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Grizzlies

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

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

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

The USA Men&rsquo;s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas. This Canadian team features a multitude of NBA talents, just like Team USA. Led by 2024 NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2023 NBA Champion Jamal Murray, Team Canada is poised to give Team USA all the headaches and possible roadblocks in its pursuit of gold.&nbsp;
With all things considered, here&rsquo;s what Team USA could do to stamp their dominance against their neighboring rivals up North and send a message to the rest of the world eager to challenge their throne.
Dump the ball to Joel Embiid and let him go to work
Perhaps the most dominant basketball player in the world right now, there&rsquo;s probably nobody who could guard Joel Embiid one-on-one today on God&rsquo;s green earth. A 7-foot-2 big man blessed with skill, size, finesse, and power, Embiid&rsquo;s complete game will be a main problem for Team Canada. Among the frontliners they could throw at Embiid are Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Lyles but none of them - on paper and quick eye test - are quick or strong enough to deter Embiid and his dominance. Embiid dominated some of the league&rsquo;s best defensive players, putting up 50 points on 4-time DPOY Rudy Gobert and scoring 70 points in phenom Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s head last season.
Team USA should quickly take advantage of this opportunity and run the offense through Embiid and make Team Canada send double teams at him. That&rsquo;s when advantages and opportunities will open up to the rest of the guys like LeBron cutting to the rim or Durant and Curry spotting up for wide-open threes. It could be a pick-your-poison type of game where Team Canada could let Embiid play one-on-one and destroy them inside the paint or double him and risk putting two on the ball creating opportunities for the rest of Team USA.
Get into lots of screening actions to create advantages and confuse the defense
Team Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength will be their on-ball perimeter defense. Among Dillon Brooks, Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, they will have long wings that could disrupt passing lanes and wreak havoc on the perimeter, creating easy baskets in transition. Canada&rsquo;s a relatively young team with most players in their athletic prime so they would definitely take advantage of their biggest strength and make it their main style of play.
To counter this, Team USA could involve their players in more screening actions to create advantages on offense and confuse Canada&rsquo;s defense. They should also incorporate slips and slides in those screens and in the pick and rolls for cutters and shooters to get open shots. By doing this, Team USA will negate Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength and create easy and quality looks against their vaunted perimeter defense.
Play defense
It&rsquo;s no secret that Team USA&rsquo;s core players are aging and nearing the end of their athletic peaks. Although being the superstar basketball players that they are and still being at the top of their offensive games, Team USA&rsquo;s defense will be suspect here and would probably be the main attacking point of their opponents. Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, and Derrick White will have their work cut out for them in the perimeter right from the get-go as Team USA could be punished by a guard-heavy offensive team like Team Canada.&nbsp;
Team USA might outscore everyone, but you can make them work on the other side of the floor, and this could be Canada&rsquo;s main mindset coming into the game. Despite the top-end talent and superstar-level shot-making on offense, Team USA should put more effort on the defensive end of the floor if they want to win this game.

The USA Men’s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas.

USA vs CAN preview: 3 things Team USA could do to win exhibition game against Canada

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN&rsquo;s Seaport District Studios in New York. This will be the first time in NBA history that the draft will be separated into two days, with the first round being at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
Here are all the first-round selections courtesy of the NBA: (article to be updated with the second-round picks)
<ol>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zaccharie-risacher">Zaccharie Risacher</a> (JL Bourg-en-Bresse) to the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/alexandre-sarr">Alex Sarr</a> (Perth) to the Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/reed-sheppard">Reed Sheppard</a> (Kentucky) to the Houston Rockets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/stephon-castle">Stephon Castle</a> (Connecticut) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ron-holland">Ron Holland II</a> (G League Ignite) to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tidjane-salaun">Tidjane Salaun</a> (Cholet Basket) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/donovan-clingan">Donovan Clingan</a> (Connecticut) to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/rob-dillingham">Rob Dillingham</a> (Kentucky) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/zach-edey">Zach Edey</a> (Purdue) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cody-williams">Cody Williams</a> (Colorado) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/matas-buzelis">Matas Buzelis</a> (G League Ignite) to the Chicago Bulls</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-topic">Nikola Topic</a> (KK Crvena Zvezda) to the Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/devin-carter">Devin Carter</a> (Providence) to the Sacramento Kings</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/carlton-carrington">Bub Carrington</a> (Pittsburgh) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kelel-ware">Kel&rsquo;el Ware</a> (Indiana) to the Miami Heat</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jared-mccain">Jared McCain</a> (Duke) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht">Dalton Knecht</a> (Tennessee) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristan-da-silva">Tristan da Silva</a> (Colorado) to the Orlando Magic</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jakobe-walter">Ja&rsquo;Kobe Walter</a> (Baylor) to the Toronto Raptors&nbsp;</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylon-tyson">Jaylon Tyson</a> (Cal) to the Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/yves-missi">Yves Missi</a> (Baylor) to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/daron-holmes-ii">DaRon Holmes II</a> (Dayton) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the Denver Nuggets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/aj-johnson">AJ Johnson</a> (Illawarra) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyshawn-george">Kyshawn George</a> (Miami) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Washington Wizards</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pacome-dadiet">Pacome Dadiet</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dillon-jones">Dillon Jones</a> (Weber State) to the Washington Wizards &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/terrence-shannon-jr">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> (Illinois) to the Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ryan-dunn">Ryan Dunn</a> (Virginia) to the Denver Nuggets &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/isaiah-collier">Isaiah Collier</a> (USC) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/baylor-scheierman-2">Baylor Scheierman</a> (Creighton) to the Boston Celtics</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<ol start="31">
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jonathan-mogbo">Jonathan Mogbo</a> (San Francisco) to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kyle-filipowski">Kyle Filipowski</a> (Duke) to the Utah Jazz</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-smith">Tyler Smith</a> (G League Ignite) to the Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tyler-kolek">Tyler Kolek</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/johnny-furphy">Johnny Furphy</a> (Kansas) to the San Antonio Spurs &mdash; traded to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/juan-nunez">Juan Nunez</a> (Ratiopharm Ulm) to the Indiana Pacers &mdash; traded to San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bobi-klintman">Bobi Klintman</a> (Cairns) to the Minnesota Timberwolves &mdash; traded to the Detroit Pistons</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/ajay-mitchell">Ajay Mitchell</a> (UC Santa Barbara) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells">Jaylen Wells</a> (Washington State) to the Memphis Grizzlies</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/oso-ighodaro">Oso Ighodaro</a> (Marquette) to the Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; traded to the Phoenix Suns (via Knicks)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/adem-bona">Adem Bona</a> (UCLA) to the Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kj-simpson">KJ Simpson</a> (Colorado) to the Charlotte Hornets</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/nikola-djurisic">Nikola Djurisic</a> (KK Mega Basket) to the Miami Heat &mdash; traded to the Atlanta Hawks (via Heat)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/pelle-larsson">Pelle Larsson</a> (Arizona) to the Houston Rockets &mdash; traded to the Miami Heat (via Rockets)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jamal-shead">Jamal Shead</a> (Houston) to the Sacramento Kings &mdash; traded to the Toronto Raptors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-christie">Cam Christie</a> (Minnesota) to the Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/antonio-reeves">Antonio Reeves</a> (Kentucky) to the Orlando Magic &mdash; traded to the New Orleans Pelicans</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/harrison-ingram">Harrison Ingram</a> (North Carolina) to the San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/tristen-newton">Tristen Newton</a> (Connecticut) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/enrique-freeman">Enrique Freeman</a> (Akron) to the Indiana Pacers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/melvin-ajinca">Melvin Ajinca</a> (Saint-Quentin Basketball) to the New York Knicks &mdash; traded to the Dallas Mavericks</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/quinten-post">Quinten Post</a> (Boston College) to the Golden State Warriors &mdash; traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/cam-spencer">Cam Spencer</a> (Connecticut) to the Detroit Pistons &mdash; traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/anton-watson">Anton Watson</a> (Gonzaga) to the Boston Celtics</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james">Bronny James</a> (USC) to the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li> <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/kevin-mccullar-jr">Kevin McCullar Jr.</a> (Kansas) to the Phoenix Suns &mdash; traded to the New York Knicks</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is done and dusted, and the second round will start today at 4 PM Eastern at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.

