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Hawks

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men&rsquo;s Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 title by taking home the Most Valuable Player award after leading the USA to their fifth straight gold medal.
James collected 14 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals in USA's 98-87 win over hosts France in the Gold Medal Game. The veteran averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game in winning his third gold medal.
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⭐️ THE MVP OF <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> ⭐️ LeBron James, United States of America 🇺🇸 👑 <a href="https://t.co/7S6UWxvNPq">pic.twitter.com/7S6UWxvNPq</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822391504691675210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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The 39-year-old James was captivating the whole tournament. Perhaps his biggest highlight was registering his second triple-double in his Olympics career - and just the fourth of all-time - with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in USA's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Serbia in the Semi-Finals.
James was joined on the All-Star Five by USA teammate Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama of France, Nikola Jokic of Serbia, and Germany's Dennis Schroder.
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ALL-STAR FIVE of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸Dennis Schroder, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸Stephen Curry, USA 🇺🇸 🔸LeBron James, USA 🇺🇸 🔸Victor Wembanyama, France 🇫🇷 🔸Nikola Jokic, Serbia 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/4cxZwzISTF">pic.twitter.com/4cxZwzISTF</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822392716518646077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Curry came to life in the Semi-Finals with 9 three-pointers for 36 points and followed that with 8 three-pointers and 24 points in the Gold Medal Game. Playing in his first Olympics, Curry finished with 14.8 points on 47.8 percent three-point shooting, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Despite playing in his first Olympics at just 20 years old, Wembanyama led the French team in scoring with 15.8 points, rebounds at 9.7, assists at 3.3, steals with 2.0, and blocks with 1.7 per game. However, his 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Gold Medal Game were not enough to beat USA.
Jokic highlighted his amazing run in France with a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists with 0 turnovers in Serbia's <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=d70acb2736&amp;e=2fb0566584">93-83</a> win over Germany in the Bronze Medal Game. For the tournament, the three-time NBA MVP averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in helping Serbia take home their second Olympic medal.
Schroder averaged 17.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the world champions Germany, who lost to Serbia in the Bronze Medal Game to finish fourth in their first appearance in the Semi-Finals.
The All-Second Team is comprised of some big names as well.
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All-Second Team of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada 🇨🇦 🔸 Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia 🇷🇸 🔸 Franz Wagner, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸 Guerschon Yabusele, France 🇫🇷 🔸 Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece 🇬🇷 <a href="https://t.co/rMjOY1uonS">pic.twitter.com/rMjOY1uonS</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822404235272540221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Shai Gilgeous Alexander helped Canada to a perfect 3-0 record in the Group Stage, but could not save the team against France in the Quarter-Finals. He averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was the true captain Serbia needed to finish the tournament on the podium. Through six games, he had 18.3 points, and made 46.2 percent of his three-pointers, with 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists each night.
Franz Wagner represents Germany in the Second Team, being their top scorer with 18.5 points per game. He also had 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals at this event, proving he's already a game-changer, despite being just 22 years old.
The top scorer of the Olympics was Giannis Antetokounmpo. Greece's talisman leader got 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, bringing the nation all the way from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to the Quarter-Finals in Paris.
The home crowd favorite made his way into the team, too. Guerschon Yabusele played an unforgettable elimination phase, getting 22 points against Canada in the Quarter-Finals, 17 against Germany in the Semis, and 20 against the USA in the Final.

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men’s Olympic Basketball title by taking home the MVP award.

Team USA’s LeBron James named FIBA Olympic MVP

Serbia recovered from a tough loss against Team USA in the semifinals to snag the bronze medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics after beating Germany, 83-73, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.&nbsp;
Serbia lost the semifinal game to the USA by just 4 points after leading for a staggering 35 minutes throughout the game. The Serbians vented their ire against Germany, the team they lost to in the FIBA World Cup championship game. That was without three-time NBA MVP for Serbia though, and this time with Jokic around, he was the difference against the Germans.&nbsp;
Jokic was brilliant from start to finish, collecting a triple-double stat line of 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. NBA players Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilje Micic added 19 and 16 points respectively as Serbia dominated Germany thoroughly.&nbsp;
Franz Wagner led the fightback for the Germans with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists while Moritz Wagner and Dennis Schroder added 16 and 13 points of their own.&nbsp;
Germany closes their summer 4th place &ndash; a huge achievement following their first-ever appearance at an Olympic semifinal. They are already the world champions and having yet another experience at high-stakes basketball only gives Germany the necessary experience needed to medal at the next version of the Games.
For Serbia, this is a redemption from their silver medal finish in the FIBA World Cup and after failing to finish on the podium in Tokyo 2020. Serbia already finished in 2nd place in 2016 against Team USA, and this bronze cements their place as one of the top basketball nations in the world.

Serbia recovered from a tough loss against USA to snag the bronze medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics after beating Germany, 83-73.

Serbia defeats Germany to claim Paris Olympics bronze

Serbia needed to pull off the biggest comeback in Olympic history to book their ticket to the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics as they took down a pesky Australia Boomers squad 95-90 at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.&nbsp;
Despite a monstrous game from ageless wonder Patty Mills, Serbia managed to come back from 24 points down in the 2nd quarter behind a huge second half showing. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was at the forefront of it all by taking over the game down the stretch on both ends of the floor to seal the come from behind victory.&nbsp;
Australia led the game 44-20 in the second quarter behind the hot shooting hands of Mills, who then scored 18 big points in the first half. However, the Serbians displayed their toughness and resiliency as they slowly chipped away at the lead. They finally took the lead in the 3rd quarter, 65-64, but Australia answered the call and the game went back and forth from there. Both teams were trading baskets in the 4th quarter and it looked like a win for Serbia at the end, but Patty Mills made another clutch play for the Boomers as he hit a tough, stepback mid range jumper over the outstretched arms of Jokic to send the game into overtime.&nbsp;
However, a crucial call near the end of the 4th quarter saw Jock Landale foul out of the game, and it hurt Australia badly in extra time. Serbia immediately went to Jokic in OT, feeding him the ball every time &ndash; and he delivered. Jokic scored on a hook shot then followed it up with a post fade away the next possession to give Serbia a 3-point lead. Jokic then made a huge defensive play on the other end to effectively end the game and give Serbia the win.&nbsp;
Jokic had 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in yet another near triple-double performance while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points to lead the Serbians. They will now move on to the semifinals where they will face the winner of the USA-Brazil matchup.
Mills ended up with 26 points in a tough losing effort for Australia as they failed to reach the medal rounds this time after winning bronze in Tokyo 2020. Josh Giddey, a rising NBA star, scored 25 of his own to lead Australia.

