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Pacers

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27 while posterizing Luka Doncic on a dunk and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 Sunday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Klay Thompson scored 19 with a pair of big fourth-quarter 3-pointers as the Warriors moved within a victory of a return to the NBA Finals, three years after the end of a run of five consecutive trips that yielded three championships.
Golden State, which swept Portland in its most recent West finals in 2019 before Toronto won the title, goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Tuesday in Dallas. No team has rallied from 3-0 down to win an NBA playoff series.
Doncic scored 40 and beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 32-footer that got the crowd going with the Mavericks again at home trailing 2-0, as they did against top-seeded Phoenix before winning the West semifinal series in seven games.
But that shimmy-inducing bucket was a blip on an otherwise rough night from 3-point range for the Mavericks, who missed their first seven and finished 13 of 45.
Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber, two long-range specialists for Dallas, missed all 12 of their 3s combined and were 0-15 overall. Both went scoreless, offsetting Spencer Dinwiddie's 26 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson scored 20.
Wiggins' dunk over Doncic was originally ruled an offensive foul midway through the fourth quarter. The Warriors challenged, and the ruling was Wiggins' elbow to Doncic was incidental contact, giving Golden State a 93-83 lead.
About a minute later, Wiggins, who had 11 rebounds, moved quickly down the right baseline for a follow dunk on a miss by Curry as the Warriors extended their NBA record with a 26th consecutive series in which they won at least one road game.
One of Dinwiddie's 3-pointers got Dallas within five points with 1:15 remaining, but Jordan Poole answered with one from the left wing just inside the final minute.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
The most tense moment of the series came late in the first half after <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1528557592779165697?s=20&amp;t=cABubKSbS8jV6RFWmjglSw">a corner 3 from Curry capped an 8-0 run</a> that put the Warriors in front by a point and helped them to a 48-47 halftime lead. And it left Curry confused.
Curry ran the length of the court with his tongue hanging out after Dallas called timeout. As he circled back toward his bench, Curry walked by Doncic with teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson nearby.
Doncic appeared to take issue with something Toscano-Anderson said and started toward the Golden State bench before officials along with coaches and players from both teams intervened. Meantime, Draymond Green and injured Dallas guard Tim Hardaway Jr. exchanged unpleasantries about 45 feet apart.
After the timeout, Curry could been seen saying, &ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; and approached Doncic to talk about it. The exchange ended with Green as the peacemaker with Doncic.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Green got a technical foul, his second of the series, after an extended conversation with official Marc Davis when he was called for a backcourt violation when he hurriedly tried to step back over the midcourt line to catch a long, unexpected pass from Curry. The crowd was howling for a technical and finally got it. Seconds later, Green was called for his first foul and didn't like the call. But he directed his complaint at his own bench instead of the officiating crew. ... Otto Porter Jr., who averaged 10.5 points on 82% shooting the first two games, limped to the locker room in the first half and was ruled out with left foot soreness.
Mavericks: <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1528536430280065024?s=20&amp;t=cABubKSbS8jV6RFWmjglSw">Bullock won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar social justice award</a>. He has been active in the LGBTQ+ community. His sister, a transgender woman, was killed in 2014. Bullock worked with several organizations in the Dallas area after signing as a free agent in the offseason and has long been active in similar pursuits in his native North Carolina. ... Dorian Finney-Smith got a technical early in the second half for an elbow to the back of Green after a made Dallas free throw.

Behind big games from Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Golden State Warriors took a 3-0 series lead over Dallas.

Curry, Warriors take 3-0 lead on Mavericks with 109-100 win

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam scored 23 points and the Toronto Raptors routed the depleted Indiana Pacers 131-91 on Saturday night in a game delayed 70 minutes in the first half because of a speaker fire that forced the evacuation of fans.
Scottie Barnes added 19 points, Precious Achiuwa 18, OG Anunoby 16, Chris Boucher 15 and Thad Young 11 as the Raptors posted their biggest margin of victory this season.
Oshae Brissett led Indiana with 21 points. Justin Anderson had 18, Jalen Smith 15 and Buddy Hield 14. The Pacers have lost three straight and five of seven.
No one from the sellout crowd of 19,800 was around at end to see Toronto move past Cleveland into sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference after the Cavaliers lost 98-94 in Chicago. The Raptors are one game behind the fifth-place Bulls with eight games remaining.
Sixth place is the last guaranteed postseason spot, with teams finishing in the Nos. 7-10 spots headed for the play-in tournament.
In the first quarter, two sections of fans behind the basket at the east end of the stadium were cleared and Toronto Fire Services personnel could be seen in the empty aisles, staring at the ceiling.
&ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;Jeez, I wonder why they didn&rsquo;t sell those seats tonight?&rsquo; That was my first thing,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;Then I saw the firemen standing there.&rdquo;
Later, another section was cleared as play continued. Before long, video surfaced on social media of flames coming out from a speaker hanging above the stands.
Pacers acting head coach Lloyd Pierce said he spoke to lead official Zach Zarba about the acrid smell coming from the burning speaker.
&ldquo;You could definitely smell it,&rdquo; Pierce said. &ldquo;By the time (the game) stopped the smell was tough.
&ldquo;Fifteen years for me, probably the most bizarre situation that we&rsquo;ve been in for a game,&rdquo; Pierce added.
During a timeout, public address announcer Herbie Kuhn announced that the arena was being evacuated at the order of Toronto Fire Services, telling booing fans that the game had been suspended.
Players headed to their locker rooms with 4:05 left in the second quarter and the Raptors leading 66-38.
Brissett, who is from Toronto, had a large crowd of people on hand to watch him play at home but they all had to leave.
&ldquo;I got a whole bunch of texts from friends, family,&rdquo; Brissett said. &ldquo;They were really mad.&rdquo;
During the delay, two workers using ropes and harnesses hung from the ceiling and sprayed a fire extinguisher at the problematic speaker.
Remaining ushers and arena security staff cheered when the Raptors returned to warm up for the restart. The halftime break was cut from 15 minutes to 7 1/2 minutes, and players did not leave the court during the intermission.
&ldquo;It was crazy,&rdquo; Achiuwa said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been in a game like that.&rdquo;
Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, who missed two games earlier this month because of a sore right knee, did not return following the restart.
This was the latest instance of fan-free basketball for the Raptors, who played to no more than a few hundred fans at home games between Dec. 31 and Mar. 1 because of Ontario government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anunoby and Siakam combined for 22 points in the first, one more than the Pacers had as a team, and Toronto closed the quarter with a 23-5 spurt to lead 41-21.
&ldquo;We definitely came out really flat,&rdquo; Brissett said.
Ahead 66-38 when the game was suspended, Toronto led 74-46 at halftime.
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HURTING PACERS
Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon (conditioning) sat for the fourth straight game, while guard Chris Duarte (left big toe) missed his fifth straight, and forward Isaiah Jackson (headache) missed his second straight. The Pacers were also without center Goga Bitadze, who sat because of a sore right foot.
CHECKING ON COACH
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle missed his second straight game for personal reasons. Pierce said he&rsquo;d checked in with Carlisle since a loss Thursday night at Memphis.
&ldquo;We just keep it professional, but he&rsquo;s doing well,&rdquo; Pierce said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s concerned about us but we&rsquo;re concerned about him as well.&rdquo;
SIX PACK
Toronto is 15-4 when six or more players score in double digits.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Smith returned after missing the past two games because of a non-COVID illness. &hellip; Indiana is 9-29 on the road. The Pacers went 3-5 away from home in March.
Raptors: G Gary Trent Jr. (left big toe) sat for the third straight game but is &ldquo;pretty close&rdquo; to a return, Nurse said. &hellip; Signed G Armoni Brooks to a multi-year contract. Brooks had previously signed two 10-day contracts with Toronto.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host Atlanta on Monday night.
Raptors: Host Boston on Monday night.

Siakam scored 23 and the Raptors routed the Pacers 131-91 in a game delayed due to a speaker fire that forced fans to evacuate.