2024 NBA Draft: Full results

Don&rsquo;t look now, but the Houston Rockets are back in the Western Conference playoff picture.&nbsp;
With the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves and their win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Rockets now sit just a half-game behind the 10th and last play-in spot in the Western Conference.
After looking to be nowhere near the play-in tournament range with just a 25-34 record, the Rockets have found a semblance of life again by winning 11 of their last 12 games, including rattling off a nine-game winning streak (and counting) to go above .500 on the season.
What makes the Rockets&rsquo; run even more impressive is they have done it even without young star center Alperen Sengun, who went down with a lower leg injury. Sengun has been leading the team in points (21.1), rebounds (9.3) and assists (5.0) for a young Rockets team that's hungry for some postseason action under first-year head coach Ime Udoka after rebuilding for the past four years.&nbsp;
In Sengun&rsquo;s absence, the Rockets have been rejuvenated with a different style of play. They are playing up and down the court, running and gunning and spacing the floor as coach Udoka is making the most out of the roster in without their playmaking hub.
Much of this can be credited to Jalen Green&rsquo;s increased level of play. Before the streak, Green was struggling with his shot all year long, only averaging 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists on just 40/31/80 shooting splits. Over his past 12 games, Green has amped up his level of play, significantly increasing his numbers by tallying 27.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 49.6% from the field and 40.4% from three. And this has translated to wins for Houston.&nbsp;
In those 12 games, Green has been relentlessly attacking the rim and playing with pace. Green has also been shooting more threes, and he has been making them at a respectable mark to force defenders to respect his shot. This has allowed him to create opportunities in the paint as well as facilitating for his teammates.
Due to his efforts, Green was awarded a Western Conference Player of the Week award and he certainly hopes to keep this up for the Rockets as they continue to trend upward and eventually catch the Warriors.
Another thing that has been huge in Houston&rsquo;s hot stretch is unlocking Amen Thompson. The rookie out of Overtime Elite has struggled to start the season with a slew of injuries and a lack of playing time enough to contribute. This has hampered him and his ability to contribute.
However, when Sengun was injured, Thompson was inserted into the starting lineup and has shone since the streak has started. The 6&rsquo;7 guard/forward leads the Rockets in fastbreak opportunities, and uses his athletic abilities to get out on transition. He has also proven to be a good cutter when he is off the ball to get easy buckets underneath the basket. His athleticism also gives him an advantage in finishing off plays, particularly on dunks and layups.&nbsp;
On defense, Thompson is disruptive as a point-of-attack defender, using his length and size to bother opposing smaller point guards. Thompson uses his long limbs to swipe at the ball, creating deflections and steals that lead to easy transition baskets. At 6&rsquo;7, Thompson is also an excellent rebounder at his position and gives the Rockets plenty of chances to run and leak out.
Finally, the Rockets have scored more and seemingly increased their level of play. This might be directly in correlation with Sengun being out, with other guys like Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith and even their bench guys doing more scoring to compensate for Sengun&rsquo;s production. This collected effort has been the key to their resurgence this season, and the Rockets hope to sustain it for the final stretch of the season in which eight of their remaining 11 games are against playoff teams.

Don’t look now, but the Houston Rockets are back in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Surging Rockets inch closer to West Play-In Tournament spot

