Knights

From their first-ever Western Conference Finals appearance to a last-gasp play-in game, the Los Angeles Clippers have been a surprisingly resilient bunch.
They finished two games above .500 despite not having superstar Kawhi Leonard all season and losing Paul George for a big chunk of it. They traded for Norman Powell in February, only to lose him to injury days later.
George and Powell recently returned within days of each other and sparked the Clippers to a five-game winning streak to end the regular season.
They're not ready to head home for the summer.
The Clippers are a four-point favorite against the New Orleans Pelicans in their play-in elimination game Friday night, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>
&ldquo;Honestly, it&rsquo;s not even about the matchup,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no pep talk, no X&rsquo;s and O&rsquo;s. We got to win.&rdquo;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-pelicans-san-antonio-spurs-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-6ee83546d2425bc98075a06b0c19dc3e">The Pelicans </a> advanced with a 113-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-minnesota-timberwolves-nba-sports-anthony-edwards-eeb23f11c4002d7d2f48dffeac32dcc9">The Clippers lost </a> to the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104, which cost them the No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup against Memphis.
&ldquo;I definitely hope that we keep our spirits high, that we understand we still got another one on Friday, that we control our own destiny,&rdquo; Clippers guard Reggie Jackson said.
The winner earns the No. 8 seed and a first-round meeting with the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns. The Clippers lost to the Suns in six games in last year's conference finals.
MISSING IN ACTION
Both teams will be without their superstars.
Leonard continues to work his way back from surgery for a partial tear of his right ACL that occurred in the second round against Utah last year. The team has honored Leonard's penchant for privacy and provided little information about his status.
However, he has maintained a presence around the team and will be on hand Friday.
&ldquo;Even when PG was out, just having those guys around means a lot to this team, especially a young team,&rdquo; coach Tyronn Lue said Thursday.
Zion Williamson is progressing in his recovery from a foot injury that has kept him out all season for the Pelicans and has been participating in controlled scrimmages. However, the 2019 top overall draft pick isn't expected to play against the Clippers, although he did steal the show with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/zion-williamson-throws-down-360-windmill-dunk-before-pelicans-play-in-game">a pair of windmill dunks </a> during warmups Wednesday.
THREE-PRONGED ATTACK
Even without Williamson, the Pelicans have still got a potent Big Three, so to speak, as the Spurs found out.
CJ McCollum, acquired in a midseason trade, center Jonas Valanciunas, acquired in a trade before the season, and incumbent wing Brandon Ingram combined for 81 points against San Antonio. Valanciunas also had 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;We have to ride those guys,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;When you get to this point in the season, you&rsquo;ve got to bump their minutes up a little but more. We&rsquo;re going to run more plays that go through them and allow them to create for others, and they did a heck of a job&rdquo; against San Antonio.
GEORGE'S IMPACT
George's return to the lineup has positively impacted his teammates.
Ivica Zubac produced double-doubles in his last four regular-season games, averaging 12.3 points and 9.4 rebounds. The 7-footer has been a big factor on the defensive side as well.
Luke Kennard didn't make the trip to Minnesota because of a sore right hamstring, which he had treatment on Thursday. He leads the league in 3-point percentage at 44.9 and averaged 15.8 points in his last six games.
George has been showcasing his playmaking skills, averaging a career-high 5.7 assists. Double-teaming George hasn't been an answer for opponents since he can kick it out to Kennard and 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein, who is showing a deft touch from long range.
GREEN BLOOMS
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-phoenix-suns-new-orleans-pelicans-62e8b460b8288be4cdef3fcd850304a8">Green </a> guided the Pelicans to a 36-46 record after starting 1-12 in his first season as coach. Now, he faces off against his old team for a playoff berth.
Green was a shooting guard with the Clippers from 2012-14, averaging 5.7 points while playing 16 minutes a game on a team that featured the Lob City trio of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.
Green ended his 12-year playing career after the following season in Orlando.
He owns two NBA championships as a Golden State assistant. He was an assistant with Phoenix before taking the Pelicans job.
ROOKIE RELIANCE
The Pelicans' rookie trio of Herb Jones, Trey Murphy and Joe Alvarado passed their first postseason test, setting the stage for them to play significant roles against the Clippers as well.
Jones, a second-round pick out of Alabama, guarded Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray and held him to 16 points on 5-of-19 shooting and five assists. He could wind up on George next.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have doubts in Herb,&rdquo; Valanciunas said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great defensive player. He&rsquo;s always guarding the offensive threats from opponent teams."
Jones also scored 12 points, as did Alvarado, an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech. Murphy, a first-rounder out of Virginia, had a relatively quiet night but still played 22 minutes and has been an explosive scorer in recent weeks.
___
AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.