Raptors rout Pacers after fire causes delay, fan evacuation

Eight places.
The 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies' offense has improved eight places from its 15th-ranked placement last season. What&rsquo;s so different about this year&rsquo;s unit? Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillion Brooks, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson are all still here. Jaren Jackson Jr. is finally healthy, but he&rsquo;s still more of a defensively-calibrated player at this stage of the game.&nbsp;
What gives? Hmm...
Well, let&rsquo;s see what Cleaning the Glass has to say about this&hellip;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-07-at-1-20-21-am_lg.png" alt="" width="647" height="442" />
*Wipes tired eyes aggressively and looks again*
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-02-08-at-5-42-06-am_lg.png" alt="" width="585" height="267" />
Holy crap. It&rsquo;s none other than Steven Adams atop the offense points per possession differential.&nbsp;
Now, you don&rsquo;t need me to remind you that on/off data can be extremely noisy and that Adams is probably not the Grizzlies&rsquo; best offensive player. But if you do a little digging in the weeds, there is something to Adams being such a positive on that end of the floor. Since the 2016-17 season, Adams has finished in the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/21/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">77th percentile or higher</a> in this category &mdash; despite playing on three different teams during this time frame.
On this current team, all of the Grizzlies I mentioned earlier (with the lone exception being Jackson) average higher True Shooting percentages with Adams on the floor than with him on the bench (per PBP Stats).
I know what you&rsquo;re thinking now: Is this guy some sort of wizard?
No, but what he is doing for this offense is pretty darn magical.
Offensive Rebounding
The worst kept secret in the NBA is that Adams is an elite offensive rebounder. He&rsquo;s ranked in the 91st percentile or higher in that avenue since 2017-18 (per Cleaning the Glass). You don&rsquo;t need film study to tell you that.&nbsp;
But you do need it to explain this:
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On the surface, this play looks like the typical Morant bull rush on the rim. However, look a little closer, and you&rsquo;ll see that center Thomas Bryant doesn&rsquo;t even attempt to contest Morant&rsquo;s shot &mdash; or go for the board on the miss &mdash; because he&rsquo;s too concerned with preventing this from happening again:
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That&rsquo;s right, six offensive rebounds in one quarter. Adams so thoroughly punctured the soul of his opponent that Bryant would rather invite Morant to the rim than leave Adams free to run wild in the box.
The best part about Adams&rsquo; work on the glass is that it doesn&rsquo;t bleed too much value from their transition defense. The Grizzlies still have the <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/15/team#tab-context_trans_defense">11th-ranked</a> fastbreak defense and the No. 7 defensive unit in those scenarios overall.
Screening
Advantage creation comes in many flavors (speed, strength, guile, etc.), and for Adams, his tool for power play initiation is the subheading of this section. This season, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=SCREEN_ASSISTS&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only three players</a> average over the 5.4 screen assists per game that Adams is good for on a nightly basis. And similar to how a boxer develops many different deliveries for landing a punch, Adams has schemed a handful of clever tricks for deploying his body shield without garnering an offensive foul.
His favorite move consists of him positioning himself for a screen and then, at the very last second, subtly jerking himself forward a half-step to latch onto the ball-handler&rsquo;s defender for an extra half-second.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Three baskets in the third quarter for Morant in part due to some great screens by Adams that help get the feisty Thybulle away from him momentarily. <a href="https://t.co/Rl4wTb2Hix">pic.twitter.com/Rl4wTb2Hix</a>
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1490451694534246403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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When he&rsquo;s not spamming that nifty little parlor trick, Adams shows the other cards in his deck some love. He can be randomly hulking down the court, then suddenly stop on a dime and set a pick. He can execute the screen version of putting a defender in jail. And he&rsquo;ll even try setting up a barrier while he and his ball-handler are both in the paint.
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The hidden value that Adams&rsquo; screening provides permeates into his teams&rsquo; pick-and-roll numbers, as both the New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies improved in this department upon his arrival.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Check this out: Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler PPP Pelicans 19-20 (w/o Adams): 30th Pelicans 20-21 (w/Adams): 16th Pelicans 21-22 (w/o Adams): 28th Grizzlies 20-21 (w/o Adams): 25th Grizzlies 21-22 (w/Adams): 17th A lot of other variables at play in all of this, but wow🤯🤯
&mdash; Mat Issa (@matissa15) <a href="https://twitter.com/matissa15/status/1489639468835422212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Even more important for the Grizzlies is the effect he&rsquo;s having on their two offensive cornerstones in Morant and Bane.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">Player</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('20-21)*
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
Pick &amp; Roll Ball Handler ('21-22)*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Morant
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
41st percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
74th percentile
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 14.38%;">
Bane
</td>
<td style="width: 38.2079%;">
11th percentile
</td>
<td style="width: 40.3442%;">
52nd percentile
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* Data provided by NBA.com
Again, not all this growth can be attributed to the arrival of Adams, but man has his solid frame sure made navigating ball-screens easier for those two.
Passing
The most shocking revelation I had during my analysis was that Steven Adams is a pretty darn good passer. His 8.5 passer rating gives him the seventh-highest score in the league and the third-highest score among big men behind passing savants Draymond Green and Nikola Jokic (per Backpicks).
This score, of course, by no means vaults him into the top tier of passing big men. It&rsquo;s fair to deduce that his high standing in that measure is, in part, due to his conservative passing style.&nbsp;
On this play, there&rsquo;s probably a split-second window available for Adams to hit Bane on his cut to the rim, but Adams opts against it and chooses to live to fight another day. Nothing wrong with that. He just won't be bending the defense too often with that sort of prerogative.
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Still, the passes he does choose to participate in are performed crisply. As both <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2021/12/20/22834086/the-balancing-force-of-steven-adams-nba-memphis-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parker Fleming</a> and Basketball News&rsquo; own <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2022/1/21/22888990/the-inverted-two-man-game-of-steven-adams-and-desmond-bane-jokic-draymond-wiggins-curry-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Lewis</a>, note in breakdowns for Grizzly Bear Blues, Adams has great synergy with the team&rsquo;s perimeter players, and he's no stranger to diming them up on cuts to the rim.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
You can see where Ziaire Williams has been watching that Desmond Bane tape! Really good off-ball movement here on the give-and-go. Steven Adams continues to be fantastic at hitting cutters <a href="https://t.co/fLWn8hJJaM">pic.twitter.com/fLWn8hJJaM</a>
&mdash; Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PAKA_FLOCKA/status/1479501108284428290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We've got a great relationship,&rdquo; Desmond Bane&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/desmond-bane-cementing-himself-as-essential-part-of-nextgen-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said of Adams in a recent exclusive with BasketballNews.com</a>. &ldquo;He seems like he's always finding me &mdash; whether it's backdoor cuts or handoffs or whatever the case may be. Steve-O's a great teammate to play with... You obviously gotta use your mind and use your smarts to your ability. I watch a lot of film and study a lot of different players and just try to pick up on some of their tendencies that work [against] them."
What&rsquo;s more, Adams can fuse his other offensive superpowers with his passing.
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In this first play, he runs a dribble handoff action with Tyus Jones and gifts him a clean look by stonewalling his defender with a screen. In the second, instead of corralling the offensive board and restarting the possession, he has the presence of mind to volley the ball to an open shooter. Either way, Adams is creating great looks for his teammates.&nbsp;
The Grizzlies are the promising bunch &mdash; there is no question. What&rsquo;s equally without a doubt is the important role their overwhelmingly talented young core will play in the team&rsquo;s future success. That&rsquo;s a discussion for a later period in the timeline though.
Right now, let&rsquo;s relish the integral role Adams plays in the present-day version of this team. He&rsquo;s their possession extender, their pick-and-roll enforcer, and their sneakily solid two-man game playmaker.
But most importantly of all, he&rsquo;s their gatekeeper.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Mat Issa breaks down Steven Adams' importance to the Grizzlies, his impact on the offensive end and more.

Steven Adams: The gatekeeper of the Grizzlies' offense

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Ja Morant scored 38 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame Nikola Jokic's fourth straight triple-double to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-118 on Friday night.
Morant scored on floaters, runners, fadeaways, 3-pointers, an emphatic alley-oop and driving layups while slicing through a variety of Nuggets defenders. He set a career-high with 23 points in the first half and finished 15 of 26 from the field.
&ldquo;I was able to get to my spots on the floor, which I excel at,&rdquo; Morant said. &ldquo;And once I get to my normal spots, it's pretty much buckets.&rdquo;
Morant was six points shy of his career high and also had six rebounds and six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points, including a 3-pointer on a feed from Morant with 41 seconds left after the Nuggets got within 115-111.
&ldquo;That was the play of the game,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;It was a beautiful pass. He and Jaren have connected on a couple big game-winners this year.&rdquo;
De'Anthony Melton had 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench as the Grizzlies won for the second time in four games since snapping their 11-game winning streak.
Two days after his 49-point triple-double in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Jokic had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. It was his NBA-best 11th triple-double of the season and 68th of his career.
Will Barton had 27 points and eight assists, but the Nuggets' bench let them down as the Grizzlies took control early in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;At times it felt like they were playing at a different speed than us,&rdquo; coach Michael Malone said.
Bryn Forbes, acquired by Denver from San Antonio in a three-team trade Wednesday, was the first player off the bench. He immediately hit a 20-footer but hit just 4 of 13 shots and scored nine points.
Malone said Forbes told him &ldquo;my bad&rdquo; as they headed to the locker room after the game.
&ldquo;I think probably because I know I&rsquo;m better than I played tonight,&rdquo; Forbes said. "It was kind of frustrating for me, just personally. I think I&rsquo;ve got a lot more in me than that.&rdquo;
Forbes and the second unit were on the floor as the Grizzlies scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to go ahead 104-92. When Morant checked back in with 7:18 left, the Grizzlies led 108-96.
About the only thing Morant did wrong was run the length of the floor, grab and hang onto the backboard, and pick up a technical foul after he was called for a foul on Jokic in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I know there are conversations about him being an All-Star. That's a for-sure thing," Jenkins said. "He's playing at an All-Star level. And I think he's playing at an MVP level.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies were 9 of 40 from 3-point range in Wednesday's loss at Milwaukee. They hit their first five from long range Friday and were 10 of 16 in the first half in building a 13-point lead.
The Nuggets added veteran center DeMarcus Cousins on Friday to a 10-day contract, but he didn't play after Malone said he was &ldquo;dealing with a slight, I wouldn&rsquo;t say injury, but just something where we&rsquo;ll kind of see how he feels pregame.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: F Dillon Brooks (left ankle sprain) is still expected to miss about a month after being injured Jan. 8. &ldquo;The swelling is going down and his mobility is starting to go up a little bit," Jenkins said. &ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t jumped on the court yet, so the timeline really hasn&rsquo;t changed." ... F Killian Tillie exited COVID-19 protocols but didn't play. ... Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones (COVID-19 protocols) remained out.
Nuggets: Malone and F Jeff Green picked up second-quarter technical fouls. ... G Jamal Murray, who is recovering from knee surgery, was placed in COVID-19 protocols. ... With Forbes' addition, G Austin Rivers was dropped from rotation and didn't play. ... Peyton Manning, who led the Broncos to their last Super Bowl title, sat behind Memphis' bench.
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BOOGIE'S BACK
Malone hopes he can boost the second unit when Jokic is resting.
&ldquo;I think DeMarcus makes it hard for other teams to say, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re going to switch from 1 to 5,&rsquo;&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;DeMarcus is a very effective low post player, and I hope you realize he&rsquo;s a hell of a playmaker.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Grizzles: Visit Dallas on Sunday night in the third stop of a four-game trip.
Nuggets: Conclude their season-long six-game homestand Sunday night vs. Detroit.

