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Pistons

NBA legends Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups have been inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024 on October 12-13 in Springfield, Massachusetts.&nbsp;
Called &ldquo;half-man, half-amazing,&rdquo; Carter was known to be a human highlight reel with all his explosive dunks and gravity-defying athleticism. Carter was the no.5 pick in the 1998 NBA draft and went on to play for the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets, where he made most of his highlights and incredible plays.
Billups was nicknamed &ldquo;Mr. Big Shot&rdquo; for his play with the Detroit Pistons where he won a championship in 2004. Billups was the engine on offense for those Pistons teams that were known for their defense and Billups made his mark by hitting big shot after big shot in clutch time situations.&nbsp; Billups was named Finals MVP after averaging 21 points and 5.2 assists while shooting 50.9% overall, 47.1% on 3s and 92.9% from the line.
Among the other NBA legends inducted in this year&rsquo;s class are Michael Cooper (12 seasons with the LA Lakers) and Walter Davis (11 seasons with PHX Suns, 4 seasons with DEN Nuggets) for their specific contributions to their respective teams.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s the full list of the 13 inductees of the Class of 2024:
North American Committee (in alphabetical order): Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith&nbsp;
Women&rsquo;s Committee: Seimone Augustus&nbsp;
Men&rsquo;s Veteran Committee: Dick Barnett
Women&rsquo;s Veteran Committee: Harley Redin
International Committee: Michele Timms
Contributors Committee: Doug Collins, Herb Simon, Jerry West

NBA legends Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups have been inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.

Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups get inducted to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today at NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 the selection of 14 finalists from the following committees: North American, Women&rsquo;s, Men&rsquo;s Veterans, Women&rsquo;s Veterans, International, and Contributors.
The finalists will then be put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of the Class of 2024. The new class will be announced in Phoenix on April 6 at the NCAA Men&rsquo;s Final Four.
North American Committee Finalists (in alphabetical order):
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Chauncey Billups</li>
<li>Vince Carter</li>
<li>Michael Cooper</li>
<li>Walter Davis</li>
<li>Bo Ryan</li>
<li>Charles Smith</li>
</ul>
Women's Committee Finalists:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Seimone Augustus</li>
<li>Marian Washington</li>
</ul>
Men&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Dick Barnett</li>
</ul>
Women's Veteran Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Harley Redin</li>
</ul>
International Committee Finalist:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Michele Timms</li>
</ul>
Contributors Committee Finalists:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Doug Collins</li>
<li>Herb Simon</li>
<li>Jerry West</li>
</ul>
"Being named a Finalist for the Class of 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to the highest echelons of achievement in the sport,&rdquo; said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. &ldquo;It's an honor that reflects not only individual greatness but also the long-lasting impact on the game itself. From the strategic brilliance of coaches to the unmatched abilities of players and the influential roles of a coach/broadcaster, an esteemed owner, and a dynasty-building executive, each Finalist embodies the pinnacle of basketball excellence. Their inclusion underscores the diverse contributions that have shaped and enriched the sport, making this recognition truly exceptional."
The Class of 2024 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., on August 16-17. VIP packages for the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend are now available. Single-event tickets will go on sale on April 6, following the 2024 Class Announcement.
North American Committee Finalists:
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash; Nicknamed "Mr. Big Shot" for his ability to deliver crucial plays in pivotal moments, Billups was a five-time NBA All-Star and the 2004 Finals MVP after leading the Detroit Pistons to their third NBA championship. During his 17-year career, Billups&rsquo; averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, while his&nbsp; 89.4&nbsp; free throw percentage is sixth best in NBA/ABA history. Billups was drafted third overall in 1997 by the Boston Celtics after earning Second Team All-American honors at Colorado. He is the current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
VINCE CARTER&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash; Renowned for his high-flying dunks, the former North Carolina standout was an eight-time All-Star in his 22 NBA seasons (1998-2020). Carter, who won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, was named the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and is the only player in NBA history to play in four different decades. Carter averaged 16.7 points per game (21.3 as a starter) and also played a pivotal role in the success of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, clinching a gold medal with the U.S. Men's Basketball Team. He currently holds the single-season franchise scoring record for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
MICHAEL COOPER&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Cooper was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams, taking home First-Team accolades five times and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987. The former third-round draft pick (60th overall) out of the University of New Mexico spent his entire 12-year NBA career (1978-90) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five championships while routinely matching up with the opponent&rsquo;s top shooter. Following his playing career, Cooper entered the coaching ranks and earned WNBA Coach of the Year accolades in 2000 with the Los Angeles Sparks before winning back-to-back WNBA titles in 2001-02.
WALTER DAVIS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns&rsquo; history was a six-time All-Star (1978-81, &lsquo;84, &lsquo;87) during his 15-year NBA career with the Suns (1977-88), Denver Nuggets (1988-92) and Portland Trail Blazers (1991). Before Phoenix chose Davis with the fifth pick in the 1977 draft, the standout player from North Carolina won a gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He then averaged 24.2 points per game in his first NBA season and was named the 1978 Rookie of the Year. The late Davis had&nbsp;his No. 6 retired by the Suns, and in 2004, he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Honor.
BO RYAN&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash;&nbsp;Ryan went 747-233 (.762) in 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1984-89), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-2001) and University of Wisconsin (2001-15), including a 364-130 (.737) ledger in 14-plus seasons in Madison. Ryan, honored four times as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Wisconsin to unprecedented success, clinching four Big Ten regular-season titles, winning three Big Ten tournament championships, and making back-to-back Final Four appearances (2014-15). The four-time Division III champion (1991, &lsquo;95, &lsquo;98-99) was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
CHARLES SMITH&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Smith is Louisiana's all-time winningest high school head coach, surpassing the previous mark of 1,071 in 2020. With eight state championships to his name, Smith&rsquo;s coaching tenure at Peabody Magnet High School began in 1985 after starting as a math teacher in 1975. He guided the Warhorses to a pair of perfect seasons, going 41-0 in 2004 and 2010 and earning national top-five rankings. Smith, ESPN&rsquo;s National Coach of the Year in 2010, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition, Smith served as a head coach at the McDonald&rsquo;s All-American game in 2020.
Women&rsquo;s Committee Finalists:
SEIMONE AUGUSTUS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Augustus, who was selected first overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, was a four-time champion and eight-time All-Star during her 15-year WNBA career (2006-2020). The cornerstone player for the Minnesota Lynx, where she spent 14 of her 15 seasons, averaged 15.4 points per game and was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Finals MVP. At LSU, Augustus led the Tigers to three straight Final Four appearances and won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Wooden Awards in back-to-back campaigns (2005-06).
MARIAN WASHINGTON&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Washington led the University of Kansas women&rsquo;s basketball team for 31 seasons (1973-2004) and recorded a school-record 560 wins. The Jayhawks made 11 NCAA tournament appearances under her guidance, including two trips to the Sweet 16 (1996, &lsquo;97). Washington, who also served as Kansas&rsquo; director for women&rsquo;s athletics from 1974-79, was named her conference&rsquo;s Coach of the Year on three occasions (Big Eight: 1992, &rsquo;96; Big 12: 1997). She was a pioneer on the international stage, becoming one of the first two African American women to compete in basketball internationally at the 1971 World Championships and the first black woman to coach a United States team in international play at the 1982 R. William Jones Cup. Washington, who was the first female president of the Black Coaches Association, was inducted into the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Men&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalist:
DICK BARNETT&nbsp;[Player] &ndash;&nbsp;Barnett first gained prominence at Tennessee A&amp;I University, where he led the Tigers to three straight NAIA national championships (1957-59), the first historically black school to claim a men&rsquo;s basketball title. The &ldquo;Skull&rdquo; played 14 NBA seasons with the Syracuse Nationals (1959-61), Los Angeles Lakers (1962-65) and New York Knicks (1965-73), winning a pair of titles in the Big Apple (1970, &lsquo;73) and making his lone All-Star team in 1968. The Knicks retired his No. 12, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored his 1957&ndash;59 Tigers squad in 2019.
Women&rsquo;s Veteran Committee Finalists:
HARLEY REDIN&nbsp;[Coach]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Redin went 431-66 in 18 seasons leading Wayland Baptist&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s basketball program and captured six AAU National Championships. He coached the Flying Queens to two undefeated women&rsquo;s seasons (1956, &lsquo;57), 17 top-five finishes, and went 110-2 during his first four campaigns at Wayland Baptist. Redin also coached the Women&rsquo;s U.S. National Team in 1959, the 1971 Pan-American Games, and the 1963 World Tournament in Peru. He was the recipient of the Jostens-Berenson Service Award by the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Coaches Association for his lifetime of service to women&rsquo;s basketball in 1992, inducted into the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and honored with the Naismith Award for Outstanding Contribution to the game of women&rsquo;s basketball in 2000.
International Committee Finalist:
MICHELE TIMMS&nbsp;[Player]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;A trailblazer in Australian women&rsquo;s basketball, Timms became well-known as one of the best point guards in the world, representing the Australian national team throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Timms won a pair of Olympic medals with the Opals, winning bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000, and was the first Australian, male or female, to play professional basketball internationally when she suited up for Lotus M&uuml;nchen in Germany. In addition, Timms spent five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, guiding the team to a berth in the 1998 WNBA Finals and earning an All-Star selection in 1999. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame inducted her in 2003, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. The Mercury retired her No. 7 jersey in 2002.
Contributor Committee Finalists:
DOUG COLLINS&nbsp;[Coach/broadcaster]&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Collins' versatile career in basketball is marked by significant achievements in roles ranging from player to coach to broadcaster, underscoring his wide-ranging impact on the sport. Following an NBA career where he was a four-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers, he transitioned into coaching and accumulated over 400 wins with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03) and 76ers (2010-13). Collins, who coached Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in both Chicago and Washington,&nbsp;also served as an analyst for various NBA-related broadcasts for CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, and ABC/ESPN, along with working for NBC at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
HERB SIMON&nbsp;[Owner] &ndash; Simon, the longest-tenured governor in the history of the NBA, purchased the Indiana Pacers, along with his late brother Mel, back in 1983. Under Simon&rsquo;s stewardship, the Pacers won numerous Central Division titles and made the franchise&rsquo;s first NBA Finals in 2000. Throughout his ownership period, the Pacers have been home to legendary players like Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal, Rik Smits, and Reggie Miller (Class of 2012). Beyond ownership, Simon's influence extends deeply into the heart of the Pacers&rsquo; organization, shaping its identity and impact both on and off the court through his philanthropic endeavors and civic engagement.
JERRY WEST&nbsp;[Executive] &ndash; Enshrined as a player in 1980, West then went on to establish himself off the court as one of the most successful executives in the sport&rsquo;s history. West played a pivotal role as the architect of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; dynasties during the 1980s and 2000s, drafting key players like Magic Johnson and James Worthy, acquiring Kobe Bryant, signing free agent Shaquille O'Neal, and hiring head coach Phil Jackson. He totaled eight NBA championships in Los Angeles (1980, &lsquo;82, &lsquo;85, &lsquo;87-88, 2000-02) and was named Executive of the Year twice (1995, 2004). Following his time in the Lakers&rsquo; front office (1979-2000), West served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-07 before earning two additional NBA championships as an executive with the Golden State Warriors (2015, &lsquo;17).