The winner between New Orleans and L.A. will earn the No. 8 seed and a first-round meeting with the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns.

Clippers looking to eke out playoff berth vs. Pelicans

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers got way too comfortable against the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns and it nearly cost them.
Leading by 39 points in the third quarter, the Clippers survived an offensive onslaught by Phoenix's bench in the fourth and hung on for a 113-109 victory on Wednesday night.
Norman Powell scored 24 points after being out two months and Paul George added 19 points in three quarters to go over 15,000 in his career for the Clippers.
“You can never relax in the NBA,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “The players are too good, the coaches are too good, and as soon as you let your guard down things like this can happen.”
With nothing at stake, Phoenix rested All-Star guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul and fellow starters Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder on the second night of a back-to-back. The Suns had already set a franchise record for wins in a season with 63 by eliminating the Lakers from playoff contention Tuesday.
The Clippers beat up the Suns for three quarters. But Phoenix's reserves put together a 48-point fourth quarter and then ran out of time.
“It’s a great lesson for our team and any kid watching, you just play it out,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “We just stayed with it and had that Suns grit.”
Cameron Payne came back in and hit a 3-pointer that drew the Suns within four with 10 seconds left. Amir Coffey got fouled and made both free throws to preserve the win. 
Ish Wainwright scored a career-high 20 points to lead Phoenix. Aaron Holiday added 16 points and Bismack Biyombo had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The only starter in double figures was Payne with 13 points. The Suns' bench outscored the Clippers' reserves 66-58.
“When you have games like this, you find out who that guy is that you may be able to throw into a big game,” Williams said. “You build that confidence in games like this.”
George and Powell were playing together for the first time this season, but they quickly got in sync to help the Clippers win their third in a row. They are locked into the eighth spot for the Western Conference play-in tournament next week.
George has played in five of six games since returning from a torn UCL. Powell is back after missing 21 games with a broken foot. He played in just three games with the team before getting hurt shortly after he was acquired in a trade from Portland.
“Playing with PG still didn’t seem real to me,” Powell said. “I looked up to him growing up. Early on in my career he gave me some words of encouragement that stuck with me.”
George scored 10 of his team’s first 14 points to start the game. Powell came in for the first time late in the first quarter and hit a jumper.
They started the second quarter together. Powell hit a 3-pointer and a jumper back-to-back, then George found him for another 3-pointer as part of a 22-0 run. 
“We just tried to play off one another,” George said. “The biggest thing for me was playing off the ball and letting Norm get comfortable. He’s a big-time playmaker and scorer off the ball.”
The Suns’ first points didn’t come until 6:49, when former Clipper Landry Shamet hit a 3-pointer.
The Clippers outscored the Suns 34-9 in the second to lead 60-31 going into halftime.
Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
TIP-INS
Suns: Their 31 points in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Clippers in a half this season. ... JaVale McGee led a rollicking, expletive-filled huddle in the tunnel before the Suns took the court to warm up. ... The Jenner sisters, Kylie and Kendall, who dates Booker, sat opposite the team bench.
Clippers: Split the season series, 2-2. ... A moment of silence was held for Gene Shue, a two-time NBA coach of the year who had two separate stints guiding the Clippers. He died earlier this week at age 90. ... Hall of Famer and Clippers executive Jerry West posed for a photo at halftime with Grammy nominee Saweetie, who sported bright pink hair. ... Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen sat courtside.
15K for PG
George reflected on becoming the 16th active player with at least 15,000 career points.
“I'm just a kid who came literally from the desert,” he said, referring to his high desert hometown of Palmdale north of Los Angeles. “Every time I touch the floor, especially because of the injuries, I’m always grateful for the opportunity.”
He added, “Hopefully, I crack the 20,000 milestone and the 30,000 milestone.”
UP NEXT
Suns: Visit Utah on Friday.
Clippers: Host Sacramento on Saturday in the first game of a back-to-back.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Clippers survived an offensive onslaught by Phoenix's bench in the fourth and hung on for a 113-109 victory