Ja Morant scored 38 points and the Grizzlies overcame Nikola Jokic's fourth straight triple-double to beat Denver122-118.

Morant scores 38, Grizzlies knock off Jokic, Nuggets 122-118

The Golden State Warriors were frenzied, rushing shots and being careless with the basketball. It led to perhaps their worst loss this season to an Indiana team with a handful of injured stars watching in street clothes.
Keifer Sykes hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:41 left in overtime and a layup the next possession, Chris Duarte scored 27 points and the undermanned Pacers beat Stephen Curry and the Warriors 121-117 on Thursday night.
Golden State got one last chance with 6.4 seconds left after a jump ball and Klay Thompson checked in but couldn't get a shot off.
&ldquo;We were definitely sped up a little bit, 9 for 42 from 3, but it wasn&rsquo;t a great game in terms of our execution to get those 42 3-point shots,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we earned the right to make a lot more than that. It just felt like we were scattered out there and in a rush for sure.&rdquo;
Curry scored 39 but none in overtime, missing a 3 from the top of the arc with 16.5 seconds left. He had a tying layup with 2:44 left and four free throws in the final 34.5 seconds of regulation, but Golden State surrendered Justin Holiday's tying 3 with 6 seconds left to send the game into OT.
&ldquo;As far as the 3-point shot that tied it, I&rsquo;m normally a fouler and I take the hit on that one, too. This was my night to stink it up,&rdquo; Kerr said.
Duarte hit clutch jumpers late in regulation as the determined Pacers hung tough on a night they were missing the starting backcourt duo of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, along with starting center Domantas Sabonis because of injuries.
&ldquo;Golden State is a great, great team. They got two of the best players &mdash; two of the best shooters that you&rsquo;ve ever seen in this game &mdash; so I think us coming out with the win, it&rsquo;s a huge, huge win for us,&rdquo; Duarte said.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had a key 3 with 3:19 to go, rebounded Torrey Craig's miss with 15.7 seconds left and Curry converted free throws.
Indiana center Goga Bitadze was ejected with 6:44 left following his second technical after fouling Gary Payton II, who went over the 6-foot-11 center for a left-handed slam and also was whistled for a technical.
&ldquo;I didn't say anything,&rdquo; said Payton, who scratched his head after the dunk and stared at Bitazdze, who appeared to try to head butt the Warriors star.
Thompson drove to the basket for a pretty reverse layup in the second quarter and again showed signs of his old dominant self after returning earlier this month from a 2 1/2-year absence following surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles tendon. He missed all seven of his 3-point tries and Golden State's players aside from Curry were 0 for 14 from deep until Damion Lee connected with 40 seconds left in the third.
"Just got to give it time," Kerr said.
Curry had 18 points by halftime to help Golden State build a 63-55 lead and wound up 12 of 27 with six 3-pointers. Kevon Looney grabbed 15 rebounds for his career-best fourth straight game with double-digit boards. DeMarcus Cousins was the last Warriors player with 10 or more rebounds in four straight games, doing so in five in a row from Feb. 12-28, 2019, according to Elias.
Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak with a 111-104 road win against the Lakers on Wednesday. The Pacers take on the top two teams in the Western Conference in consecutive games when they play at Phoenix on Saturday.
The Warriors dropped to 10-1 this season facing the Eastern Conference.
HOME RUN DERBY
Golden State canceled practice Wednesday and had a fun game of <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1484044016605794304">Home Run Derby instead</a>.
&ldquo;Everyone's tired from all the travel over the last month or so, just felt like a good day to unwind and do something fun, &rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;... Klay was good. I know you're going to be shocked that Steph and Klay were both excellent.&rdquo;
HONORING MRS. ATTLES
Wilhelmina Attles, a former teacher in Oakland and wife of Warriors Hall of Famer Al Attles, was honored on Educators Appreciation Night and the Oakland Unified School District declared Jan. 20 &ldquo;Mrs. Attles Day.&rdquo; She left the court in tears after the halftime ceremony, clearly touched.
SELLOUT STREAK
The Warriors recorded their 400th straight sellout spanning the regular season and playoffs &mdash; excluding the limited capacity for fans last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The streak dates to Dec. 18, 2012, against New Orleans.
TIP-INS
Pacers: Brogdon has right Achilles tendon soreness, LeVert a sore right calf and Sabonis a sprained left ankle. ... Indiana improved to 5-17 on the road with its third straight victory on the Warriors' home floor.
Warriors: Rookie Jonathan Kuminga, in the starting lineup during Draymond Green's injury absence, was hit with his first career technical for making contact with Lance Stephenson midway through the second. ... Otto Porter Jr. sat the first game of a back-to-back while Thompson and Andre Iguodala are set to rest Friday vs. the Rockets. ... The Warriors still hope C James Wiseman, recovering from right knee surgery, will begin scrimmaging with contact soon but limited scheduled practices has made that challenging along with the big man needing the knee flushed to relieve swelling last month. &ldquo;At this point I&rsquo;m also aware I&rsquo;m the boy who cried wolf a little bit,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;When it happens, it happens and we&rsquo;ll let you know.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Suns on Saturday night.
Warriors: Host Houston on Friday night to complete a back-to-back having won four straight vs. the Rockets.

Keifer Sykes hit a go-ahead three withand a layup in OT, Chris Duarte scored 27 points and the undermanned Pacers won.

Undermanned Pacers stun Curry, Warriors 121-117 in overtime

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<div class="embed-caption Component-root-0-2-163 Component-embedCaption-0-2-157" data-key="embed-caption">INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.</div>
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Lance Stephenson contributed 16 points, a career-high 14 assists and four steals off the bench for the Pacers. Duane Washington Jr. added 16 points and Justin Holiday 15 for Indiana.
The Pacers snapped a six-game losing streak and completed a season sweep of the Jazz.
&ldquo;Lance gives us a different vibe,&rdquo; Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a spark he has with his personality. There is change in disposition, body language and enthusiasm. Lance with the ball can make a lot of things happen. He has the ability to be unpredictable yet under control. The intriguing thing about Lance is he&rsquo;s so unselfish. He&rsquo;s a giver and he&rsquo;s an energy giver.&rdquo;
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 36 points and nine assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Jordan Clarkson 18 for the Jazz.
Stephenson had seven assists in the fourth quarter and four were to Sabonis Carlisle said Sabonis and Stephenson fit well together.
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Stephenson, who joined the team on a 10-day contract before the Jan. 2 game at Cleveland, said he has felt more comfortable the last two games.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing together, now that I know the plays,&rdquo; said Stephenson, who scored 30 against Brooklyn on Wednesday night. &ldquo;The first two games I didn&rsquo;t know the plays. I didn&rsquo;t know all my teammates. I was just making the reads.&rdquo;
Stephenson, in his third stint with the Pacers, did play with Sabonis previously. Sabonis said he loves playing pick-and-roll with Stephenson.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very smart player, he knows how to play,&rdquo; Sabonis said. &ldquo;We love having him.&rdquo;
As a whole, Sabonis said the team has been sharing the ball well of late.
Indiana shot 56% in the first half to take a 61-52 advantage at halftime. Utah used a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 70-69 midway through the third quarter. Indiana held on for a 90-86 lead after three quarters.
Holding a 101-97 edge, Holiday began an 8-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers. Indiana was able to maintain its lead.
The Pacers shot 55% while the Jazz made just under 48% from the field.
Mitchell said the concentration and effort levels have to be higher.
&ldquo;If we want to be a championship team, we&rsquo;ve got to do it every night,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;And tonight we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Mitchell said the team wasn&rsquo;t doing the little things defensively often enough.
&ldquo;For us to be where we need to be, we need to do it every possession, and I can&rsquo;t say that we did that,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
This was the second night of a back-to-back for Utah, which lost at Toronto Friday night.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, was sidelined by COVID-19 protocols after testing positive on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside started in his Gobert&rsquo;s spot. &hellip; Elijah Hughes was sidelined by a non-COVID-19 illness.
Pacers: Indiana was without Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, Justin Anderson, Isaiah Jackson and Torrey Craig for health and safety protocols. Malcolm Brogdon has cleared protocols but it still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Detroit on Monday, ending a string of five consecutive road games.
Pacers: At Boston on Monday, the first of back-to-back games with Celtics. Indiana hosts Boston on Wednesday.
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Lance Stephenson added 16 points and a career-high 14 assists off the bench.