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 14 finalists for the class of 2024 including Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 14 finalists in class of 2024

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

This article was originally published on BasketballNews on July 20, 2022.
Impact Basketball's facility sits inside an unassuming section of an unassuming plaza on Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas.
The gym contains two light-colored hardwood basketball courts with a small scoreboard, a weightlifting area, a makeshift stretching room, a kitchenette for meals and snacks and a small office. It's no place for vanities. The only flexes are the dozens of white banners hanging on the right wall, listing names upon names of distinguished players who have come through during the gym's 25 years of existence.
Among those players: Kevin Garnett, Kawhi Leonard, Chauncey Billups, Kyle Lowry, Kelsey Plum, Tayshaun Prince, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Al Harrington, Kristaps Porzingis, Nassir Little, Saddiq Bey and Ziaire Williams.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Garnett stopped by <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a> and offered some advice to Blazers guard Keon Johnson, Mavericks wing Josh Green and 16-year-old prospect Dayan Nessah.<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Abunassar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Joe_Abunassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGarnett5KG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamkeonjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamkeonjohnson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/fwRjAM2WHJ">pic.twitter.com/fwRjAM2WHJ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1548046089877524482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Impact Basketball, founded by trainer Joe Abunassar in 1997, has a reputation for its star-studded, closed-door pickup games that take place during the NBA offseason. In the spring, it's also where some of the top NBA Draft hopefuls join Abunassar's pre-draft "boot camp" and commit themselves to an intricate world of sports training and nutrition.
The timeline is simple: arrive by April, revamp your training lifestyle and find your professional pathway &mdash; either via the NBA Draft, an undrafted free-agent deal or another contract &mdash; afterwards. The work is not flashy, isn't always fun and, if you want to stick as a pro, never ends.
But the results can change lives.
"It's not about W's or L's, it's about M's &mdash; M's being millions of dollars," said Isaac Mourier, Impact's Director of Performance Nutrition and Sport Science. "Once you say that to a guy like that, that's all they need in terms of motivation."
Mourier is a key cog in Impact's program. He's from the United Kingdom and played professional basketball in England and Germany before starting his own sports nutrition consulting business. Mourier has worked for the University of Georgia and Sacramento Kings as a nutritionist and consultant, and joined Impact in 2020 during the spring.
During his two-and-a-half years and three draft cycles with the company, Mourier has filled his laptop with infographics and progress charts for Impact athletes. They include individualized goals for each player; an example involves raising one prospect's weight by 20 pounds, lowering his body fat by 2%, increasing his bench press weight by 50 pounds and adding two inches to his vertical.
Mourier feels privileged to work with athletes at this stage of their careers. To him, the noise of team ecosystems and outside expectations all fade away. He can clearly define goals, and players know exactly what success will look like.
"This is the first time, maybe ever in their life, where they have a team of people that are only worried about them," he said. "Now, I'm just trying to get you to the NBA and keep you there. I don't care whether you win or lose games right now. This is you. All the focus is on you."
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Boot camp begins as soon as players are done with their respective prior seasons. They arrive at Impact and take part in comprehensive body testing to establish a full physical profile. The technology includes a bioelectrical impedence analysis that uses electrical currents to scan body composition. Sweat patches can read how much sodium athletes need in their system.
Variables such as blood work, stress hormone levels, nutrient deficienies, pre-workout hydration levels and post-workout hydration levels, body composition and body fat percentages all help establish a baseline of strengths and needs.
From there, each prospect receives an individualized growth roadmap. Skill development makes up one component. Players often train together in small groups, but they receive specific plans that prepare them for team pre-draft workouts and the NBA level.
"We're looking and analyzing and making assessments on the court; if guys are getting bumped off their cuts, if guys don't have enough lower-body power in their jump shot and guys seem like they need to get stronger, if guys aren't fast enough, [we'll consider], 'Okay, what do we need to do in the weight room or from a nutrition standpoint to correct that?'" Abunassar told Basketball News. "So, that's why every guy has his own program, because every guy has different goals."
Hydration and dieting are also central pieces. Mourier oversees the implementation of dietary plans through Impact's local chef connections, and says he outlines each meal, snack and supplement. Along the way are regular check-ins on body metrics, sleep schedules, mood and motivation among other factors. Mourier estimated that about 20-to-25 Impact staffers are involved with a player's development.&nbsp;
But Mourier repeatedly emphasized that the technology, food and workouts aren't what takes players to the Association. One of his most important jobs is reframing their habits and instilling discipline toward health.
"When an athlete gets to the elite level with bad habits, it's, 'Well, I'm already one of the best in the world at what I do, so why would I change?' So it's changing that mindset, and then when we've done that, it's about understanding that doing small things consistently is what gets us the results, as opposed to trying to do extreme things," Mourier said.
"The way that the structure of basketball [is] from AAU to college to the pros, a lot of the power is in the athlete's hands, where it's almost like, 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' So I think one of the main things that we have to do is cut through that barrier. And again, when our goals are the same as theirs, it becomes a little bit easier. But again, it's, 'Well, you've gotten to this level despite your bad habits. How good could you be if we instill some good habits?'"
Good habits, however, can be inconvenient and awkward. For NBA players to maintain their places in the league, they have to stick with those routines well past a pre-draft boot camp.
Dallas Mavericks wing Josh Green joined Impact's program ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft cycle. He's still entrenched with Impact today, and has been working out in Las Vegas this offseason. Part of his nutrition plan includes avoiding butter, which can be a particular hurdle when eating out at restaurants.
"I have to be the guy who requests light virgin oil, whatever it is," Green told Basketball News. "I think that's the hardest part about it. I'm about to go to Australia for three weeks, and all I'm gonna want to do is eat all the food, but I'm gonna have to stay disciplined. I want to have a big year, so my goal is focusing right now, but just taking it one day at a time."
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👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshBGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshBGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX0fkZzCBZ">pic.twitter.com/pX0fkZzCBZ</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547655829431525383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Green said he started prioritizing nutrition after his second shoulder surgery in April 2019. Since joining Impact, Green has been floored by how much nourishment the human body loses during workouts. He has an app that lays out meal calories and hydration plans, and his goal this offseason is to skip carbohydrates, even from snacks like a simple bag of chips.
"When you're young, whatever you see in front of you is what you want," Green said. "I [was] able to start here early and realize, if I want to play ball for a while, it's important to put the right things in my body and stay healthy. It's the same thing as seeing your physical therapist and getting treatment, if not more important for your body."
Abunassar has a plethora of stories about players who embraced the importance of nutrition at the pro level. Garnett has talked about taping his meal-plan menus on the cabinets of his Minnesota home.&nbsp; Lowry, Haliburton and Serge Ibaka are examples of guys who transformed their bodies under Impact's guidance too.
Gym time and workouts are obviously valuable, but to Abunassar, nutrition is what sparks physical development.
"The nutrition is really the basis of body change &mdash; for anybody, not even just for a basketball player," Abunassar said. "You can go to the gym every day, but if you're eating cheeseburgers and fries, you're just not going to lose weight."
Mourier has his own trail of success stories. He's worked with dozens of players, including Haliburton and Green. Zeke Nnaji, another 2020 draftee, was an especially interesting case as the only plant-based-dieting prospect Mourier has guided at Impact.
Mourier does not advise athletes to follow a plant-based diet solely for performance. However, Nnaji had chosen to be a vegan for ethical reasons, which Mourier respected, and the two worked together to create a nutrition plan despite the constraints. One of Nnaji's pre-draft goals was to add muscle, and he succeeded with rigorous attention to detail.
"He gained 20 pounds and everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this?'" Mourier said. "So that was really good, just being tactful with the timing and quantities of that stuff. And [Nnaji] was really diligent with it. He nailed every single aspect of it down to the gram... He was a really easy one. I really can't take credit for all that stuff. I just put the blueprint down and he just rolled with it."
This year, Impact has worked with several 2022 draft prospects, including MarJon Beauchamp, Blake Wesley and Michael Foster Jr. among others.&nbsp;
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Blake Wesley (<a href="https://twitter.com/blakewesley0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blakewesley0</a>) working out at <a href="https://twitter.com/impactbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@impactbball</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9lfkFikWsP">pic.twitter.com/9lfkFikWsP</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1547643918904217604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Wesley has been an Impact athlete since he was 17, meeting Abunassar for the first time as a junior in high school. Wesley would come in occasionally for workouts, staying on the far court and watching as NBA players like Leonard and Paul George would get their reps in. He returned in offseasons and locked in for his own pre-draft boot camp.
Mourier praised the Spurs rookie for his attention to detail regarding nutrition. Wesley frequently FaceTimed Mourier while at restaurants and stores, and asked questions about what he should eat. He's also a staunch advocate of Herbalife's CR7 Drive sports drink mix, and even has an endorsement deal with Herbalife.
As part of his pre-draft plan to put on weight, Welsey would cook three eggs, plus have oatmeal, milk and orange juice for breakfast.
"[Changing my nutrition] helped my body a lot," Wesley told Basketball News over the phone. "I kept doing this, so I kept getting better on the court and did everything good on the court. So yeah, my nutrition helped me a lot."
The result: Wesley turned himself from a relatively unheralded four-star recruit into Notre Dame's first one-and-done player &mdash; then bulked up to 190 pounds in the spring and became a first-round NBA draft pick.
"I met [Wesley] a year ago, before he went to Notre Dame, and his transformation from then to the start of the pre-draft [process] to now &mdash; it's phenomenal," Mourier said.
The next challenge is to maintain discipline once that contract gets signed.&nbsp;
"You gotta stay focused; the NBA is totally different from college," Wesley said. "I mean, you're getting paid, you got a high profile [and] a lot of people are watching you &mdash; &nbsp;watching how you move, who you hang out with, stuff like that. So it's a whole different lifestyle."
Abunassar, Mourier and the Impact staff are hands-on with their players during the offseason and pre-draft process. But what happens when those players head back to their respective NBA franchises?
"For the most part, from a strength-and-conditioning standpoint [and] from a player development standpoint, the NBA teams have stuff really dialed in," Mourier said. "From a nutrition standpoint, for the most part, they do not."
Mourier estimated that there are only six full-time nutritionists and dietitians in the entire NBA. The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) lists <a href="https://sportsrd.org/career-development/full-time-sports-rds-working-with-usas-top-institutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine full-time registered dietitians.</a> Mourier said that teams often have physicians and trainers covering several responsibilites, including nutrition, due to budget restrictions and front-office priorities. This means some athletes, specifically reserve players, receive less health guidance.
"We're kind of the ones who are the last for the front office to see the value in it, so a lot of times we're really just a check-box," Mourier said. "So especially for those lower-order guys that are maybe No. 7, 8, 9, 10, all the way through to 15 on the roster, they're not really receiving any support at all. They're receiving provision. They're receiving meals and supplements. But in terms of education and behavior change, they're really not receiving it."
Over the last 25 years, Abunassar has seen sports nutrition dramatically change, with data and technology more interwoven into practice than ever. He thinks there are positives and pitfalls to the advancements.
"From a nutrition standpoint and strength-and-conditioning standpoint, it's clearly useful information to help prevent injury, to increase lean body mass, etc.," he said. "All of the technology that has come out has been very helpful for us, but you do have to watch that you don't get too reliant on it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the games and see how guys move and that kind of thing. But a combination of the two is very effective."
Impact Basketball is one progressive frontrunner in the field of sports science, but Mourier emphasized that, at this point, all basketball pros should be setting themselves up for success with some sort of offseason developmental map. Pre-draft prospects especially cannot afford to lose that critical period before team workouts to maximize their appeal.
"It's like doing the SAT without looking at the study guide," Mourier said "...I think it's definitely a standard. There's people doing this all over the country, really. Nobody does it like us, and nobody's been doing it for as long as us, but people are seeing the value."

