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Timberwolves

Day 8 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs saw some interesting games as we entered the halfway mark of the first round. The Orlando Magic leveled up their series vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2-2, at home. Boston regained control of the series against Miami after a tough game 2 loss to now lead 3-1, while OKC took a commanding 3-0 lead vs NOLA who are still without Zion Williamson. Lastly, the Lakers, after 4 games finally win against the Nuggets after leading most of the time in the entire series.
Check out the recap here:
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FINAL SCORE THREAD 🧵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 4 🏀 CLE 89 - 112 ORL | Series tied 2-2 Franz Wagner 📊 34 PTS | 13-17 FG | 13 REB | 4 AST Jonathan Isaac 📊 14 PTS | 5-7 FG | 4-6 3P | 7 REB | 2 BLK Jarrett Allen 📊 21 PTS | 8-11 FG | 9 REB <a href="https://t.co/f31CYHJM2F">pic.twitter.com/f31CYHJM2F</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1784369901299470391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 3 🏀 OKC 106 - 85 NOP | Thunder leads series 3-0 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 📊 24 PTS | 8-20 FG | 8 AST | 5 REB | 4 STL Jalen Williams 📊 21 PTS| 9-16 FG | 3-4 3P | 9 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL Josh Giddey 📊 21 PTS | 8-13 FG | 4-7 FG | 8 REB | 6 AST<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThunderUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/T8twIl6DnJ">pic.twitter.com/T8twIl6DnJ</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1784373151289454723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 3 🏀 BOS 104 - 84 MIA | Celtics lead series 2-1 Jayson Tatum 📊 22 PTS | 11 REB | 6 AST Jaylen Brown 📊 22 PTS | 11-20 FG | 8 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL <a href="https://t.co/YF1clU5Ua2">pic.twitter.com/YF1clU5Ua2</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1784394162206540138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 4 🏀 DEN 108 - 119 LAL | Nuggets lead series 3-1 LeBron James 📊 30 PTS | 14-23 FG | 5 REB | 4 AST | 3 STL Anthony Davis 📊 25 PTS | 23 REB | 11-17 FG | 6 AST D'Angelo Russell 📊 21 PTS | 8-15 FG | 4 AST Austin Reaves 📊 21 PTS | 7-15 FG | 6 AST First time&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/DRLLSh7emJ">pic.twitter.com/DRLLSh7emJ</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1784425292049903767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2024</a>
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Day 8 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs saw some interesting games as we entered the halfway mark of the first round.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 8 Recap: Lakers finally strike vs Nuggets; Celtics regain control

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D&rsquo;Angelo Russell offered a straightforward response when asked about the trade rumors surrounding him with the NBA&rsquo;s Feb. 8 trade deadline looming.
In a postgame interview after the Lakers&rsquo; win over the Charlotte Hornets, Russell said that the trade rumors are out of his control.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care, at all,&rdquo; Russell said when asked how he&rsquo;s been handling the intensifying trade rumors. &ldquo;Show up to work, that&rsquo;s it.&rdquo;
Russell shared how his past experience getting traded as a Laker is helping him this time around.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t control that my contract makes sense to be traded, so, just play," Russell said. "I&rsquo;ve been here before and I&rsquo;ve played for the Lakers before, so I know what the requirements are for being successful here. So you&rsquo;re part of the future here if you&rsquo;re successful and if you're not, then you&rsquo;ll get traded &ndash; and I&rsquo;ve been traded before [here]. So, my approach is just a little different &ndash; I really just genuinely, humbly don&rsquo;t care.&rdquo;
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D'Angelo Russell on the trade rumors: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t control that my contract makes sense to be traded, so, just play. I can't control that.&rdquo; (via <a href="https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpectrumSN</a>)<a href="https://t.co/GHDD2GHBAf">pic.twitter.com/GHDD2GHBAf</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1754707364719329370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
The 6-foot-4 guard has scored 25+ points in seven of his last 13 games. Los Angeles currently has the ninth-best record in the Western Conference at 26-24.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t control it, and I just won&rsquo;t let my mind go there," Russell added. "I just focus on this and focus on basketball.&nbsp;
Russell has been the subject of trade rumors over the past month, with people citing the need to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with better pieces. 
Russell along with Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and even fan-favorite Austin Reaves are names that have surfaced in possible trade scenarios for the Lakers.
Russell, 27, is averaging 17 points and 6.2 assists in 47 games played this season.

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell offered a straightforward response when asked about the trade rumors surrounding him.

Lakers' D'Angelo Russell on NBA trade rumors: 'I don't care, at all'

Los Angeles Lakers guard D&rsquo;Angelo Russell has been fined $15,000 for&nbsp;kicking the game ball into the spectator stands, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
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D&rsquo;Angelo Russell has been fined $15,000 for kicking the game ball into the stands following the Lakers&rsquo; 145-144 double overtime win over the Warriors, the NBA has announced.<a href="https://t.co/DV0yV6oGyb">pic.twitter.com/DV0yV6oGyb</a>
&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1752054102253547662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The incident occurred following the conclusion of the Lakers&rsquo; 145-144 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 27 at Chase Center.

Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has been fined $15,000 for kicking the game ball into the stands.

Lakers' D’Angelo Russell fined $15,000 for kicking ball into stands

Alex Kennedy and Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation preview the 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers Season Preview: Year 21 LeBron James, Austin Reaves breakout?

Christian Wood has agreed to a two-year, $5.7 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38336475/christian-wood-los-angeles-lakers-reach-2-year-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>. Wood's contract includes a player option for the 2024-25 season.
Wood was arguably the top remaining free agent available this offseason, and now he'll join the Lakers and provide them with some frontcourt depth.
Last year with the Dallas Mavericks, Wood averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game, while shooting 51.5% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range and 77.2% from the free-throw line.
In 17 starts with the Mavs, Wood averaged 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 threes, 2.3 blocks, 2.2 assists and .6 steals per game on 51.7/37.1/80.8 shooting splits.
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Here&rsquo;s Christian Wood knocking down eight triples against the Wizards back in 2021-22. Career 38% three-point shooter. Should unlock some interesting possibilities for the Lakers as a bona fide floor-spacing big. <a href="https://t.co/5y2dcOoZUf">pic.twitter.com/5y2dcOoZUf</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1699273812213153964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote>

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After starting for the Houston Rockets during the previous two seasons, Wood adjusted to coming off the bench for Dallas for the majority of his appearances last year.
Wood is a nice offensive weapon for the Lakers, who are coming off a Western Conference Finals run. Wood has bounced around the NBA, and the Lakers will be his seventh team in seven NBA seasons.&nbsp;
Perhaps being part of a contender with some strong leaders will be good for the 27-year-old, whose personality issues and defensive struggles were a big reason why he was still unsigned in September.
Los Angeles has been very active this offseason, adding Wood, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish as well as re-signing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell.
Last year, the Lakers finished with the seventh-best record in the Western Conference (43-39). They finished the season with the NBA's 13th-best defense (allowing 111.5 points per 100 possessions) and 19th-best offense (scoring 111.8 points per 100 possessions).