Powell returns, Clippers beat Suns for 3rd straight win

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we asked the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Here are our staff's thoughts on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers of the 2022 NBA trade deadline</a>. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline? 
Alex Kennedy: My trade deadline winners are the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. I was someone who believed that Daryl Morey should trade Ben Simmons sooner than later, because I thought Simmons' trade value would only decrease over time. I didn't think the 76ers would actually be able to land a star player for Simmons, but I was clearly wrong. Morey's gamble paid off and now he's reunited with James Harden. As for the Pacers, I love&nbsp;what they did over the last week. We all knew that they were going to make drastic changes, but I was really impressed with how much they were able to get back for Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Torrey Craig. I love the addition of Tyrese Haliburton, and I truly believe he's going to develop into a star in Indiana. I also liked the buy-low addition of Jalen Smith, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan deserve credit for pulling off some smart trades and assembling an impressive young core.
Spencer Davies: I&rsquo;m going to be contrarian here, but good for the win-now teams who aren&rsquo;t really in a position to contend this season, yet still went for a swing. I&rsquo;m talking about the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers. The Pels acquired a 20 point-per-game scorer in CJ McCollum to put next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson (defense we&rsquo;ll worry about later; Herb Jones and his 10 arms have it all covered anyway). My thoughts on the Kings acquiring an All-Star such as Domantas Sabonis are well-documented, and now, they&rsquo;ve added an underappreciated two-way guard in Donte DiVincenzo, who&rsquo;s still finding his form since his playoff injury last year. Finally, as for the Clippers, Norm Powell and Robert Covington are championship-caliber veterans who will get acclimated the rest of the season as L.A. stays afloat &mdash; and fit like a glove in Tyronn Lue&rsquo;s rotation next year beside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Individually, I also have to give big-ups to Daryl Morey for sticking to his guns.
Ethan Fuller: The Celtics and Pacers each made the right moves for their franchise directions. Boston needed to find another ball-handling guard to fit with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and the team did exactly that by adding Derrick White. They also brought back a perfect third center in Daniel Theis while clearing roster space to pursue bench upgrades on the buyout market. Indiana is crushing its rebuild initiation. Tyrese Haliburton is obviously the headliner, but the Pacers also netted a first and second-round pick, plus a noteworthy flier in Jalen Smith and tradeable players like Buddy Hield. They also didn't overextend with any forced moves.
Bryan Fonseca: It would be silly to say Indiana, and as much as I do like Tyrese, I'm not a *full-blown* Haliburton hipster. He can be an All-Star, for sure, but Domantas Sabonis is already that. The deal isn't *that* one-sided. I could say Brooklyn or Philly for getting themselves out of a situation, but both teams might've just traded one set of problems for another. In fact, I'd say that's likely. So, you know what, I really enjoy what New Orleans did. You can't rebuild forever and Zion Williamson's already extension-eligible this summer. We'll have to see him again at some point, and with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, you should be competitive, especially next year &mdash; if you have mostly good health. To me, it's a diet version of the Chicago Bulls adding DeMar DeRozan.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Sidery: Exiting this year&rsquo;s trade deadline, it's rare to list both teams from the biggest transaction as winners. That's exactly what happened in the Sixers and Nets&rsquo; blockbuster when James Harden and Ben Simmons swapped places. Harden joins Joel Embiid forming a lethal, potentially transcendent one-two scoring combination. Philadelphia pushed the chips in as Embiid continues to display rare big man dominance. For Brooklyn, this situation was untenable with Harden&rsquo;s on-court pouting. The Nets&rsquo; Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden will be looked back on with so many questions down the road. Both teams shook it up, and in the end it's fair to say both teams made weaknesses a strength. Harden is Daryl Morey&rsquo;s big moment in Philly, but Simmons could finally be fully maximized alongside Durant.
Mat Issa: Of course, the 76ers are &ndash; any time you can end an annoying, eight-month-old saga by securing a top-12 player in the world, you&rsquo;ve won immensely. However, the team that really stands out to me is their counterpart in the deal, the Brooklyn Nets. Despite having their back against the wall with very little leverage (thanks to Harden&rsquo;s displeasure being confirmed the morning of the deadline), the team netted a pretty nice return. Say what you will about him, but Simmons was a solid All-Star in a suboptimal situation in Philadelphia. Next season, he&rsquo;ll be operating with the perimeter gravity that the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry (another valuable piece from the deal) afford you. Also, adding a solid backup center and some draft capital is always nice, as well.
Justin Lewis: The Brooklyn Nets, because they just became a better team. The Detroit Pistons paid next to nothing for a shot at Marvin Bagley. The Memphis Grizzlies because Dallas got worse and no one in the West really made a move to pull closer or further away from them.
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>!

Who are your biggest NBA trade deadline winners? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

Roundtable: Who are the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline?