Sabonis scores career-high 42 to lead Pacers past Jazz, 125-113

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Lance Stephenson contributed 16 points, 14 assists and four steals off the bench for the Pacers. Duane Washington Jr. added 16 points and Justin Holiday 15 for Indiana.
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 36 points and nine assists. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Jordan Clarkson 18 for the Jazz.
The Pacers snapped a six-game losing streak and completed a season sweep of the Jazz. Indiana shot 56% in the first half to take a 61-52 advantage at halftime. Utah used a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 70-69 midway through the third quarter. Indiana held on for a 90-86 lead after three quarters.
Holding a 101-97 edge, Holiday began an 8-0 run with consecutive 3-pointers. Indiana was able to maintain its lead.
The Pacers shot 55% while the Jazz made just under 48% from the field.
This was the second night of a back-to-back for Utah, which lost at Toronto Friday night.
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TIP-INS
Jazz: Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, was sidelined by COVID-19 protocols after testing positive on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside started in Gobert&rsquo;s spot. &hellip; Elijah Hughes was sidelined by a non-COVID-19 illness.
Pacers: Indiana was without Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, Justin Anderson, Isaiah Jackson and Torrey Craig for health and safety protocols. Malcolm Brogdon has cleared protocols but it still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Detroit on Monday, ending a string of five consecutive road games.
Pacers: At Boston on Monday, the first of back-to-back games with Celtics. Indiana hosts Boston on Wednesday.

Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points to lead the Pacers to a win over the Jazz, outdueling Donovan Mitchell who had 36.

Sabonis scores career-high 42 to put Pacers past Jazz, 125-113

At one point last week, nearly one-third of the NBA was sidelined due to the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. By the end of December, 247 players had been in the protocols at one point or another. It felt like a new athlete was being ruled out every few minutes, and teams <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/fringe-nba-players-have-golden-opportunity-with-30-of-the-league-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrambled to find replacement players</a> via 10-day contracts and hardship exemptions.&nbsp;
The on-court product suffered, and there was a lot of talk about whether the NBA should pause the season. While NBA commissioner Adam Silver shot down that idea, the league did ultimately <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32968957/sources-nba-speeds-covid-return-some" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adjust their protocols</a>.&nbsp;
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Now, players who are vaccinated and asymptomatic can return to action five days after a positive COVID-19 test as long as their cycle-threshold level is above 30; previously, players had to sit out seven days and their CT level had to be above 35 to return.
These changes have drastically reduced the number of players who are in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols at any given time.
Today, there are only 47 players who are sidelined as a result of the protocols (as noted by <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/1479865261528334340" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Alberto de Roa</a>). That&rsquo;s a fraction of the absences we saw last month. Under the new rules, the NBA hasn&rsquo;t had to postpone any games either (after postponing 11 contests in December).
With that said, some teams are still dealing with outbreaks. For example, the Indiana Pacers have had nine players and one assistant coach in the protocols over the last 48 hours: Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Chris Duarte, T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb, Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson, Goga Bitadze, Isaiah Jackson and assistant coach Lloyd Pierce. (However, Brogdon, Duarte, Lamb and Pierce were able to exit the protocols and rejoin the team on Friday).
Still, it seems that the NBA&rsquo;s altered protocols have largely been effective as cases spike across the country due to the Omicron variant. After COVID-19 ravaged rosters in recent weeks, perhaps the worst is behind us and the NBA has made it through the toughest stretch of the season.
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In December, 247 players were sidelined due to COVID-19. Now, only 47 players are in the NBA's updated health and safety protocols.

With only 47 players out, NBA's new COVID protocols seem to be working

Nekias Duncan previews the Pacific Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Divison

Shortly after the NBA Finals conclude, the NBA Summer League begins.
It&rsquo;s a fun opportunity to get caught up in the potential of young players. It&rsquo;s also an opportunity to analyze prospects, many of whom are adjusting to NBA systems, competition and rules (e.g., the deeper three-point line) for the first time.&nbsp;
Predictably, all eyes are on the top picks in every summer league, and rightfully so, but it&rsquo;s the lesser-known players who really impact their professional futures. Careers are jump-started in summer league based on strong play over the course of four or five games. Is that a big enough sample size? Absolutely not. But it&rsquo;s the most concrete and up-to-date information that front offices possess, and their futures are on the line, too. Sign enough long-term winners and a front-office legacy is made. Miss on enough and be prepared to begin interviewing elsewhere.
Summer league is about more than just getting guys opportunities. It&rsquo;s also a means of gauging top prospects and a place for second- and third-year players to hone their skills. But as far as this article is concerned, it&rsquo;s all about lesser-known prospects who cracked the most competitive basketball league on the planet. We&rsquo;ll identify five prospects in particular who benefited greatly from their opportunity in the summer leagues past. &nbsp;
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Kendrick Nunn, 2019 Summer League (Undrafted, 2018)
Nunn just signed a two-year deal (year two is a player option) with the Los Angeles Lakers that will pay him approximately $5 million per season. According to the 26-year-old guard, he turned down more lucrative offers to join the Lakers in questing for a championship. And part of the reason Nunn found himself in-demand was his performance in the 2019 Summer League.
Nunn went undrafted out of Oakland University. He played in summer league in 2018 for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game over four contests &ndash; but that&rsquo;s not the one we&rsquo;re concerned with. That performance, however, did facilitate his playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2018-19, which led to an invitation to join the Miami HEAT&rsquo;s 2019 Summer League squad. That&rsquo;s where the magic happened.
Nunn was named to the 2019 NBA All-Summer League First Team, posting 21.0 points 6.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. He went on to finish as the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2019-20, and all of the success he&rsquo;s experienced in his professional career may have never taken place if not for the summer league.
Jonathon Simmons, 2015 Summer League (Undrafted, 2012)
Simmons went undrafted out of the University of Houston. He bounced around the American Basketball League before famously ponying up $150 for a G League tryout with the Austin Toros/Spurs, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14712189/jonathon-simmons-impossible-nba-dream-coming-true-san-antonio-spurs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>. After a successful season in the G League, Simmons was selected for the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; summer league team in 2015 in Orlando, where he played well through three games. He joined the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; summer league team in Las Vegas that same summer, where he was named MVP of the championship game. In total, Simmons averaged 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game in seven games.
Simmons went on to sign a three-year, $20 million contract with the Orlando Magic. He did not receive the entirety of the contract, but he collected a total of approximately $15 million in his NBA career, which may not have been possible without showing his value in the summer league.
Norman Powell, 2016 Summer League (46th selection, 2016)
Powell was a second-round pick, meaning that he had slightly more guaranteed entering summer league than the undrafted prospects on this list, but not much more. Either way, Powell proved he belonged in the NBA immediately. He averaged 18.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in four games, and he was the lone rookie named to the All-Tournament First Team.
Since 2016, Powell has further solidified his place in the NBA. He averaged a career-high 18.6 points per game in 2020-21 and he recently signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Kyle Anderson, 2015 Summer League (30th selection &ndash; 2014 NBA Draft)
Anderson had something of a breakout season in 2020-21. He averaged a career high 12.4 points per game on 36% shooting from three, but it wasn&rsquo;t always all good for Anderson. He split time between the San Antonio Spurs and their G League affiliate for much of his rookie season, but he returned to summer league in 2015 with different results in mind. He ultimately posted 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals through seven games, being named MVP in the process.
Anderson is a significantly improved outside shooter, but he&rsquo;s also demonstrated value as a creator, reaching career-highs in scoring and assists (3.6 per game). He signed a three-year, $37.2 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018, and he&rsquo;s due for a raise following the 2021-22 season.
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Jimmy Butler 2012 Summer League (30th selection &ndash; 2011 NBA Draft)
Butler was a first-round pick, but just barely. His rookie season was unimpressive, evidenced by him playing just 8.5 minutes per game. But Butler entered 2012 Summer League like a man possessed, playing a more assertive brand of basketball. He was fifth in scoring in 2012, averaging 20.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in four games. He was also named to the 2012 All-Tournament team.
Butler&rsquo;s strong play resulted in more confidence and better standing with the team. He averaged 26 minutes per game in his sophomore campaign &mdash; up from the aforementioned 8.5 &mdash; and he didn&rsquo;t stop there. Butler recently signed a three-year extension with the Miami Heat that will pay him between $135 million and $146 million.
From the outside looking in, summer league is a fun environment with low-stakes games. But for those involved, it can be as ruthless as the NBA Finals. For many prospects, summer league is an opportunity to demonstrate to the entire league that you belong. Those who capitalize on it typically stick in the NBA. And those who don&rsquo;t, don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;

Summer league has long been a proving ground. These five prospects used it to jumpstart their careers and cash in on huge paydays.