A behind-the-scenes look at how Impact Basketball helps players realize their full potential by focusing on their training and nutrition.

How sports nutrition and biometrics are evolving NBA training

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

DENVER (AP) &mdash; At times, the Denver Nuggets were easy &ndash; sometimes, too easy &ndash; to love, with their rainbow uniforms, their rumpled grumposaurus of a coach and a defense-optional game plan that kept the scoreboard clicking into the 120s and 130s night after night.
At other times, loving them was more difficult, say, during those 50, 60 and 70-loss seasons in the &rsquo;90s that installed a revolving door on the coach&rsquo;s office, or even during a decade-long resurgence in the 2000s when they were led by a fickle superstar who ultimately bailed for New York City.
And even now, with the Nuggets the top seed in the Western Conference, Denver has yet to be mistaken for much beyond an NBA novelty. Such is life in a league driven by superstars who are on a first-name basis with fans &mdash; Magic, Michael, LeBron and Steph &mdash; but never by a team that doesn&rsquo;t win titles, doesn&rsquo;t even play for them, and doesn&rsquo;t get much love even when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-jokic-embiid-antetokounmpo-award-finalists-befc47525340c68c47b50cf5ddcfdee5">the two-maybe-three-time MVP</a>&nbsp;is on its roster.
And yet, as any Denver fan of a certain age will tell you, there is something special about the Nuggets. While Denver may obsess over the Broncos, love the Avalanche and tolerate the Rockies, only one team really placed this dusty old cowtown on the map. That&rsquo;s the basketball franchise the NBA plucked from the dying ABA in 1976 to officially turn Denver into not just a major-league city, but a winning one.
&ldquo;There was always a sense of pride that that was the other professional sports franchise in town,&rdquo; said Ron Zappolo, the longtime Denver sports and news anchor, in recalling a long stretch when Denver&rsquo;s big-league teams were the Broncos and the Nuggets. &ldquo;And they never took a back seat to too much. And, yeah, they weren&rsquo;t champions, but they won a ton of games in the &rsquo;80s, and they made it entertaining for everybody.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Their welcome to the NBA came a year before the Broncos &mdash; still B-listers at best and seven years from landing John Elway &mdash; made their first Super Bowl. Denver&rsquo;s biggest sports star at that time: a gap-toothed undersized center with an awkward-but-effective head fake named Dan Issel.
Issel, Bobby Jones and the Skywalker, David Thompson, lost to the Blazers and Bill Walton in the conference semifinals that season. Ever since, part of the price of loving the Nuggets is that the fun always ends early. The Nuggets have been to the playoffs 29 times in their 47 years in the league. They have never played in the NBA Finals.
The player who could change that is Nikola Jokic, a 6-foot-11 force of nature from Serbia who finished 0.2 assists short of averaging a triple-double this season &ndash; something only guards Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson have done.
Yet, the national debate this season centers around whether the Lakers, Warriors or Denver&rsquo;s next opponent, the Suns, will win the West. Those discussions feel more like a rite of passage than a true insult in Denver.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here since the &rsquo;70s, and there&rsquo;s always been a national feeling that what happens in Denver, it&rsquo;s in the Rocky Mountain time zone out there, it&rsquo;s kind of quirky, it&rsquo;s kind of crazy, but, ehhh,&rdquo; Zappolo said.
By 1980, Doug Moe had returned to Denver to take Larry Brown&rsquo;s spot on the sideline. He, along with high-scoring Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe, made the Nuggets eminently watchable. They averaged more than 120 points a game for five straight seasons. They traded in their &rsquo;70s logo &mdash; a gold-digging mountain man named Maxie Miner &mdash; for those multi-colored rainbow threads with the outline of the Denver skyline. Today, those are among America&rsquo;s favorite throwback unis.
Moe was worth watching all by himself &mdash; a coach whose wry basketball brilliance was on par with his need of a good dry cleaner for his sports coats and a bar of soap for his mouth. Ten years into the gig, he popped champagne at the news conference on the day he was fired. He is still the team&rsquo;s most successful coach, with 432 wins.
What his team could never overcome was the unfortunate fate of sharing the Western Conference with the Lakers. The best Denver team of that era was the 1984-85 squad that fell 4-1 to Magic and Showtime in the conference finals.
Moe&rsquo;s firing led to the indignities of irrelevance that, it could be argued, have bled into today.
There were 12 coaches over the next 14 years. Twice, Issel manned the bench. The first time, Dikembe Mutombo helped the Nuggets rally from 0-2 against Seattle to become the first 8 seed to beat a 1.
George Karl, like Moe and Brown before him a product of the Dean Smith-North Carolina motion system, coached the Nuggets from 2005-13 and made the playoffs every year, including in 2009. That season, they lost to the Lakers and Kobe Bryant in Denver&rsquo;s third trip to the West finals.
Karl&rsquo;s tenure was marked by an uneasy alliance with Carmelo Anthony -- with Kenyon Martin, Chauncey Billups and even Allen Iverson making appearances in attempts to get the Nuggets over the hump. That group made news, but not the finals, and &rsquo;Melo eventually forced his way to the Knicks.
What put the Nuggets in the headlines again is a second-round draft pick whose selection barely registered across basketball or in Denver.
Title or no, the selection of Jokic &mdash; a two-time league MVP and a finalist for a third award &mdash; already&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-nikola-jokic-6b7dc34c311b6810ec67c76ee2208c2d">goes down as one of the best personnel moves in the history of the league</a>. Still, the Nuggets have won five and lost four playoff series since Jokic started taking the Nuggets to the playoffs in 2019.
So, as Denver prepares for Kevin Durant and Phoenix, some Colorado natives might be bracing for the worst. Few, however, will turn their backs completely.
&ldquo;There has always been a soft spot for this team,&rdquo; Zappolo said.
And if, after all these years, there really is gold at the end of all those rainbows, a real Nuggets fan would have to see it to believe it.

