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Pacers

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points, two off his career best, and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the skidding Indiana Pacers 128-119 on Tuesday night.
The Bucks (36-23) swept the four-game season series from the Pacers and have won eight straight against their Central Division foe.
Antetokounmpo, who didn&rsquo;t play in Milwaukee&rsquo;s loss to Portland on Monday night because of a sore left ankle, showed no ill effects as he racked up 12 first-quarter points that included a pair of thunderous dunks and a 3-pointer.
Antetokounmpo set a career high with his seventh 40-point game of the season and scored 50 for the first time since the memorable title-clinching game in the NBA Finals last season, which gave the Bucks their first championship in 50 years.
Milwaukee bounced back after consecutive double-digit losses to hand Indiana (19-40) its seventh consecutive defeat.
Both teams had only 10 players available due to injuries.
Buddy Hield scored a season-high 36 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and eight assists for Indiana.
The Bucks led 34-27 after the first quarter before the Pacers grabbed a short-lived lead midway through the second. A pair of 3-pointers by reserve guard Lindell Wigginton sparked a 12-2 surge that grew the lead to double digits. Milwaukee led 69-63 at halftime, paced by Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s 18 points.
Milwaukee built a pair of nine-point leads in the third but couldn&rsquo;t shake the Pacers. When Indiana got close again in the fourth, Antetokounmpo swished a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws after a clear-path foul and Milwaukee eventually increased its lead to 14 before holding off the Pacers down the stretch.
TIP-INS
Pacers: G Chris Duarte (sore left big toe), F Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain), G Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles) and C Myles Turner (left foot issue) all sat out. &hellip; Haliburton didn&rsquo;t attempt a shot from the field until sinking a 3-pointer about four minutes into the second quarter. &hellip; Scored 13 points off nine Milwaukee turnovers in the first half. &hellip; Keifer Sykes had 10 points off the bench. &hellip; Lance Stephenson was whistled for a flagrant 1 foul after hitting Antetokounmpo in the face battling for a loose ball. ... Jalen Smith fouled out while playing only 17 minutes.
Bucks: G Wesley Matthews didn&rsquo;t play due to right toe soreness and G George Hill missed his eighth consecutive game with a neck issue. &hellip;Wigginton scored a career-high 12 points, topping his previous mark of 11 set a night earlier. ... Serge Ibaka, who started in place of Antetokounmpo on Monday, had nine points in 24 minutes in his second game with Milwaukee after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Bucks past the Pacers, 128-119.