Serbia needed to pull off the biggest comeback in Olympic history to book their ticket to the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Serbia completes biggest comeback in Olympics history to stun Australia

The matchups for the 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball Tournament are set as the top-ranked national teams in the world gun for gold. Here are all the matchups in the knockout rounds:&nbsp;
Germany vs Greece
The Germans will bring their world championship pedigree against Greece and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as both teams clash for a semis spot. Germany, led by FIBA MVP Dennis Schroder and rising NBA star Franz Wagner, are ready to stake their claim for the Olympics&rsquo; gold medal. They will be met by a hungry Antetokounmpo and his Greece squad that just barely snuck into the quarterfinals. Despite the overwhelming advantage by the Germans, Giannis and Greece are a team to watch out for especially if their shooters get hot and Antetokounmpo dominates the inside game.&nbsp;
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Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> Quarter-Finals start with a banger 🔥 Germany 🇩🇪 v 🇬🇷 Greece, who do you got? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/N6mv5StwR7">pic.twitter.com/N6mv5StwR7</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820671140622385209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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Serbia vs Australia
Led by their ageless wonder Patty Mills, Australia comes into the game vs Serbia as huge underdogs facing perhaps the best player in the world right now in 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic. This will be the second time the two squads will meet this summer after facing each other in the USA Basketball Showcase in Abu Dhabi. Australia ended up winning that game 84-73, and now with a semis spot on the line, expect Serbia to up the intensity and strike revenge against the Boomers. Jokic alongside co-stars Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilje Micic could have something up their sleeves in this matchup vs Australia to try and win the game.
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Oh, this will be fun. 😈 Serbia 🇷🇸 v 🇦🇺 Australia will clash for semi-finals!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/T4JmyFyMIT">pic.twitter.com/T4JmyFyMIT</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820686238501969965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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France vs Canada
In perhaps the marquee matchup of the day, two basketball superpowers collide in the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics when France and Canada face each other for a semis slot. This colossal matchup happened when France lost to Germany for the top spot in Group B, ending up facing the 3rd best team in point differential in Canada. Stars will be all around in this matchup, with Canada&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett looking to spoil the fun in Paris while France&rsquo;s very own Victor Wembanyama wants to lead his home country to a gold medal.
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Potentially... "that game from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a>" 🍿 France 🇫🇷 v 🇨🇦 Canada is a must-watch today!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/iI4gPKJXgf">pic.twitter.com/iI4gPKJXgf</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820701342777929784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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USA vs Brazil
Team USA enters this matchup as humongous favorites but make no mistake: Brazil will not come into the game just to hand the win over to their North American neighbors. Even at 41, Marcelo Huertas still leads this team with his steady play at the PG position. Along with capable teammates Bruno Caboclo, Leo Meindl, and Vitor Benite, Brazil looks to crash the Americans&rsquo; presumably party even before the game starts. Of course, Team USA is bannered by the best players in the world on their way to obtaining their 5th straight Olympic gold medal. Some may even say all the other 7 teams are just competing for silver and bronze behind the USA&rsquo;s presumed gold. We&rsquo;ll see what happens when Team USA&rsquo;s quest for gold starts vs Brazil.
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Two countries from Americas, one semi-final spot. 🔥 Brazil 🇧🇷 v 🇺🇸 USA will be a box-office in Paris.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/YdOuuZmE37">pic.twitter.com/YdOuuZmE37</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820716441340960891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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The matchups for the 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball Tournament are set as the top-ranked national teams in the world gun for gold.

Top national teams collide in Paris 2024 Olympics quarterfinals

With just one spot left in the quarterfinals, Serbia and South Sudan played a game down to the wire. In the end, however, it was Serbia who came out on top to beat South Sudan in Group C of the Paris 2024 Olympics, 96-85, at the Pierre de Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.&nbsp;
After Brazil clinched their quarterfinal spot by beating Japan, South Sudan needed a win to book their slot and deny Greece in the process. However, Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Serbia had other plans in mind.&nbsp;
The NBA duo of Jokic and Bogdanovic shined when it mattered the most for Serbia. Bogdanovic top-scored for the Serbians with 30 big points, on an efficient 10/14 shooting game, knocking in 6 threes. Jokic had yet another double-double performance with 22 points and 13 rebounds as Serbia shot an absurd 60% from the field.
Despite the loss, South Sudan fought and had plenty to be proud of. They won their first Olympic game in their history and put up strong performances against basketball juggernauts USA and Serbia. The SSD basketball federation has come a long way with its journey led by former NBA player Luol Deng, and this program figures to be ascending to the basketball hierarchy sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
South Sudan point guard Carlik Jones gave it his all after playing all 40 minutes, scoring 17 points, dishing out 10 assists, and grabbing 5 rebounds in an all-around effort. Former NBAer Marial Shayok also provided the necessary support for Jones with 17 points, while former Baylor standout Nuni Omot added 14 points.&nbsp;
South Sudan made 14-34 threes overall, but Serbia had a huge advantage in free throws, making 21/31 to South Sudan&rsquo;s just 6 attempts with 5 makes.&nbsp;
Up next for Serbia is a quarterfinal bout with Australia.

With just one spot left in the quarterfinals, Serbia and South Sudan played a game down to the wire which Serbia eventually won.

Serbia overcomes South Sudan to finish 2nd in Group C, book last QF spot

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

The Villanova reunion is now complete.
According to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks are acquiring Nets forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets after the two New York basketball cities have agreed in principle on Tuesday night.
This move brings Bridges, a long-time Knicks target, to a team filled with former college teammates and close friends Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. The quartet won an NCAA National Championship with Villanova in 2018.
In exchange for Bridges, the Knicks are sending out Bojan Bogdanovic (who they got in last season&rsquo;s trade deadline), four unprotected picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031), a 2025 protected Milwaukee first, a 2028 unprotected pick swap, and a 2025 second-round pick. New York will also receive a 2026 second-round pick from Brooklyn in this deal.
This is the first major move by the Knicks in the offseason as they await to resign free agents OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein. Anunoby and Hartenstein have been instrumental in New York&rsquo;s success in the playoffs and are set to receive their big paydays. However, with New York acquiring Bridges, resigning both guys appears to be a much trickier situation now.

The Knicks are acquiring Nets forward Mikal Bridges from the Nets after the two New York cities agreed in principle on Tuesday night.

Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets in blockbuster trade

The shorthanded New York Knicks overcame adversity throughout the game against the Indiana Pacers to grind out a tough win in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series on Day 19 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Wednesday night.
Already without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Knicks lost Jalen Brunson in the 2nd quarter with a sore left foot and OG Anunoby late in the 4th with a sore left hamstring.
However, that did not deter New York at all as they got contributions from different players including Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Isaiah Hartenstein. Brunson then made a comeback in the 2nd half to push the Knicks to a 2-0 series lead.
Check out our recap here:
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FINAL SCORE RECAP 🧵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Round 2 | Game 2 🏀 IND 121 &mdash; 130 NYK | Knicks lead series 2-0 J. Brunson 📊 29 PTS | 11-18 FG | 3-6 3P | 5 AST | 3 STL D. DiVincenzo 📊 28 PTS | 10-20 FG | 6-12 3P | 6 REB | 4 AST O. Anunoby 📊 28 PTS | 10-19 FG | 4-7 3P | 4 REB J. Hart 📊&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/n69PZzEVdq">pic.twitter.com/n69PZzEVdq</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1788415997030125717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The shorthanded New York Knicks overcame adversity throughout the game against the Indiana Pacers to grind out a tough win.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 19 Recap: Shorthanded Knicks overcome Pacers

Views are the author&rsquo;s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the website.
The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league&rsquo;s annual awards has officially ended. Here&rsquo;s a look at my picks of the NBA's award winners.
Most Improved Player: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
(Runner-ups: Coby White, Jalen Johnson)
Notes: In the end, Tyrese Maxey takes the award with the amount of burden and responsibility in a Philadelphia team reeling from the loss of James Harden to become a true No. 2 option behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. White improved a lot this year, increasing his averages both numbers and his shooting percentages. Johnson, like White, has also increased his usage and averages by a lot, featuring as the third option behind DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, or even as the second option without one of those two. A jumbo playmaking forward, Johnson showed improvements in his playmaking as well as his ability to score and had increased numbers in shooting as well. Ultimately, Maxey wins this award out because he was a guy who increased his usage and his role while playing most of the season without Embiid.
Sixth Man of the Year: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Malik Monk, Bobby Portis)
Notes: Naz Reid has been the best player off the bench this season with the way he has been an offensive spark plug for the Timberwolves this season. He&rsquo;s had a phenomenal season, and he had to start and fill in for Karl-Anthony Towns when he went down while still being an efficient scorer as he is. If you factor in all the stuff for these awards, you could actually make a case for Monk, for Portis, maybe even guys like Norman Powell for the Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Hawks. But with Minnesota going 56-26 and having the second most wins in franchise history &ndash; ultimately ending up atop the three best teams in the West, this gives a little bit of boost to Naz Reid due to his importance to the team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
(Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis; Honorable mention: Bam Adebayo)
Notes: One of the hardest awards to figure out. Minnesota had the best defense in the league for a reason, and based on that Rudy Gobert would be a deserving winner of the award. When he&rsquo;s off the floor, the team does not perform defensively the way it does when Gobert is on the floor. This was hard because Wembanyama had a legitimate case, being the generational defender that he was. Davis also had a strong case with how he carried single-handedly the Lakers&rsquo; defense, while Adebayo had the immense burden of playing all the defensive schemes in Miami. Ultimately, it ended up with Gobert with the way he lifted a good defensive team to the best in the league, manning that paint and being that anchor that holds all of the pieces together.
All-Defensive Team:
1st Team - Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones
2nd Team - Derrick White, Jalen Suggs, Jaden McDaniels, Alex Caruso, Jonathan Isaac
Notes: Starting this year, the NBA&rsquo;s All-NBA teams and defensive teams were positionless so I had to cheat a little bit here, putting 4 bigs in the 1st team. Gobert, Wembanyama, Davis, and Adebayo are no-brainers considering their defensive impact for each of their teams, while Jones takes the last spot in the 1st team for his ability to disrupt offenses as well as guarding each team&rsquo;s best player night in and night out for the Pelicans.&nbsp;
The second team features White (most blocks for a guard), Suggs and Isaac (best defensive players for the 4th best defense in the league, helping to lead the Magic back to the playoffs), McDaniels (best wing defender for the best defense in the league), and the perennial all-defense player Caruso who brings it in defensively every game.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
(Runner-up: Chet Holmgren)
Notes: Despite Holmgren having far and away the better team success, there&rsquo;s no denying Wembanyama&rsquo;s greatness in his rookie year. The French phenom has transcended the game both figuratively and on the eye test &ndash; he is simply a generational talent who is going to take over the league soon. Holmgren got off to a hot start in the first two months of the season but since January, Wembanyama has locked up the award for himself with out-of-the-world numbers for a rookie. He was dubbed as the best prospect since LeBron James and now he is well on his way to being one of the greatest of all time if he remains healthy after a historic rookie season.
All-Rookie Team:
1st Team - Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., GG Jackson
2nd Team - Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Notes: There were several names to choose from here, and it felt hard to cut some of them here. Jordan Hawkins of the Pelicans has had a good start to the year when the team had all those injuries paving the way for him to play early into the season but has seen the bench since as NOLA got healthier and players came back; Cason Wallace had such a good shooting year off the bench for the No.1 seeded Thunder despite shooting being labeled by scouts as his biggest weakness coming into the NBA; Dereck Lively II being center that Luka Doncic needed and fit well with by catching all those lobs and helping the Mavs&rsquo; defense this season big time; No.2 overall pick Scoot Henderson had a good close to his rookie year.
All in all, these 10 rookies have felt like the best rookies in terms of production, opportunity, and narratives surrounding them. Of course, Wembanyama and Holmgren are automatic locks; Miller has been the best player in Charlotte without LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams; Jaquez is a vital piece off the bench for Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s playoff-bound Heat team; and GG Jackson becoming a legit NBA scorer despite being the youngest player in the league to round out the first team.
The Thompson twins have just been defensive monsters ever since stepping foot in the league; George playing point guard at Utah has turned some heads and he has stepped up with the opportunity given to him; while Podziemski and Jackson-Davis have arguably been rotational pieces to the Warriors despite being rookies and has contributed a lot to them finding a way to fit in a complex team.
Coach of the Year: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
(Runner-ups: Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley)
Notes: There have been so many good coaches this season that have elevated their teams to good records, say Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets and Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks. But my Coach of the Year pick goes to Mark Daigneault of the OKC Thunder because this award tends to favor the expectations set for a team before the start of the season. The Thunder weren&rsquo;t supposed to be this good this season, but Daigneault catapulted them into one of the best teams not just in the West but the entire NBA. The evidence is written on the wall: No.1 in the West despite being the second youngest team in the league; having a top 5 ranking on both offense and defense and no.2 overall net rating. Finch and Mosley take the runner-up spots with the work they had to lift both the Timberwolves and the Magic to being top 4 seeds in their conferences as well as having top-rated defenses in the league.
Clutch Player of the Year: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
(Runner-ups: DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
Notes: Another tough and close race, but ultimately it goes to Curry. Despite the Warriors&rsquo; so-so record, Curry had the most clutch time points, shot 50% from the field, and 46% from three in clutch time. Curry had the most threes than anyone in crunch time &ndash; being just the incredible clutch-time performer that he is &ndash; and always been.
All-NBA Team:
1st Team - Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum
2nd Team - Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James
3rd Team - Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton
Notes: With Jalen Brunson carrying the Knicks to a second seed in the East playing without Julius Randle since January, it was incredibly hard to leave him off the 1st team. However, by the slightest of margins, I gave the nod to Tatum for being the best player on the best team in the league by a wide margin.
All the other picks were pretty explanatory, with the top 4 in the MVP race in Jokic, Doncic, SGA, and Giannis all expected to be first-teamers. The second team kind of got tougher besides Brunson, with legends Durant and James making the list because of the seasons they had leading their team as well as playing their most regular season game in years. Rounding out the second team were Edwards and Davis, two stars with the biggest impacts on their teams in the tough Western Conference.
The third team is actually a toss-up with a lot of good cases from the league all around, but ultimately I went with Curry, Sabonis, Leonard, Booker, and Haliburton.
Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&nbsp;
(Runners-up: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic; Honorable mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo)
Perhaps the closest race out of all the awards, all three players here are each deserving with their narratives and the numbers that support each of their cases. You can never go wrong picking one over the other, so it came down to personal opinion on who I thought had the strongest case this season. His case?
-Leading the second youngest team in the league to No.1 in the West
-3-1 series vs Denver
-3-1 series vs Dallas
-First player since Steph and MJ to average 30/5/5 in a season with 2+ steals
-Second in defensive net rating for guards
One could make the argument for Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world having better numbers than his two MVP seasons while Luka Doncic had one of the best seasons statistically in all facets of the game, but there&rsquo;s no denying SGA&rsquo;s strong case as well given the expectations for this young Thunder team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my MVP.