The top-seeded Denver Nuggets are flying under the radar, but that's nothing new.

Nuggets searching for NBA gold at the end of the rainbows

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Norman Powell added 23 and the Los Angeles Clippers solidified their hopes of avoiding the play-in game with a 136-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Russell Westbrook had 20 points for the Clippers, who have won four of their last six and hold the fifth spot in the Western Conference.
Wins by LA and Minnesota on Saturday ensured the Clippers can finish no lower than seventh. Their best hope of avoiding the play-in game though is beating Phoenix on Sunday in what could be a preview of a first-round series.
While the Suns are expected to sit most of their starters, which they also did Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Tyronn Lue said he will play everyone that he can.
&ldquo;I hope they sit all five guys. I&rsquo;ll take it however I can get it,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;My main focus is doing what we have to do to get into the playoffs. It doesn&rsquo;t matter what seed.&rdquo;
The Clippers need a win in the final regular-season game to avoid landing in the play-in for the second straight season. They were the eighth seed last season and lost to Minnesota and New Orleans to miss the playoffs.
&ldquo;We have to win. That&rsquo;s the focus,&rdquo; Leonard said.
The Clippers would be assured of a top six seed if the Timberwolves beat the Pelicans on Sunday afternoon. A win would wrap up the fifth seed while a loss and Golden State win would drop them to sixth.
However, if the Pelicans win, the Clippers could fall into the seventh spot and host the play-in game on Tuesday with a loss. The only way they would avoid it in that scenario is if Portland beat Golden State and the Lakers defeated Utah.
&ldquo;The parity in the West is incredible this year. I&rsquo;ve seen some tough races, but this may be the toughest I&rsquo;ve seen. Just all the way down to today and tomorrow, guys need to win. It&rsquo;s some tough situations,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;I hate that we are not participating in it, but there&rsquo;s been a lot of learning experiences this year because of that.&rdquo;
Kevin Knox II had 30 points, Shaedon Sharpe 26 and Trendon Watford 24 for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped three straight and eight of their last nine.
&ldquo;We played against a very desperate team. they are fighting and clawing for every win and they need it,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;Our group came out and got it going. They made some adjustments in the second half when they needed to.&rdquo;
Portland led 70-64 at halftime before the Clippers went on a 14-2 run early in the third quarter to gain control.
The Trail Blazers rallied to get within 86-85 on a 3-pointer by Knox before the Clippers put it away for good with a 23-7 spurt.
Leonard had 13 points in the third quarter as the Clippers were 15 of 24 from the field, including eight 3-pointers.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t a great first half because we didn&rsquo;t play the right way. That&rsquo;s why they came out and played like they did in the third quarter,&rdquo; Lue said.
Los Angeles&rsquo; largest lead was 19 in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: In the first half, Sharpe had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting; while Watford added 18 while going 7 of 9. ... Shaquille Harrison had a career-high 11 assists.
Clippers: Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 27th double-double, which is new career high in a season.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host Golden State Sunday in the season finale.
Clippers: Travel to Phoenix Sunday in what could be a first-round preview.

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, and the Clippers improved their odds of avoiding the play-in with a 136-125 win over the Blazers.

Clippers beat Blazers to bolster hopes of avoiding play-in

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Desmond Bane scored 30 points and keyed a fourth-quarter rally, Ja Morant added 23 points and nine assists and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 119-109 on Tuesday night.
Luke Kennard added 20 for Memphis, converting 6 of 10 3-pointers.
Skylar Mays, who signed a 10-day contract with Portland last weekend, led the Trail Blazers with 24 points and seven assists. Shaedon Sharpe added 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jabari Walker finished with 16 points.
Portland held the lead with nine minutes left, but Bane connected on a trio of 3-pointers over a four-minute stretch midway through the fourth. That was part of a 22-2 Memphis run to put away the feisty Trail Blazers.
&ldquo;We tied it up, and we went on a nice run,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of the fourth quarter when Memphis outscored Portland 23-14. &ldquo;Des (Bane) helped spark that.&rdquo;
As it has in recent games, Portland played without key pieces, such as leading scorers Damian Lillard (32.2 points a game), Anfernee Simons (21.1 points) and Jerami Grant (20.5 points), along with top rebounder Jusuf Nurkic (9.1 boards per game).
That left a number of reserves to carry the Trail Blazers, who are out of the playoff hunt. But Portland coach Chauncey Billups praised his team for their fortitude in a hostile environment.&nbsp;
Memphis not only won its 50th game of the year, but finished the season 35-6 at home, clinching the best home slate in the league.
&ldquo;I thought we definitely played hard,&rdquo; said Walker, who was 6 of 11 from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers. &ldquo;We were in it the whole game, and that speaks volumes to all the guys, how competitive we are and how much heart we have.&rdquo;
The Trail Blazers chipped away at a 19-point Memphis lead in the first half when the Grizzlies became lackadaisical with the ball. That, and a much more focused Portland defense, led to Memphis holding a slim 66-62 lead at the break.
&ldquo;We just went to old habits,&rdquo; Morant said of the lackluster play in the game&rsquo;s middle stages. &ldquo;Just no energy. That was pretty much it. We weren&rsquo;t taking them lightly at all. We&rsquo;d seen what they&rsquo;ve done the last couple of games.&rdquo;
At the start of the third quarter, Portland&rsquo;s intensity continued, and the Trail Blazers not only pulled even, but took the lead. They were still tied until Bane and the Grizzlies pulled away with the late burst.
&ldquo;For us to be able to stay together and come back and get a win was big-time,&rdquo; Morant said.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland was one of the few visiting teams to defeat the Grizzlies this season, winning 122-112 on Feb. 1. ... Portland already had eight players listed as &ldquo;out&rdquo; with the early injury reports. By the time Billups got to the podium for his pregame comments, three more previously listed as questionable were not available. That left nine Trail Blazers in uniform. ... Jeenathan Williams, the rookie out of Buffalo signed by Portland on Saturday, started his first game and finished with four points.
Grizzlies: F Dillon Brooks took the night off with right hip soreness. Kennard started in Brooks&rsquo; spot. ... The win snapped a four-game losing streak to Portland at FedExForum.
KENNARD ACCURACY
Kennard started the game hitting all four of his 3-pointers before finishing 6 of 10 from outside the arc. He has made better than 50% of his 3-pointers since joining the Grizzlies in a trade deadline deal in February. Morant told Kennard to keep shooting when he is on that kind of streak. &ldquo;Whatever shot he likes, we love,&rdquo; Morant said.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Play Thursday at San Antonio against the Spurs.
Grizzlies: Play the Pelicans in New Orleans on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Desmond Bane scored 30 points and keyed a fourth-quarter rally, Ja Morant added 23 points and 9 assists.