Free agent big man Christian Wood has agreed to a two-year, $5.7 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Christian Wood signs two-year deal with Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Near the end of what he once referred to as the most important regular-season stretch of his career, LeBron James was able to briefly savor one thing many thought was going to be near impossible after 12 games.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have a winning record in the regular season.
The&nbsp;Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-107&nbsp;on Friday night for their 42nd win to guarantee a finish over .500. That was only a dream in early November when Los Angeles stumbled out of the gates with a 2-10 record.
&ldquo;I was just telling AD (Anthony Davis), &lsquo;Can you believe we&rsquo;re going to finish this season above .500 after everything that has gone on this season?&rsquo; We turned this thing around in the regular season,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more basketball to be played, but to know that we&rsquo;re going to finish a few games above .500 is pretty cool.&rdquo;
According to Sportradar, the Lakers (42-39) are only the fourth team since 1981 to start 2-10 or worse and finish with a winning record. The New Jersey Nets did it twice (1981-82, 2004-05) while the Chicago Bulls beat the odds in 2004-05.
Los Angeles was able to accomplish its turnaround despite James and Davis being in the same lineup for only 35 games.
James missed 27 games, including a four-week stretch from late February to late March because of right foot soreness.
Davis was out for 26 games, mostly because of a right foot stress injury. He has missed only two games, though, since Feb. 1.
The Lakers have won five of their last seven since&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-lebron-james-return-injury-109c58929fb947c7ebd81540121a44f3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James returned to the lineup</a>&nbsp;on March 26. They didn&rsquo;t get over .500 until a 12-point&nbsp;win at Minnesota&nbsp;on March 31, the 77th game of the season.
&ldquo;We are playing extremely well. The guys did an unbelievable job when I was out. The games that I played (since returning), I just try to do my part,&rdquo; James said.
The biggest catalyst to the turnaround was the trade deadline, when the Lakers reset their roster. They acquired guards D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and center Mo Bamba, along with trading Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers&rsquo; 17-9 record since the Feb. 9 trade deadline is the second-best mark in the Western Conference.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a real good group. There&rsquo;s a lot at stake and on the line that we have no choice but to improve,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;Our practice has been games and we&rsquo;ve been able to figure out things on the fly.&rdquo;
Russell led the Lakers with 24 points and Beasley scored 21 in the win over the Suns. Austin Reaves also has emerged as an integral player, averaging 17.8 points since the All-Star break.
The Lakers&rsquo; main goal going into Sunday&rsquo;s regular-season finale against the Utah Jazz is trying to get into the top six and avoid the play-in tournament. They are seventh in the West and need help.
Going into the final day, the Lakers could finish as high as fifth or as low as ninth.
Coach Darvin Ham&rsquo;s main priority is trying to make sure his team gets some rest during what has been a late-season grind. Sunday&rsquo;s game will be their fourth in six days, with the possibility of a play-in game on Tuesday or Wednesday.
&ldquo;We have to do what we need to do to make sure we have the proper energy, the proper rest, care, making sure we&rsquo;re taking care of our guys and their physical issues,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;I just think the stakes being what they are is really going to ramp up our guys.&rdquo;
Even with the off day, James was in Portland on Saturday watching his son, Bronny, take part in the Nike Hoops Summit. James smiled when asked about taking the trip and said something that sums up the last month:
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no rest for the weary, you know?&rdquo;

After a season with plenty of ups and downs, the Los Angeles Lakers are guaranteed to finish with a record over .500.

Late-season turnaround propels Lakers to winning record

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had 28 points and nine assists in his dynamic return from a six-game injury absence, Dennis Schr&ouml;der added 23 points and seven assists and the Los Angeles Lakers won for the seventh time in nine games, 122-112 over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Austin Reaves scored 18 points while Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt added 16 apiece as the Lakers extended their impressive recent surge even with little contribution this time from Anthony Davis.
The superstar big man had only eight points and nine rebounds while struggling against Toronto&rsquo;s defense, but Russell and his teammates took charge before Davis sealed the win on his only field goal of the second half with 46 seconds to play.
Russell was the centerpiece of the Lakers&rsquo; activity at the trade deadline, but the point guard appeared in only four games to begin his second stint in Los Angeles before spraining his right ankle. He returned to the starting lineup with a spring in his step, hitting five 3-pointers and making a series of high-difficulty plays that had the Lakers&rsquo; home crowd roaring repeatedly.
Scottie Barnes scored 20 of his career-high 32 points in the second half, and O.G. Anunoby made his first 11 shots while scoring 31 points in the Raptors&rsquo; fourth loss to complete a tough five-game road trip. Toronto had won seven consecutive road games against the Lakers since 2014.
The Lakers moved into ninth place in the Western Conference three days ago with a win over Memphis, and they are excelling even in the middle of the lengthy absence of LeBron James.
Russell and Schr&ouml;der led an outstanding effort against Toronto, and the Lakers surged away to their sixth win in eight games since the All-Star break. Los Angeles also went 19 for 19 at the free throw line. Russell racked up 12 points and seven assists in the first half while the Lakers erased an early 15-point deficit.
The Lakers managed just four field goals in a nightmare third quarter, but took a nine-point lead midway through the fourth with a 26-8 run.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Will Barton scored five points in his return from a one-game absence with a non-COVID illness. ... Jakob Poeltl had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Lakers: Coach Darvin Ham said they haven&rsquo;t decided whether to sign a backup center with new acquisition Mo Bamba possibly sidelined until the postseason by a high left ankle sprain. ... Davis turns 30 on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host Denver on Tuesday night.
Lakers: Host New York on Sunday night.

D’Angelo Russell had 28 points and 9 assists as the Lakers won for the seventh time in nine games, 122-112 over the Raptors on Friday.