The 2023-2024 NBA season has wrapped up and the race for the league’s annual awards has officially ended.

OPINION: Picking the 2023-2024 NBA Awards winners

The New York Knicks have acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons for guards Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second round picks, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
Acquiring veteran pieces in Bogdanovic and Burks strengthens the Knicks&rsquo; core as they hope to embark on a deep playoff run this season. New York is currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 33-18 record.
New York is the first contender in the East to make a splashy move as they feel like this core, led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, could contend the East.&nbsp;
Bogdanovic, 34, is averaging 20.2 points while shooting 41.5% from three-point range this season. Bogdanovic will likely start at power forward as Randle recovers from a shoulder injury and he'll provide scoring alongside Brunson, giving the Knicks additional firepower.
Burks, 32, returns to New York after spending two seasons with the team from 2020 to 2022. He&rsquo;s currently averaging 12.6 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 40% from three in 43 games this season. Burks gives the Knicks a secondary ball handler and bucket-getter off the bench.
Detroit receives two future second-rounders and four guards (Grimes, Fournier, Flynn and Arcidiacono). Grimes, the 25th overall pick in 2021, was moved to the bench this season in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Fournier and Arcidiacono didn't get many minutes in Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s rotation, while Flynn just recently arrived from Toronto as part of the OG Anunoby trade and never established himself in the lineup.

The New York Knicks have acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons.

Knicks acquire Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks from Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have done it: They have won a basketball game.
For the first time since October 28, the Pistons earned a victory after surviving a gritty game against the Toronto Raptors, 129-127.&nbsp;
Detroit avoided monumental infamy by finally snapping a 28-game losing skid, which was tied for the worst losing spell in NBA history.
The Pistons were in a losing streak, yes, but it wasn&rsquo;t like they were getting blown out of the gym from the get go; they were competitive throughout games until they faltered at the end. Their past six games have been decided by just 10 points or less, and it was only a matter of time before they could break through.&nbsp;
Detroit coach Monty Williams said prior to the game that the Pistons have been knocking on that door for victory &mdash; they just needed to find a way to finally blow it open &mdash; and they did last night.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in a ton of locker rooms... That&rsquo;s a first for me&hellip; Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears,&rdquo; Williams said after celebrating in the locker room.&nbsp;
It took a dominant game from Cade Cunningham, who had 30 points, 12 assists and 0 turnovers, to ultimately put the Pistons over the top. He became only the third player this season with the same numbers, joining Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Haliburton. Cunningham also became the first Piston to have a 30-10 game without a turnover since Chauncey Billups in 2008.
&ldquo;Tough times brought us together even more..." Cunningham said. "It's still early. [Monty] just got here. I'm still young in the league, it's only gonna continue to grow."
The 22-year-old is glad that the nightmare is over, but stressed there is still a lot of basketball left to be played.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think moments like that are important to know how to win games," Cunningham said. "I&rsquo;m just happy to be a part of a group of guys that don&rsquo;t quit, stay positive and uplift each other.&rdquo;
Center Jalen Duren backed Cunningham up with 18 points and 17 rebounds as the Pistons had six players in double digits.&nbsp;
In the end, Detroit&rsquo;s 33 bench points (Toronto had 12) and eight-rebound edge (41 against Toronto&rsquo;s 33) was enough to propel them to victory.
What&rsquo;s Next For The Pistons?
With the monkey now off their backs, Detroit hopes to build off this win and head in the right direction.&nbsp;
The next thing they probably want to do is avoid the worst single-season record of all-time (82 games), which is held by the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73) and the worst single-season win percentage, which is held by the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats (.106).
Despite all the losing, Detroit has young stars who have played well during these dark days. Cunningham, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, is playing like an All-Star &mdash; averaging 23.5 points and 7.3 assists.&nbsp;
His pick-and-roll partner Duren is also blossoming into one of the top young big men in the league. Duren&rsquo;s chemistry with Cunningham is gradually maturing and will only get better as the seasons go on.&nbsp;
Already imposing physically at just 20 years old, Duren has also shown he lives for tough moments after confidently sinking two pressure-packed free throws late in the fourth &mdash; which is rare for a big man.&nbsp;
And rookie Ausar Thompson, even after recently slowing down following Bojan Bogdanovic&rsquo;s return from injury, has shown that he has All-Star potential after going on a tear to start the year.
Combine that with assets to make moves and a players' coach in Monty Williams, the Pistons hope to be in a position to turn it around.