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

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

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

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

One of the most underrated honors in all of basketball is the NBA&rsquo;s Most Improved Player award. 
The league is full of young, developing talents, so being selected as the player who made the biggest strides is an incredible accomplishment. This award can also be a testament to getting your career back on the right track, as was the case with last year's recipient Lauri Markkanen. Many people were ready to give up on Markkanen becoming a star-caliber player, but a change of scenery allowed him to emerge as an All-Star and post career-highs across the board with the Utah Jazz. 
The race for this year's Most Improved Player award will be very interesting, as the last few drafts featured a plethora of talent. Here are my top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season:
1. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges' play became one of the most fascinating storylines during the second half of last season. Bridges was known as an elite second or third option, but he stepped up as the Brooklyn Nets' No. 1 scorer after they acquired him from the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade. Whenever a team is trading one of the best players of all-time, it's difficult to get equal value in return. However, this deal ended up being a win-win. As soon as Bridges was traded to Brooklyn, he made an immediate impact on both ends. The Nets were projected to fall in the standings and miss the playoffs. However, Bridges had something to say about that. 
In 27 games with Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.5 threes and a steal, while shooting 47.5% from the field, 37.6% from three and 89.4% from the free-throw line. These are elite numbers. On the season, Bridges played 83 games and averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. These are still great numbers, but it's clear that he took his game another level during the small sample size we saw of him in Brooklyn. If he can produce at that level over a full season and continue to thrive as the Nets' first option, he will, without a doubt, win the Most Improved Player award. <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/most-improved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM</a> currently have Bridges as the favorite to win the award.
2. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
One of the most underrated candidates for this award is the young Turkish star Alperen Sengun. In just two seasons, Sengun has become one of the better offensive centers in the league. The Houston Rockets big man was very productive in 28.9 minutes per game, and he could take a massive leap this season. He finished last year averaging 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists, which is already very solid for a young center. However, his per-36 averages were 18.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals &ndash; fantastic numbers for a second-year player. 
With his minutes likely increasing and Sengun continuing to develop, he could be in for a huge season. The Rockets are looking to climb up the Western Conference standings after adding Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks this summer, and Sengun could play a major role in their turnaround. Sengun has the fourth-best odds in the Most Improved Player race <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>.
3. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Despite entering last season as a role player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves has become a household name among NBA fans. Prior to his game being on display with Team USA as they compete for the World Cup, Reaves put on a show in the postseason for the Lakers. During the regular season, Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 threes on 52.9/39.8/86.4 shooting splits. 
Then, in the playoffs, Reaves made a huge leap and averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 threes on 46.4/44.3/89.5 shooting splits. He displayed abilities that were far beyond those of a role player, and he will prove to be a very important piece for this Lakers team next season. Reaves&rsquo; success didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed, as the Lakers signed him to a four-year, $53 million contract this offseason. Reaves has the fourth-best Most Improved Player odds <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/42648?category=awards&amp;subcategory=most-improved-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on DraftKings</a>.&nbsp;
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4. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers
It&rsquo;s pretty rare to see a player win the Most Improved Player award in their second season. In fact, it has only happened seven times in NBA history, and the last sophomore to win the award was Monta Ellis back in 2007. That said, if any of this year's sophomores can do it, it&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe. With all of the drama surrounding Damian Lillard's trade request this summer, the Blazers aren&rsquo;t exactly in the best position heading into next season. But Sharpe might be able to thrive in this environment, especially if the Blazers' impending rebuild leads to significantly more playing time. 
Sharpe played just 22 minutes per game last season, and his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie: 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.9 assists. Sharpe should absolutely play 30 minutes per game next season, and he will have an opportunity to join the 20 points-per-game club. He could make a leap similar to what we saw from Tyrese Maxey in his second season. Sophomores have a tough time winning this award, especially if they were drafted very high, since drastic improvements are expected in their second season. Sharpe was the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft, so he'll need to really turn heads in order to win this award.
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
While Cade Cunningham has the second-best odds to win the Most Improved Player award <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=player-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on FanDuel</a>, he is a very hard player to evaluate in this context. Cunningham has already played elite basketball in his young NBA career, but he appeared in just 12 games last season, leaving us with a very small sample size to analyze. The Detroit Pistons have certainly made improvements to their roster, but it remains to be seen whether they'll help Cunningham's stats (since he'll be surrounded by more weapons to distribute to) or hurt them (since they'll take away some of his touches). 
That said, he will likely be an elite scorer regardless of his supporting cast. Having him listed this low isn&rsquo;t a slight; he'll very likely emerge as a star next season. It&rsquo;s just hard to imagine him showing more improvement than other players on this list, partially because he's already looked so good at times. It's also worth noting that just one No. 1 overall pick has won the Most Improved Player award in NBA history: Pervis Ellison in 1992. Cunningham&rsquo;s biggest concern in terms of improvement this season should be games played. 
Honorable Mention: Josh Giddey, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Jordan Poole

Hunter Simpson shares his top-five candidates for the Most Improved Player award entering the 2023-24 NBA season.

5 NBA players to watch in the 2023-24 Most Improved Player race

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

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

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

The NBA announced the All-Defensive Teams on Tuesday afternoon.
The All-Defensive First Team features Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Bucks center Brook Lopez, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso.
Jackson, the NBA's 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, received the most First-Team votes and total voting points.
The All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Toronto Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby, Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/vot.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="522" />
Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most voting points.&nbsp;
The following players also received votes:&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/also2.png" alt="" width="667" height="542" />
On Wednesday, the league will announce the All-NBA Teams. And on Thursday, they'll announce the Teammate of the Year award.

The NBA announced the All-Defensive Teams on Tuesday afternoon.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez headline NBA All-Defensive Teams

The Memphis Grizzlies have no plans to bring Dillon Brooks back to the team when he hits free agency this summer, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.
Brooks was offered an extension last year but turned it down. The Grizzlies have since decided that he won&rsquo;t be in their future plans, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Brooks released details publicly.
The Athletic first reported the Grizzlies&rsquo; decision, and it was subsequently confirmed by ESPN.
Brooks just completed a three-year contract that paid him $35 million. He led the NBA with 18 technical fouls this season, earning a pair of one-game suspensions for surpassing the league threshold for technicals.
He also was fined $35,000 for shoving a camera person on the sideline while chasing a loose ball in Miami in March, which he apologized for later. He was suspended a game in February for hitting Donovan Mitchell in the groin in February, costing him $78,621 in pay, according to Spotrac.com.
The NBA fined Brooks on Sunday $25,000 for not talking to the media after some of Memphis&rsquo; losses in its first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA says Brooks violated league rules for &ldquo;media interview access.&rdquo;
That included Brooks bolting the Memphis locker room after the Game 6&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-grizzlies-lebron-morant-nba-playoffs-2023-0e29c52f85372c3f4580832c328ebe10">series-clinching loss</a>&nbsp;before reporters were allowed inside. That 40-point loss was the biggest in franchise history for Memphis, which came in as the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-2023-df246a8daaf3223b66433693a35953a5">West&rsquo;s No. 2 seed for a second straight season</a>.
Grizzlies general manger Zach Kleiman was asked about Brooks&rsquo; future with Memphis on Sunday. Memphis acquired the 6-foot-6 Brooks, who was the 45th pick overall out of Oregon, in a draft-night trade from Houston in 2017. Brooks had started 318 of 345 regular-season games in his career.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll hit on DB another day, but nothing I could comment on for now with him going into free agency,&rdquo; Kleiman said then.