D'Angelo Russell scores 28 points in return, Lakers beat Raptors

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss "multiple weeks" <a href="https://theathletic.com/4258816/2023/02/27/lebron-james-lakers-foot-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a> after suffereing a right foot injury in Sunday's win against the Dallas Mavericks.
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Sources: There's fear Lakers star LeBron James is likely to miss an extended period of time with his right foot injury. James suffered the injury in Sunday's win over Dallas, played through it, and belief is he will be sidelined an indefinite amount.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1630362855747862528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

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James will likely get multiple opinions regarding the injury but the team is bracing for him to miss an extended period of time.
The Lakers star suffered the injury during the third quarter of their 111-108 comeback win over the Mavericks. Despite the injury, James played through it and finished the game with his team fighting to get into the Play-In Tournament. The Lakers are now 29-32 and sit in the 12th spot in the Western Conference.
L.A. has gone 4-1 since the trade deadline where it remade nearly half its roster, bringing in D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba. But losing James &ndash; who is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season &ndash; will severely hurt their chances of making the post-season.
&nbsp;

Lakers' star LeBron James is expected to miss "multiple weeks" after suffering a right foot injury.

LeBron James expected to miss "multiple weeks" with foot injury

After months of wondering and waiting if the Los Angeles Lakers would make a deal, the team finally took initiative and struck before the NBA trade deadline &mdash; but they didn&rsquo;t just make one move.
The Lakers made four separate trades between Jan. 23 and Feb. 9, switching out nearly half of their roster after underperforming for the majority of the year. So far, the results have been quite promising.
Since acquiring D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Mo Bamba and Davon Reed, the Lakers are 4-1; most recently, it includes a massive 27-point comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. LA now sits at No. 12 in the Western Conference, but is just one game back of the New Orleans Pelicans for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
When you look at this retooled version of the Lakers roster, it looks like a competent, balanced mix that makes sense together. Despite having two of the best players in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it&rsquo;s been a while since this team could say that.
You have to go back three seasons &mdash; all the way to the 2019-20 campaign &mdash; to find the last time that happened; ironically, LA won a championship that year. However, since then, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office have tried to reshape the roster over and over to try to find the magic again. Those attempts led to disastrous results; the Russell Westbrook experiment was perhaps the poorest decision, as LA gave up its best shooters and significant depth to acquire him.
It appears that, this time around, the Lakers finally learned their lesson, as Pelinka and Co. executed a full reversal. The franchise dealt Westbrook for three pieces in Russell, Beasley and Vanderbilt as part of its revamped "2.0" roster, and it&rsquo;s just what the team needed as it makes a push toward the playoffs.
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Russell &mdash; who is nursing an ankle injury but should be back in the lineup soon &mdash; has shown to have good chemistry with LeBron and AD so far in what has been a small sample size. He won&rsquo;t wow anyone with his numbers, but he&rsquo;s playing a smart, controlled game by picking his spots. Russell has a solid feel for when to look for his own shot and is limiting his turnovers, which are down to just 1.5 per game so far in his second stint with the Lakers.&nbsp;
Beasley is the &ldquo;laser&rdquo; that LeBron has been openly hoping for to help solve the Lakers' shooting problems from three-point range. Even when he isn&rsquo;t hitting his shots, teams have to account for him and his 38% career clip from deep.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt is infectious with his energy and effort, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He was the tone-setter Sunday with 15 points, 17 rebounds and 4 steals to spearhead LA's rallying victory against the Mavericks. (Vando looks to be the steal of the trade deadline.)
Hachimura hasn&rsquo;t blown the doors off since putting on the purple and gold, but he has added size and another shooting presence that teams have to deal with, providing more balance and space for the Lakers' offense.&nbsp;
That quartet of players has breathed a new life into the Lakers as a whole &mdash; particularly with experience.
&ldquo;Adding those pieces, I think it brings more balance,&rdquo; Lakers head coach Darvin Ham recently said. &ldquo;We have guys in that second unit that have been in the starting lineup and played starters' minutes and closed games for us, and had big moments in big games. So we have confidence in the entire roster. But that&rsquo;s a great shot in the arm that we were able to pick up at the trade deadline.&rdquo;
(Bamba debuted with three blocks for LA and registered a double-double in his second game with the team as well.)
Maybe most importantly, this Lakers team looks like it&rsquo;s having fun. There are smiles and high-fives galore with players rooting for one another. You can feel the energy shifting following those roster moves.
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Never get discouraged &mdash; compete harder. <a href="https://t.co/ojRZCVcd9M">pic.twitter.com/ojRZCVcd9M</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1630002602443153410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>

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There&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. The Lakers have two more games on an all-so-important road trip. Tuesday night, they'll play the Memphis Grizzlies and then, they'll take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in a back-to-back. (Plus, LA won't have LeBron for an extended period of time due to a foot injury, which obviously is a huge blow.)
There is no margin for error at this point. The last thing that LeBron, AD and the new-look Lakers want to do is miss the playoffs yet again. With that said, all signs are pointing up.
These guys believe in one another. They believe they can win. And, so far, they&rsquo;re showing it on the court.
Maybe, just maybe, they finally have the right pieces.
"I've always been confident in any club that I've been on [that] once we got into the playoffs, that we can compete with anyone, and I feel no different now," LeBron said. "With the roster, the way we're shaped up right now, if we can finish off this regular season on the right foot, then we can compete versus anyone in the Western Conference, if not the whole league...
"If we can punch our ticket, we can compete versus anyone."

Brian Fritz checks in on the new-look Lakers and how their new additions have given the team a jolt.

Lakers may have found the right formula following trade deadline moves

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James had 21 points in his first game since becoming the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring leader, and Anthony Davis had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the new-look Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; 120-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Los Angeles&rsquo; five new players all made their home debuts after last week&rsquo;s busy trade deadline, and the Lakers never trailed in one of this up-and-down team&rsquo;s most impressive performances of the season.
&ldquo;There was a huge emphasis on getting this win,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;Guys came out and played with a lot of energy and urgency. ... It was only our first game together, but it looked good.&rdquo;
James only had to play a season-low 29 minutes after taking the previous three games off to rest his sore left ankle and foot immediately after he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s record Feb. 7.
&ldquo;I feel really good about what we&rsquo;ve got brewing, but we need to lock in,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the first time we&rsquo;ve all been on the floor together, so we wanted to see what it looks like, and the first 40 minutes looked pretty good.&rdquo;
Russell&rsquo;s debut was actually a homecoming, because he played his first two NBA seasons for Los Angeles before getting traded four times and eventually returning last week. Russell was clearly thrilled to be back in Hollywood, putting on an impressive playmaking performance while also repeatedly exhorting the crowd to standing ovations for the Lakers.
After he hit a 3-pointer in the second half, Russell celebrated by pointing at the letters on his chest and screaming to the fans: &ldquo;Like I never left!&rdquo;
&ldquo;I love those moments,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;We had Bron tonight, and we seemed a little more fluid. Everybody pitched in. Everybody played a major part in keeping the lead, maintaining it, getting stops. I like what we showcased tonight.&rdquo;
The Lakers hit the All-Star break in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference at 27-32 &mdash; but the season isn&rsquo;t over yet, and they&rsquo;ve got promising reinforcements.
Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley joined James and Davis in the Lakers&rsquo; 30th starting lineup of the season, while Mo Bamba fouled out in 16 minutes as the backup center in his Lakers debut.
&ldquo;It was just hot,&rdquo; said Beasley, who scored eight poitns. &ldquo;We wanted to make a statement and do what we do.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and C.J. McCollum had 22 points and nine assists in his return from a one-game absence with a sprained right ankle for the Pelicans, who lost for only the second time in six games.
&ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t play with a sense of urgency, and those were my end-of-game comments to our team,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;We have to play with more force and have a sense of urgency that we just didn&rsquo;t have tonight. Not a great effort on our part.&rdquo;
New Orleans&rsquo; Josh Richardson was ejected for arguing a no-call with 10:52 to play.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Zion Williamson attended the game and greeted James during a timeout. He has missed 22 straight games with a strained hamstring, and he is expected to be out for several weeks after the break. ... Former Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. sat out with left groin soreness.
Lakers: Davon Reed played the final 3 1/2 minutes and hit a 3-pointer. ... Bamba had four points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.

