kerr pointed to as a success opening up the floor in Game 3 and Thompson penetrated and found Moses Moody for a baseline 3 late in the first. Golden State moved the ball with snappy passes that created open looks.
MURRAY&rsquo;S GROWTH
Murray shot 9 for 13 with five 3s after he went a combined 1 for 8 on 3s and 3 of 13 in the first three games.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just tried to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs and I knew eventually I&rsquo;d catch my stride on the offensive end, so it&rsquo;s just a matter of time and I came in confident,&rdquo; Murray said.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento scored 18 points off Golden State&rsquo;s 12 turnovers while committing just 10 of its own. ... The Kings shot 14 of 35 from deep, 3 for 11 by Fox and 1 of 6 by Barnes.
Warriors: Gary Payton II returned to play seven minutes after missing Game 3 with an illness. ... Green had started the last 132 postseason games he played, last coming off the bench in Game 3 against the Clippers in 2014. ... Golden State shot 52.2% in the first.
LEADING LATE
The Warriors improved to 75-3 since Kerr became coach when leading a playoff game by 10 or more at any point in the fourth quarter.
&nbsp;

Stephen Curry scored 32 points and the Warriors held on to beat the Kings 126-125 on Sunday.

Curry, Warriors hold off Kings 126-125 to even series 2-all

Stephen Curry scored 36 points, Kevon Looney matched his career high with 20 rebounds to go with nine assists, and the Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 in Game 3 on Thursday night to pull within 2-1.
As suspended star Draymond Green watched from home, the defending champions dominated without him as they have done so many times before. The fiery forward was suspended without pay for stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis in the fourth quarter of Monday's Game 2 at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors also were without key defensive stopper Gary Payton II after the guard became ill Wednesday.
Curry shot 12 for 25 with six 3s while Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, who never trailed and will now try to even the best-of-seven series in Game 4 on Sunday back on their home court at Chase Center.
Sabonis, who grabbed Green's foot during the play in question, was booed at every chance. The big man underwent tests that revealed a bruised sternum but was able to practice Wednesday and cleared to play. He had 14 rebounds by halftime and 16 total to go with 15 points. But Golden State's smothering interior defense led to some spectacular plays on offense.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox was 5 for 14 in the first half for 12 points but finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Kings. Fox scored 62 in the first two games.
Jordan Poole &mdash; playing on a tender left ankle &mdash; started in Green&rsquo;s place and had 16 points and five rebounds, while the Warriors also counted on contributions from Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Donte DiVincenzo.
Looney, who led the NBA in offensive rebounds and played in his 218th straight game, corralled a key board from the offensive glass that led to Curry's 3 to beat the halftime buzzer and make it a double-digit Warriors lead at 53-41.
Harrison Barnes added 17 points against his old team for Sacramento, whose fans were told to leave those noisy cowbells at home because they're banned at Chase Center. Warriors fans were raucous in their own right sporting yellow &ldquo;Gold Blooded&rdquo; t-shirts and pounding Thunderstix.
Leading into Game 3, Golden State coach Steve Kerr shared with the team his favorite John Wooden quote of all time: &ldquo;Be quick, but don&rsquo;t hurry.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s a mantra he challenged the Warriors to use to take better shots and be more careful with the ball to limit turnovers.
He felt the Warriors had been in a hurry and committing unforced turnovers, rushed to make a play.
They seemed like their old selves in this one.
NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown, who received a shipment of new Vans sneakers, warned of what might happen if his team let down even in the slightest: &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re overconfident we&rsquo;re going to get our behinds handed to us because these guys are champions.&rdquo;
Curry and Co. made sure of that.
E-40 IS BACK
Rapper E-40 returned courtside for Game 3 fashionably late and fashionable.
The hip-hop star whose real name is Earl Stevens alleged &ldquo;racial bias&rdquo; after being kicked out of Game 1 at Sacramento's Golden 1 Center. He and the Kings put out a joint statement Wednesday explaining there was a &lsquo;miscommunication&rsquo; and said it was an &ldquo;unfortunate misunderstanding&rdquo; between both parties.
&ldquo;We're OK, can't complain,&rdquo; he said Thursday of being satisfied with the Kings' response.
Curry and E-40 shared a celebratory embrace shortly after the final buzzer as Curry made his way to the tunnel.
TIP-INS
Kings: The Kings were outrebounded 60-53. ... Sacramento shot 11 for 46 on 3s. ... The Kings made it to the free-throw line just eight times in the initial two quarters and 23 for the game.
Warriors: Wiggins had a memorable second-quarter sequence with a block then 3-pointer moments later. ... Moody had a three-point play and dunk over a sizzling 38-second stretch late in the third putting Golden State up 76-63 and finished with 13 points. ... In a quiet outing, Klay Thompson had 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting but hit two timely shots down the stretch.

The Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 in Game 3.

Curry scores 36 points, Warriors beat Kings 114-97 without Green

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 38 points in his long-awaited playoff debut and the Sacramento Kings celebrated their return to the postseason after a record 16-year drought by beating the defending-champion Golden State Warriors 126-123 on Saturday night.
The first playoff meeting between the Northern California neighbors lived up to the hype and delighted the raucous crowd that had been waiting for a playoff game since 2006.
The inexperienced Kings closed the game strong against a Warriors team that won four titles in the previous eight seasons.
After Stephen Curry hit a corner 3-pointer to give Golden State a 114-112 lead with about four minutes left, the Kings responded with seven in a row starting with a 3-pointer from Fox, who led the league in clutch points in the regular season.
The Warriors didn&rsquo;t go away and cut the deficit to one on a layup by Curry in the final minute. But Andrew Wiggins missed a corner 3 for the lead in the closing seconds of his first game in more than two months.
Malik Monk made two free throws to make it 126-123 with 2.9 seconds left. Curry missed a runner from 3 at the buzzer, giving the Kings their first playoff win since April 30, 2006, against San Antonio.
Monk finished with 32 points off the bench and Domantas Sabonis had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Curry led the Warriors with 30 points, Klay Thompson added 21 and Wiggins and Poole scored 18 apiece.
It was a festive environment in success-starved Sacramento where fans gathered outside the arena hours before the start of the Kings first playoff game following an&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sacramento-kings-nba-playoffs-87163d6dd4a50388340b118497f6e2b1">NBA record 16-year drought</a>.
The arena was deafening starting in pregame warmups with some fans even bringing back the cow bells that were so common during their playoff runs two decades ago.
The excitement appeared to take a toll on the inexperienced Kings, who struggled shooting the ball early. Sacramento missed its first seven 3-pointers, shot just 39.2% in the first half and trailed Golden State 61-55 at the half.
The Warriors built the lead to 10 points in the third quarter before Sacramento ended the quarter on a 15-4 run fueled by 10 points from Trey Lyles to take a 91-90 lead into the fourth.
WIGGINS&rsquo; RETURN
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins showed few signs of rush&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-warriors-wiggins-ea707b98d3a89d7f1be08d8bfae3bfe7">in his first game</a>&nbsp;in more than two months after leaving the team to deal with an undisclosed family matter.
Wiggins came off the bench after starting his first 657 games in the NBA and made an immediate impact. He had his first shot attempt blocked but hustled back for a block of his own on the defensive end.
The only thing missing from his game was the outside shot as he was 1 for 8 from 3.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State opened a series on the road for the fourth time in 25 playoff series under Steve Kerr. The Warriors won Game 1 and the series in the 2018 Western Conference Finals against Houston and the second round against Memphis last season. Golden State lost the opener of the 2019 Finals and the series to Toronto.
Kings: Monk&rsquo;s 15 points in the second quarter were the most for a Sacramento reserve in one quarter of a playoff game since at least 1997. ... Sacramento starters missed their first 15 attempts from 3-point range before Fox hit one late in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Game 2 is Monday night in Sacramento. The Warriors haven&rsquo;t fallen behind 2-0 in a playoff series since the second round of the 2007 playoffs against Utah.

The Kings celebrated their return to the postseason after a record 16-year drought by beating the defending-champ Warriors 126-123.