We're flipping our calendar at BasketballNews &mdash; but not before taking one look back at a memorable 2021.
Sports never cease to give us compelling storylines. Last year, they came from all places, from the pros in the U.S. and abroad, to college, to youth levels, and even off the basketball court. Below are some of our staff's best stories, arranged in several categories. Read the Best of BasketballNews 2021:
Best Features
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gary-payton-ii_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-raptors-905-gary-payton-ii-on-growing-up-in-fathers-shadow-we-have-two-different-paths">Gary Payton II on growing up in father's shadow: 'We have two different paths'</a> &mdash; by Kelsea O'Brien
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Former NBA execs, Overtime Elite seek to revolutionize amateur-to-pro p</a><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reparation</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-daniel-gafford-washington-wizards-russell-westbrook-bradley-beal-tony-falce-arkansas-razorbacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Gafford, Wizards surging since trade: 'When I got here, it clicked automatically'</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pj-dozier-took-a-whirlwind-journey-to-the-denver-nuggets-starting-lineup">Two-way threat: PJ Dozier reflects on whirlwind path to Nuggets</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/g-league-finals-mvp-devin-cannady-remains-focus-bigger-goals">NBA G League Finals MVP Devin Cannady remains focused on bigger goals</a> &mdash; by Kelsea O'Brien
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/theres-plenty-of-blame-to-go-around-for-frank-ntilikinas-failure">There&rsquo;s plenty of blame to go around for Frank Ntilikina&rsquo;s failure</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nikola-vucevic-may-finally-get-credit-he-deserves-with-newlook-bulls">Nikola Vucevic may finally get credit he deserves with new-look Bulls</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/meet-juste-jocyte-15-year-old-phenom-and-professional-record-breaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet Justė Jocytė: 15-year-old phenom and professional record-breaker</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kristaps-porzingis-renewed-confidence-leading-to-resurgent-season-with-mavericks">Kristaps Porzingis' renewed confidence leading to resurgent season</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scoot-henderson-aspirations-far-exceed-any-hype-we-can-give-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA G League star Scoot Henderson's aspirations far exceed the hype</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
Best Interviews and Q&amp;As
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/markelle-fultz_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-richaun-holmes-qa-interview-free-agency-all-defensive-team">Richaun Holmes Q&amp;A: 'I definitely feel I&rsquo;m deserving of the All-Defensive Team'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-orlando-magic-rj-hampton-q-and-a-i-dont-think-you-can-put-a-cap-on-our-ceiling">Magic's R.J. Hampton Q&amp;A: 'I don&rsquo;t think you can put a cap on our ceiling'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-8-episode-7-stephen-curry">The Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins Episode 7 - Stephen Curry</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-10-episode-9-james-jones">The Rex Chapman Show: James Jones on Suns' culture change, player-to-GM leap</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-san-antonio-spurs-derrick-white-dejounte-murray-gregg-popovich-colorado-buffaloes">One-on-One: Derrick White, Spurs' youth trying to make a name for themselves</a> &mdash; with Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-one-on-one-patrick-patterson-los-angeles-clippers-tyronn-lue-paul-george-kawhi-leonard-demarcus-cousins-kentucky-wildcats-basketball">One-on-One: Patrick Patterson opens up as Clippers begin playoff run</a> &mdash; with Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing">Larry Nance Jr. Q&amp;A: 'I did not come out here to half-ass this thing'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jermaine-oneal-on-reconciling-with-ron-artest-i-didnt-know-about-mental-health">Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal on reconciling with Metta World Peace: 'I didn't know about mental health'</a> &mdash; with Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/markelle-fultz-reveals-what-really-happened-with-his-shot-shoulder">Markelle Fultz reveals what really happened with his shot, shoulder</a> &mdash; with Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-alex-kennedy-podcast/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-29-thad-young-on-getting-blindsided-by-trade-to-spurs,-dealing-with-recent-trade-rumors,-the-key-to-nba-longevity,-more-ep-29">Thad Young on being blindsided by Spurs trade, trade rumors, key to longevity</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
Best Player Breakdowns
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/kyle-lowry_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/on-lock-how-jrue-holiday-became-the-nba-finals-xfactor-">On Lock: How Jrue Holiday became the NBA Finals&rsquo; X-Factor</a> &mdash; by Jannelle Moore
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enough-no-bag-talk-giannis-antetokounmpo-put-the-nba-on-notice-finals-mvp-champion">Enough 'no bag' talk: Giannis Antetokounmpo put the NBA on notice</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-kyle-lowry-brings-to-the-miami-heat">Film study: What Kyle Lowry brings to the Miami Heat</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dime-fest-breaking-down-courtney-vandersloot-historic-night-wnba-playoffs">Dime Fest: Breaking down Courtney Vandersloot's historic night</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/all-signs-pointing-to-marcus-smart-as-the-celtics-swing-player">What does Marcus Smart at point guard look like for the Celtics? </a>&nbsp; &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gay-is-injecting-the-jazz-with-funk">Rudy Gay is injecting the Jazz with funk</a> &mdash; by Mark Schindler
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-jaren-jackson-jr-a-star-in-making-or-something-else">Is Jaren Jackson Jr. a star in the making, or something else?</a> &mdash; by Matt Brooks
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dissecting-desmond-bane-role-memphis-grizzlies-offense">Dissecting Desmond Bane's growing role in the Grizzlies' offense</a> &mdash; by Jackson Frank
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-dave-bing-right-about-cade-cunningham">Is Cade Cunningham a franchise player the Pistons can build around?</a> &mdash; by Mat Issa and Bryce Simon
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-the-nba-all-star-case-for-cavs-big-man-jarrett-allen">Making the NBA All-Star case for Cavs big man Jarrett Allen</a> &mdash; by Bryan Fonseca
Best Team and League Breakdowns