Giannis has season-high 50 points to lead Bucks past Pacers 128-119

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

This week's Stats Notebook is inspired by a recent article from USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky. <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/orlando-magic-franz-wagner-onlyfranz-evan-mobley-scottie-barnes-nba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The story</a> focused on Franz Wagner's Rookie of the Year campaign, but it brought up an interesting statistic: Wagner has seen his average time holding the ball per touch (I'm calling it touch time, for brevity) increase by over a full second in recent games, more than anyone else in the NBA.
That's already cool on its own, but the note got me thinking: What else can touch time stats tell us about roles in the NBA? Is this a different way to measure ball-dominant players and see who is earning a larger role?
The NBA, through Second Spectrum, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches/?sort=TIME_OF_POSS&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tracks a bunch of measurables</a> related to how many times a player touches the ball on offense, where they do it and for how long. Below are the top-five leaders to date in touches per game:
<ol>
<li>Nikola Jokic - 100.3&nbsp;</li>
<li>James Harden - 93.7</li>
<li>Luka Doncic - 90.7</li>
<li>LeBron James - 89.1</li>
<li>Trae Young - 86.1</li>
</ol>
Jokic being atop this list is extremely significant. He has led the NBA in touches per game in each of the last four years, and is the only center in the data record to do so (dating back to 2013-14). He's also the only player ever to clear 100 touches per game, which he also did last season.
Even crazier: Jokic is&nbsp;crushing&nbsp;every other center in this category. Domantas Sabonis sits second among centers, possessing the ball 76.9 times per game at 22nd overall. That 24-point difference between Jokic and Sabonis is almost equal to the gap between Sabonis and 20th-ranked center Montrezl Harrell!
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We'll return to the Jokic love in a moment. By looking at per-game time of possession (how many minutes someone actually has possession of the ball) we get a more traditional sense of the league's most ball-dominant players. Many of them are your high-usage guards:
1. (tie) James Harden, Luka Doncic - 9.2 minutes per game
3. Trae Young - 8.7 minutes
4. (tie) Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 7.5 minutes
In fact, the first non-guard to appear on the list is LeBron James (6.3 minutes) in 15th. After him, it's DeMar DeRozan and Paul George together at 5.3 minutes.
Similar names appear when looking at average seconds per touch (led by Doncic), and average dribbles per touch (led by Young). Jokic is among the leading centers in those categories, but is nowhere near the overall leaders. He holds the ball for 4.1 minutes per game (less than half of the leader) and 2.46 seconds per touch (less than half of the leader), and dribbles it about 1.14 times per touch (less than a quarter of the leader). Yet, Jokic's production is among tops in the league and his impact is undeniable.
Essentially, Jokic is like a prism for the Denver Nuggets. The ball comes to him more than anyone else in the NBA, and he's immediately rifling it back out with all sorts of flavors of flair and purpose, either to the basket or to a teammate. He's one of the most unique offensive engines basketball has ever seen.
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There are so many angles to comb through these stats with. But I'll end by circling back to Kalbrosky's emphasis on Wagner and rookie progression. Wagner isn't the only one seeing a significant jump in his touches and touch time.&nbsp;
Between November and the December-to-now stretch, Josh Giddey has seen his touches increase by over 8.5 per game. But his touch time and dribbles per touch numbers have actually slightly decreased. It seems Giddey has adapted to his increased presence while maintaining the trademark quick passing decisions that characterize his game. He's also, perhaps surprisingly, the rookie leader in frontcourt touches per game.
Cade Cunningham, Herb Jones and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have also seen their touches increase by at least six per game, as has the aforementioned Wagner. Davion Mitchell and Jalen Green have actually seen their touches decrease noticeably despite similar minute loads. Here's the rookie top-10 in touches per game, specifically from Dec. 1 to today (minimum of five games played):
<ol>
<li>Cade Cunningham - 82.1</li>
<li>Josh Giddey - 81.3</li>
<li>Scottie Barnes - 66.7</li>
<li>Evan Mobley - 60.9</li>
<li>Franz Wagner - 55.7</li>
<li>Kiefer Sykes - 54.0</li>
<li>Chris Duarte - 45.6</li>
<li>Jalen Green - 45.0</li>
<li>Hassani Gravett - 41.8</li>
<li>Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - 41.1</li>
</ol>
These are still some small samples, and the data should be interesting to track as the season wears on and teams commit to, or concede, a playoff push. Either way, the bottom line is: Appreciate Nikola Jokic.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I find in the void):
<ul>
<li>The Timberwolves snapped a brutal losing streak against, specifically, Reggie Jackson. The Clippers guard had won 19 straight games against Minnesota, which was the longest active streak for any NBA player. But it's over after a 122-104 Wolves win on Monday.</li>
<li>Who are the fastest teams in the NBA in terms of average speed by their players? The Spurs are tops at 4.38 miles per hour, with the Hornets (4.32 mph) in second. The slowest squads are the Lakers (4.02 mph) and Celtics (4.05 mph).&nbsp;</li>
<li>Six players this season have logged steal percentages and block percentages of at least 2.0% in at least 500 minutes, per Cleaning the Glass. It's an interesting list: Robert Covington, Andre Drummond, Draymond Green, Herb Jones, Alperen Sengun and Matisse Thybulle.</li>
</ul>

Ethan Fuller analyzes touch time statistics and notices how Nikola Jokic's dominance appears in a unique way.

Stats Notebook: How often do players have the ball in their hands?