The Memphis Grizzlies have no plans to bring Dillon Brooks back to the team when he hits free agency this summer.

Grizzlies have no plans to bring back Dillon Brooks

Memphis Grizzlies forward/guard Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for "violating league rules governing media interview access," it was announced today by NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars.
The fine results from Brooks&rsquo; failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Brooks refused to speak to the media after multiple first-round games against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers eliminated the Grizzlies in six games in the first round, and Brooks struggled during the series after calling out LeBron James.
During the first-round series, Brooks averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while shooting a dreadful 31.2% from the field and 23.8% from three-point range &ndash; both of which were his career-lows in the postseason.
Brooks is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and there has been some discussion about whether the Grizzlies will try to retain him given his on-court struggles and antics.

Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for "violating league rules governing media interview access," the NBA announced today.

NBA fines Dillon Brooks $25,000 for skipping media availability

The Memphis Grizzlies must prove the NBA&rsquo;s second-youngest team can learn the league&rsquo;s toughest lesson that the playoffs&nbsp;are nothing like the regular season.
It&rsquo;s also time these young Grizzlies grow up.
The Grizzlies&rsquo; third straight postseason &mdash; their second consecutive as the Western Conference&rsquo;s No. 2 seed &mdash; ended Friday night in six games in the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-grizzlies-lebron-morant-nba-playoffs-2023-0e29c52f85372c3f4580832c328ebe10">worst playoff loss in franchise history</a>&nbsp;in 13 appearances. Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers humbled them after having to win the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament.
&ldquo;This is probably that moment in time that&rsquo;s going to be the ultimate wake-up call,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
&ldquo;Are we going to really understand it&rsquo;s the preparation in the offseason and the preparation in the season? It&rsquo;s what you do at work, off the court. Clearly, things that we&rsquo;ve got to control and just embrace it together.&rdquo;
Two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who signed a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-9133154cdb4253d6dfebf0e68279b4c7">five-year supermax contract</a>&nbsp;last summer, will have the biggest chance to prove&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ja-morant-grizzlies-nba-gun-investigation-allstar-9819e8b8b5c42da71488db6688f85ca3">how much he can mature</a>. Morant was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ja-morant-suspended-nba-gun-video-8cc82061f6465f96d6c5d0806d92d7d0">suspended by the NBA for eight games in March</a>&nbsp;and had almost as many&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-memphis-grizzlies-ja-morant-lawsuit-2392fe03e2399ba5f048d2186d1e703b">off-court distractions</a>&nbsp;as endorsement deals.
Morant, who set the franchise single-season record by averaging 26.2 points a game, said he understands where he can grow as a leader.
&ldquo;I just got to be better with my decision-making,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s pretty much it. My off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just more disciplined.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Grizzlies set a franchise mark by going 35-6 at home this season, the NBA&rsquo;s best home record since Golden State won 36 games in the 2016-17 season. Memphis needs to play better on the road after going 16-25, better than only Golden State among the teams reaching the first round.
Memphis lost all three playoff games in Los Angeles, with only Game 4 reaching overtime.
INJURY HEX
This was the fifth time Memphis&rsquo; playoff hopes were hampered by injuries or suspensions.
Morant missed Game 2 against the Lakers after aggravating his bruised right hand, while&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/grizzlies-lakers-dillon-brooks-174e0914b8a2376176ee940a8869e563">Dillon Brooks was ejected in Game 3</a>&nbsp;for striking James in the groin. Luke Kennard, the NBA&rsquo;s top 3-point shooter, missed Game 6 with an injured shoulder.
The Grizzlies also didn&rsquo;t have starting center Steven Adams, their oldest player, or key reserve Brandon Clarke because of season-ending injuries.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-steven-adams-phoenix-37d09a9662037d519eccf9282f17ac59">Adams hurt his right knee in late January</a>, and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/brandon-clarke-memphis-grizzlies-torn-achilles-12b9cc6fbc1675b786d4b4ba0dd9aaa5">Clarke tore his left Achilles tendon</a>&nbsp;in early March.
The Lakers dominated the Grizzlies on the boards.
&ldquo;It would be dumb to say that it didn&rsquo;t play a part in it,&rdquo; third-year guard Desmond Bane said. &rdquo;(Adams) was a part of what we did all season long. Obviously (Clarke) was, too.&rdquo;
Last season, Morant&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-jordan-poole-5d6963a01c0f84c7421c9f4ff7711011">missed the final three games</a>&nbsp;of Memphis&rsquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-basketball-97a1c9789d3a3ad4bea8751117f69387">semifinals loss to eventual champion</a>&nbsp;Golden State.
BRIGHT FUTURE
In addition to Morant, the Grizzlies also have Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA&rsquo;s second-youngest player to be named&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/jackson-grizzlies-dpoy-nba-defensive-player-award-25780ba4e0e48bdc7bd9ba2707cbaf97">defensive player of the year</a>. Jackson, who also is 23, led the league and set a franchise record by averaging 3 blocks per game.
Jackson blossomed, particularly after Adams&rsquo; injury, and was picked for his first All-Star Game. He averaged 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, both career highs. Healthy going into the offseason, the five-year veteran who won&rsquo;t turn 24 until September has more room to improve.
WHAT TO DO WITH BROOKS
The easiest decision for Memphis may be letting the 6-foot-6 Brooks leave as a free agent after five seasons. Yes, he&rsquo;s a great defender who played his best against All-Stars during the regular season, but he also led the NBA in technical fouls.
Then came the playoffs. Brooks said he wanted to face the Lakers&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-dillon-brooks-lebron-lakers-grizzlies-2023-c8a4ec836df1b0c8a6c5172cf5fe4981">before calling James &ldquo;old&rdquo; and saying he didn&rsquo;t respect anyone</a>&nbsp;until they put up 40 on him. Well, the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-grizzlies-lebron-morant-nba-playoffs-2023-0e29c52f85372c3f4580832c328ebe10">Lakers polished off the Grizzlies with a 40-point win</a>&nbsp;in James&rsquo; 40th postseason series victory of his career.
Brooks didn&rsquo;t help himself when he bolted the Memphis locker room after the series loss before reporters were allowed inside. The guard being paid $11.4 million this season on a rookie extension also didn&rsquo;t talk after three of the losses in the series.
FUTURE MOVES
The Grizzlies hold club options on Xavier Tillman and Kennard for next season. They also have the 25th overall pick in the June draft.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the NBA’s second-youngest team and after this year's playoff exit, it's time for them to grow up.