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jarrett-allen_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-to-tank-or-not-to-tank-analyzing-the-toronto-raptors-present-and-future">To tank, or not to tank? Analyzing the Raptors' present and future</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-draft-lottery-is-not-rigged-and-heres-why">The NBA Draft Lottery is not rigged, and here's why</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings">Why NBA bigs take more time to develop: 'They're used to imposing their will'</a>&nbsp;&mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/as-the-offseason-revs-up-what-nba-teams-are-in-the-dead-money-doldrums">As NBA offseason nears, which teams are in the dead money doldrums?</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-create-unnecessarily-awkward-situation-not-signing-deandre-ayton-to-extension">Suns create unnecessarily awkward situation by not extending Ayton</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited">Length matters: The NBA's long-ball revolution may be coming</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grindhouse-how-the-grizzlies-are-winning-with-defense">The Grindhouse: How the Grizzlies are winning with defense</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tom-thibodeau-isnt-the-only-reigning-coach-of-the-year-to-struggle">Tom Thibodeau isn&rsquo;t the only reigning Coach of the Year to struggle</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-reclaim-top-spot-from-suns">NBA Power Rankings: Bulls are hot, Warriors reclaim top spot from Suns </a>&nbsp;&mdash; by Tommy Beer
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-embarrassing-defense-sinking-their-enticing-potential">Hornets' embarrassing defense sinking their enticing potential</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
Best Opinion
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/draymond-green_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/injuries-galore-the-nba-all-too-soon-return-has-made-losers-of-us-all">Injuries Galore: The NBA&rsquo;s all-too-soon return has made losers of us all</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-can-the-nba-do-to-prevent-ugly-fan-incidents">What can the NBA do to prevent more ugly fan incidents?</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rachel-nichols-maria-taylor-incident-exposes-espn-racism-sexism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Nichols-Maria Taylor incident exposes ESPN&rsquo;s racism, sexism&nbsp;</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-discourse-around-nba-superteams-is-tiresome-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The discourse around NBA stars and super-teams is tiresome</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-beginners-guide-to-nba-stats-written-by-a-beginner">A beginner's guide to NBA stats: The three types of statistics</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/which-nba-players-could-have-realistically-played-in-the-nfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which NBA players could have realistically played in the NFL?</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/no-enhancement-necessary-the-nba-should-leave-well-enough-alone">No enhancement necessary: NBA should leave well enough alone</a> &mdash; by Jannelle Moore
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nets-should-be-ashamed-of-themselves">The Nets should be ashamed of themselves</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/missing-the-forest-through-the-trees-on-christmas-day-games">Missing the forest through the trees on Christmas Day games</a> &mdash; by Mark Schindler
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/greg-monroe-and-the-brief-case-for-us-to-see-more-nba-veterans-this-season">NBA teams need to show more respect to veterans, and we're seeing why</a> &mdash; by Bryan Fonseca
Best of the NBA Draft
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/james-bouknight_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-behindthescenes-look-at-james-bouknights-predraft-training">Behind the scenes with projected lottery pick James Bouknight</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-demands-your-attention">Q&amp;A: Draft prospect Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland demands your attention</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-2021-nba-draft-intel-with-lead-draft-analyst-matt-babcock-rumors-offseason">2021 NBA Draft: Matt Babcock on rumors, trades, risers, fallers</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller and Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-little-guy-from-bendigo-dyson-daniels-game-is-unlike-anyone-elses">The Little Guy From Bendigo: Dyson Daniels is unlike anyone else</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-qa-french-big-man-ismael-kamagate">2022 NBA Draft Q&amp;A: French big man Ismael Kamagate</a> &mdash; by Jason Filippi
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-jean-montero-scouting-report">2022 NBA Draft: Jean Montero scouting report</a> &mdash; by Doc Martin
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcocks-takeaways-jabari-smith-patrick-baldwin-jr-matthew-cleveland-more">Babcock&rsquo;s Takeaways: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-the-evolution-of-kansas-guard-ochai-agbaji">2022 NBA Draft: The evolution of Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji</a> &mdash; by Derek Murray
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-getting-to-know-alabamas-native-son-jd-davison">2022 NBA Draft: Getting to know JD Davison, Alabama's native son</a> &mdash; by Grant Aqui
Best Player Pieces
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/james-posey_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-washington-wizards-troy-brown-jr-bradley-beal-russell-westbrook-outbreak-covid-19-coronavirus-virus-contract-health-safety-protocol">Behind the scenes of the Wizards' COVID-19 outbreak: 'It's been a wild season'</a> &mdash; by Troy Brown Jr.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-a-shame-carmelo-didnt-end-up-in-portland-sooner">It&rsquo;s a shame Carmelo Anthony didn&rsquo;t end up in Portland sooner</a> &mdash; by Kenyon Martin
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-first-time-getting-traded-learning-what-its-like-to-be-dealt-in-the-nba">My first time getting traded: Learning what it's like to be dealt in the NBA</a> &mdash; by Troy Brown Jr.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kwame-brown-stephen-a-smith-stephen-jackson-matt-barnes-charlemagne-etan-thomas-washington-wizards-media">After 20 years of public degradation, Kwame Brown is fed up</a> &mdash; by Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/paul-george-is-silencing-his-critics-los-angeles-clippers-nba-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul George is silencing his critics</a> &mdash; by Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-is-big-business-and-players-should-be-allowed-to-act-like-it">The NBA is a big business, and players should be allowed to act like it</a> &mdash; by James Posey
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-doesnt-seem-to-be-succumbing-to-father-time-just-yet">LeBron James doesn&rsquo;t seem to be succumbing to Father Time just yet</a> &mdash; by James Posey