5 prospects who benefited most from NBA Summer League

The NBA today announced that Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson have been selected as the five finalists for the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award. The new annual award, named after six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, recognizes a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.&nbsp;
The finalists for the award were selected from an impressive pool of NBA team nominees who have upheld the league&rsquo;s decades-long values of equality, respect and inclusion.&nbsp; The finalists were determined by a selection committee&nbsp;composed of Abdul-Jabbar, notable social justice leaders, including&nbsp;Director&nbsp;of The&nbsp;Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport Dr. Richard Lapchick, student activist Teyonna Lofton, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial,&nbsp;UnidosUS President and CEO&nbsp;Janet Murgu&iacute;a, Rise Founder and CEO Amanda Nguyen, and&nbsp;NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.
Each finalist has selected an organization focused on advancing social justice that will receive a contribution on his behalf.&nbsp; The winner&rsquo;s selection will receive a $100,000 donation and the other four finalists will each receive a $25,000 contribution for a social justice organization of their choosing.
The winner will be announced prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on TNT.&nbsp; Below is more information about the finalists, including their respective efforts and selected beneficiaries, and additional details regarding the selection committee.
Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers
A prolific champion in the social impact space, ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony has been unabashedly vocal on how systemic oppression, racism and police brutality not only dehumanizes Black people, but prohibits the progress needed for generations of Black people to thrive and progress as a community.&nbsp; He founded the Carmelo Anthony Foundation over 15 years ago as a vehicle for actionable change and social reform through a variety of outreach programs and disaster relief initiatives.&nbsp; In 2020, he served as guest Editor-in-Chief for Slam Magazine&rsquo;s Special Social Justice Issue and established the Social Change Fund alongside fellow NBA greats to focus on investing in organizations addressing critical and timely issues impacting the Black community including expanding access to voting and civic engagement, education, employment, housing, economic equity, and representation in leadership.&nbsp; Anthony currently serves as a board member of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.
His work isn&rsquo;t just limited to reform in criminal justice, voting or race spaces, but he also developed an incubator program focused on creativity and the arts. &nbsp;Through his STAYME7O banner, Anthony established the STAYME7O Propel Program in 2020 as a way to tap into the creativity of Black culture through fashion, art and design to develop intricate pieces that honor a vision of&nbsp;Black&nbsp;excellence and inspire a culture to create&nbsp;and move further, together.&nbsp; This spring, Anthony also announced Creative 7, his global, multi-platform content company through which he has been developing a robust slate of projects that&nbsp;speak to the evolution of the human spirit through adversity, social activism and compelling, entertainment-forward storytelling.&nbsp; Anthony has selected&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://portlandartmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://portlandartmuseum.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFYpq9TrITwg2RQK9JSfagXue-t0A">Portland Art Museum&rsquo;s Black Arts and Experiences Initiative</a>&nbsp;as the recipient of his donation.
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Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
Over the last year Harrison Barnes has provided meaningful support to youth, families and frontline workers in Sacramento, Dallas and Ames, IA, and&nbsp;has also been a vocal advocate for voter rights, addressing systemic racism and investing in Black youth.&nbsp; Leading up to the 2020 election, he emphasized the importance of civic engagement and voting through speaking engagements, a collaboration with&nbsp;<a href="http://be.woke.vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://Be.Woke.Vote&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHAwEmxFv8NeaxPMFtB-l_sJn-Lgg">Be.Woke.Vote</a>&nbsp;and casting a ballot himself on National Vote Early Day at Golden 1 Center. As part of the NBA restart, Barnes dedicated each Kings game to a different organization supporting racial justice &ndash; including the Trayvon Martin Foundation, the Botham Jean Foundation, The Atatiana Project, Mothers Against Police Brutality, the Michael Brown Foundation, Tamir Rice Foundation, Champion in the Making and the African American Policy Forum &ndash; and contributed $25,000 to those created by the families of victims of police brutality and gun violence.
In October, he was named to the NBA Foundation&rsquo;s inaugural Board of Directors, helping to guide its effort to further economic empowerment in the Black community and in February, Barnes announced his partnership with Goalsetter, a Black-owned finance app that provides an education-first banking experience, to open saving accounts for 500 youth from Build.Black. in Sacramento and TL Marsalis Elementary in Dallas.&nbsp; He also launched a series entitled &ldquo;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/tv/CMUxqkEDsNA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link__;!!PMETyfE!ZDDKwXjBncNGIltP-I1zSE6Ocp2vfJKWWTXUKVKyHIWNUcYTGip-GFMF9cA$" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.instagram.com/tv/CMUxqkEDsNA/?utm_source%3Dig_web_copy_link__;!!PMETyfE!ZDDKwXjBncNGIltP-I1zSE6Ocp2vfJKWWTXUKVKyHIWNUcYTGip-GFMF9cA$&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF-SR7hwbNVH-6HHGmJ4lIryH9TGA">Conversations with Harrison</a>,&rdquo; in which he speaks with nonprofit and community leaders, educators, athletes, elected officials and business leaders to promote their work and bring attention to their causes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barnes has selected&nbsp;<a href="https://policingequity.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://policingequity.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFWFky7NK3nNBPEqvlc34ZxZj_7Dg">Center for Policing Equity</a>&nbsp;as the recipient of his donation.
Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
As a longtime advocate for social justice, Tobias Harris has been particularly focused on eliminating racial inequities within school systems that have historically harmed young people of color.&nbsp; To date through the Tobias Harris Charitable Fund, he has awarded $2 million dollars to help move the needle on educational equity.&nbsp; This year, he awarded $300,000 to The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia to recruit teachers from HBCUs or diverse backgrounds &ndash; who are more likely to carry higher student loan balances following graduation &ndash; and provide relocation stipends to prevent barriers of quality Black teachers in the classroom.&nbsp; Harris also created the Tobias&rsquo; Top Teachers program, to assist in the recruitment and retention of Black male teachers by helping fund 55 professional development workshops and providing 800 new teachers with needed classroom supplies.&nbsp; Additionally, through his Lit Labs program that focuses on improving reading scores among students of diverse backgrounds, he distributed 30,000 books to 8,000 Philadelphia children to prevent summer reading gaps and helped improve the average rate gain for young scholars by 70%.
Throughout 2020, Harris used his voice and platform to speak out against systemic injustice and racism, marching in protest of police brutality, calling for reform while in the NBA Bubble and reflecting on racial injustice in The Players&rsquo; Tribune.&nbsp; With actionable change at the center of his efforts, Harris led conversations with teammates and helped launch the VOTE 76 initiative to encourage civic engagement. He was also named as one of two player representatives to the NBA Foundation board, which aims to create greater economic opportunity for Black youth through employment and career advancement.&nbsp;&nbsp;Harris has selected&nbsp;<a href="http://thefundsdp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://thefundsdp.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEN6_gT0lgvFAla4HBOTQRjOoC2zw">Fund for the School District of Philadelphia</a>&nbsp;as the recipient of his donation.&nbsp;
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Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
A longtime advocate for social justice, this past year Jrue Holiday has focused on creating economic opportunity and empowerment in communities of color.&nbsp; Last summer, Holiday pledged the remainder of his 2020 NBA salary to create The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Fund, which seeks to combat systemic racism and increase economic equality by providing funding and support to Black-led organizations and businesses.&nbsp; Earlier this season, the fund announced support for 25 nonprofits and historically Black institutions, as well as 23 Black-owned small businesses in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Indianapolis.
In the fall of 2020, Jrue and his wife, Lauren, also partnered with the Wisconsin Women&rsquo;s Business Initiative Corporation to identify small, women- and Black-owned businesses most in need of assistance.&nbsp; After reviewing grant requests, the Holiday family announced funding for seven local businesses in January: Amri Counseling Services, Carter&rsquo;s Quality Care, Hands at Home, Jamaican Season Island Restaurant, Kid&rsquo;s Kingdom, Legacy Home Health Services and The SW.&nbsp; Beyond financial support, the Holidays provide coaching for the JLH Fund grantees to expand funding opportunities and community engagement and work with Microsoft&rsquo;s Nonprofit Tech Acceleration for Black &amp; African American Communities so that all recipients can also receive technology and support services.&nbsp; In Spring 2021, the Holidays opened the second round of applications and surprised a young man&nbsp;battling sickle cell anemia with tickets to a Bucks game in efforts to support the young man and bring awareness to the disorder that disproportionately impacts Black Americans.&nbsp;&nbsp;Holiday has&nbsp;selected&nbsp;<a href="https://expowisconsin.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://expowisconsin.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGx8YxmJHtj_VW8sgElmIMsNmoXcw">EXPO of Wisconsin</a>&nbsp;as the recipient&nbsp;of his donation.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, Golden State Warriors
Juan Toscano-Anderson, whose parents are Black and Mexican American, is focused on empowerment for Latino and Black communities and established the Journey to Achieve (JTA) Foundation to give back to youth and families of color in the Bay Area, Santa Cruz and Mexico.&nbsp; The Oakland native has continued to use his voice&nbsp;to advocate for&nbsp;social justice&nbsp;and equality&nbsp;in the Bay Area.&nbsp;&nbsp;Toscano-Anderson participated in the Warriors&rsquo; VOTERS Win campaign &ndash; a PSA to encourage Black and Latino citizens to vote in the 2020 election and fill out the census &ndash; and led two Walk in Unity events in Oakland, bringing people together to combat oppression, police brutality and social injustice.
To create opportunity and empower young people of color this past year, he has discussed biases with 6th&nbsp;grade students in San Francisco, spoken to more than 3,000 African youth about his journey and overcoming obstacles and supported Digital Nest, a local nonprofit focused on empowering Latinx professionals, in a live Q&amp;A where he discussed his childhood, basketball career and the pride he felt in playing with the Mexican National Team.&nbsp; In continued efforts to support the Latinx community, he addressed more than 2,000 people in Spanish at the D&iacute;a De Los Muertos Film Festival in Watsonville and purchased equipment and materials for&nbsp;Fundacion&nbsp;Unidos Por&nbsp;Chavinda in his family&rsquo;s hometown that provides medicine and food for senior citizens and supports development and life skills for youth.&nbsp;&nbsp;Toscano-Anderson has selected&nbsp;<a href="http://www.homiesempowerment.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.homiesempowerment.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1623513737585000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFxXidiTpSAFQ2VPJn9JsxFGb-Ucg">Homies Empowerment</a>&nbsp;as the recipient of his donation.

Carmelo Anthony, Tobias Harris, Jrue Holiday, Harrison Barnes and Juan Toscano-Anderson are the finalists for the annual award.