For the first time since October 28, the Detroit Pistons earned a victory, snapping their 28-game losing streak.

Pistons beat Raptors to snap NBA-record 28-game losing streak

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

NBA free agency has died down and the 2023-24 NBA season is nearly three months away. This is why August is known as the dog days of the NBA calendar.
However, NBA fans will be able to watch some of their favorite players in action very soon, as the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow.
From Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2023, 80 countries battled for a spot in the World Cup but only 32 national teams qualified. There are a ton of NBA players participating, as Team USA has a talented young roster and they'll be facing stars such as Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen and Rudy Gobert.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
WHEN IS IT?
World Cup games will be played Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. There have been a number of warm-up games in recent weeks, but the real action tips off tomorrow.
First Round (Group Phase): Aug. 25-30 Second Round (Group Phase): Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 Quarterfinals: Sept. 5-6 Semifinals: Sept. 8 Final: Sept. 10 Third-Place Game: Sept. 10
The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full schedule of games can be found here</a>.
WHERE IS IT?&nbsp;
For the first time ever, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature three host countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
WHICH COUNTRIES QUALIFIED?
These are the 32 countries that will be participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, United States and Venezuela.
These are the groups for the first round:
Group A:&nbsp;Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
Group B:&nbsp;&nbsp;South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
(Groups A and B will play their games at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines)
Group C:&nbsp;Team USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D:&nbsp;Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
(Groups C and D will play their games at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines)
Group E:&nbsp;Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F:&nbsp;Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
(Groups E and F will play their games at Okinawa Arena in Japan)
Group G:&nbsp;Iran, Spain, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Brazil
Group H:&nbsp;Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
(Groups G and H will play their games at Jakarta Arena in Indonesia)
WHICH NBA PLAYERS ARE COMPETING?
There are quite a few NBA players participating in this tournament. The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-world-cup-roster-tracker-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full list can be found here</a>, but below are the national teams that feature notable NBA players:
Group A
Dominican Republic: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
Philippines: Jordan Clarkson&nbsp;(Utah Jazz)
Group B
China: Kyle Anderson&nbsp;(Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Group C
Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
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United States: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)

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Group D
Lithuania: Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans)
Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Group E
Australia: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trail Blazers) Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets), Xavier Cooks (Washington Wizards)
Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Germany: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Toronto Raptors), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers),&nbsp;
Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)
Group F
Georgia: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs)
Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Group G
Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Spain: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Group H
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
France: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets)
Latvia: Davis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder)
HOW TO WATCH
FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available across ESPN's platforms. Six games will air on ESPN2 (including Team USA's three first-round games), while the other 86 games will be available on ESPN+.
FIBA&rsquo;s official streaming service, <a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtside 1891</a>, will also air the games live and on-demand. If you're interested in Courtside 1891, FIBA is offering our readers 20% off their World Cup bundle. Follow the instructions below if you'd like to use the 20% discount:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/choose-a-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click this link</a> and you&rsquo;ll get a prompt to register</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll then be redirected to the choose-a-package page</li>
<li>Select the &lsquo;Max &ndash; World Cup Bundle&rsquo;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Use the discount code FIBAWCAK to get 20% off</li>
</ul>
Enjoy the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and hopefully the dog days of summer will fly by quickly!

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.

Everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/detroit-pistons-victor-wembanyama-61017c01ae34bd536f9a512ab060570c">Detroit Pistons</a>&nbsp;made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again.
Detroit reached an agreement to hire former Phoenix Suns coach&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>, according to two people familiar with the situation.
One of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced, told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that Williams agreed to a six-year contract.
Phoenix fired Williams two-plus weeks ago, two years after reaching the NBA Finals and a year after he won the league&rsquo;s coach of the year honors.
The 51-year-old Williams won 63% of his games over four regular seasons with the Suns, but they were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals two years in a row after losing to Milwaukee in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The Pistons would be thrilled to approach that level of success anytime soon under Williams.
Detroit won an NBA-low 17 games last season, losing 30% or fewer games for the fourth straight season under Dwane Casey, who stepped down as coach with one year left on his contract to take a role in the front office.
The Pistons did not have good fortune in the draft lottery, landing the No. 5 pick overall for the second straight year and missing out on an opportunity to draft 7-foot-3 French pro&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/victor-wembanyama-summer-league-nba-2023-b6b0339c0eaa94d7e48c3ec319ea36df">Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old supertalent expected to be the first overall pick of the San Antonio Spurs</a>.
Detroit, a three-time NBA championship franchise, has earned a spot in the playoffs just twice in 14 years. The Pistons have not won a postseason game since 2008, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight time during a remarkable run that included winning the 2004 NBA title and falling a game short of repeating as champions.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play last season. Cade Cunningam, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back.
The young team, with some experienced players in the rotation, will have a proven leader on the bench.
Williams is 367-336 in nine seasons as an NBA head coach with a 29-27 postseason record. He had a five-year stint with the New Orleans Pelicans, who fired him in 2015 with a 173-221 record and two playoff appearances.
While Williams was an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, his wife, Ingrid, died from injuries sustained from&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/e64ac4c2322b468caf67e16fe46aa21a">a car crash</a>&nbsp;in which she was hit head-on by an SUV that crossed the center line after losing control.

The Detroit Pistons made a bold move in their latest attempt to become relevant in the NBA again: hiring coach Monty Williams.

Pistons reach agreement to hire former Suns coach Monty Williams

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650310469616541696">Brown</a>&nbsp;combined to score Boston's final 16 points.
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Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.
Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.
After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.
Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.
Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.
Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.
But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.
The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.
Young hit a long 3-pointer that brought the Hawks within three, but Boston got the last shot and put the ball in Smart's hands. The Celtics cleared the middle of the court so he could blow by Bogdan Bogdanovic, laying it in for a 92-87 lead heading to the final quarter.
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650305380743016448">Smart</a>&nbsp;was in the Celtics lineup and looked just fine after a hard fall near the end of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-b1bad21fe5037dc5302acca397777122">Game 3</a>.
He landed on his tailbone while battling for a rebound, prompting Boston to list him as a game-time decision. But coach Joe Mazzulla&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-marcus-smart-57ce5b2a6513ecda63ec158026f87cb9">declared his guard "good to go&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;well ahead of tipoff.
KEEPING IT CLEAN
The first week of the playoffs has been marred by flagrant fouls, ejections and suspensions.
There have been no major issues in the Celtics-Hawks series, though Young did pick up a flagrant foul for grabbing Tatum's arm on a drive through the lane in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I think it's been a clean series,&rdquo; Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;Physicality isn't necessarily wrong. It's part of the game. You can be physical. I think the word is &lsquo;aggressiveness&rsquo; as much as anything. Both teams have done that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: After getting outrebounded 48-29 in Game 3, Boston came out much more determined on the boards. They held a 19-9 edge at the end of the first quarterback, 32-20 at halftime and finished with a 53-52 edge.
Hawks: Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins missed his second straight game as commentator on the Hawks regional telecast because of an illness. He is expected to return for Game 5.

The Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead.

Brown, Tatum each score 31, Celtics beats Hawks for 3-1 lead

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 32 points in his best game of the playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Boston Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the opening-round series.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/Trae%20Young%20scored%2032%20points%20in%20his%20best%20game%20of%20the%20playoffs%20and%20the%20Atlanta%20Hawks%20gave%20themselves%20a%20glimmer%20of%20hope,%20beating%20the%20Boston%20Celtics%20130-122%20Friday%20night%20to%20close%20the%20gap%20to%202-1%20in%20their%20opening-round%20series.%20Young%20hit%20a%20step-back%203-pointer%20from%20the%20corner%20with%202:21%20left%20and%20knocked%20down%20another%20huge%20basket%20on%20a%20floater%20in%20the%20lane%20with%2045%20seconds%20remaining%20after%20Jaylen%20Brown%20missed%20a%203-pointer%20that%20would've%20tied%20it%20for%20the%20Celtics.%20The%20seventh-seeded%20Hawks%20will%20try%20to%20even%20the%20series%20against%20the%20second-seeded%20Celtics%20in%20Game%204%20Sunday%20night%20at%20State%20Farm%20Arena.%20Jayson%20Tatum%20scored%2029%20points%20to%20lead%20Boston,%20which%20was%20barely%20challenged%20in%20the%20first%20two%20games%20of%20the%20series." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner</a>&nbsp;with 2:21 left and knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would&rsquo;ve tied it for the Celtics.
The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series against the second-seeded Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points to lead Boston, which was barely challenged in the first two games of the series.
Young was under fire after making just 14 of 40 shots in Beantown. He was much better in Game 3, connecting on 12 of 22 attempts and doling out nine assists.
Dejounte Murray had another big game for the Hawks, scoring 25 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining that helped Atlanta protect a puny lead.
Unlike the first two games in Boston, where&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/,%20White%20was%20forced%20to%20the%20bench%20for%20much%20of%20the%20opening%20half.%20He%20played%20only%209:58%20in%20the%20first%20two%20quarters." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Celtics pushed out to big leads</a>&nbsp;and cruised to a pair of 13-point victories, the Hawks finally put up a fight.
With Derrick White forced to the bench in the early going with two quick fouls, the Hawks took advantage of a chink in the Boston defense to get things rolling. Atlanta knocked down 30 of 46 shots (65.2%) in the first half.
Pumped up by a standing-room-only crowd, the Hawks built a 14-point lead &mdash; their biggest of the series &mdash; late in the first half.
But the Celtics responded with eight straight points and went to the locker room down 74-67.
It was Atlanta&rsquo; first victory over Boston this season. The Hawks dropped all three regular-season meetings.
TIP-INS
Celtics: White played only 9:58 in the first half after being whistled for a pair of fouls before the game was five minutes old. ... Marcus Smart landed hard on his lower back with about 2 1/2 minutes left, but stayed in the game, He finished with 24 points.
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic took a shot to the face on Malcolm Brogdan&rsquo;s lay-in early in the fourth quarter. Bogdanovic kneeled over in the pain and was subbed out during a timeout. ... Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins felt ill before the game and did not serve as an analyst on the Hawks regional telecast. Brian Oliver took Wilkins&rsquo; usual spot alongside play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun.
LONG ODDS
The Hawks still face long odds. They are 0-26 in playoff series over the franchise&rsquo;s 74-season history history when losing the first two games.

The Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the first-round series.

Trae Young scores 32, Hawks beat Celtics 130-122 to close to 2-1

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; After an opener that went from rout to flirting with catastrophe, the Boston Celtics got both a win and an early reminder of how lulls could spell doom in the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1647336935290175488?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">had 29 points and 12 rebounds,</a>&nbsp;and the Celtics capitalized on a woeful shooting performance by the Atlanta Hawks to hold on for 112-99 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round matchup on Saturday.
Jayson Tatum scored 25 points, 21 in the first half. Derrick White finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which hosts Game 2 on Tuesday.
&ldquo;We expect to get their best shot,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;We let them get a little more comfortable in the second half, so I expect the next game for them to be a little more prepared. So we&rsquo;ve got to be a little more prepared as well.&rdquo;
It was Brown&rsquo;s first game since missing the final two of the regular season with a cut on a finger on his shooting hand. He played with tape and wrap.
He played through pain, hitting on 12 of 23 field goal attempts, but had six turnovers. He said it as hard to grip the ball and his hand &ldquo;split open&rdquo; at one point. It will be examined Sunday.
The No. 2-seeded Celtics led by as many as 32 points, pouncing on an Atlanta team that missed its first 10 3-point attempts and shot 5 of 29 from beyond the arc for the game.
Atlanta used a 32-12 run to cut the deficit to 96-84 on a three-point play by Bogdan Bogdanovic early in the fourth.
The Celtics got the lead back up to 107-87. It was 110-97 with less than two minutes to play when Atlanta&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Andre Hunter got free on fast break. But his layup attempt was blocked by Marcus Smart.
&ldquo;Human nature plays a part. But we don&rsquo;t want things like that to haunt us,&rdquo; Tatum said.
Smart, last season&rsquo;s NBA Defensive Player of Year, finished with three steals and two blocks.
Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Trae Young added 16 points.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be down that much and expect to come back and win,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;But we still fought. We were being aggressive in that second half.&rdquo;
Despite Atlanta&rsquo;s late push, the Celtics sizzled from all points on the floor, connecting on 13 3 pointers.
After dropping in his third 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first half, Tatum&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1647343294702137344?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spread his arms out wide</a>&nbsp;as he backed down the court to an ovation from the TD Garden crowd.
A big part of Boston&rsquo;s game plan coming in was neutralizing Young and Murray, Atlanta&rsquo;s top two scorers. The Celtics did that and a lot more in the first three quarters.
Young missed his first six shots beyond the arc and was 5 of 18 from the field. Murray was 10 of 25 from the floor.
In a move to match Atlanta&rsquo;s speed, Boston went small, starting White instead of big man Robert Williams in a lineup alongside Al Horford, Tatum, Brown and Smart.
It seemed to neutralize the Hawks&rsquo; attack.
Young had an especially rough start. He had a pass the first possession of the game stolen by Brown and had his first field goal attempt blocked by White on the way to missing his first six shots.
Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said before the game a point of emphasis would be not to turn down open 3s or be deterred by misses.
That wish was tested as Hawks shot 9 of 25 from the field in the opening period and 0 for 9 from beyond the arc as the Celtics took to a 29-19 lead.
Despite the late drop-off, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he&rsquo;s not worried about the late-game malaise carrying over.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not concerned at all,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This team has played great for the entire season. That&rsquo;s going to happen. It&rsquo;s actually good that we went through it. We had to feel that and it&rsquo;s important that we learn from it.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hawks: Outscored the Celtics 31-20 in the third quarter. &hellip; Young&rsquo;s 28-footer early in the second quarter was Atlanta&rsquo;s first made 3 of the game. Atlanta shot 1 of 16 from 3 in the first half.
Celtics: Outscored Hawks 45-25 in second quarter. &hellip;Tatum had 13 first-quarter points. &hellip; The seats inside TD Garden were draped with T-shirts that read &ldquo;Unfinished Business,&rdquo; a reference to Boston&rsquo;s run last season that came up short in its NBA Finals&rsquo; loss to Golden State. The &ldquo;I&rdquo; and &ldquo;S&rdquo; in unfinished were both highlighted, with the &ldquo;S&rdquo; fashioned to look like an &ldquo;8,&rdquo; a nod to the 18th championship being sought by the franchise.