Bane’s late burst leads Grizzlies past Trail Blazers 119-109

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points, Kevin Knox II added 19 points and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers beat the playoff-hopeful Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday.
Trendon Watford had 15 points and Skylar Mays finished with 13 points and nine assists in his second game with Portland, which had lost 11 of 12 and was without four regular starters.
The Trail Blazers trailed by 12 late in the third quarter before rallying to beat Minnesota, which started the day ninth in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;Every single person that got out on that floor tonight, they gave it all they had and that&rsquo;s all I want from our guys,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;To play as hard as you can, play unselfish and be a good teammate and see what happens.&rdquo;
Anthony Edwards scored 37 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost three in a row and started the day a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers and a game ahead of Oklahoma City for the 10th and the final play-in spot in the West.
&ldquo;We have too many guys not playing really well right now,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;This was kind of who we&rsquo;ve been all season in these types of games and we do it again. You know, obviously, timing of it is extra painful, but we got to get guys playing better.&rdquo;
While they&rsquo;re in the running for the playoffs, the Timberwolves are 5-10 against the five teams with the worst records in the NBA.
&ldquo;We always fall short, it seems,&rdquo; Edwards said of struggles against the bottom teams. &ldquo;It always haunts us. And tonight, once again, yep.&rdquo;
Edwards&rsquo; dunk gave Minnesota an 84-72 lead with 3:37 left in the third quarter before the Trail Blazers went on a 19-4 run to take a fourth-quarter lead with 7:57 left. The Timberwolves shot 6 of 17 in the fourth and Portland outscored them by six.
&ldquo;I think we executed plays,&rdquo; said Mays, a 2020 second-round draft pick by Atlanta who signed a 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers on March 30. &ldquo;I think we defended and made shots tough on them and attacked mismatches. I thought we were pretty good.&rdquo;
Edwards put Minnesota ahead with 2:22 left, but Sharpe converted a lay-up on the other end. Sharpe, the rookie who was the No. 7 overall draft pick, scored six points during an 8-3 run.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just growing up, man,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just growing up and it&rsquo;s fun watching him.&rdquo;
Trailing by two, the Timberwolves couldn&rsquo;t get a clean shot off on their final possession as Anderson&rsquo;s wayward attempt landed on top of the backboard.
&ldquo;You have to have the appropriate fear in this league and a respect for, I don&rsquo;t want to say these type of teams, but the teams that ain&rsquo;t doing so well,&rdquo; Anderson said. &ldquo;We got to be able to handle business.&rdquo;
TOUGH FINISH
Portland was 26-26 on Feb. 3 and had won five of six, firmly in the playoff race. Five days later, the Blazers made moves at the trade deadline to acquire Knox, Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle and Ryan Arcidiacono while trading Josh Hart and Gary Payton Jr.
They went 5-17 following the trade deadline. Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic have missed six games in a row, Anfernee Simons has been out for seven straight and Jerami Grant missed his 10th in a row on Sunday.
Without Reddish (lumbar soreness) and Nasir Little (left ankle sprain) on Sunday, the Trail Blazers were missing nine of their top 12 scorers in total points this season either due to injury or trades.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland scored 21 points off 18 Minnesota turnovers. The Blazers only had 10 turnovers and also had 25 fast-break points. ... Jeenathan Williams made his Portland debut with seven points in 13 minutes.
Timberwolves: An illness has gone through the team. Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns were questionable because of illness and Austin Rivers missed the game with the issue. Towns finished with eight points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. ... Naz Reid missed his second game with a broken bone in his left wrist. ... Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Memphis on Tuesday night.
Timberwolves: At Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points and the short-handed Blazers beat the playoff-hopeful Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday.

Shaedon Sharpe scores 27 points, Blazers edge Timberwolves

Since the Portland Trail Blazers waved the white flag and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blazers-guard-damian-lillard-ruled-out-for-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down Damian Lillard for the remainder of the season</a>, they have shifted their focus to developing rookie Shaedon Sharpe and the rest of the young players on their roster.
Lately, Sharpe has been playing significantly more minutes and handling way more responsibilities than at any other point this season. The 19-year-old still has a lot to learn, but he's making the most of this opportunity.
On Wednesday, the Blazers had just seven players available as they faced the Sacramento Kings, and Sharpe responded with his best game of the season. With a chance to carry the scoring load, Sharpe finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 threes while shooting 46.2% from three-point range in the losing effort.
"We take it personal," Sharpe said. "Us young dudes don't really get the playing time that we want, so when we get an opportunity, we go take it."
Over the last five games, Sharpe is averaging 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 threes, 3.2 assists and a steal, while shooting 45.7% from the field, 45.0% from three and 81.0% from the free-throw line. This stretch is huge for Sharpe's confidence, and it gives him something to build off of entering next season.&nbsp;
"Just getting more comfortable (in the NBA) and getting used to the play style and how dudes like to play,&rdquo; Sharpe said. &ldquo;But I feel like it all comes down to film. We do a lot of film (study) behind the scenes, so I feel like it comes down to the film and knowing what guys like to do and how they like to play.&rdquo;
On the season, Sharpe has appeared in 75 games and has averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 threes and 0.9 assists on .474/.369/.707 shooting splits.
"He's seeing so many new things every single night,&rdquo; Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;He's going to be fine. He learns things so quickly. We'll go over (things) and watch film and talk about what we need and, boom, right away he knows how to do it. He's doing good."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Billups pointed out that Sharpe needs to get better at passing and making reads, but he also acknowledged that those struggles are to be expected for a raw rookie who's still a teenager.
This hands-on experience is important for Sharpe, who attended the University of Kentucky but never suited up for the Wildcats. Sharpe was the No. 3 high-school recruit in the nation and the fact that he didn't play college basketball didn't scare off NBA teams, as the Blazers selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Shae has come in and it&rsquo;s been a tough game for him to learn, you know? He never really even had a chance to learn the college game and then all of a sudden, boom, he&rsquo;s thrust into learning the NBA game,&rdquo; Billups told BasketballNews earlier this month. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot. It&rsquo;s a lot of things to study, a lot of things to watch, but he has taken that task very seriously. Now, he&rsquo;s starting to understand what we want as a team and what his role is and what we need from him every single night.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s always going to have those &lsquo;wow&rsquo; moments because that&rsquo;s just the type of beautiful athlete that he is. But it&rsquo;s the simple things that he&rsquo;s really starting to pick up, and guys can start to gain more and more trust in having a young guy out there.&rdquo;
As Billups alluded to, Sharpe has had plenty of ridiculous dunks throughout his rookie season. That&rsquo;s one area where his lack of experience hasn&rsquo;t limited him, as he&rsquo;s already one of the NBA's best high-flyers.
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Shaedon Sharpe is different. Here are ALL of his dunks so far this season: <a href="https://t.co/txcCyaYgHs">pic.twitter.com/txcCyaYgHs</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1638979007369842688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>

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While Sharpe is still a "blank canvas," as Billups puts it, this stretch has allowed him to showcase different aspects of his skill set. Given his upside and athleticism, it&rsquo;s easy to see why the Blazers fell in love with him during the pre-draft process. He could be a special player if he realizes his full potential.
&ldquo;He is up and down like a teenager usually is,&rdquo; Billups <a href="https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2023/03/07/trail-blazers-shaedon-sharpe-chauncey-billups-growth/">added</a> earlier this month. &ldquo;He plays good sometimes, but sometimes he struggles with our coverages, our concepts and just staying locked in long enough. &hellip; That is something, if you&rsquo;re a coach playing young players, that I have to live with. But for the most part, overall, I think Shaedon is coming along very nicely.&rdquo;

Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe has a lot to learn, but he's showing why Portland fell in love with him during the pre-draft process.

The sky is the limit: Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe making strides

PORTLAND (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 18 points and the Sacramento Kings clinched their first playoff berth since 2006 with a 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
Kevin Huerter added 17 points in the win, which also earned the Kings home-court advantage to open the postseason. The team&rsquo;s 16-year playoff drought was the longest in NBA history and the longest active postseason dry spell among teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.
&ldquo;We want to do bigger things, but 16 years &mdash; that&rsquo;s a long time,&rdquo; Fox said. &ldquo;So that feels great just being able to get that off us.&rdquo;
Before the final buzzer, a large group of purple-clad Kings fans chanted Sacramento&rsquo;s rallying cry, &ldquo;Light The Beam!&rdquo;
Kings rookie Keegan Murray made his 188th 3-pointer of the season with 6:44 to go in the third quarter to set the NBA record, passing Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s mark of 187 set in 2017-18. Murray, who flashed an understated grin after the shot fell, finished with 13 points.
The Kings (46-30) sit at third in the Western Conference. The first-place Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit three games back, have already clinched.
Sacramento could have sealed up the playoff spot earlier in the night, but the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 141-132.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got an opportunity to do something special, so we just continue to play this way and continue to get better, and hopefully we can get 50,&rdquo; Harrison Barnes said.
Rookie Shaedon Sharpe had 30 points for the Blazers, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The loss to the Kings eliminated Portland from playoff contention.
Portland was depleted with regular starters Damian Lillard (right calf), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee), Anfernee Simons (right foot) and Jerami Grant (left quad) all nursing injuries. It got a bit worse for Portland on Wednesday when Keon Johnson, who had 20 points in a loss to New Orleans on Monday, broke a finger in shootaround. Only seven Blazers played.
The Kings are 23-14 on the road this season, third-best in the NBA. And they&rsquo;ve avoided extended losing streaks: The team&rsquo;s longest came at the start of the season when the Kings opened with four straight.
&ldquo;Our guys are excited about it,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re excited about the way that they played tonight and the accomplishments that they&rsquo;ve had so far. They were excited for Keegan. But in the same breath, and not to downplay anything, they expect more.&rdquo;
Portland had a 20-19 edge after the first quarter, but the Kings took over, going up 44-32 on Kevin Huerter&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 3:51 to go before halftime. Portland closed the gap to 50-46 at the break.
The Kings went on to lead by as many as 40 points in the second half. Domantas Sabonis finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
&ldquo;Biggest difference was in the second half, they started making 3s, and they&rsquo;re that type of team,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to play the same way. They&rsquo;re going to shoot a lot of 3s, and miss or make, they&rsquo;re going to play that way. We just couldn&rsquo;t keep up."
TIP-INS
Kings: The Kings were also in a position to clinch Monday, but they fell to Minnesota 119-115. ... &ldquo;I think every experience that we&rsquo;ve gone through this year can help translate (to the playoffs),&rdquo; Brown said before the game. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m telling you, we&rsquo;ll experience it in the playoffs at another level. And every round you advance in the playoffs, it&rsquo;s going to even take it up another notch.&rdquo;
Trail Blazers: It will likely be the second straight season the Blazers have missed the postseason. ... F Justise Winslow had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle. He is expected to be ready to play next season.
UP NEXT
The Kings and the Trail Blazers play again Friday night at the Moda Center.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and the Kings clinched their first playoff berth since 2006 with a 120-80 win over the Blazers on Wednesday.