LeBron James had 21 points, Anthony Davis had 28 in the new-look Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

LeBron, Anthony Davis get new-look Lakers past Pelicans

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and the new-look Lakers figured things out on the fly to take down the defending champs on their home floor.
Working to get in sync with his new teammates and eager to complement Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Russell communicated on the court all game long after rejoining his first team where he played from 2015-17. The Lakers picked Russell second overall in 2015 out of Ohio State.
He had 15 points, six assists and five rebounds in his Lakers return after being acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline, Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, and Los Angeles beat the Golden State Warriors 109-103 on Saturday night in a rivalry missing the star power of injured greats LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
&ldquo;It was a little weird but I&rsquo;m trying to normalize it,&rdquo; said Russell, who also played 33 games for the Warriors during the 2019-20 season. &ldquo;The sooner the better. I&rsquo;ve been in this situation. ... After that first stint you kind of get comfortable again. When you get traded so many times the irony comes back with all these teams and just kind of normalize it.&rdquo;
Schroder made a key layup with 1:17 to play after Donte DiVincenzo&rsquo;s 3-pointer cut the Lakers&rsquo; lead to 105-101. Davis had a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds and blocked one of his three shots on a late jumper by Klay Thompson.
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&ldquo;Me and D&rsquo;Lo literally talked the entire game, about pick-and-roll, what he sees, what I see, what he like, what I like ... just trying to build that chemistry on the fly, with no practice,&rdquo; Davis said.
Jordan Poole had 29 points and six assists with a key go-ahead three-point play with 6:23 remaining, but the Warriors floundered down the stretch of the fourth quarter again. He was whistled for an offensive foul with 45 seconds left.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re frustrated we couldn&rsquo;t close out these last two games,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;We just haven&rsquo;t been able to string together enough wins to create a little momentum and separation in the standings.&rdquo;
Poole scored eight straight points early in the fourth with back-to-back 3-pointers that tied the game at 87 with 10:37 left. He also dished off to Ty Jerome for a layup with 5:01 to play.
James sat out his second straight game with a left foot injury since becoming the NBA&rsquo;s all-time scoring leader Tuesday against Oklahoma City, while reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry was sidelined for a third in a row with a left leg injury.
Also playing his first game for Los Angeles following a trade from Utah, Jarred Vanderbilt contributed 12 points and eight rebounds as the last-place Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak. Fellow new addition Malik Beasley missed all six of his 3s and shot 2 for 9 on the way to four points in his first game for the Lakers after being traded by Utah.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a huge win. I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of my team,&rdquo; coach Darvin Ham said.
JAMES&rsquo; HEALTH
A scan done on James&rsquo; troublesome left ankle and foot showed no serious issue.
Ham expects to see James back on the floor before the All-Star break. When asked whether James might need to be sidelined through the break, Ham offered, &ldquo;No, I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll allow us to do that.&rdquo;
General manager Rob Pelinka said earlier Saturday that nothing was seriously wrong for James, who topped former Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during Tuesday&rsquo;s 133-130 home loss to Oklahoma City.
The game with Golden State marked James&rsquo; seventh sidelined by soreness in the left ankle.
PAYTON II UPDATE
The Warriors hadn&rsquo;t made an announcement regarding Gary Payton II&rsquo;s physical and whether they would go through on an agreed trade with Portland to bring the defensive-minded guard back to Golden State.
&ldquo;Obviously, this whole thing has been strange. It is what it is,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;There is not a whole lot to do or say, so we are just waiting it out and seeing how it plays out.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: Other new acquisitions Mo Bamba and Davon Reed didn&rsquo;t play. ... The Lakers opened the season at Chase Center with a 123-109 loss on Oct. 18 and Ham has been pleased with the progress, saying &ldquo;I&rsquo;d give us a B. I think it&rsquo;s been good. It&rsquo;s year 1.&rdquo; He also said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve shown a lot of resolve. We&rsquo;ve shown a fierce competitive spirit.&rdquo; ... LA improved to 2-9 against the Pacific Division having lost the previous two.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-529 apnews_article_midarticle_4" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">Warriors: Poole joined Draymond Green (14) with double-digit technicals this season. ... Golden State had won the last two vs. LA and three in a row in the series at home. ... The Warriors have to monitor the number of games for its two-way players, so Anthony Lamb is back with the G League Santa Cruz team. ... The Warriors will still play the Lakers twice at Crypto.com Arena.</div>
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D'Angelo Russell had 15 points, six assists and five rebounds in his Lakers return as L.A. beat the Golden State Warriors 109-103.

Russell shines in return to Lakers after trade by T-Wolves

The Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a three-team deal, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623489997478273029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>.&nbsp;
The blockbuster trade lands D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in Los Angeles, Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and picks in Minnesota, and Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a lightly protected 2027 first-round pick (from the Lakers) in Utah.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623490703492775936" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wojnarowski then added</a> that Minnesota gets the lesser of the 2024 Washington-Memphis second-round pick and 2025 and 2026 second-round picks via Utah.
Westbrook is expected to be bought out by the Jazz, and it remains to be seen where he'll sign once he hits free agency. The Lakers had explored trading Westbrook and his expiring $47 million contract since before the season.
Like Westbrook, D'Angelo Russell is on an expiring contract and the Timberwolves had not been interested in giving him an extension. Now, Russell heads back to Los Angeles, where he began his career.
Minnesota likely values Conley's veteran presence in their locker room along with his contract, which is partially guaranteed next season. Conley also has chemistry with center Rudy Gobert, whom the franchise acquired last offseason in a blockbuster trade.