De'Aaron Fox leads Kings past Warriors 126-123 in playoff return

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray scored 26 points and blocked Klay Thompson&rsquo;s 3-point attempt in the final seconds, and the Denver Nuggets held on for a 112-110 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
Michael Porter Jr. had 29 points and 11 rebounds and Aaron Gordon added 13 points and 10 rebounds for short-handed Denver.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic missed his third straight game with calf tightness that first cropped up against Milwaukee on March 25 and lingered against Philadelphia on Monday, coach Michael Malone said.
Thompson led Golden State with 25 points and Stephen Curry scored 21, but struggled from the field. Curry missed his first five shots from behind the arc and finished 2 of 14 from deep.
Denver (52-26) moved within a game of securing home-court advantage in the Western Conference. A victory in the final four games or one loss by Memphis will give the Nuggets the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.
The Warriors (41-38) are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the fifth seed and are just a half-game ahead of the surging Lakers, who have won three straight.
Golden State led by 15 in the second quarter, but the Nuggets closed within three at halftime. They led by two after three and opened the fourth quarter on an 8-3 run to lead 97-90. Peyton Watson had a thunderous dunk with 3:58 that put Denver ahead 109-98.
Donte DiVincenzo, who had 18 points, sparked a late rally that got the Warriors within five in the final minute. Thompson hit a 3-pointer to cut it to two points with 20.7 seconds left, Golden State won a jump ball with 10 seconds left but Thompson misfired on two 3-pointers to end it.
TIP-INS 
Warriors: F Andrew Wiggins (personal) missed his 22nd straight game. He has not played since Feb. 13. ... Golden State has lost six of its last seven against Denver.
Nuggets: C Zeke Nnjai (knee) joined Jokic in street clothes. ... Kentavioius Caldwell-Pope played despite dealing with a non-COVID illness. He went to the locker room early in the first quarter, but returned a few minutes later.
UP NEXT 
Warriors: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Nuggets: At Houston on Tuesday night.

Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets held on for a 112-110 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