Kings end record-long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard scored eight of his 41 points from the foul line in the final three minutes Sunday night to the lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-119 win over the Orlando Magic.
Jerami Grant added 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Blazers, and broke a tie with a 3-pointer for the game&rsquo;s final field goal with 35 seconds left.
&ldquo;We had to have this one,&rdquo; said Lillard, who also had a game-leading nine rebounds to help the Blazers break a three-game losing streak. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got 19 games left now. Everybody else is playing with a sense of urgency because they know the race is tight. Lose one and you can drop three spots. Win a couple and you can really make up some ground.&rdquo;
The Blazers are one game behind Utah and New Orleans for a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 26 points. Franz Wagner added 24, and Markelle Fultz finished with 15 points, eight assists and four steals.
Two 3-pointers by Lillard and one by Shaedon Sharpe filled a run late in the third quarter that broke an 83-all tie and left Portland with a nine-point lead, the largest of the game.
The Magic did not catch up until Fultz drove for a layup to tie it at 113 with 58 seconds left.
Nassir Little answered with a 3-pointer, and the rest of the game was all free throws.
&ldquo;The ball was swung to (Little) and he hit the biggest shot of the game,&rdquo; Lillard said. &ldquo;It showed a lot of growth on his part.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We know everybody&rsquo;s going to do the best they can to take Dame away, and everybody else has to be aggressive,&rdquo; said Portland coach Chauncey Billups. &ldquo;That was a big-time shot.&rdquo;
Portland led 58-56 after a first half in which Banchero made all seven of his shots and scored 16 points.
Lillard scored 14 points in the first half and missed all six of his 3-point attempts. The second half was a different ball game, especially for Lillard.
&ldquo;He shot 20 free throws tonight. It just kind of makes it hard to guard him. You just want to put your hands behind your back,&rdquo; said Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who had 15 points and three steals. &ldquo;When he shoots 20 free throws by himself, it&rsquo;s kind of hard to stop him from having a huge night.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Blazers: Lillard (17 for 20) missed more than one free throw for the first time since Jan. 25. In the 16-game interim he shot 168 for 176 (95.5%). ... G Anfernee Simons missed a second game with a sprained right ankle. ... C Jusuf Nurkic missed a 13th game with a strained left calf. . . . Grant and Lillard had 4-point plays.
Magic: C Wendell Carter Jr. (left hip pain) and G Gary Harris (hip) did not play. ... The Magic played for the first time at home since losing F Jonathan Isaac to season-ending surgery on a torn adductor muscle. Isaac played 124 minutes in 11 games after missing 2 1/2 seasons due to knee injuries.
BIG REVERSAL FOR BLAZERS
The game hinged on a replay reversal.
With 2:07 remaining and the Blazers up by one, Lillard tried to slide through two Magic defenders and was called for a charge. But Billups challenged the call, and a review determined that Suggs had not &ldquo;established position&rdquo; outside the arc before the contact. Lillard then made two free throws.
&ldquo;It was a big moment in the game,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;A big play.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Blazers: Play at Detroit on Monday night.
Magic: Play at home against Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Damian Lillard scored 41 points on Sunday night to the lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-119 win over the Orlando Magic.

Damian Lillard scores 41, Blazers hold off Magic 122-119

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Jordan Poole had 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, Klay Thompson scored 23 points and the Golden State Warriors rallied past Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, 123-105 on Tuesday night.
Lillard had 25 points and seven assists to follow up his franchise-record and career-best 71-point masterpiece against the Rockets on Sunday night, when his 13 3-pointers were one shy of Thompson&rsquo;s NBA record.
Lillard was whistled for three quick fouls after halftime and Portland unsuccessfully challenged his fourth personal. The Warriors capitalized on every chance during their decisive 39-point third quarter, taking the lead for good on Thompson&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 1:46 left in the period on the way to winning a fourth straight at home and eighth in nine.
Poole&rsquo;s jumper with 6:14 to play in the third got Golden State within 74-67, then Thompson&rsquo;s jumper at 4:59 made it a two-point game as Golden State came back from 23 down after losing 125-122 in Portland on Feb. 8.
Jonathan Kuminga delivered a high-flying one-handed dunk down the middle late in the third certain to make the highlight reels, then another shortly after to aid the comeback. He scored 16 on 8-for-10 shooting.
Lillard had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the first to help the Blazers build a quick 39-22 lead and score 41 in the opening period. He shot 9 of 21 for the night.
Thompson and Lillard were the league&rsquo;s two most prolific shooters from long range in February, Thompson averaging an NBA-best 5.6 3s per game for the month to Lillard&rsquo;s 5.3.
Thompson has been working on being a better rebounder and grabbed eight to go with four assists. He and Poole began a combined 6 for 22 as the Warriors trailed 65-48 at halftime.
It marked the first meeting since Portland dealt Gary Payton II to the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline, then Golden State expressed concerns to the NBA about how much the Trail Blazers shared regarding the guard&rsquo;s health. Payton is currently sidelined still recovering from offseason surgery for a core muscle injury.
&ldquo;Just wanna hoop!!&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Garydwayne/status/1630739978430066691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Payton posted</a>&nbsp;on his Twitter account.
Draymond Green returned from a two-game absence with a bruised right knee then injured his left wrist at the 9:15 mark of the second in a collision with Drew Eubanks and went to the locker room before returning about four minutes later.
He underwent an MRI exam for the knee on Monday, then participated in the shootaround before being deemed ready to play.
GPII&rsquo;S REUNION
Portland coach Chauncey Billups tried to keep the focus on basketball and none of the drama surrounding Payton&rsquo;s departure earlier this month.
&ldquo;Just another day,&rdquo; Billups said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be happy to see him, embrace him and give him some love.&rdquo;
LOONEY&rsquo;S STREAK
Kevon Looney, whose 24 games with double-digit rebounds are most for Golden State since Green had 37 in 2015-16, saw the end of a stretch of six straight games with 13 or more rebounds but did score 14 points with seven rebounds.
Larry Smith is the last Warriors player with at least 13 rebounds in seven consecutive games when he twice had eight straight such games in 1980-81.
&ldquo;What Looney&rsquo;s doing on the offensive glass is incredible,&rdquo; Billups said.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland shot 12 for 39 from deep and got outrebounded 45-33. ... The Blazers have lost the last five on the Warriors&rsquo; home court.
Warriors: Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, is increasing his workload and scrimmaged earlier in the day with Golden State&rsquo;s two-way players and backups. He missed his ninth straight game with a left leg injury after getting hurt against Dallas on Feb. 4 and a formal update on his progress should come in the next few days. ... Andrew Wiggins sat out a fifth consecutive game while dealing with a family matter.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host New Orleans on Wednesday night to conclude the road-home back-to-back.
Warriors: Host the Clippers on Thursday night having won the last four in the series at home.

Jordan Poole had 29 points, Klay Thompson scored 23 points and the Warriors rallied past Damian Lillard and the Blazers, 123-105.

Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson rally Warriors past Blazers 123-105