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Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Jazz, Timberwolves, and Lakers have agreed to a three-way trade involving Russell Westbrook.

Lakers, Timberwolves, Jazz agree to three-way blockbuster

As LeBron James made history and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA's all-time scoring record, millions of people tuned in.
There were 3 million people watching the Lakers-Thunder contest, and the game peaked with 3.7 million viewers when LeBron hit the record-breaking shot &mdash; making it the most-watched regular-season game on TNT in nearly five years (with the exception of opening night).&nbsp;
However, most people were watching via social media. If you were on Twitter or Instagram last night, there was no avoiding James' record-setting performance.
The NBA's social-media and digital platforms generated 225 million video views on LeBron's record-setting evening, the most ever for a regular-season night.
The NBA racked up 164 million views on Instagram yesterday, which was the most-viewed account on the platform over that 24-hour period. Of those 164 million views on Instagram, LeBron-related content accounted for 138 million views.
James now has 38,390 career points. This season, LeBron is averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.2 threes and a steal, while shooting 50.8% from the field, 31.5% from three and 76.4% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
The Lakers are currently 25-30, which is the third-worst record in the Western Conference. Today, Los Angeles <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-lakers-timberwolves-jazz-agree-to-threeway-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled off a blockbuster three-team trade</a> that brings in D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, so perhaps the Lakers can get their season back on track.

Alex Kennedy takes a look at the ratings and social-media numbers associated with LeBron James' record-breaking performance.

LeBron James' record-breaking performance broke social media

The Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are in trade negotiations on a potential three-way deal that would send Russell Westbrook to Utah, D'Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623422681331761154" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. The deal would also have Utah receiving draft compensation including a first-round pick.
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The Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D&rsquo;Angelo Russell to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and draft compensation such as a first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. to Minnesota, sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tjonesonthenba</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623422681331761154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1623424315206115328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports</a> added that Jazz shooting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt will also be a part of the trade, with <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623424832246370310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charania tweeting</a> that both of those players would head to the Lakers. The teams are working through draft compensation including protections.
The Lakers have explored trading Westbrook and his expiring $47 million contract since before the season, but had not been willing to include both of their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to do so unless they were getting a star player in return.
Russell is also on an expiring contract and the Timberwolves have not been interested in giving him an extension. Minnesota would likely value Conley's veteran presence in their locker room along with his contract, which is partially guaranteed next season. Conley also has chemistry with center Rudy Gobert.
If the deal happens, the Jazz are expected to buy out Westbrook.&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623448341936742400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski has added</a> that the Lakers and Jazz have "significant deal structure in place" but that the Timberwolves are still deciding whether to do the trade depending on their return of draft assets. Minnesota is also engaged in trade talks involving Russell with other teams.&nbsp;

The Lakers, Jazz, and Timberwolves are discussing a 3-way trade that would send Russell Westbrook to Utah.

Lakers, Jazz, Timberwolves discussing 3-way trade

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Clippers are "the franchise most inclined to land one of the veteran point guards currently on the block," according to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/toronto-raptors-appear-to-remain-at-center-of-trade-market-170154598.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports</a>.
The list of veteran point guards includes Toronto's Fred VanVleet, Charlotte's Terry Rozier, Minnesota's D'Angelo Russell and Miami's Kyle Lowry. All of these players have been linked to the Clippers (as well as the Phoenix Suns &mdash; the Clippers' biggest competitor on the point-guard market).
Lately, the Clippers have been getting creative at point guard, with Terance Mann and Paul George handling floor-general duties in the starting lineup in place of Reggie Jackson and John Wall (who has been out with an abdominal injury).
Last week, <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-intel-sorting-buyers-and-sellers-fred-vanvleets-future-more-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore of the Action Network</a> reported that Kawhi Leonard "has made it clear to the Clippers front office that he would welcome a point guard addition." It's worth noting that Leonard played with both VanVleet and Lowry during his stint with the Raptors, winning a championship alongside them.&nbsp;
The Clippers are 31-26, which is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. Los Angeles has the NBA's 12th-best defense (allowing 110.6 points per 100 possessions), but they rank 22nd overall in offense (scoring 110.7 points per 100 possessions).
&nbsp;

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Clippers seem determined to acquire a veteran point guard.