Jamal Murray scores 26, Nuggets hold off Warriors 112-110

College basketball is full of excitement and drama. While winning a national championship is the ultimate goal for every team, there have been many loaded squads that came up short.&nbsp;
While the teams on this list didn&rsquo;t win a title, they are still often mentioned among the best teams in the history of college basketball. Here are the best college-basketball teams that failed to win it all.&nbsp;
11. 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats
The 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats were coached by Adolph Rupp and their talented roster included future NBA stars Pat Riley and Louie Dampier. The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 27-2 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Texas Western Miners. In a game that would later be immortalized in the movie "Glory Road," the Miners upset the Wildcats, 72-65.
10. 2006-07 Ohio State Buckeyes
Led by future No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden and longtime NBA point guard Mike Conley, the Buckeyes were hoping to win their second national championship in program history. Ohio State, traditionally a football school, finished the season 35-4 and ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. The Buckeyes advanced to the national championship game, where they faced a loaded Florida Gators squad that was led by future NBA All-Stars Joakim Noah and Al Horford.&nbsp;
In the national championship game, Oden avoided the foul trouble that had plagued him earlier in the tournament and put up a dominant 25 points and 12 rebounds. However, it wasn&rsquo;t enough, as the Gators defeated the Buckeyes 84-75 behind Horford's 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Four players from the Buckeyes' roster would go on to play in the NBA: Conley, Oden, Daequan Cook and Othello Hunter.
9. 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini
The 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini were a dominant force in college basketball. Coached by Bruce Weber and led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, the Illini won their first 29 games of the season and finished with a 37-2 record.&nbsp;
Illinois advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the North Carolina Tar Heels (who were led by Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams). Despite a valiant effort, the Illini fell just short, losing 75-70. Five of their players would go on to play in the NBA: Williams, Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and James Augustine.
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8. 2007-08 Memphis Tigers
Yes, John Calipari has back-to-back teams on this list. Coach Cal&rsquo;s 2007-08 Memphis Tigers were absolutely loaded and they were led by Derrick Rose, who would go on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey and Antonio Anderson were also key contributors who eventually had stints in the NBA.
The Tigers finished the season with a record of 38-2 and they advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Kansas Jayhawks. Despite a strong effort, the Tigers were unable to overcome the Jayhawks. Memphis missed a number of late free throws, which opened the door for Mario Chalmers to hit <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/march-madness-ranking-the-top11-ncaa-tournament-buzzerbeaters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters in modern NCAA Tournament history</a> and force overtime. Kansas would go on to win, 75-68.
7. 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers
Led by head coach Bob Knight, the 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers finished the season with a record of 31-1 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Kentucky Wildcats. Despite a strong effort, the Hoosiers were upset by the Wildcats, 92-90.&nbsp;
The Hoosiers would have eight players who would go on to play in the NBA: Scott May, Steve Green, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, John Laskowski, Bob Wilkerson, Tom Abernethy and Wayne Radford.
6. 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks
The 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks featured a pair of future NBA stars (Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz) and one of the best coaches in college-basketball history (Roy Williams). The Jayhawks finished the season with a record of 34-2 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the&nbsp; Arizona Wildcats.&nbsp;
Pierce put together a monster performance &mdash; 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 threes, 2 blocks and 2 steals on 69.2/60/100 shooting splits &mdash; but it wasn't enough to defeat Mike Bibby&rsquo;s Wildcats. The Jayhawks lost 85-82 in overtime. In addition to Pierce and LaFrentz, Kansas had four other players go on to the NBA: Scot Pollard, Billy Thomas, Jacque Vaughn and Ryan Robertson.
5. 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats
The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats, coached by John Calipari, featured quite the collection of young, high-upside talent. Led by future NBA superstars Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, the Wildcats finished the season with a perfect record of 38-0.
Kentucky advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Wisconsin Badgers and were ultimately upset 71-64. In total, a whopping nine Wildcats would go on to play in the NBA: Towns, Booker, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Tyler Ulis, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress.
4. 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas
The 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas, coached by John Thompson, were a powerhouse team that featured future NBA star Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas finished the season with a record of 35-3 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Villanova Wildcats.&nbsp;
In one of the biggest upsets in college-basketball history, the Wildcats defeated the Hoyas 66-64. In addition to Ewing, Georgetown had four other players who went on to play in the NBA: Reggie Williams, Bill Martin, David Wingate and Michael Jackson.
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3. 1992-93 Michigan Wolverines
The prior season, the Fab Five took college basketball by storm, with bald heads and baggy shorts. They started five true freshmen and had a great season, making it all the way to the national championship game, where they were handled by a veteran Duke squad that was led by Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley, losing 71-51.
In the 1992-93 season, the Wolverines were widely regarded as the most talented team in the country and they were the favorites to win it all. Unfortunately, they fell short to North Carolina in the national championship game in one of the most memorable endings in sports history. Future No. 1 pick Chris Webber called a timeout that Michigan didn&rsquo;t have, as they lost 77-71. Michigan had five players who would later play in the NBA: Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Eric Riley (plus Rob Pelinka would go on to run the Los Angeles Lakers' front office).
2. 1982-83 Houston Cougars
Led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the 1982-83 Houston Cougars were known as "Phi Slama Jama" for their high-flying style of play. The Cougars were a dominant force on both ends of the court. They advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the N.C. State Wolfpack. Despite a 20-point lead in the second half, the Cougars were upset by the Wolfpack, 54-52. In addition to the superstar pairing of Olajuwon and Drexler, Houston also had two other players who would go on to play in the NBA: Michael Young and Larry Micheaux.
1. 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels
The 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels are one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time, despite not winning the national championship. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian, the Rebels had an incredible season, finishing with a record of 34-1.&nbsp;
Led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, the Rebels played an up-tempo style of basketball that was both thrilling and effective. In the Final Four, they lost a close game to the Duke Blue Devils, who would go on to win the national championship. Johnson, Augmon and Anthony would go on to thrive in the NBA, and two other Rebels would also make it to the league (Elmore Spencer and Eyric Gray).
Would you rank these teams differently? Who is missing from this list? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us your thoughts now</a>!

Jamal Shakespeare looks back on 11 all-time great college basketball teams that failed to win a championship.