NBA shares finalists for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award

The Memphis Grizzlies believe they have a great foundation after returning to the playoffs much faster than anyone outside the franchise expected.
That makes losing their first-round series to the top-seeded Utah Jazz a little easier to take.
&ldquo;We definitely didn't want our season to end the way it did, but I mean we have a lot to be proud of," guard Ja Morant said after Memphis was eliminated in five games by Utah. "Our fight. We had an unbelievable season. We achieved one of our goals. ... We know what we got to do. Everybody's hungry for more.&rdquo;
Memphis exceeded expectations by finishing 38-34 to reach the NBA's new play-in tournament. The Grizzlies beat San Antonio, then the Golden State Warriors on the road to earn the No. 8 seed and snap a four-year playoff drought.
That made the Grizzlies not only the youngest team this postseason but the youngest in the playoffs since Oklahoma City in 2011. They <a href="https://apnews.com/article/memphis-grizzlies-utah-jazz-nba-sports-89240812eb4dc5501110af498a68815f">won Game 1</a> before falling in <a href="Jazz advance to 2nd round, beating Grizzlies in Game 5">five games to the team that posted the NBA's best record during the regular season</a>.
&ldquo;We've got a bright, bright future ahead of us,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. "And I know if we continue to work on the things that we are capable of and we will work on and the investment everyone&rsquo;s put in, we&rsquo;re going to have just this bright future that I&rsquo;m so excited about.&rdquo;
Reaching the postseason should speed up the Grizzlies' learning curve. Dillon Brooks, who averaged 25.8 points a game against the Jazz, said they learned the importance of adjustments during a series, especially against the very talented and experienced Jazz.
&ldquo;We'll be back," Brooks said. &ldquo;I think the taste of the playoffs is on everybody's mind. ... This offseason has got to be a special offseason for every single one of my teammates."
MORANT'S SOPHOMORE SEASON
Morant had an impressive follow-up season to his NBA Rookie of the Year debut, becoming the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to lead a playoff team in both points and assist a game. He then set a franchise record with 47 points in a Game 2 loss to Utah.
Only George Mikan, in the BAA in 1949, scored more than Morant's 73 points through his first two postseason games. Morant became the fourth player in NBA history and first since 1970 with 100 or more points through his three games with 101, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Mikan and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar.
Morant finished the series with back-to-back double-doubles and now plans to work on every aspect of his game during the offseason. He struggled at times at the free throw line and his 3-point shooting dipped from his rookie season. But he shot 46.7% from 3 during the play-in games, and he was 5 of 9 in Game 5 after the Jazz dared him to shoot 3s.
Jenkins called Morant an &ldquo;unbelievably huge part of our future" as someone who has only scratched the surface of what he can become.
&ldquo;Ja has grown up so much this year,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;I know he's going to be highly motivated going into the next season taking the next level as a player. His words going into the locker room were &lsquo;We will be back.&rsquo;&rdquo;
BLOWN LEADS
Finishing games is an area the Grizzlies can improve. They might not have had to fight their way into the No. 8 seed if they had finished off games where they had leads.
They blew double-digit leads twice against the Lakers. They led by 13 at New York on April 9 with 6 minutes left and lost in overtime. Luka Doncic hit a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-memphis-grizzlies-basketball-kristaps-porzingis-dwight-powell-027efefba23c0ff7012599b22e7232fe">lunging 3 to beat them</a> April 14 after they couldn't hold a six-point lead, then they blew a 20-point lead May 1 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-magic-memphis-grizzlies-health-coronavirus-nba-9d292d30b1c76dcf8d6d413621fed469">losing by a point</a> in Orlando.
Against the Jazz, they got very close in Games 3 and 4, yet couldn't find a way to close out in the final minutes.
OFFENSIVE GRIZZLIES
Memphis led the NBA during the regular season scoring 55.8 points in the paint, 17.3 points off the fast break and adding 15 points off second chances per game. They set franchise records averaging 113.3 points a game and 11.2 3-pointers per game.
That's a long way from the &ldquo;Grit &lsquo;n&rsquo; Grind&rdquo; era that focused much more on defense.
ROSTER
Memphis goes into the offseason healthy, which is good news for the Grizzlies after playing much of this season without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow as they recovered from injuries. Memphis also has Jackson, Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Anderson under contract for another season.
The Grizzlies built a deep roster that helped them survive without Jackson, and now that gives the front office some flexibility along with the No. 17 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Memphis announced Thursday night a long-term extension for GM Zach Kleiman, who took over as executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2019. The team didn't announce terms of the deal.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Grizzlies believe they have a great foundation after returning to the playoffs much faster than anyone outside the franchise expected.

Grizzlies see bright future after surprising playoff push

Dillon Brooks scored 30 points and the Memphis Grizzlies used a late rally to defeat the Sacramento Kings 116-110 on Thursday night in the first of a back-to-back between the teams.
Jonas Valanciunas had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, Kyle Anderson added 14 points, and Ja Morant had 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Justin James scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Kings, who were eliminated from contention for the play-in tournament. Chimezie Metu had 17 points and was key along with James to help the Kings, who had won six of their previous seven, build a fourth-quarter lead. Buddy Hield and Terence Davis scored 16 points each, and Delon Wright had 15 points and eight assists.
The Kings were without four of their top six scorers, but still increased the lead to eight in the fourth quarter behind James and Metu. Sacramento still led by six with 3:39 remaining after a 3-pointer from Metu.
But Kyle Anderson answered with five straight points to bring Memphis within a point at 110-109. Valanciunas then converted a three-point play to give Memphis the lead for good &mdash; 112-110 &mdash; with 1:23 left.
Both teams shot well to open the game and the Kings benefitted from hitting seven of 11 3-pointers in the first quarter. Sacramento made 10 of 19 from 3-point range in the half.
James had 16 in the half for the Kings, who led 60-59 at the break.
Memphis&rsquo; half was lackluster coupled with bad ballhandling leading to 10 turnovers. Brooks was the most active of the Grizzlies, scoring 17 while Valanciunas had 12 points.
Memphis built a slight buffer by outscoring the Kings 30-23 in the third quarter to carry an 89-83 lead into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Kings: Continued to play without key contributors such as G De&rsquo;Aaron Fox (health and safety protocol), F Harrison Barnes (left abductor tightness), Marvin Bagley (right groin tightness) and rookie G Tyrese Halilburton (left knee hyperextension). ... Richaun Holmes left in the second quarter with right knee soreness and did not return. ... James&rsquo; previous career high in points was 16 against Utah on April 28.
Grizzlies: Valanciunas recorded his 48th double-double this season and passed Shane Battier for 11th on the franchise list for defensive rebounds. Battier had 1,236. ... G Grayson Allen missed his fifth straight game with left abdominal soreness. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke had 12 points each, with Clarke shooting 5 of 7.
&mdash;
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Kings were eliminated from contention for the play-in tournament with the loss in Memphis.

Kings to miss playoffs for 15th straight year after loss to Grizzlies

Nikola Jokic scored 47 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the second overtime, and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-137 on Monday night.
Jokic added 15 rebounds and eight assists, Will Barton scored 28 and Michael Porter Jr. 21 for the shorthanded Nuggets. Denver played without its top two point guards -- Jamal Murray, who has a torn ACL in his left knee and Monte Morris.
Jokic burnished his MVP credentials by carrying the Nuggets to their third straight win since Murray went down.
&ldquo;Life is about a bunch of little moments and I think Nikola&rsquo;s got around 56 little moments this year where he&rsquo;s shown he&rsquo;s the MVP,&rdquo; Denver coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;Tonight was a character win.&rdquo;
Morris recently missed 11 games with a left quad injury but returned April 4 and played eight games. He hurt his left hamstring in Friday night&rsquo;s win at Houston and will likely miss multiple games, Malone said before the game against the Grizzlies.
Memphis was without Dillon Brooks due to left thigh soreness and Jonas Valanciunas, who suffered a concussion Saturday night.
Ja Morant had 36 points and 12 assists, De&rsquo;Anthony Melton had 25 points off the bench and Grayson Allen added 24 points for Memphis. The Grizzlies lost for just the second time in their last eight road games.
&ldquo;We had our chances, we just got to be better,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They made some great plays.&rdquo;
Morant gave the Grizzlies the lead in the second overtime with a 3-pointer and Kyle Anderson hit two free throws to make it 132-129. Porter tied it with a 3-pointer and then Jokic&rsquo;s shot from the top of the circle gave Denver a 137-134 lead with 42 seconds left.
Allen missed at the other end and P.J. Dozier iced it with two free throws.
Jokic notched his 51st double-double of the season and just missed his 16th triple-double.
&ldquo;I had a really good night. I scored a lot and I had a couple of stupid turnovers I can easily fix,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;It was good night for me and the team.&rdquo;
The Grizzlies led by 12 with 3:52 left but Denver rallied to tie it on two free throws by Jokic with 20 seconds left. Allen missed a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send it to overtime.
Morant scored all nine points for Memphis in the first overtime but Barton&rsquo;s 3-pointer late sent the game to a second overtime.
&ldquo;We live and learn from stuff like this,&rdquo; Melton said. &ldquo;But we know we can definitely beat those teams so I think we all got better here.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Xavier Tillman had 18 points and 14 rebounds. ... Brandon Clarke had missed two games with right hip soreness and Melton was out eight games with left leg soreness. Justise Winslow missed 12 games with soreness in his right thigh. ... Jenkins said Jaren Jackson Jr., who has yet to play this season, is closer to returning after having offseason surgery on his left knee.
Nuggets: Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was in attendance. ... The Nuggets had 15 turnovers in the first half and finished with a season high 23.
LUCKY 1:40
Denver benefited from a pair of reviews late in the game. With 1:40 left in regulation an out-of-bounds call on Facu Campazzo was reversed to off Morant and gave the Nuggets the ball.
In the first overtime -- again with 1:40 left -- a foul originally called on Campazzo was overturned to an offensive foul on Morant. Denver scored the next five points to send it to the second overtime.
Asked after the game to rate Campazzo&rsquo;s defense on him, Morant chuckled.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to let you answer that question,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel like I played well today. I was 13-for-24 from the field, 36 points, 13 assists, plus-9.&rdquo;
BIG MAN LOVE
If Jokic does win the MVP he will be the first center to do so since Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal did it in 1999-2000.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really good for big men,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad the world doesn&rsquo;t put the bigs aside. We&rsquo;re still popular.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Nuggets: At the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic scored 47 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the second overtime.