Clippers pursuing point guards VanVleet, Rozier, Lowry, Russell

Trust me, I know.
Following the blockbuster trade that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-breaks-silence-on-kyrie-irving-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks</a>, much of the conversation surrounding the deal focused on risk &mdash; how Irving's presence may affect the Mavericks' locker room, and especially, Luka Doncic; how the Mavericks would (struggle to) pivot if Irving were to walk in the offseason; how Kevin Durant is feeling in Brooklyn, seeing his co-star total drop from two to zero in a calendar year.
All of those concerns are valid.
There's a reason we immediately got a report from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes saying the Phoenix Suns &mdash; who offered a package headlined by Chris Paul for Irving &mdash; are ready to push their chips in for Durant if he becomes available again.
The Mavericks absolutely should be keeping an eye on Doncic's long-term happiness. And with Irving, he hasn't been the beacon of reliability or availability. (That's putting it conservatively, for the sake of this piece and this piece only.)
Let's put that to the side for just a moment.&nbsp;
From an on-court perspective, the Mavericks have added a really good basketball player. The entire reason they made this gamble is because of the ceiling-raising that Irving's talent signifies. Let's take a look at what things could look like.
ON-BALL USAGE
Frankly, this should be pretty seamless.
Irving is one of the best isolation scorers of the modern era. His free-verse handle allows him to get wherever he wants to, whenever he wants to get there. He's quick enough to speed past off-balanced defenders, mixes in deceleration to keep defenders off balance (and flow into pull-ups on a dime) and has the body control and dexterity to create finishing angles out of mid-air.&nbsp;
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Over the past four seasons, trips featuring an Irving isolation have generated 1.12 points per possession (PPP). That's first in the NBA among 38 players with at least 1,000 isolations during that time frame. Drop the requirements to 500 isolations, expanding the field to 81 players, and Irving barely trails Zion Williamson (724 isolations, 1.123 PPP) despite having 463 more reps.
This season alone, trips featuring an Irving isolation have produced an absurd 1.21 PPP &mdash; third in the NBA among 88 players with at least 100 clear-outs under their belt. It's worth noting that the two players ahead of Irving &mdash; Lauri Markkanen (1.22 PPP) and D'Angelo Russell (1.213 PPP) &mdash; have combined for 214 isolations, while Irving is at 328 by himself.&nbsp;
I start with pure isolations because that's what the Mavericks have leaned into this season. They lead the NBA in isolations in whatever way you'd like to measure it: Total (1,397), per game (25.8) or per 100 possessions (26.9). Naturally, Doncic paces the league in total isolations (673) on elite efficiency to boot (1.14 PPP).
Even if you project this to be the most blatant my-turn-your-turn pairing in the leauge &mdash; and I don't, but we'll get into that shortly &mdash; these two are good enough to make that offense fruitful.&nbsp;
Irving's scoring chops also help him in ball-screens. Drop coverage is untenable because of his ability to chew up space. He's also, quietly, a pretty creative interior passer. Diverting too much attention to him can lead to a nice mix of pocket passes, dump-offs and lobs.
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Irving made sweet music with Nicolas Claxton in pick-and-roll this year (1.09 PPP). There shouldn't be a steep learning curve receiving screens from Dwight Powell or Christian Wood, assuming the latter is on the roster.&nbsp;
Also, prepare yourself to watch Doncic screen for Irving sometimes. Doncic is setting nearly three on-ball picks per 100 possessions this year, a career-high for him, though pretty low overall. If I had to guess, that number should perk up.
On-ball screens from Doncic have mostly been used to manufactor favorable matchups. That was more of a given when screening for Spencer Dinwiddie since they're close to the same size. Switching was, per Second Spectrum, easily the most common coverage that two-man pairing saw.&nbsp;
With Irving, that could shift a bit. Irving's defenders tend to be smaller than Dinwiddie's; this is an imperfect measure, but per NBA.com's matchup data, Irving has been <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202681/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended by guards</a> roughly 69% of the time, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203915/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly higher</a> than Dinwiddie's 61.8% clip.
At almost 6-foot-6, it would make sense that teams would feel more comfortable stashing wings and forwards on the latter. While throwing size on Irving makes sense in theory, even asking traditional wings to navigate screens or mirror Irving in space is a tall task.
(Yes, the joke was intentional.)
By the way, it's worth keeping an eye on how Irving deals with blitzes. To say he gets overwhelmed is overselling it, but there can be a bit of catch-hold-read-then-pass to those situations that may not vibe well with how slowly the Mavericks play. The short-roll playmaking on this roster continues to be a subplot worth following.
Because Irving can generate high-level offense, the Mavericks should be able to breathe easier in non-Luka lineups. Prior to the trade, the Nets were outscoring opponents by 44 points (plus-4.2 net rating) in the 676 minutes Irving played without Durant this season, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy/nba?Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;TeamId=1610612751&amp;Type=Team&amp;0Exactly1OnFloor=202681&amp;1Exactly1OffFloor=201142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>. The Mavericks have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612742&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203915,1629029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost the Dinwiddie on/ Doncic off minutes</a>, though you can shoot some bail based on the sheer volume of talent missing in some of the games Doncic hasn't been available.&nbsp;
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OFF-BALL VALUE
This is where the on-court hand-wringing begins offensively, and honestly, I'm not sure where the major concern comes from.
It's very much true that Irving and Doncic like the ball in their hands. It's especially true for Doncic, who <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches?CF=GP*GE*30&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in average time of possession (9.6 minutes) and seconds per touch (6.39), ranks second to Trae Young in dribbles per touch (5.59) and fourth in touches per game (90.5) overall.
Irving isn't close to any of those marks. Would it shock you to learn that the Dribble Gawd himself ranks 22nd &mdash; in a tie with Dinwiddie, oddly enough &mdash; in time of possession (5.7), 41st in seconds per touch and 53rd in dribbles per touch (3.77)? You're welcome, friends.
But seriously, it feels like people are extrapolating some of Irving's iso exploits and turning him into a heliocentric nightmare that can't fit alongside Doncic. It couldn't be further from the truth.
On a basic level, Irving's ability to shoot &mdash; and opponents treating him like a top-of-the-line threat, which can't be said for Dinwiddie &mdash; should open up the floor for other Mavericks.&nbsp;
Jason Kidd isn't the NBA's Andy Reid, nor should he be confused as such; he won't be drawing up fancy screen designs to confuse defenses. It became a running joke in Dunker Spot watch parties (<a href="https://www.playback.tv/thedunkerspot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock with us, folks</a>) that fan pleas for more off-ball movement led Kidd to essentially respond with, "Here's a stagger for Tim Hardaway Jr. &mdash; enjoy!"
As bland as the movement stuff for Dallas can be, Irving can operate within those concepts. The Mavs love "Chicago" action, a common set in the league where a player receives a pindown before flowing into a handoff.
Josh Green misses the assignment in the first clip, but you can see the Nets run it for Irving in the second.
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That basic stagger for Hardaway? They'll run it for Dinwiddie too, in order to get him a head start downhill. With Irving's downhill funk and pull-up chops, it's easy to envision him cooking more in that setup.
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What stands out about Irving is how smart of a cutter he is. That bodes well considering the amount of double-teams Doncic draws in the post. But even in off-ball actions designed for him, he's fine going off script to find a better opening.
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And speaking of Doncic: Get ready for Irving to set screens for Doncic too, particularly during clutch time.
Irving has plenty of experience screening for bigger ball-handlers. He's done so for LeBron James during their Cleveland years together. The Nets were generating good looks out of the Durant-Irving inverted ball screen this season, even if the numbers behind it (0.88 PPP) were underwhelming. Screening for Doncic should be money.
As mentioned earlier, Irving likely being defended by smaller players may make it less enticing for defenses to switch that action. If teams opt to throw two defenders at Doncic, that'll open up short-roll opportunities for Irving. That doesn't seem ideal.
Off rip, Doncic is a&nbsp;much&nbsp;better passer than Durant, meaning Irving should have earlier, more fruitful short-roll opportunities than he saw in Brooklyn. Beyond that, Irving's best traits &mdash; pull-up mid-range shooting, rim finishing, dump-off passes &mdash; are highlighted in this setup.
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Have fun dealing with that.&nbsp;
The cloud hovering over all of this is, of course, how often we'll see Irving, period. Beyond that, it's fair to wonder what the defense will look like.
Irving is a more stout on-ball defender than Dinwiddie by my eye, though that isn't the highest bar. For whatever it's worth to you, Irving grades out as a slight positive (plus-0.2) according to DunksAndThree's Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) metric, while Dinwiddie is firmly negative (minus-1.9). The size difference may hurt, especially once teams get into mismatch-hunting mode as the postseason nears.&nbsp;
But in a Western Conference that feels up in the air, I understand why the Mavericks made the gamble. When examining the on-court fit, I'd argue it's a pretty good one.