NEW YORK (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half, Julius Randle had 30 points and 16 rebounds in his first game after coming off the COVID-19 health and safety protocols list, and the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 104-94 on Tuesday night.
Alec Burks added 14 points for New York (18-20), which snapped a two-game losing streak. Immanuel Quickley chipped in with 11.
“With both guys the most important thing is them attacking the rim,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said about Barrett and Randle. “The aggressiveness of RJ attacking the rim, and for Julius to do what he did today is just remarkable. 
“We had no idea what he was going to be like. So, unbelievable effort. Unbelievable game. Sixteen rebounds. Just all the things that he did.”
Kiefer Skyes scored 22 points in the Pacers' fifth straight loss. Duane Washington Jr. added 17. Domantas Sabonis and Torrey Craig each contributed 15.
“I'm not just here to survive,” said Sykes, who signed with the Pacers as a free agent on Dec. 27. “I'm here to thrive. I want to be in the NBA for a long time. So I'm going to continue to work and have that mindset and outwork everybody.” 
The New York-Indiana rivalry in the mid-to-late 1990s was among the NBA’s must-see matchups. This game was far from it, with a decimated Pacers squad taking on a Knicks team nearly back at full strength. 
Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, Kelan Martin and T.J. Warren all missed the game for Indiana as they were in health and safety protocols. T.J. McConnell did not play as he is recovering from right wrist ligament surgery. By comparison, New York was aided by the returns of Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims from protocols. 
It was tied at 55 at halftime, even with Barrett's huge first half. The Pacers, who trailed by 12 early in the second quarter, finished the final seven minutes of the period with an 18-8 run.
“Just trying to be aggressive,” Barrett said of his approach early in the game. “That's really it. When you get into the paint, you make reads: You (have) to finish or kick out. It puts pressure on the defense.” 
Randle took over in the third, scoring 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including 2 for 2 from 3. New York led 84-77 after three and Barrett, Randle and Burks took turns knocking down big shots in the fourth. 
“He makes us different. That's his gift. He can play with speed. He can play with power. He can make decisions," Thibodeau said of Randle. “It does make us different, yeah.”
TIP-INS
Pacers: Rick Carlisle will be coaching Indiana at home on Wednesday while his one-time team, the Dallas Mavericks, will retire Dirk Nowitzki's number before their nationally televised game against the Golden State Warriors. “I’m really disappointed that I’m unable to attend that (ceremony),” Carlisle said. Carlisle coached the Mavericks from 2009-21. “It’s (going) to be so special. … Dirk just means so much to so many of us and he proved to be a great champion as well. It’ll be very emotional.“
Knicks: Thibodeau disagreed that an upcoming stretch of eight games out of 10 at Madison Square Garden could benefit his squad. “We can’t look ahead,” Thibodeau said before the game. “We’re not going to win just because we’re home. That’s not how you win. We’ve got to come in and put the work into it.”
UP NEXT:
Pacers: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Knicks: Begin a home-and-home series against Boston on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

RJ Barrett and Julius Randle led the New York Knicks to a win over the Indiana Pacers.

Barrett has 32, Randle has big return as Knicks beat Pacers

DAYTON, August 3, 2021 - Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, the Syracuse alumni team, defeated Team 23 69-67 in The Basketball Tournament&rsquo;s 2021 championship game, a thrilling contest that ended with a Keifer Sykes game-winning three during the Elam Ending&reg;.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Learn more about the Elam Ending in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-elam-ending-q-and-a-nba-all-star-game-2021-the-basketball-tournament-tbt-ncaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Davies' exclusive Q&amp;A with its creator, Nick Elam</a>)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
KEIFER SYKES FOR $1 MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/BoeheimsArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoeheimsArmy</a> IS YOUR TBT 2021 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/tgAwO8tMpa">pic.twitter.com/tgAwO8tMpa</a>
&mdash; TBT (@thetournament) <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1422755324507787269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Boeheim&rsquo;s Army, a TBT entrant since 2015, won its first seven-figure prize and TBT championship in what was also its first trip to the championship game. This year&rsquo;s roster was composed of six Syracuse alumni, including former NBA first-round picks Chris McCullough, Malachi Richardson, and Tyler Lydon, as well as legendary former Orange guard Eric Devendorf. The team also added D.J. Kennedy and DeAndre Kane, previously members of four-time champion Overseas Elite, as well as former UW-Green Bay star guard Keifer Sykes.
With Boeheim&rsquo;s Army down 67-66 and the Target Score&trade; set at 69 points, Sykes hit a stunning 25-foot three to give Boeheim&rsquo;s Army the championship and $1M prize. Shortly after the game, it was announced that Sykes agreed to a contract with the Indiana Pacers, his first NBA deal since 2015. The 27-year-old, two-time Horizon League Player of the Year led all scorers in TBT&rsquo;s championship game with 21 points.&nbsp;
Fellow Boeheim&rsquo;s Army guard Tyrese Rice earned 2021 TBT MVP honors. Rice was joined by Marcus Keene (Sideline Cancer), Raphiael Putney (Team 23), Dominique Jones (Florida TNT), and Nick Perkins (Blue Collar U) on TBT&rsquo;s All-Tournament Team.
Sykes, as well as each of his nine teammates, earned $80,000 for winning TBT, with the coaching staff and front office splitting the remaining $200,000. The entire $1M prize was distributed via Zelle&reg; at the conclusion of the game.
With the victory, Boeheim&rsquo;s Army became the eighth champion in TBT&rsquo;s eight-year history, and the fourth alumni team to take home TBT&rsquo;s grand prize.

Boeheim’s Army defeated Team 23 69-67 in The Basketball Tournament’s 2021 championship game, a thrilling contest that ended with a Keifer Sykes game-winning three.