Nikola Jokic's 47 leads Nuggets over Grizzlies 139-137 in 2 OTs

Ethan Fuller gauges which NBA teams should be zeroing in on Cade Cunningham.

NBA Sour Rankings: Cade-O-Meter 2.0

To say the Memphis Grizzlies are undermanned would be an understatement.
Ja Morant is out with an ankle injury, neither Jaren Jackson Jr. nor Justise Winslow has made their season debut yet to this point and even rotational piece John Konchar has missed a chunk of games. Despite those circumstances, the Grizzlies have won three games in a row and are 4-1 on the road.&nbsp;
Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins has had to look toward Kyle Anderson, Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas for production during this time; however, it&rsquo;s a pair of rookies who are standing out and taking advantage of this opportunity.
With key players down, Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman have seen their roles increase, and they have provided a spark off the Grizzlies&rsquo; bench in a massive way.&nbsp;
Bane is a bulky wing with plenty of athleticism, unafraid to take on whatever man he is assigned to. He&rsquo;s not bashful on the offensive end either, as he&rsquo;s taking a healthy seven shots per game, four of which have been from long distance -- and the TCU product is knocking down 46 percent of his threes.
Tillman is a versatile big man who fits the current NBA mold. He goes out there and does his job with physicality, opening up shots for his teammates and being a switchable defender who makes his money with the fundamentals -- just ask Tom Izzo, his old head coach at Michigan State. In the last six games, Jenkins has played Tillman around 18 minutes per night, and a good chunk of those have come in the fourth quarter.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/bane333_lg.jpg" alt="" width="791" height="AUTO" />
As a duo, Bane and Tillman have the <a href="https://go.nba.com/6pjk">highest offensive rating on the team</a> and the second-best net rating among those combinations who have played at least 90 total minutes. More importantly, in the 274 minutes without those two on the floor, <a href="https://go.nba.com/9ail">Memphis is a net minus-6.8 with a ghastly effective field goal percentage of 48.3 percent</a>, per NBA's Impact data. Jenkins is very impressed with the rookies, especially considering they were thrown in at the deep end.
&ldquo;I mean, it&rsquo;s huge for those two guys to jump in,&rdquo; Jenkins said after Monday&rsquo;s victory in Cleveland. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve talked about it before, not having a normal offseason... they&rsquo;ve just attacked every opportunity to work and get better. A lot of credit goes to those two guys. I think a lot of credit goes to our coaching staff and our performance staff to make sure that they&rsquo;re getting physically ready.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re also learning the game; the NBA game&rsquo;s completely different from college basketball -- the terminology, nuances, speed of the game. These guys have just really dove into their work -- individual work, getting the extra sessions early in the season and now they&rsquo;re getting even more reps, so they&rsquo;re having to learn from that...&rdquo;
Dillon Brooks sees the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-rumors-desmond-bane-qa-prospect-2020-tcu-predraft-training-interviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confidence that Bane exudes every time</a> he steps onto the court, and the Grizzlies veteran can sense how hungry the rookie swingman and Tillman truly are.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re on the airplane watching film, they&rsquo;re asking questions and they&rsquo;re always into the details, and that&rsquo;s what you need to do as a rook to figure it out early and sustain," Brooks said after the win in Cleveland. &ldquo;Those guys are gonna be in the league for a while and I&rsquo;m proud of them, but there&rsquo;s more we can get out of them. They&rsquo;re playing really well right now.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s been plenty of talk surrounding the possibility of elevating Bane to the starting five, including from Jenkins. The way he&rsquo;s consistently bringing it, that might not be a bad idea. Just don&rsquo;t split him from Tillman.
The man whom Memphis refers to as &ldquo;X&rdquo; is in a real groove right now. On Wednesday night, he scored a career-best 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Sparty alum appreciates the consistency of Jenkins&rsquo; offensive system, sticking to principles and living with the results.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nice to see game-in and game-out &lsquo;cause I&rsquo;m getting the same opportunities, whether I take them or not,&rdquo; Tillman said following a win in Minnesota. &ldquo;In this game (against the Wolves), I was looking at the rim, I was feeling my floaters and I just kept letting them go. That&rsquo;s one thing that&rsquo;s really good about this organization and Coach Jenkins and how we operate.&rdquo;
Tillman has observed the difference between screening angles in college and in the NBA. He calls them &ldquo;peculiar and particular,&rdquo; citing the importance of locking in on how he&rsquo;s setting them to get his guards open. It&rsquo;s just another example of his attention to detail, and it's clear why Memphis is enamored with him.
For those who appreciate plus-minus, Tillman has yet to record a game with a negative plus-minus. Since Jan. 3, the same goes for Bane. The Grizzlies' rookies are proving to be NBA-ready and capable of delivering.
&ldquo;They just relish every opportunity. It&rsquo;s great development for them to take advantage of these opportunities and [they] have just been extremely solid,&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;Two guys that are ultra-competitive, two guys that can play-make.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I love how they just let the game come to them, seem to always make the right play and I just love the activity that they&rsquo;re playing with on the defensive end. They&rsquo;re great, impactful players for us, and that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re so excited to have them.&rdquo;

With Memphis on a three-game winning streak, Spencer Davies looks into the strong play of rookies Xavier Tillman and Desmond Bane.

Grizzlies' rookies Tillman, Bane are ready and delivering

Ethan Fuller ranks NBA teams by their success plans, with loads of parity through three weeks of action.

NBA Sour Rankings: COVID Chaos

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for January 8, 2021.
Honesty is the Best Policy
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Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s reasoning for not playing in tonight&rsquo;s game per a close source: &ldquo;I just didn&rsquo;t want to play.&rdquo;
&mdash; 👑📍Brandon &lsquo;Scoop B&rsquo; Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScoopB/status/1347364062640939009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Let me start off by saying that Kyrie owes us no explanation as to why he &ldquo;just didn&rsquo;t want to play&rdquo; last night. If you look at *gestures broadly* all of America right now, you could find a million and one reasons to not want to work, and any of them would stick. Kyrie, maybe and hopefully, started something here. Every employer should allow their employees a number of &ldquo;I just didn&rsquo;t want to&rdquo; days with no questions asked.
"What Do We Want? We Don&rsquo;t Know! When Do We Want It? Last Year!"
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trump supporters brought trump 2020 flags to the capitol and its 2021 lmao
&mdash; SLOWMO (@KyleAnderson5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleAnderson5/status/1347202122111180800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Kyle Anderson of the Memphis Grizzlies points out just one of the things that made Wednesday the dumbest day ever. This is the alley.
Despite the small typo, the first responding tweet is the oop.
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Considering they all are stuck in the 1800s with their ideas im not surpirsed
&mdash; Flawed (@Flawedgaming91) <a href="https://twitter.com/Flawedgaming91/status/1347348260524941315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Bigger Than Basketball
Malcolm Brogdon and Jaylen Brown have never shied away from their activism. Both drove hours to their home state of Georgia to attend the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Both have remained invested in their demand for social justice and reform throughout the Bubble, the offseason and the return of the NBA. In a statement released on his social media platforms, Brogdon called for each of the perpetrators of the attack on the U.S. Capitol to be arrested. Brown cited Martin Luther King Jr.&rsquo;s &ldquo;Two Americas&rdquo; when speaking to the media about the difference between the treatment of the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol and the countless, senseless deaths of Black Americans simply for existing. Neither Brown nor Brogdon, no matter how exhausting and taxing it becomes, have taken their foot off the gas in their fight for racial justice.&nbsp;
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My reflections on January 6th. <a href="https://t.co/Vk3ivEvUg7">pic.twitter.com/Vk3ivEvUg7</a>
&mdash; Malcolm Brogdon (@MalcolmBrogdon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/MalcolmBrogdon7/status/1347346482794414081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Love that Jayson is by his side <a href="https://t.co/xFNoeOMsOL">https://t.co/xFNoeOMsOL</a>
&mdash; samuel miller (@smiller_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/smiller_1/status/1347063229458034688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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I&rsquo;m Afraid I Just Blue Myself
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Tobias Harris. <a href="https://t.co/YMpvrdDr1k">pic.twitter.com/YMpvrdDr1k</a>
&mdash; nba paint (@nba_paint) <a href="https://twitter.com/nba_paint/status/1347339061007175685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tobias Harris as Tobias Funke, complete with the denim cutoffs is the type of adorable pun that makes you forget the world is burning.
I Have Taught You Well, Young Grasshopper
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Scoring 122 points without KD and Kyrie is wild
&mdash; Jay 🎭 (@BeyJayV) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeyJayV/status/1347377361596067842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 122-109 last night without their two top superstars, who also happen to be two of the best scorers in the league. The coachless, positionless, running-entirely-on-vibes basketball is working.&nbsp;
He Wasn&rsquo;t Lying
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demar has already matched his 3-point total from last season lol
&mdash; Joe Wolfond (@joey_doubleyou) <a href="https://twitter.com/joey_doubleyou/status/1347385177564176384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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DeMar DeRozan once famously told the media that he can shoot threes, he just doesn&rsquo;t want to. Now, captaining the ship of the youngest team in Spurs history, DeMar appears to have accepted that the game has evolved, and that he must as well in order for San Antonio to return to the playoffs after missing them last season for the first time since the 90s. 
Spencer, This is for You!!!!
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WITH AN OKORO GAME SAVER?? <a href="https://t.co/tEMLL2EgSW">https://t.co/tEMLL2EgSW</a>
&mdash; FearTheSword (@FearTheSword) <a href="https://twitter.com/FearTheSword/status/1347381512895868939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tired: BLOCKED BY JAMES!
Wired: BLOCKED BY OKORO!
&ldquo;He Shoulda Been Hoopin&rsquo;&rdquo;
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Pop has a higher vert than me wtf <a href="https://t.co/m8JoF0HOTp">pic.twitter.com/m8JoF0HOTp</a>
&mdash; /r/spurs (@redditspurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/redditspurs/status/1347411189022781442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Coach Pop has fully embraced the casual dress code allowed for coaches this season. The sneakers, the sweater, the flow. He looks so much more comfortable. Could he do this in a suit? Doubt it.&nbsp;
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our Kelsea O'Brien scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Jan. 8, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: January 8, 2021