Nekias Duncan analyzes how Kyrie Irving will mesh with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks following the trade from Brooklyn.

Examining Kyrie Irving's basketball fit with the Dallas Mavericks

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is just a few days away!
Teams have between now and Thursday at 3 p.m. ET to wheel and deal. For some teams, there's a bit more urgency to make a trade. We asked our Basketball News writers:
Which NBA team desperately needs to make a trade?
Alex Kennedy: The Toronto Raptors have been one of the biggest disappointments this season, as they are currently 24-30 (which is the 12th-best record in the Eastern Conference). They have a number of talented individuals on their roster, but the pieces just aren't fitting together. Recent reports have indicated that Toronto isn't sure whether to be a buyer or seller prior to the trade deadline, but it's clear that standing pat isn't an option.
Will the Raptors part ways with O.G. Anunoby, who's been one of the top players surfacing in trade rumors? Will they move Fred VanVleet and/or Gary Trent Jr. before they can opt out and hit unrestricted free agency this summer? Will Masai Ujiri try to restart talks with the Brooklyn Nets on a potential Kevin Durant blockbuster? All eyes will be on the Raptors over the next few days.
Nekias Duncan: I think the Toronto Raptors are the obvious answer here, so I&rsquo;ll set them to the side. It&rsquo;d be nice if the Miami Heat could do something here. It may not be big-game hunting &mdash; they&rsquo;ve been mentioned on the periphery of the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes &mdash; but more reliable depth would help them.
Caleb Martin is in the midst of a career-year, but it hasn&rsquo;t hit like it could because he&rsquo;s a bit overtasked at the 4. The depth behind Bam Adebayo has been shaky; I&rsquo;ve liked the play from Orlando &ldquo;Big Lando&rdquo; Robinson, but his play being *this* important underscores how dire it&rsquo;s been for the Heat. Any deal that could land them a bigger 4 could balance things out, especially if that 4 could moonlight as a 5 in small-ball lineups.
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Brian Fritz: Despite LeBron James continuing to play at an unbelievable level at 38 years old and in his 20th NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves at No. 13 in the Western Conference standings with a 25-29 record. Everyone knows that this team desperately needs to make a trade. The Lakers need to do something &ndash; anything &ndash; or else they are just wasting another season of LeBron&rsquo;s greatness. And he&rsquo;s starting to voice his frustrations again; after a recent loss, James said, "Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA.&rdquo; Even if it's just a deal to improve around the edges, something needs to be done.
Ethan Fuller: The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors are probably popular answers here, so I'll throw in the Portland Trail Blazers as well. Damian Lillard is leading the league in scoring since January 1 (34.9 PPG) and is playing absolutely out of his mind right now. But Portland is only 7-9 in that span and continues to be weighed down by its atrocious defense, even with some capable individual pieces.
The West is wide open and ripe for a team to capitalize. This is less about keeping Lillard happy (just take him at his word, please) and more about maximizing a career-year from a 32-year-old, high-usage point guard. If the Trail Blazers can rally and form something near a league-average defense, their chances to make a surprise postseason run suddenly skyrocket.
Spencer Davies: The Dallas Mavericks desperately need to get Luka Doncic another ball-handler and/or a better shooter. It is clear and obvious that Jalen Brunson's departure has made things twice as difficult on the Slovenian sensation, yet he's still delivering. I previously mentioned Terry Rozier, DeMar DeRozan, Fred VanVleet, D'Angelo Russell, Kyle Kuzma, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson as possible targets. Now, Kyrie Irving is also a potential solution to Dallas' biggest problem.
The Mavericks have contracts to float around, none more obvious than Tim Hardaway Jr.'s &nbsp;deal. They could also fetch a valuable player with Dorian Finney-Smith's four-year, $55 million extension that is in Year 1. In addition, Reggie Bullock is another veteran option who's earning $10,012,800 this season and $10,489,600 next season. And if you need a filler for a bigger contract coming back, Davis Bertans is making a boatload on money ($16 million, then $17 million and an ETO in 2024-25).&nbsp;
[UPDATE: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-acquire-kyrie-irving-from-nets-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving shortly after this was published</a>.]
On Thursday, the Basketball News staff will be reacting to every rumor and completed trade during our 2023 NBA Trade Deadline Show! Tune in from 1 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET!

Which NBA team desperately needs to make a move before the Feb. 9 trade deadline? We asked our Basketball News writers to weigh in.

NBA roundtable: Which team desperately needs to make a trade?

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Angelo Russell scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Anthony Edwards took over in overtime after Russell fouled out and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Golden State Warriors 119-114 on Wednesday night.
Russell fouled out after two quick whistles in the first minute of overtime. That set the stage for Edwards.
After a scoreless fourth quarter, Edwards was aggressive in overtime, driving to the basket and scoring in traffic on multiple possessions. Edwards helped the Timberwolves &mdash; who trailed by 11 after three &mdash; complete the comeback. He scored just four of his 27 points in overtime but was the catalyst on offense in the extra session.
&ldquo;We needed it,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said about Edwards. &ldquo;It was good to see him get to the paint.&rdquo;
Minnesota moved half-game ahead of the Warriors in the Western Conference standings.
Stephen Curry had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State. Jordan Poole added 18 points, Klay Thompson had 14, and Draymond Green had 10 points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors had won three in a row.
Golden State committed nine total turnovers between the fourth quarter and overtime after turning the ball over eight times through the first three quarters.
&ldquo;We had control of the game, and I thought we just kind of gift wrapped it,&rdquo; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;They took advantage of our mistakes and our lack of execution. ... Everything we had done to that point to have control of the game, we stopped doing, so we got what we deserved.&rdquo;
Russell hit three 3-pointers early in the fourth to help the Wolves claw back. After Russell got Minnesota back in it, Naz Reid hit multiple go-ahead shots, including a 3-pointer that made it a 110-108 game with 1:50 to play in regulation.
&ldquo;I just think as a group, we did it collectively,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;It was just a balanced game from our group. Everybody pitched in.&rdquo;
Curry tied it at 110 on a driving layup and had a good look with five seconds to play in regulation, but missed. Minnesota couldn&rsquo;t get a good shot off at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
With Russell watching from the bench, Edwards hit a big shot in the lane to put Minnesota up 115-112 with 1:43 left. Reid, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, closed out the victory with an emphatic dunk after rebounding his own miss in the final seconds.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s not going to back down,&rdquo; Reid said about the Warriors. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re accustomed to winning, so when we bring it to them early, it just shows that we&rsquo;re not here to back down. We&rsquo;re really here to fight.&rdquo;
Curry was held to six points in the fourth and didn&rsquo;t score in overtime for Golden State.
The Timberwolves struggled from the free-throw line from the second straight game. Minnesota finished 13 of 24 after going 15 of 22 on Monday night against Sacramento.
Wednesday was Minnesota&rsquo;s second overtime game in a row. The Wolves were outscored 15-8 on Monday night in overtime.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points against his former team.
Timberwolves: Minnesota was without center Rudy Gobert because of soreness in his right groin.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Denver on Thursday night.
Timberwolves: Host Orlando on Friday night.

The Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Golden State Warriors and got a 119-114 overtime win on Wednesday night.

D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards help Wolves beat Warriors in OT

As the NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Clippers have repeatedly popped up in in the rumor mill as an aggressive buyer.
Like the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers are reportedly looking to acquire a point guard &mdash; with Fred VanVleet, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and D'Angelo Russell among the players mentioned as targets.&nbsp;
Lately, the Clippers have been getting creative at point guard, with Paul George and Terance Mann starting in place of Reggie Jackson and John Wall (who has been out with an abdominal injury). (Mann's versatility has been on display this season, as he's played 46% of his minutes at shooting guard, 34% at small forward, 17% at point guard and 4% at power forward, according to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mannte01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball Reference</a>.)
Finding an upgrade at point guard would make life easier for George and Kawhi Leonard &mdash; the latter of whom has reportedly talked to the Clippers' front office about finding a floor general.
"Kawhi Leonard has made it clear to the Clippers front office that he would welcome a point guard addition, and it&rsquo;s no surprise that two of his former teammates on his championship Raptors team, Lowry and VanVleet, are on their short list of targets," reports&nbsp;<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-trade-intel-sorting-buyers-and-sellers-fred-vanvleets-future-more-rumors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore of the Action Network</a>.
The Clippers are 28-25, which is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. They boast the NBA's 11th-ranked defense (allowing 110.3 points per 100 possessions) and 19th-ranked offense (scoring 110.8 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
The Clippers entered this season as the fourth-oldest team in the NBA, with an average age of 27.98 years old. Also, the average Clippers player has been in the NBA for 6.56 seasons, making them the second-most experienced team in the NBA (trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks).&nbsp;
Leonard (31) and George (32) aren't getting any younger, and neither are key role players like Marcus Morris Sr. (33), Robert Covington (32), Nicolas Batum (34), Jackson (32) and Wall (32). A win-now move or two would make a lot of sense for the Clippers given their window.
It remains to be seen if they're willing to part with the assets it would take to land a notable guard like VanVleet, Lowry, Conley or Russell.

The Clippers are reportedly one of the most aggressive buyers leading up to the trade deadline. Will they acquire a point guard?

Kawhi Leonard wants Clippers' front office to acquire a point guard

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 25 points in the third quarter as Minnesota extended its lead, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 19 points and the Timberwolves topped the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 111-100 on Friday night.
The Grizzlies took the court minutes after v&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-video-memphis-police-e3ee8e6698faae16df3f41d09234b09f">ideo footage was released of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police officers</a>.
There was a moment of silence prior to the game but no demonstration by the Grizzlies or Timberwolves.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-basketball-national-players-association-1c295604b23aea893cfa58fd48eabf24">Both teams offered thoughts to Nichols&rsquo; family and friends</a>&nbsp;in messages tweeted before the video was released.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s way harder things going on in the city versus what&rsquo;s going on with our basketball right now,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud of our guys going out there. As I said before the game, we&rsquo;re playing with heavy hearts, but we&rsquo;re also playing for our city that&rsquo;s going through a lot right now.&rdquo;
&ldquo;So, it&rsquo;s hard, but our guys went out there and competed. I told them the last two games, as we&rsquo;ve been talking about everything that&rsquo;s been going on in Memphis with the tragedy to Tyre Nichols, we&rsquo;ve been staying together.&rdquo;
Jenkins said he had not watched the video footage of the incident when speaking after the game and didn&rsquo;t think the team had a chance to watch before the game. The Memphis locker room was closed to media after the game and no players were made available.
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Kyle Anderson had 23 points for Minnesota, which has won four of five. Nathan Knight added 10 points off the bench. The Timberwolves scored 58 points in the paint
&ldquo;I thought we were pretty decisive, drawing a crowd and then making the right play,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;They were pretty heavy in the gaps and do a good job of having multiple bodies at the rim. So, I thought we generated a lot of really, really good looks.&rdquo;
Ja Morant had 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Memphis. Dillon Brooks scored 17 for the Grizzlies.
Minnesota established a double-digit lead in the first quarter and made it stand. Memphis&rsquo; only lead was 7-6.
Edwards had eight points during a 12-4 run in the third to give the Timberwolves a game-high 17-point lead.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried, I know it&rsquo;s going to come,&rdquo; Edwards said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to keep making the right play until they loosen up, and then when they loosen up, that&rsquo;s when I&rsquo;m going to go. And that&rsquo;s what I did tonight.&rdquo;
PRAISE FOR ANT
Edwards came in averaging 27.8 points, 5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game over his previous 10 games. He&rsquo;s scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 11 games.
Anderson told the Target Center crowd after the game that Edwards could be in the MVP conversation every season.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing as an All-Star starter, like and All-Star starter right now, like one of the best 10 players in the league these last few games,&rdquo; Anderson said later in the locker room. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s shown it. And he has a higher ceiling, a lot more room to grow, it&rsquo;s scary.&rdquo;
ROUGH TRIP
Memphis finished its season-long road trip 0-5 during which it lost Steven Adams, Desmond Bane and John Konchar to injuries. Three of the losses were by a combined five points, but there was also a 33-point loss at Sacramento and Friday&rsquo;s showing at Minnesota.
&ldquo;I called it the road trip of revelations,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just learning a lot about ourselves, meat of the season. Told the guys at the end of the game, we&rsquo;ve put ourselves in a still really good spot. We&rsquo;ve got 30-plus games left and this happens during a season where you have ups and downs.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Bane, who&rsquo;s second on the team with 21.6 points per game, was held out with right knee soreness. Adams (right knee PCL sprain) missed his third straight game. Konchar (concussion protocol) was out for the second straight game. &hellip; Ziaire Williams started for Bane and had seven points.
Timberwolves: Taurean Prince missed his third straight game with a left ankle sprain. &hellip; Minnesota had 20 turnovers leading to 21 points for the Grizzlies. The Timberwolves scored 12 points on Memphis&rsquo; 21 turnovers.
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Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 25 points in the third quarter as the Minnesota Timberwolves topped the Memphis Grizzlies 111-100.