BasketballNews highlights its best stories over the calendar 2021 year.

The Best of BasketballNews: 2021

Monty Williams and Billy Donovan were named this month's Coach of the Month for October and November.
ANALYSIS: Williams' Suns went 18-3 as Donovan's Bulls went 14-8.
The Suns have looked like a well-oiled machine after a 1-3 start, winning a league-high 17 straight games.
Donovan's Bulls have surprised the league with stifling defense and have the 4th-best net rating in the NBA.
Other nominees:
West: Steve Kerr (GSW) and Tyronn Lue (LAC).
East: J.B. Bickerstaff (CLE), Mike Budenholzer (MIL), Steve Nash (BKN) and Wes Unseld Jr. (WAS).

Monty Williams and Billy Donovan were named this month's Coach of the Month for October and November.

Williams, Donovan earn NBA Coach of the Month honors for Oct./Nov.

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jonas Valančiūnas scored 29 of his career-high 39 points in a spectacular first half, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time this month, 123-104 on Monday night.
New Orleans rolled to a 21-point lead in the first half with a phenomenal effort from Valančiūnas, the 10-year Lithuanian veteran in his first season with the Pelicans. The 6-foot-11 Valančiūnas hit seven 3-pointers without a miss in the first half to the increasing delight of his teammates and even himself.
&ldquo;The guys were calling him Dirk Valančiūnas,&rdquo; New Orleans coach Willie Green said with a grin.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jonas Valanciunas is up to a career-high 7 threes...at halftime. 🤯 He hasn't missed. Watch on NBA League Pass: <a href="https://t.co/w2ntIgyLjw">https://t.co/w2ntIgyLjw</a> <a href="https://t.co/uKTYhu6Ays">pic.twitter.com/uKTYhu6Ays</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1465540392384970752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Valančiūnas isn&rsquo;t quite ready to call himself the next Dirk Nowitzki, even if he resembled the Dallas great at times.
&ldquo;Everybody wants to be him,&rdquo; Valančiūnas said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the greatest big guys in the game, but I&rsquo;ve still got to work a lot to be like him.&rdquo;
Valančiūnas, who surpassed his career high for 3s in the first half alone, had dropped 26 points and 13 rebounds on Los Angeles 10 days earlier in the Pelicans&rsquo; 94-81 win in New Orleans. He added 15 rebounds to his prolific scoring in the rematch.
&ldquo;He changed the game for us tonight,&rdquo; said Brandon Ingram, who scored 27 points for New Orleans. &ldquo;He came out with a lot of energy and looked like he played loose. He was the head of the snake of everything we did.&rdquo;
Green and the Pelicans&rsquo; coaching staff are constantly encouraging more long-range shooting from Valančiūnas, who didn&rsquo;t make a single 3-pointer in the first five years of his NBA career in Toronto. Valančiūnas added the shot to his arsenal through years of hard work, yet he is still reluctant to unleash his jumper even though he knows it improves the Pelicans&rsquo; spacing and ball movement.
A night like this is a boon for his confidence.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m comfortable when I see them going in,&rdquo; Valančiūnas said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not comfortable when they&rsquo;re not going in. It was just a team effort. Working with the guys, getting me open, running the plays for that is five guys&rsquo; effort on the court.&rdquo;
Paul George scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson had 19 for the Clippers, who have lost three of four and six of nine after a seven-game winning streak.
&ldquo;We just couldn&rsquo;t stop them tonight,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;We were due for a bad defensive game ... but they got anything they wanted, and we couldn&rsquo;t get in any rhythm offensively.&rdquo;
George closed the margin to eight midway through the fourth, but Ingram scored eight points in the quarter and led a 17-8 run to put it away for New Orleans. George lamented the Pelicans&rsquo; 47-35 rebounding advantage.