Two weeks into the 2020-21 NBA season, a number of players are outperforming their preseason expectations. Some players have made the most of a change of scenery, while others have taken the next step in their development or stepped up in the absence of an injured teammate. Without further ado, here are 11 players who are turning heads with their recent play.
Christian Wood, Houston Rockets&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 45
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 7
Wood was getting picked near the fifth round in fantasy drafts since he seemed poised to take on an increased role in Houston and serve as a perfect complementary piece alongside James Harden. However, the 25-year-old has exceeded all expectations to start the season. Wood has been dominant, averaging 23.8 points (15th-best in the NBA), 10.8 rebounds (11th-best), 2.3 blocks (fourth-best), 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 turnovers on 55.7/35.3/64.7 shooting splits. He is currently averaging the seventh-most fantasy points per game (48.36). 
It&rsquo;s a small sample size, but Wood was similarly productive last season with the Detroit Pistons after Andre Drummond was traded. In 12 starts last year, he put up 21.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals on 56.0/40.8/73.4 shooting splits. If Wood can keep this up, he&rsquo;ll likely be in the mix for the Most Improved Player award. Not bad for a guy who was playing in the G League as recently as 2019.&nbsp;
Julius Randle, New York Knicks&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 80&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 21
The Knicks have gotten off to a surprising 3-3 start, and Randle&rsquo;s terrific play is a big reason why. He&rsquo;s averaging 21.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 threes and 0.7 steals on 49.5/50.0/76.5 shooting splits. His three-point shooting will certainly come back down to Earth, but he&rsquo;s stepping up as a facilitator and rebounder. In fact, Randle is nearly doubling his previous career-high in assists per game (3.6). 
To put Randle&rsquo;s production in context, consider this: He is just the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 10.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists through the first six games of a season, joining Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett and Giannis Antetokounmpo (per <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1345730077175259139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tommy Beer of Forbes</a>). The 26-year-old should continue to have the ball in his hands quite a bit as the season progresses, so he&rsquo;ll have every opportunity to keep filling the stat sheet. Randle has totaled the ninth-most fantasy points (258.10) among all players, and he's averaging 43.10 fantasy points per game (21st-best in the NBA).
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Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 44
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 14
Of all the players on this list, Sabonis entered this season with the highest expectations and he was going in the mid-third round in many fantasy drafts. While we knew he'd be a difference-maker, his 20.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.3 threes and 1.0 steals (on 56.8/57.1/67.6 shooting splits) have been a nice surprise. With T.J. Warren out indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his left foot, Sabonis' numbers shouldn't dip anytime soon considering his importance to Indiana's offense. Sabonis currently has the fifth-most fantasy points of any player in the league, and his 45.01 fantasy points per game ranks 14th-best among all players. It's time for Domas to start getting more love from pundits and casual fans.
DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 53&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 17
DeRozan is posting career-highs in assists (8.0), rebounds (6.2), threes (1.4), three-point percentage (.538), free-throw percentage (.865), PER (25.2) and True Shooting Percentage (.624), while limiting his turnovers to 1.4 per game. After shooting just 25.7 percent from three-point range last season, DeRozan has more than doubled that percentage so far this year (as he&rsquo;s shooting 53.8 percent from deep). When Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was asked about DeRozan&rsquo;s three-point shooting, he made it sound like it is here to stay. "DeMar, that's part of his game this season, to shoot more threes," Popovich <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/nba/nba-raptors-spurs-dec-26-recap-1.5855385" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "He's more confident with it and it shows." DeRozan is currently averaging the 17th-most fantasy points per game (44.64), and he&rsquo;s been a top-five shooting guard in fantasy thus far.
Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 121&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 50
With Kevin Love out for at least a month due to a right calf strain and Isaac Okoro sidelined with a sprained foot, this has opened the door for Nance to move into the starting lineup and play big minutes. Over the last two weeks, he&rsquo;s been doing a little bit of everything for Cleveland. In five games as a starter, Nance has averaged 10.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.4 threes, and 1.0 blocks on 46.7/36.8/83.3 shooting splits. This season, Nance has totaled the 30th-most fantasy points (207.70), and his 34.74 FPPG ranks 50th among all players. The 28-year-old remains one of the most underrated players around the NBA and plenty of good things just seem to happen when he&rsquo;s on the floor.
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Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 144
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 55
Entering this season, it was unclear how the additions of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward would impact Rozier&rsquo;s scoring. Well, so far, the 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 23.2 points to go along with 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.8 threes, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks on 49.0/45.1/80.0 shooting splits. He has become a terrific three-point shooter since arriving in Charlotte; last year, he shot 42.3 percent over 63 games. 
This season, he&rsquo;s had a 42-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers (with 10 threes) and a 35-point outing against the Philadelphia 76ers (with seven threes). Rozier is currently averaging 33.44 FPPG (which is 55th-best in the NBA), and he has totaled the 37th-most fantasy points (200.30) among all players.
Alec Burks, New York Knicks&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 164&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 54
Burks is currently averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.3 threes, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks on 53.1/66.7/90.0 shooting splits. He&rsquo;s been remarkably efficient, and while his three-point percentage will certainly dip, he should continue to get enough field-goal attempts to stay fantasy relevant long-term. While he&rsquo;s been a pleasant surprise for the Knicks, it&rsquo;s worth noting that he put up similar numbers in the first half of last season as a member of the depleted Golden State Warriors -- averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 threes and 1.0 steals on 40.6/37.5/89.7 shooting splits (before ultimately being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers). Burks is averaging 33.49 FPPG, which ranks 54th among all players.
Kyle Anderson, Memphis Grizzlies&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 232&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 51
With Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, Justise Winslow and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton out, Anderson has been asked to step up and take on a larger role for Memphis. His 23.2 usage rate is easily a career-high (his previous high was 14.2). Anderson has popped up in trade rumors here and there, and there have been some rumblings that Memphis is showcasing him. But as long as he&rsquo;s in this role, he should continue to fill the stat sheet. 
He&rsquo;s averaging 16.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 threes, 0.8 blocks and 0.4 steals on 45.5/33.3/81.3 shooting splits. He dropped a career-high 28 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets just two nights after recording a career-high 14 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks. His 34.24 FPPG ranks 51st in the NBA.
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Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 189&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 63
Johnson has been beloved on #NBATwitter for some time, and after watching what he&rsquo;s done through five games as a starter, it&rsquo;s easy to see why he has so many fans. The 21-year-old is averaging 15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 threes, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on 45.5/42.9/84.2 shooting splits. He's coming off of his best game as a pro, recording a career-high 26 points along with 10 rebounds, 5 threes, 2 steals and 1 block against the Los Angeles Lakers (while shooting 63.6 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line). His 31.92 FPPG ranks 63rd among all players, and he should only continue to improve as he takes the next step in his development.&nbsp;
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 182&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 57
Like Kyle Anderson, Brooks has more on his plate because of the Grizzlies&rsquo; injuries and he&rsquo;s become their No. 1 option on offense with Ja Morant out. Through five games, Brooks is averaging 19.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.6 threes and 2.2 steals on 41.8/35.1/100.0 shooting splits. Once Memphis is back at full strength, his role will change a bit. With that said, the 24-year-old should be able to sustain somewhat similar production, as his current averages are similar to what we saw from him across 73 games last season (when he posted 16.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.0 3PG and 1.0 SPG on 40.7/35.8/80.8 shooting splits). He&rsquo;s averaging 32.84 FPPG, which is 57th-best in the NBA.
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons&nbsp;
Preseason Fantasy Ranking: No. 202&nbsp;
Current Fantasy Ranking: No. 86
Outside of Josh Jackson&rsquo;s relatives, nobody was selecting the 23-year-old forward during their fantasy drafts this year. Last season, Jackson split time between the Memphis Grizzlies and their G League affiliate (the Memphis Hustle). During his 22 games with the Grizzlies, he averaged just 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game. Initially, it seemed like he'd be buried on the Pistons&rsquo; depth chart, but a strong preseason helped him win the starting shooting guard job over Svi Mykhailiuk and Delon Wright. 
Jackson has always been a terrific athlete, but he's struggled with his shot and decision-making (on and off the court). Now, it appears he&rsquo;s finally maturing and putting everything together on a low-risk, high-reward contract with Detroit. He&rsquo;s averaging 28.44 FPPG, which is 86th-best in the NBA.
All fantasy rankings and points are courtesy of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiplfye_4DuAhWCEFkFHX9rBU8QFjAAegQIARAD&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw3kBNqsoI3dc7CdMDCL0pbl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports</a>.

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