Young Grizzlies must grow up after early exit from playoffs

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 16 points and 14 rebounds while blocking five shots in a spectacular defensive performance, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell scored a career playoff-high 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers completed their first-round upset of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
LeBron James scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who emphatically clinched a playoff series in their own arena for the first time since 2012.
The Lakers won all three of their home games in the series, and the final victory was a scary demonstration of their capabilities when James and Davis are both healthy. Davis&rsquo; imposing defensive presence largely shut down Memphis&rsquo; offense in Game 6, while Russell&rsquo;s five 3-pointers highlighted an impressive offensive effort from a late-blooming team with championship aspirations.
The Lakers took a 20-point lead in the first half and went up by 36 in the third quarter before coasting to victory&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-jack-nicholson-7a5e4d2543c4c462b3aedbdede832059">before superfan Jack Nicholson</a>&nbsp;and a roaring crowd. James and Davis even got to sit out the entire fourth quarter, preserving their legs for the second round.
The Lakers had to win a play-in game just to reach a playoff series, although this star-studded team is no ordinary seventh seed. Los Angeles opens its next series on the road Tuesday against the winner of Sunday&rsquo;s Game 7 between Sacramento and defending champion Golden State.
Ja Morant scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Grizzlies, who won 107 games and two Southwest Division titles in the past two seasons, but just one playoff series.
Morant&rsquo;s injured right hand appeared to hamper his shot, and he seemed unwilling to drive the paint with his usual fearlessness while Davis loomed in the middle. Morant&rsquo;s teammates couldn&rsquo;t pick him up: Desmond Bane, who guaranteed a Game 7, had 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 14 on 3-of-12 shooting.
Dillon Brooks, the Memphis agitator who dismissed James as &ldquo;old&rdquo; after Game 2 and then got ejected from Game 3 for striking James in the groin, finished a dismal series performance with 10 points in Game 6 while Lakers fans booed his every move.
The Lakers hadn&rsquo;t won a playoff series outside the Florida bubble in 11 years, enduring a dismal decade-plus for a 17-time champion franchise with a fan base used to excellence.
James and Davis have won a title together, but they had done little to remember in front of their home fans before the past two months, when their supporting cast markedly improved at the trade deadline with several additions headlined by Russell. The dynamic duo improved to 5-0 in playoff series in which they both appeared in every game together.
The Grizzlies had the second-worst road record among the NBA&rsquo;s 16 playoff teams in the regular season, and they lost their first four road games against the Lakers this season. They fell into a 3-1 hole in this series with back-to-back losses in Los Angeles, but staved off elimination by winning in Memphis on Wednesday.
Lakers fans sensed the enormity of the moment and turned out in force, highlighted by the return of the 86-year-old Nicholson to his courtside seats after a nearly two-year absence. Their team delivered, jumping to a 20-point lead in the first half and stretching it to 36 in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies played without 3-point threat Luke Kennard due to a sore shoulder, further hurting the depth on a roster already missing injured regulars Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.
JACK&rsquo;S BACK
Nicholson watched his beloved team for the first time since October 2021, returning to his usual seats alongside his son. The Lakers&rsquo; most famous fan has been a fixture at courtside for the last half-century, and the Oscar-winning actor got a huge ovation from his fellow supporters whenever his face appeared on the scoreboard.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Kennard went through a pregame workout before getting ruled out. He got a stinger in Game 5. ... Xavier Tillman scored two points in 18 minutes.
Lakers: Nicholson&rsquo;s return was the highlight of a celebrity-studded night at courtside, where the fans included Larry David, Dr. Dre, Adele and Kyrie Irving, who got a big hug from James before the game. Irving is a free agent this summer, and he has been linked to a reunion with James repeatedly in recent years. ... Austin Reaves had 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

The Los Angeles Lakers completed their first-round upset of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

Lakers obliterate Grizzlies 125-85, advance to 2nd round

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Desmond Bane had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Ja Morant added 31 points and 10 boards, and the Memphis Grizzlies staved off elimination Wednesday night, beating the Lakers 116-99 to force their&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">first-round Western Conference series</a>&nbsp;back to Los Angeles.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/jackson-grizzlies-dpoy-nba-defensive-player-award-25780ba4e0e48bdc7bd9ba2707cbaf97">NBA Defensive Player of the Year</a>, had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who improved to 5-0 in Game 5s played in Memphis and cut the seventh-seeded Lakers&rsquo; series lead to 3-2. Memphis earned a second straight No. 2 seed by posting the NBA&rsquo;s best home record at 35-6.
Game 6 is Friday night in Los Angeles.
LeBron James started 1 of 7 from the field but finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, a modest follow-up after the 38-year-old played 45 minutes in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/grizzlies-lakers-lebron-morant-9e8a719125079093104db8145d90ac43">Monday night&rsquo;s overtime win in Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;and became the oldest player in NBA history to post at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in his 270th playoff game.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points and 19 rebounds. Austin Reaves had 17 points and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell scored 11. Davis stayed on the court for a few seconds after a layup with 6:01 left that pulled the Lakers within 106-91. When he got up, Davis grabbed at his back as he walked down the court.
The Lakers tried to rally, going on a 20-7 run in the fourth. They couldn&rsquo;t get closer than 12, the last on a putback by Davis with 2:52 left. Memphis answered with eight straight to get fans chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick&rdquo; with about 90 seconds left.
Memphis led only 23-20 when coach Taylor Jenkins took out Dillon Brooks,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-dillon-brooks-lebron-lakers-grizzlies-2023-c8a4ec836df1b0c8a6c5172cf5fe4981">known more for calling James old and missing shots than his defense in this series</a>. The Grizzlies seized control, finishing on a 15-4 run capped by Bane&rsquo;s 3 just before the quarter expired for a 38-24 lead.
The Grizzlies led by as much as 17 in the second with Morant scoring 10, including&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1651381764131045376" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drawing a foul on James for a three-point play</a>. Memphis led 61-52 at halftime.
Russell scored the first eight of the third for the Lakers to quickly turn it into a tight game. James, who had nine in the third, hit a pair of free throws that pulled Los Angeles within 75-74 with 4:36 left.
Memphis took control with a 26-2 run that lasted until the start of the fourth. Morant had 11 in the third and finished the quarter with back-to-back buckets. His final drive put the Grizzlies up 94-76 going into the fourth.
Bane capped the spurt with a three-point play for a 101-74 lead.
TIP-INS
Lakers: They lost for just the fourth time in their past 17 games. ... They came in having outscored Memphis&rsquo; bench 119-79 thanks to 72 points from Rui Hachimura. But the forward picked up two quick fouls early and played only five minutes of the first half. He finished with nine points, and the benches matched each other with 18 apiece.
Grizzlies: They will have to prove they can win in Los Angeles to force the third Game 7 in franchise history and first since 2014. They lost their lone game in the regular season at Los Angeles before dropping both Games 3 and 4, though the Grizzlies lost by six in overtime Monday night. ... Jackson had two blocks.