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard set franchise- and career-highs with 71 points &mdash; tied for the most in the NBA this season &mdash; and 13 three-pointers and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Lillard tied Cleveland&rsquo;s Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a game this season after Mitchell also scored 71 in a win over Chicago on Jan. 2. Lillard broke his own franchise mark of 61 points, which he&rsquo;d done twice, on a three-pointer with 4:42 left that also topped his career record for threes in a game with 11.
Lillard&rsquo;s 13 three-pointers were one shy of the NBA record set by Golden State&rsquo;s Klay Thompson in 2018. Thompson&rsquo;s Warriors teammate Stephen Curry (2016) and Chicago&rsquo;s Zach LaVine (2019) also made 13 threes.
In the final minutes, the crowd at the Moda Center was on its feet, phones recording the moment, while chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
71 points 13 threes 6 assists 6 boards 2 TOs 39 minutes 57.9 FG% 59 3PT% 100 FT% <a href="https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dame_Lillard</a> is the first player in NBA history with 70+ points, 10+ threes, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds in a game. He was one 3 shy of tying the record for most 3s in a game. <a href="https://t.co/49UPnvpit8">pic.twitter.com/49UPnvpit8</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1630072531016089601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Lillard left the game with 44 seconds left, tied with Mitchell, Elgin Baylor (1960) and David Robinson (1994) for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain owns the league record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Lillard had 41 points and eight three-pointers by halftime. It was a career-high in a half for Lillard and the most points in a half for any player in the league this season. He had 50 by the start of the fourth quarter.
Jerami Grant added 13 points for the Blazers, who led by as many as 23. Portland is part of a cluster of eight Western Conference just four wins apart that are vying for playoff spots.
Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, sitting in last place in the Western Conference with just 13 overall wins and nine-straight losses.
Houston trailed 102-88 heading into the final quarter, but scored the first six points of the period to close the gap to 102-94. Grant&rsquo;s three-pointer for Portland extended the margin to 108-98.
Lillard&rsquo;s three, his 11th of the night to tie his career high, made it 113-103 with 6:43 left. He added a driving layup and a free throw. Houston could not catch up.
Lillard started after resting for Thursday night&rsquo;s 133-116 loss to Sacramento. He participated in the NBA All-Star Game and won the three-point contest the previous weekend.
But Portland remained without center Jusuf Nurkic (left calf) and guard Anfernee Simons (right ankle).
The Blazers had a 31-30 lead after one quarter, led by Lillard&rsquo;s 16. Portland extended the lead to 50-39 after Lillard went on a personal 9-2 run against the Rockets, capped by a three-pointer from 35 feet out.
The Blazers led 73-58 at the break with Lillard the 10th player since the 1996-97 season with 40-plus points in a half.
Lillard has 15 games with 50 or more points, sixth-most in NBA history.
SIDELINED
Guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. did not play, although Rockets coach Stephen Silas said both should be available for the team&rsquo;s short upcoming homestand. Green missed his second game with a strained left groin. Porter has been out 19 games because of a left foot contusion.
TIP-INS
Rockets: It was the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Blazers won the previous two. Last season, the series ended 2-2. ... Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate had four fouls in the first half, but finished with 17 points.
Trail Blazers: Following reports that Lillard was rallying his teammates for the final 23 games of the season, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was asked how he&rsquo;s motivating his team for the stretch run. &ldquo;What I&rsquo;m mostly always talking about is `Here&rsquo;s where we are. Here&rsquo;s how we got there. This is how we&rsquo;ve got to climb out of it,&rsquo;&rdquo; Billups said.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Return home to face the Denver Nugget on Tuesday.
Trail Blazers: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Damian Lillard had a franchise-high and career-high 71 points and 13 threes as the Blazers beat the Rockets 131-114 on Sunday night.

Damian Lillard has 71 points and 13 threes; Blazers beat Rockets

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Reserve Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 points, Nikola Jokic notched his 21st triple-double of the season and the Denver Nuggets headed into the All-Star break with a 118-109 victory over the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets, who moved to an NBA-best 27-4 at home this season. Michael Porter Jr. hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points.
&ldquo;For us to continue to find ways to win and have different guys step up every night, I think it speaks to our chemistry, our depth,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a really good team in there.&rdquo;
Luka Doncic had 37 points in leading a banged-up Dallas team that was missing guard Kyrie Irving due to lower-back tightness. Doncic and Irving have played alongside each other in two games since Irving was acquired as part of a deal with Brooklyn on Feb. 6.
The Nuggets led by 21 in the fourth quarter, only to see the Mavericks cut it to 105-95 with 5:50 remaining on Christian Wood&rsquo;s layup. Soon after, Porter blocked a shot on one end, raced back and hit a 3-pointer on the other to gain some breathing room.
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Where it really got away from the Mavs, coach Jason Kidd conceded, was in the second, when the Nuggets broke open a one-point game with a 35-19 quarter.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re sitting in a good place against the best team in the West and so we have to look at doing a better job,&rdquo; Kidd said.
The two teams split their four-game season series.
View Denver as a favorite?
&ldquo;When you have a guy like Jokic on your team, you&rsquo;re the favorite,&rdquo; Doncic said.
Jokic joined some exclusive company by going over 500 assists and 500 rebounds before the All-Star break. The other NBA players to accomplish the feat were Russell Westbrook (three times, &rsquo;16-17, &rsquo;17-18, &rsquo;18-19) and Oscar Robertson (&rsquo;61-62).
Jokic, the two-time reigning MVP, remains on pace to average a triple-double this season.
&ldquo;He makes it look like a walk in the park,&rdquo; recently acquired backup center Thomas Bryant said of Jokic&rsquo;s ease with triple-doubles. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not easy at all.&rdquo;
Doncic&rsquo;s big night was his 65th career game with 35 or more points. Only LeBron James had more (87) before his 24th birthday. Doncic turns 24 on Feb. 28.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: F Justin Holiday was signed Wednesday. He played in 28 games for Atlanta this season and averaged 4.5 points. ... F Davis Bertans (calf), G Tim Hardaway Jr. (hamstring) and F/C Maxi Kleber (hamstring) were inactive.
Nuggets: Denver was without guard Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) along with forward Aaron Gordon (bruised ribs).
FRIENDLY REMINDER
Malone made sure to remind his team the All-Star break didn&rsquo;t begin until 11 p.m. &mdash; well after their game. They listened.
&ldquo;Times have changed, guys get their private jets running, waiting to go somewhere,&rdquo; cracked Malone, who will coach Team LeBron at the All-Star Game.
COLORADO KID
Backup guard Reggie Jackson jumped at the chance to sign with the Nuggets and play close to home. Jackson, who grew up down the road in Colorado Springs, agreed to a deal with Denver on Tuesday. He wasn&rsquo;t in uniform against Dallas.
The 32-year-old Jackson&rsquo;s favorite player as a kid was Chauncey Billups, the Denver native who went to the University of Colorado before embarking on a long NBA career.
Jackson will wear No. 7 with Denver &mdash; a number Billups wore in 2009 while with the Nuggets.
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Reserve Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 118-109.

Green helps Nuggets go into break with 118-109 win over Mavs

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Kyle Kuzma returned from an ankle sprain and scored 33 points, making six 3-pointers, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 126-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who have won three of their last four games.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re making strides. I think we did a good job,&rdquo; Kuzma said. &ldquo;I think the biggest way &mdash; we talk about efficiency &mdash; is just the way we were playing, playing the right way, playing extra pass basketball, moving the ball around. That&rsquo;s going to cause a lot of efficient nights because you&rsquo;re getting quality shots.&rdquo;
Afterward, Kuzma posted to Twitter:&nbsp;&ldquo;Feels good to be back hoopin.&rdquo;
Damian Lillard had 39 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Blazers. Anfernee Simons added 17 points but sprained his right ankle late in the third quarter and had to be helped to the locker room. Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said X-rays were negative.
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&ldquo;Once I saw him stay down, I was definitely concerned. That makes things tougher for us,&rdquo; Lillard said.
The Blazers were already playing without Jerami Grant because of the concussion protocol and big man Jusuf Nurkic, out with a left calf strain.
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The final margin was the Wizards&rsquo; biggest lead of the second half. Cam Reddish made a 3-pointer that had the Blazers within 105-90 with 8:11 left. Shaedon Sharpe got Portland closer at 107-97 with 5:14 to go.
A series of calls against the Blazers, including a flagrant foul and a technical on Lillard, stalled Portland&rsquo;s momentum. It was the first flagrant foul of Lillard&rsquo;s career.
Both teams were playing the second of back-to-backs.
The Blazers hit 23 3-pointers in a 127-115 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers, who were without NBA career scoring leader LeBron James.&nbsp;The Wizards fell 135-126 at the Golden State Warriors.
The newest Blazers, Reddish and Matisse Thybulle, started together for the second straight game after both were acquired at last week&rsquo;s trade deadline.
Kuzma, who missed four games with a left ankle sprain, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Wizards a 31-24 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Lillard hit a 3-pointer from nearly half court at the buzzer.
Lillard crashed into some sideline seats chasing a ball midway through the second quarter and came up limping, but he walked off any discomfort.
Kuzma had 19 points and the Wizards led 59-52 at the break. They shot 60.5% from the floor in the opening half.
Bradley Beal&rsquo;s 3-pointer gave the Wizards a 72-60 lead in the third quarter. They led 97-80 going into the final quarter. Kuzma hit a three-quarter court 3 at the buzzer.
&ldquo;I took some extra time (off from the injury) and I thought I thought that was really, really worth it for me to come out and play the type of game I did today,&rdquo; said Kuzma, who missed his first three shots but then made his next six. &ldquo;Just feeling healthy. Felt good.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Wizards: The Wizards dropped the other meeting with the Blazers this season, 124-116, at Capital One Arena. The Wizards have lost six straight at home in the series against Portland. ... &ldquo;I thought we had another good offensive night,&rdquo; coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo; It helps when you throw 17 3&prime;s in.&rdquo;
Trail Blazers: The Blazers were without starter Jermai Grant for the second straight game because he is in the concussion protocol. ... The NBA announced that Lillard and Simons will take part in the 3-point contest on Saturday for All-Star weekend. Joing them will be Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana), Tyler Herro (Miami), Buddy Hield (Indiana), Kevin Huerter (Sacramento), Lauri Markkanen (Utah) and Jayson Tatum (Boston).
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Kyle Kuzma returned and scored 33 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 126-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kuzma returns from injury and Wizards top Blazers 126-101