&ldquo;Every team, they&rsquo;re going to crash (the boards) against us,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s honestly our kryptonite. Every team goes toward that, sending guys to the glass. They just think they can do that and there&rsquo;s no penalty to it because we haven&rsquo;t been a great transition team once we get rebounds. We&rsquo;re just going to see that every night.&rdquo;
Herbert Jones added 16 points for the Pelicans, who rebounded from their second-worst loss of the season at Utah last Saturday to finish their three-game road trip with two victories.
The Pelicans have won three of four, doubling their season win total in the past six days after a 3-16 start without injured Zion Williamson. Their star forward has been cleared for a full return to basketball activities, further boosting New Orleans&rsquo; hopes of turning around its season.
The Clippers (11-10) still won&rsquo;t have Kawhi Leonard anytime soon, and they&rsquo;re struggling to keep pace in the competitive Western Conference.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Josh Hart had 12 rebounds and nine assists, but only four points on 1-for-9 shooting. ... New Orleans committed just eight turnovers.
Clippers: Marcus Morris got a rest after playing Sunday. Amir Coffey had nine points while starting in the veteran&rsquo;s place. ... Nicolas Batum missed his fifth straight game. He is in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocol.
B.I. IN L.A.
Ingram spent his first three seasons with the Lakers before he went to New Orleans in the blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis, and he still knows plenty of Staples Center employees.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always fun being back here,&rdquo; Ingram said. &ldquo;I definitely felt it tonight with the Clippers fans. I heard my name a lot tonight, and it felt good.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Clippers: Host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Jonas Valančiūnas scored 29 of his career-high 39 points in a spectacular first half, and the Pelicans beat the Clippers for the second time this month.

Jonas Valanciunas has career-high 39, Pelicans beat Clips again

The Sacramento Kings became the first NBA team to fire their head coach this season, relieving Luke Walton of his duties after just 17 games due to the franchise's 6-11 start.
Which head coach will be fired next?
<a href="https://www.betonline.ag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetOnline</a> recently released odds on who will be let go next, and oddsmakers think Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey (2/1), Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel (3/1), Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas (5/1) and New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green (6/1) have the hottest seats.
The coaches least likely to get canned are Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (300/1), Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder (250/1), Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams (250/1), Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (200/1) and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (200/1).
Here are the full odds:
Dwane Casey, 2/1 Frank Vogel, 3/1 Stephen Silas, 5/1 Willie Green, 6/1 Mark Daigneault, 10/1 Nick Nurse, 11/1 Taylor Jenkins, 12/1 Nate McMillan, 18/1 Ime Udoka, 20/1 Jamahl Mosley, 20/1 Mike Budenholzer, 22/1 Rick Carlisle, 25/1 Chauncey Billups, 28/1 Michael Malone, 33/1 Chris Finch, 40/1 Tyronn Lue, 40/1 Doc Rivers, 50/1 Tom Thibodeau, 60/1 James Borrego, 66/1 Jason Kidd, 75/1 Steve Nash, 80/1 JB Bickerstaff, 125/1 Erik Spoelstra, 150/1 Billy Donovan, 200/1 Gregg Popovich, 200/1 Wes Unseld Jr., 200/1 Monty Williams, 250/1 Quin Snyder, 250/1 Steve Kerr, 300/1
They also released odds on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kenny-atkinson-terry-stotts-have-best-odds-to-become-kings-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who the Sacramento Kings will hire as their next head coach</a>.