Ja Morant had 31 points and 10 boards, and the Grizzlies staved off elimination Wednesday night, beating the Lakers 116-99.

Ja Morant, Grizzlies stave off elimination, beat Lakers 116-99

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James made the tying layup with 0.8 seconds left in regulation before scoring four of his 22 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series with a 117-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
The 38-year-old James also grabbed a career playoff-high 20 rebounds and added seven assists and two blocked shots while committing just one turnover in his 270th playoff game, extending his own NBA record. He became the first Lakers player to put up 20 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game since Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal in 2004.
Austin Reaves scored 23 points and Anthony Davis had five of his 17 in overtime for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who have won two straight home games to move to the brink of their first playoff series victory outside the Florida bubble since 2012.
Los Angeles surged back from a seven-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation with a rally that abruptly began when D&rsquo;Angelo Russell hit three consecutive 3-pointers, and the Lakers never trailed in OT.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so proud of our guys, the way we fought,&rdquo; Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. &ldquo;We found a way.&rdquo;
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Memphis.
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and hit a tiebreaking layup with 6.7 seconds left in regulation for the second-seeded Grizzlies, who will have to rally from a 3-1 series deficit and win a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history to advance.
Ja Morant scored 19 points with his injured right hand, but Davis blocked his jumper at the regulation buzzer. The Grizzlies then missed six of their first eight shots in overtime while committing two key turnovers.
Dillon Brooks, who dismissed James as &ldquo;old&rdquo; after Game 2, had 11 points for Memphis after getting ejected from Game 3 for striking James in the groin.
James coolly scored the basket that forced overtime over heavy defensive pressure, and he hit a huge layup while getting fouled to put the Lakers up by five with 29.1 seconds to play in OT. Dennis Schr&ouml;der and Austin Reaves buried two free throws apiece to seal the Lakers&rsquo; 12th win in 15 games dating to the regular season.
The Lakers trailed for much of the second half, and Davis didn&rsquo;t look sharp for much of Game 4 while struggling with an apparent hip injury that required a heating pad on the bench. But Davis blocked four shots, and the Lakers excelled whenever the big man was protecting the rim.
Morant&rsquo;s 45-point performance in Game 3 wasn&rsquo;t enough to dig the Grizzlies out of an early 29-point hole in his first game back from an injury absence with a sore right hand. He then reacted with obvious pain after he jammed the hand into the ground again during the second half of Game 4, but kept playing and even dunked on Rui Hachimura an instant before the third-quarter buzzer.
The Grizzlies fell behind by an NBA record-tying 26 points after a historically bad first quarter in Game 3, but they dramatically improved their start in Game 4. The Lakers still jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half before Memphis got back in it with a big surge to close the first half.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe watched the game from courtside. Sharpe, a Fox Sports commentator and a huge LeBron fan, got into a shouting match with several Grizzlies and Morant&rsquo;s father during their visit to face the Lakers in January, requiring security to intervene. There was no apparent drama this time out. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. kneed Schr&ouml;der very near the groin while setting a screen in the fourth quarter, but assessed only a common foul after video review.
Lakers: The celebrity-studded sellout crowd included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who watched from a luxury box. Edward Norton, Adam Sandler, USC coach Lincoln Riley and Diddy also attended. ... Jarred Vanderbilt scored 15 points and even hit his first 3-pointer in 20 days during the first quarter. His impressive defense has been more valuable than his balky offensive game for the Lakers, who quickly put him in the starting lineup after his arrival at the trade deadline.

LeBron James and the Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series with a 117-111 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday.

LeBron James leads Lakers past Grizzlies 117-111 in OT for 3-1 lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Memphis Grizzlies agitator Dillon Brooks was ejected from Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Saturday night after striking LeBron James in the groin.
Brooks committed the flagrant foul while guarding James near midcourt just 17 seconds into the second half, and James went down in obvious pain. Officials tossed Brooks after a brief video review, leading to a raucous celebration in the Los Angeles stands.
Brooks had been booed every time he touched the ball in Game 3 because of his behavior during and after Game 2 in Memphis. Most notably, the 27-year-old Brooks called the 38-year-old James &ldquo;old&rdquo; while dismissing the impact of the top scorer in NBA history.
Brooks and James were matched up again in Game 3, and James was largely dominating until Brooks&rsquo; ejection.
James scored 12 points in the first half while the Lakers went up by 29 points early and eventually built a 53-37 halftime lead. Brooks struggled mightily, scoring seven points on 3-for-13 shooting while missing four of his five 3-point attempts.
Brooks led the NBA in technical fouls this season, committing 18. He served two one-game suspensions for his behavior.
The Lakers would <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebrons-lakers-beat-grizzlies-111101-take-21-series-lead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go on to win Game 3 111-101, taking a 2-1 series lead</a> over Memphis.

Grizzlies agitator Dillon Brooks was ejected from Game 3 on Saturday night after striking LeBron James in the groin.

Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks tossed for blow to LeBron James in Game 3

LOS ANGELES&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds, LeBron James finished with 25 points after Dillon Brooks was ejected for striking him in the groin, and the Los Angeles Lakers survived Ja Morant&rsquo;s 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Morant scored 45 points in his return from a one-game absence with a sore right hand, even scoring 22 consecutive points during his stunning fourth quarter while Memphis attempted to rally from an early 29-point deficit. Morant also had 13 assists and nine rebounds, but the second-seeded Grizzlies couldn&rsquo;t come all the way back after scoring a franchise-low nine points in the first quarter.
Rui Hachimura scored 16 points in another strong effort off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who came out impressively in their first home playoff game with a capacity crowd in 10 years. Los Angeles tied an NBA record by taking a 26-point lead into the second quarter, and Memphis couldn&rsquo;t get closer than 13 points until the final two minutes.
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Brooks was ejected 17 seconds into the second half after the Memphis agitator struck James in the groin while guarding him near midcourt. While the top scorer in NBA history rolled on the court in pain, officials tossed Brooks after a brief video review.
With the Lakers&rsquo; sellout crowd booing his every move, Brooks had just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting before his ejection. He drew the Lakers fans&rsquo; ire for his behavior during and after Game 2, when the 27-year-old Brooks called the 38-year-old James &ldquo;old&rdquo; and belittled James&rsquo; abilities.
<div class="enhancement" data-click="enhancement" data-align-center="">
<div id="nativo_1"></div>
</div>
This rivalry stayed chippy in the third quarter, with Lakers forward Hachimura getting a technical foul for a furious reaction to a foul.
Aside from the physical play, the Lakers were in control of Game 3 until the Grizzlies made it mildly interesting late, never getting closer than nine points.
Morant wore a black brace and padding on his hand and appeared tentative with it at times, but Memphis&rsquo; leading scorer started slowly before rounding into his usual unguardable form in the fourth quarter.
Desmond Bane scored 18 points for the Grizzlies.
A frenetic crowd showed up for the Lakers&rsquo; first playoff game in 10 years with a full arena, and Brooks&rsquo; provocative behavior provided a perfect outlet for the fans&rsquo; energy. The fans booed Brooks in pregame warmups and each time he touched the ball before his ejection &mdash; but more importantly, the Lakers played with a similar edge from the opening tip.
Los Angeles rushed away to a double-digit lead and went up 35-9 after one quarter while the Grizzlies flailed offensively, going 3 for 25 with six turnovers. Brooks was particularly bad, missing 10 of his first 12 shots and making little impact on defense.
The Lakers led by 29 in the second quarter before Memphis finally shook off its road jitters and made a 10-0 run to close the first half, trimming its deficit to 16.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Brooks is the only player in franchise history to be ejected from multiple playoff games. He has been ejected six times in his six-year career, and he served two suspensions this season for an accumulation of technical fouls. ... Memphis hadn&rsquo;t played a postseason game in Los Angeles since 2013.
&nbsp;

The Los Angeles Lakers survived Ja Morant’s 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday night for a 2-1 lead.

LeBron’s Lakers beat Grizzlies 111-101, take 2-1 series lead

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; LeBron James has seemed wise beyond his years since the start of his basketball journey, and he wasn&rsquo;t about to drop down to Dillon Brooks&rsquo; level of discourse heading into a pivotal game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
James declined to respond to the Memphis Grizzlies&rsquo; top agitator Friday after Brooks said the top scorer in NBA history was &ldquo;old&rdquo; following Game 2 of the teams&rsquo; first-round playoff series, which resumes Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The 38-year-old James patiently parried several questions about Brooks&rsquo; comments and about the importance of trash talk in general before abruptly cutting short his media session at the Lakers&rsquo; training complex. James never said Brooks&rsquo; name, but he clearly knew who&rsquo;s behind the narrative trying to push its way into a competitive series after two eventful games in Memphis.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready to play,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it.&rdquo;
The seventh-seeded Lakers&rsquo; visit from the Grizzlies is the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at the downtown Los Angeles arena long known as Staples Center. The short-handed Clippers tip off against the Suns in Game 4 about 6 1/2 hours earlier, with Phoenix looking to claim a daunting 3-1 series lead with a second straight road win.
Also Saturday in Eastern Conference play, the Philadelphia 76ers will look to sweep the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 before the Heat host the top-seeded Bucks in Game 3 with their series even at 1-1 after Miami swiped the opener in Milwaukee.
James has won four NBA titles and four league MVP awards on top of practically every other achievement possible in the modern game during his 20 seasons. The 27-year-old Brooks, who is older than the median and average ages of current NBA players, has won one playoff series in his six-year career.
So a resume competition would be a blowout victory for James, but he wasn&rsquo;t about to play any such games with Brooks, who described his overall philosophy after Game 2 as: &ldquo;I poke bears.&rdquo;
&ldquo;At the end of the day, there&rsquo;s 10 guys on the floor,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re one of the best defensive teams in the league, and we have to respect that. No matter who is out in a Grizzlies uniform during that particular time, during that quarter, during that minute, we&rsquo;ve got to respect everybody and we&rsquo;ve got to execute offensively.&rdquo;
James will go back to work against Brooks and the Grizzlies on a landmark night in Lakers history: For the first time in 10 years, and for the first time with James and Anthony Davis on the roster, this 17-time NBA champion franchise will hold a playoff game in front of a capacity home crowd.
The Lakers missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons after losing in the first round to San Antonio in 2013, and their 2020 championship run occurred in the Florida bubble. They hosted three playoff games in a first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns in 2021, but attendance was capped at less than half-capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to it,&rdquo; James said.
Ja Morant&rsquo;s availability for Game 3 is still unclear after he missed Game 2 with a sore right hand, but the Grizzlies star appears to be improving quickly. He went through a noncontact practice and individual drills Friday in Los Angeles, but coach Taylor Jenkins said they&rsquo;ll wait until game time to decide whether he&rsquo;ll play.
76ERS AT NETS
76ers lead 3-0. Game 4, 1 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: Philadelphia star Joel Embiid will sit out because of a sprained right knee. The 76ers added the All-Star center to the injury report Friday night, a night after he was limping multiple times during their Game 3 victory. Philadelphia can earn some valuable rest before the second round by finishing off the Nets.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: The Sixers have dominated even with relatively pedestrian contributions from two-time scoring champion and MVP candidate Embiid, who had only 14 points in Game 3.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Brooklyn, obviously. A tumultuous Nets season will end in ignominious fashion if they can&rsquo;t take at least one game off the powerhouse Sixers.
SUNS AT CLIPPERS
Suns lead 2-1. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Clippers announced late Friday that Kawhi Leonard will miss his second straight game with a right knee sprain. Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue made two game plans depending on whether the quiet superstar could play, but the Clips will have to attempt to win again without their two best players.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Devin Booker. He is averaging 36.3 points per game in the series, and the Suns star invariably plays with an extra spring in his step in the building once called home by his hero, Kobe Bryant.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: &ldquo;If (Leonard) is not back, we have to rally around each other, support each other, find ways to make something happen.&rdquo; Russell Westbrook, who had 30 points in the Clippers&rsquo; loss in Game 3. ... Phoenix&rsquo;s Cam Payne is questionable with low back soreness.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Clippers&rsquo; supporting cast, which will attempt to conjure an upset with Leonard back on the shelf. Leonard missed all of last season and played in just 52 games this season to stay in top shape for the playoffs. Clippers fans are growing increasingly discontented as they wait for Leonard and Paul George to deliver four years into their partnership.
BUCKS AT HEAT
Series tied 1-1. Game 3, 7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Heat are only 12-11 in their last 23 home playoff games, excluding the &ldquo;home&rdquo; games from the bubble in 2020. Among those 11 losses: defeats by 17 and 29 points to the Bucks in 2021. The Heat were 27-14 at home this season, plus 1-1 in the play-in tournament, while Milwaukee was an NBA-best 26-15 on the road.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: The 3-point line. Milwaukee made 25 3s in Game 2, and that was without Giannis Antetokounmpo around the basket for the Heat to worry about. There&rsquo;s no way the Bucks are losing when they&rsquo;re making that many 3s.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: All eyes on Antetokounmpo, whose back contusion knocked him out of Game 1 early and kept him out of Game 2 entirely. Miami obviously won&rsquo;t have Tyler Herro, who will be recovering from surgery to repair the right hand that he broke in Game 1.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Miami. Milwaukee routed the Heat in Game 2 without their best player even in uniform. Miami has to respond.