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; The Golden State Warriors have decided to go through with completion of a four-team trade to acquire Gary Payton II from Portland despite concerns that arose surrounding the guard&rsquo;s health following offseason surgery for a core muscle injury that sidelined him until last month.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Sunday that the Warriors spoke to the NBA about how the Trail Blazers handled the deal and information about the medical situation for Payton, whose physical Friday brought up issues that put the trade in jeopardy. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details of the negotiations and discussions were made public.
The defending champions had until Sunday night to make a decision whether to rescind the swap that sent center James Wiseman to Detroit. Golden State also will receive unprotected 2026 and &lsquo;28 second-round draft picks from Portland while giving up Memphis&rsquo; 2026 second-round pick and its own 2028 second-round selection to Portland.
The Pistons traded forward Saddiq Bey to the Hawks and the Blazers acquire forward Kevin Knox II from the Detroit along with three conditional second-round picks from the Hawks.
The 30-year-old Payton played a key role as a defensive stopper for Golden State during last season&rsquo;s title run and would immediately provide backcourt depth with Stephen Curry sidelined at least until after the All-Star break with a left leg injury.
Payton&rsquo;s status for the rest of the season is unclear. He played against Golden State in a win Wednesday night at Portland before rejoining his former team ahead of the trade deadline a day later. Payton is averaging 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 15 games.
Blazers general manager Joe Cronin <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blazers-say-they-were-confident-gary-payton-ii-was-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Friday</a> that the team was confident Payton was healthy before agreeing to trade him to Golden State.
&ldquo;He had been cleared and we were confident that he was healthy when he was playing,&rdquo; Cronin said. &ldquo;We would not have brought him back if we thought he wasn&rsquo;t healthy or if he was at risk.&rdquo;
Portland head coach Chauncey Billups agreed.
&ldquo;We would never push a guy to play. Whether it&rsquo;s medical or whether a guy just doesn&rsquo;t feel like he can play that night &mdash; say he&rsquo;s got a headache or say he&rsquo;s just got a lot of stress at home, or say he has a death in the family,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;I would never push somebody to play because I would always be scared of me doing that and then something actually happening.&rdquo;

The Warriors have decided to go through with a trade to acquire Gary Payton II from Portland despite concerns about his health.

Warriors go through with four-team trade, acquiring Gary Payton II

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said Friday the team was confident Gary Payton II was healthy before agreeing to trade him to Golden State in a four-team deal that could be at risk.
The Athletic reported that Payton had failed Golden State&rsquo;s physical on Friday. The Warriors can either allow the trade to go through anyway, or rescind it.
Cronin said he was aware of the report but hadn&rsquo;t been contacted by the Warriors, Hawks or Pistons, who were also in the deal.
&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t heard from any teams about this. So for now I have to defer,&rdquo; said Cronin, who was at a news conference to speak about Portland&rsquo;s moves at the NBA trade deadline.
Payton&rsquo;s time in Portland was brief. He signed a $28 million, three-year contract last summer after playing on Golden State&rsquo;s NBA championship team. But he missed the first 35 games of the season in Portland because of a core injury that required surgery.
The Athletic reported that that Payton could be sidelined for two to three months with the injury. The report also cite unnamed sources that said he had been playing through pain in Portland.
&ldquo;He had been cleared and we were confident that he was healthy when he was playing,&rdquo; Cronin said. &ldquo;We would not have brought him back if we thought he wasn&rsquo;t healthy or if he was at risk.&rdquo;
Portland coach Chauncey Billups agreed.
&ldquo;We would never push a guy to play. Whether it&rsquo;s medical or whether a guy just doesn&rsquo;t feel like he can play that night &mdash; say he&rsquo;s got a headache or say he&rsquo;s just got a lot of stress at home, or say he has a death in the family,&rdquo; Billups said. &ldquo;I would never push somebody to play because I would always be scared of me doing that and then something actually happening.&rdquo;
As part of the trade, Golden State received unprotected 2026 and &lsquo;28 second-round draft picks from Portland while giving up Memphis&rsquo; 2026 second-round pick and its own 2028 second-round selection to the Blazers.
The Warriors sent center James Wiseman to Detroit in the four-team trade. The Pistons traded forward Saddiq Bey to the Hawks and the Blazers acquired forward Kevin Knox II from the Detroit along with three conditional second-round picks from the Hawks.
In another move before the deadline, the Blazers also dealt forward Josh Hart to the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Cam Reddish, guard Ryan Arcidiacono and a 2023 first-round pick.
Billups said Reddish would start Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Blazers also acquired guard Matisse Thybulle from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2029 second round pick and sent a 2027 second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets.

Blazers GM Joe Cronin said Friday the team was confident Gary Payton II was healthy before agreeing to trade him to Golden State.

Blazers say they were confident that Gary Payton II was healthy

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Brook Lopez scored 27 points and the Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks led the whole way, pushing their advantage to 26 in the second half.
Lopez, who pulled down nine rebounds, topped all scorers with 17 points at halftime and Milwaukee led 58-48. He hit a 3-pointer with 10:41 left in the third quarter that gave him 15,000 career points.
&ldquo;I have a long way to still go, a long time to still play. I&rsquo;m just enjoying it and I want to keep getting better, keep being an effective player out there, being the best player I could be,&rdquo; said Lopez, who is in his 14th season. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m lucky that there are people that are out there trying to help me, trying to make me better and put me in that position.&rdquo;
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 28 points. Antetokounmpo and Lillard were selected the NBA&rsquo;s players of the week earlier in the day.
Lillard averaged 38.3 points and 6.8 assists last week for his second straight POTW honor, while Antetokounmpo averaged 41 points and 17.3 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo started despite right knee soreness. The two-time league MVP had a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists on Saturday to lead the Bucks to a 123-115 victory over Miami.
Portland was coming off a 129-121 loss at Chicago on Saturday that snapped a three-game winning streak
With center Jusuf Nurkic unavailable because of a left calf strain, the Blazers struggled against the bigger Bucks.
Milwaukee led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Lillard drained a 3 from about two feet inside the half-court line that brought gasps and then cheers from the home crowd.
The Bucks finished the third period on a 22-8 run to lead 95-71.
Portland made just nine of 36 attempts from 3-point range.
&ldquo;They made some adjustments to their defense this year, to be honest with you,&rdquo; Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;They used to give up like the most 3s in the league because of that drop coverage. Not this year. I&rsquo;ve got to give them a ton of credit. (Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer) has done a really good job. They&rsquo;re still a really dominant defense but they&rsquo;re not giving up as many 3s, so you&rsquo;ve got to work even harder to get those looks.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bucks: Also won the first of their two meetings with the Blazers this season, 119-111 in Milwaukee. ... It was the opener of a three-game road trip. ... The Bucks&rsquo; longest winning streak this season is nine games.
Trail Blazers: Had only one offensive rebound. ... GM Joe Cronin was among the team representatives at a roundtable with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to pitch Portland as a possible WNBA expansion city. Oregon women&rsquo;s coach Kelly Graves and Oregon State coach Scott Rueck were also on hand.
SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS
Because of weather-related flight delays that forced the postponement of the Washington Wizards&rsquo; game at Detroit on Feb. 1, a few adjustments were made to the NBA schedule that impact the Bucks and Blazers.
Milwaukee&rsquo;s game at Washington originally set for March 6 was moved to March 5, and Portland&rsquo;s game at Detroit will be played March 6 instead of March 7.
The Wizards&rsquo; makeup game at Detroit is set for March 7.

The Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Bucks beat Trail Blazers 127-108 for 8th straight win

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan had 27 and the Chicago Bulls topped Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121 on Saturday night.
Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago won for the third time in four games, erasing a 17-point deficit in the second half. Ayo Dosunmu had 13 points, including a key 3-pointer in the third quarter.
Lillard scored 40 points for Portland, and Anfernee Simons had 27. But the Trail Blazers looked a little tired in the second half of their third game in four nights.
Portland had won five of six, including a 124-116 victory at Washington on Friday night after trailing the Wizards 69-51 at halftime.
Lillard and Simons took advantage of the absence of Alex Caruso, Chicago&rsquo;s best perimeter defender. Caruso sprained his right foot during Thursday night&rsquo;s 114-98 victory over Charlotte.
Portland trailed by one with 8:07 left, but Chicago put it away with a 12-0 run. Vucevic made two foul shots to give the Bulls a 117-104 lead with 5:13 remaining.
Portland opened an 80-63 lead on Lillard&rsquo;s fourth 3-pointer with 6:38 left in the third quarter. But Dosunmu responded with a 3 on the other end, sparking a 24-4 run for Chicago.
LaVine converted a three-point play, a conventional 3-pointer and two foul shots to give the Bulls an 87-84 lead with 1:47 left. Andre Drummond&rsquo;s foul shot sent Chicago into the fourth with a 92-87 advantage.
Lillard started heating up in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star went 7 for 7 at the line while scoring 19 points in the period, helping Portland to a 70-59 lead at the break.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, and coach Chauncey Billups said his playing career comes in handy this time of year. He was often the subject of trade rumors. &ldquo;You have to learn how to handle that,&rdquo; Billups said, &ldquo;and how to continue to keep playing and not even worry about it.&rdquo; ... F Justise Winslow remained sidelined by a left ankle sprain. He hasn&rsquo;t played since Dec. 21.
Bulls: Coach Billy Donovan said Caruso felt much better Friday morning, but there hadn&rsquo;t been a lot of change since then. &ldquo;Still having some discomfort, but not at the level it was after the game,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... F Patrick Williams played more than 31 minutes after he tweaked his right ankle against the Hornets.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in the opener of a five-game homestand.
Bulls: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan had 27 and the Bulls topped Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121 on Saturday night.