The Boston Celtics capitalized on a woeful shooting performance by the Atlanta Hawks to hold on for 112-99 victory in Game 1.

Brown scores 29, Celtics hold off late rally by Hawks 112-99

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Quin Snyder&rsquo;s bags were packed in February for an overseas trip. He was going to spend time with some friends and family, see some coaches he&rsquo;s gotten to know over the years.
Then the Atlanta Hawks called with a job offer, to bring him on as coach.
And now Snyder&rsquo;s bags are packed again &mdash; for the playoffs, starting with a trip to Boston.
Trae Young scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and the Hawks earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 116-105 in a play-in tournament game Tuesday night.
&ldquo;Our guys are trying to be the best version of ourselves at the end of the year,&rdquo; Snyder said. &ldquo;The year&rsquo;s not over. So hopefully we can take this and continue to build on it. It&rsquo;s one game &mdash; but it was our game.&rdquo;
Dejounte Murray added 18 points for the Hawks, who avenged a five-game Round 1 loss to Miami last season and earned an East first-round matchup with Boston that will start Saturday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Hawks were in total control against the Heat and advance to the playoffs 🔥 Trae Young: 25 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST Clint Capela: 4 PTS, 21 REB, 2 BLK Dejounte Murray: 18 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REb <a href="https://t.co/bDdWcMiIxb">pic.twitter.com/bDdWcMiIxb</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1645969225582882816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Kyle Lowry scored 33 points &mdash; his highest-scoring game in his two Miami seasons &mdash; for the Heat, who will host either Toronto or Chicago on Friday to decide the No. 8 seed and a spot against top overall seed Milwaukee in Round 1. The Raptors and Bulls play Wednesday; the winner of Friday&rsquo;s game opens the series against the Bucks on Sunday.
Tyler Herro scored 26 for Miami, and Jimmy Butler finished with 21.
&ldquo;Come Friday, we have to play the legit exact opposite of how we played tonight,&rdquo; Butler said.
For the Hawks, four reserves &mdash; Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson &mdash; combined for 53 points.
The Hawks improved to 3-0 all-time in play-in tournament games; that&rsquo;s the best mark in the league, one that New Orleans can match when it plays host to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
And they earned this one on the boards. Atlanta outrebounded Miami 63-39, including 22-6 on the offensive glass that keyed a 26-6 edge in second-chance points.
&ldquo;We all understand the moment and the time of year it is,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;Credit our guys for being locked in, ready and focused on the game plan.&rdquo;
The Hawks took two timeouts in the first 3:53 of the third quarter, as most of what was a 24-point lead with 2:37 left in the first half &mdash; 63-39 Atlanta was the margin &mdash; got whittled away, and fast.
Miami cut the margin to 15 by halftime, then opened the third quarter on a 16-6 run. Add it all up, and it was a 27-8 run in about 7 minutes of play to get the Heat within 71-66.
But the Hawks had an answer then, and every other time the Heat made a run. The Atlanta lead was 13 again going into the fourth, and when Miami was within six midway through the final quarter, the Hawks scored five straight to restore a double-digit edge.
And now, a team that was the East&rsquo;s No. 1 seed last spring is one game from elimination.
&ldquo;Nothing about this season has been easy,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to do this the hard way.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hawks: It was the second time this season that Atlanta took a huge first-half lead and nearly wasted it all. The Hawks were up 26 over Miami on Jan. 16, let the Heat get within four in the final moments and held on to win 121-113. &hellip; Capela had one 20-rebound game in the regular season.
Heat: Lowry came off the bench in a postseason game for the first time since 2009. His last 94 appearances after the regular season were all starts. &hellip; The Heat went 1-6 this season against Friday&rsquo;s possible win-or-go-home opponents &mdash; 0-3 against Chicago and 1-3 against Toronto.
LOOKING AHEAD
Boston went 3-0 against Atlanta this season, and nearly all the rotation players from both teams missed at least one of those contests. Young averaged 31 points and 11 assists in two games against the Celtics; Jayson Tatum averaged 26.5 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in two games against the Hawks.
It&rsquo;ll be the 13th series between the Celtics and Hawks franchises, the first since Atlanta&rsquo;s six-game Round 1 win in 2016.
PLAY-IN HISTORY
Miami became the 16th franchise to participate in the play-in tournament. Chicago, Toronto and Oklahoma City will stretch that list out to 19 teams on Wednesday. That leaves only Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah as clubs who have yet to be part of the play-in event.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Visit Boston for Game 1 of an East first-round series Saturday.
Heat: Host either Toronto or Chicago in an elimination game Friday.

Trae Young scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and the Hawks grabbed the No. 7 seed by beating the Heat 116-105.