LeBron James wasn’t about to drop down to Dillon Brooks’ level of discourse heading into a pivotal game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James not trading trash talk with Dillon Brooks before Game 3

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Xavier Tillman scored a career-high 22 points and had 13 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies tied their&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">first-round Western Conference series</a>&nbsp;at 1-1 Wednesday night by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 103-93 with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-ja-morant-grizzlies-lakers-2023-eacbc8e1614e6fcfd6bebfa30e610b69">All-Star guard Ja Morant sidelined by an injured hand</a>.
No. 2 seed Memphis sat Morant after he tested the right hand originally hurt April 7 in a win at Milwaukee and aggravated driving to the basket in the opening loss to the Lakers. He had more exams on the hand before being declared inactive and watched from the bench with his hand bandaged.
Morant&rsquo;s teammates more than made up for his absence. The Grizzlies led by as much as 20 and had fans waving their towels chanting &ldquo;Whoop That Trick&rdquo; with 30 seconds left with this series guaranteed a return to Memphis for Game 5. The Grizzlies were able to dribble out the final seconds for the win.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA&rsquo;s Defensive Player of the Year, scored 18 points for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 17, while Tyus Jones had 10 points and eight assists filling in for Morant. Dillon Brooks added 12 points and Luke Kennard had 13.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Reserve Rui Hachimura had another strong performance with 20 points. Anthony Davis struggled mightily after posting a double-double in the opener, going 4 of 14 and finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers, winners of 11 of their previous 13, had a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-b97a64fd11814378da7a37883e9997fa">four-game winning streak</a>&nbsp;snapped. Now they head home for Game 3 on Saturday night after never leading by more than three, and that came on the first points of the game.
Memphis took control in the first quarter with a 22-8 run, with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648837906000228352" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">back to-back 3s in the span of 10 seconds</a>&nbsp;from rookie David Roddy, then Kennard, who also drew a foul for a four-point play.
With&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648840182341287941" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bane scoring 10 points,</a>&nbsp;Memphis led 30-19 after the first. Jackson made his first 3 with 58 seconds left, and the Grizzlies went into the half up 59-44 after outscoring the Lakers 29-25 in the second.
Hachimura scored 11 in the third and helped the Lakers trim a Memphis lead that reached 66-46 to 73-67. The Grizzlies finished the quarter on a 10-4 run to push the lead to 83-71 going into the fourth.
The Lakers never got closer than 94-88 in the final quarter on a James&rsquo; layup with 3:10 remaining. Memphis scored five straight to push it back to double digits.
TIP-INS
Lakers: They wound up outrebounded 49-47, though they matched Memphis&rsquo; scoring in the paint at 50 apiece despite being outscored there 38-20 in the first half. ... Austin Reaves had 12 points after having 23 in the opener. He was 5 of 12 in this game. ... D&rsquo;Angelo Russell had five points, shooting 5 of 11 after having 19 in Game 1.
Grizzlies: Jackson was presented his trophy as the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/jackson-grizzlies-dpoy-nba-defensive-player-award-25780ba4e0e48bdc7bd9ba2707cbaf97">NBA Defensive Player of the Year before</a>&nbsp;tipoff. ... Injuries now have kept Morant out of four of the Grizzlies&rsquo; last five playoff games, dating back to last year&rsquo;s conference semifinals.
X FACTOR
Tillman had more points in the first quarter than he managed in all of the opening loss. He made his first six shots before missing his seventh, a 3 trying to beat the buzzer that hit off the right rim. He finished with a season high in rebounds.
Reserve John Konchar had his moment too,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1648844835682414594" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">going way up to block all ball on a shot by Davis</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter.
&nbsp;

The Grizzlies tied their first-round Western Conference series at 1-1 Wednesday night by beating the Lakers 103-93.

No Ja Morant, no problem as Grizzlies tie up Lakers at 1-1

After monitoring the NBA awards races all season, Nekias Duncan shares his final selections for DPOY, ROY, MIP, 6MOY and more.