Hawks hold off Heat 116-105 in Play-In Game, grab No. 7 seed in East

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; The Detroit Pistons, coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, are searching for a coach and hoping their new leader has Victor Wembanyama in the lineup.
Detroit closed its fourth straight season &mdash; and 12th in 14 years &mdash; without a postseason appearance on Sunday with a lopsided loss at Chicago.
After finishing an NBA-worst 17-65, Dwane Casey announced he was stepping down with one year left on his coaching contract to accept a role in the Troy Weaver-led front office.
Casey was hired by the Pistons in 2018, when he was named the NBA Coach of the Year after his seventh season in Toronto. He led them to a .500 record in his first season and a playoff berth that ended with a first-round exit.
The team&rsquo;s latest rebuilding effort crumbled due to moves that didn&rsquo;t pan out, including trading for Blake Griffin, and injuries that kept key players such as Cade Cunningham off the court to hurt Casey&rsquo;s chances of having success.
&ldquo;We are grateful for his steady hand as head coach during these important development years, and we are excited to have his wisdom and experience in the front office as we enter the next phase,&rdquo; team owner Tom Gores said. &ldquo;Dwane joined us as an experienced and successful coach ready to lead a veteran team, but when we made adjustments as an organization to rebuild around a younger core he fully embraced the decision.&rdquo;
Detroit desperately hopes its painful season will pave the way for Wembanyama to bring his talents to a franchise aiming to eventually add to its three NBA titles.
&ldquo;It was something our organization had to go through,&rdquo; Casey said last week. &ldquo;It was painful. It was ugly.&rdquo;
The Pistons, by only one game, beat their franchise-worst record from the 1979-80 season when Dick Vitale was fired 12 games into the season. Their miserable season, though, won&rsquo;t give them a big advantage in the draft lottery.
Detroit, San Antonio and Houston each will have a 14% chance of picking first &mdash; and selecting a 7-foot-3 French phenomenon. Whether Wembanyama or another talented player joins the Pistons, they need an influx of talent.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the No. 5 and No. 13 pick overall last summer, did provide hope for the future with their play.
Ivey, an electric guard, averaged 16-plus points and more than five assists to rank among rookie leaders. The 19-year-old Duren, who started the season as the NBA&rsquo;s youngest player, averaged about nine points, nine rebounds and one block a game.
Cunningham, the No. 1 pick overall in 2021, had his second season stunted by shin surgery after playing in just 12 games.
&ldquo;Cade going down was a blessing in disguise for Ivey,&rdquo; Casey said last week, referring to the transition to point guard that the former Purdue star was forced to make.
Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged a career-high 21.6 points, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley are expected to be back to give the young team some experienced players in the rotation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still excited about what we got here,&rdquo; Bagley said. &ldquo;We got guys that care and are not OK with losing and that in itself is a sign of a team that can be great.&rdquo;

“It was something our organization had to go through,” Dwane Casey said last week. “It was painful. It was ugly.”

Pistons search for coach, hope to draft Victor Wembanyama

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young returned after missing one game with the flu and scored 25 points and had 16 assists to help the travel-weary Atlanta Hawks overwhelm shorthanded Washington 134-116 on Wednesday night.
With the win, the Hawks achieved a modest milestone as they prepare for the postseason. The Hawks (41-39) ended a streak of 33 games being within 1 game of .500.
The Nets defeated the Pistons and guaranteed that the Hawks cannot finish as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and will be in the conference play-in tournament for the second straight season. Atlanta holds the No. 8 seed and has a one-game lead over No. 9 Toronto.
The Hawks overcame travel issues that forced the team to fly from Chicago on Wednesday morning after plane difficulties caused the team to stay in Chicago on Tuesday night. Arriving in Atlanta at 2 p.m., the Hawks hit the court five and half hours later.
&ldquo;It was definitely an unusual schedule,&rdquo; AJ Griffin said. &ldquo;Coach (Quin Snyder) handled it well. He set the tone. We knew we just had to play hard and get through the day.&rdquo;
John Collins had 23 points and put the Hawks in control with a stellar sequence in the third quarter. Collins scooped up a loose ball before throwing down a reverse jam, then buried a 3-pointer on the next possession that gave the Hawks an 85-71 lead.
The Hawks did not trail for the game&rsquo;s final 29 minutes and shot 43.3 percent from 3-point range.
Wizards center Daniel Gafford had a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Hawks reserve Jalen Johnson continued his recent string of strong play, matching his career high of 16 points, set the previous night in a win over the Bulls. Johnson also had 8 rebounds.
The Wizards played without out six of their top eight rotation players, including 20-plus point scorers Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma as they play out the string following their elimination from playoff contention.
&ldquo;I thought offensively, we did some good things,&rdquo; said Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. &ldquo;We moved the ball with pretty good pace. We were sharing the ball as best we can. We had some good looks that didn&rsquo;t go down, but I&rsquo;m more concerned with the defensive stuff.&rdquo;
BENCH BOOST
Snyder talked about his &ldquo;deep&rdquo; bench prior to Wednesday&rsquo;s game, and the group backed up his assessment right away. Led by Johnson, Atlanta had 15 points from its bench in the first quarter after the Hawks got off to a sluggish start in the opening minutes. Johnson and Griffin finished with 16 points apiece.
&ldquo;We have a lot of guys who are prepared,&rdquo; Snyder said. &ldquo;There are limited minutes and some tough decisions have to be made. One of the tings about our bench is the acceptance of a role. To put the team first is not something you take for granted.&rdquo;
Snyder inserted guard Aaron Holiday for Young just six minutes into the game. The Hawks responded with a quick burst.
Holiday, who played just two minutes on Tuesday, had eight points and four assists in 21 minutes.
TIP-INS
Wizards: First-round pick Johnny Davis started his third straight game and has averaged 18.7 points in his three starts. Davis scored 20 points each of his past two games. The rookie from Wisconsin averaged 11.6 points in 19 G League games and has played 26 games with the Wizards.
Hawks: De&rsquo;Andre Hunter missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury. Hunter has started 65 games this season. ... Bogdan Bogdanovic did not play due to right knee injury management. He led the Hawks with 26 points in Tuesday night&rsquo;s win at Chicago. ... The Hawks scored over 100 points for the 55th straight game, extending their team record.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host Miami on Friday night.
Hawks: Host Philadelphia on Friday night.

The Hawks ended a streak of 33 games being within a game of .500. They hold the eighth seed with a one-game lead over No. 9 Toronto.