Which coach will be fired next? BetOnline's oddmakers are looking at Dwane Casey (2/1), Frank Vogel (3/1) and Stephen Silas (5/1).

Which NBA coach gets fired next? Casey, Vogel, Silas have best odds

Last week, BasketballNews.com dished out its <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-golden-state-warriors-come-in-at-no-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first edition of NBA Power Rankings</a> for the 2021-22 season. Now, nearly one month into the campaign, Tommy Beer is back with his latest version.
The two top-rated teams in this week's ranking's square off against each other Tuesday night in Brooklyn.&nbsp;
1. Golden State Warriors (11-2) &harr;️ Last Week: 1 
The Warriors had their seven-game winning streak snapped Sunday night in Charlotte, and head to Brooklyn on Tuesday evening in a matchup between the two best teams in the league thus far this season. Tuesday's contest also features a showdown between the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/stephen-curry-kevin-durant-named-players-of-the-week-for-nov-8-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reigning Eastern Conference and Western Conference NBA Players of the Week</a>: Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who averaged 34.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last week.
2. Brooklyn Nets (10-4) 🔼 Last Week: 6
Just how efficient has the aforementioned Kevin Durant been this season, you ask? Incredibly, KD has scored 415 points on just 263 field goal attempts. To put those numbers in perspective, consider this: Curry has scored 365 points on 265 FGAs. And Boston's Jayson Tatum has scored 109 fewer points (306) than Durant despite having attempted 28 more shots from the floor (291) this season. It's genuinely remarkable how well KD has played since recovering from his torn Achilles.&nbsp;
3. Phoenix Suns (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 8
On Monday, the Suns welcomed back Deandre Ayton (who had missed five games due to a right lower leg contusion), and the big man racked up 22 points (10-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds to help carry Phoenix to its ninth straight win. That's the league's longest current winning streak, and the Suns' longest streak in over a decade (they won 10 in a row from March 14 to April 2, 2010).
4. Chicago Bulls (10-4) &harr;️ Last Week: 4
When the Bulls inked DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to big contracts over the summer, they envisioned them performing as well as the duo did in Monday's night's pounding of the Lakers. DeRozan converted 15-of-23 attempts and made all six of his free throws en route to a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/demar-derozan-says-he-nearly-joined-lakers-thought-it-was-done-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">season-high 38 points</a>. Lonzo shot 10-of-13 from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers for a season-high 27 points, to go along with 7 rebounds and 8 assists. The Bulls have won four of their last five, with those four wins coming against the Nets and Mavs, plus the Lakers and Clippers on a road back-to-back.&nbsp;
5. Washington Wizards (10-3) 🔼 Last Week: 7
The Wiz outlasted the Pelicans on Monday night to secure their fifth consecutive victory. Washington has won at least 10 of their first 13 games to start a season for the first time in over 40 years (they opened the 1974-75 season with an 11-2 record). Editor's Note: Our Spencer Davies <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently spoke with Wes Unseld Jr. and Kyle Kuzma</a> about Washington's developing defensive identity. 
6. Miami Heat (9-5) 🔽 Last Week: 3
Miami was forced to play without Jimmy Butler (sprained right ankle) and Bam Adebayo (bruised left knee) Monday night in Oklahoma City, but Tyler Herro scored 26 points to help propel the Heat past the Thunder. After a relatively disappointing sophomore season, Herro has bounced back in a big way this year. Through Miami's first 14 games, Herro is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 made triples while posting an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 53.7%.
7. Dallas Mavericks (9-4) 🔼 Last Week: 11
Kristaps Porzingis followed up a 32-point explosion Friday with 29 more points in a 111-101 win over the Nuggets on Monday. However, unfortunately for Dallas, Luka Doncic limped off the court after Austin Rivers fell on his left ankle in the final minute of Monday's victory. The Mavs play the red-hot Suns twice this week.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kristaps Porzingis last 3 games: 27.7 PPG 10.0 RPG 55/50/90% Mavs won 5 of the last 6 UNICORN SZN <a href="https://t.co/xzBl1siz0K">pic.twitter.com/xzBl1siz0K</a>
&mdash; MFFL (9-4) (@Mavs_FFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mavs_FFL/status/1460453842022195202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

8. Denver Nuggets (9-5) 🔼 Last Week: 12
After capturing his first MVP award in 2020-21, Nikola Jokic might, somehow, be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/were-having-the-wrong-conversation-about-nikola-jokic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing at an even higher level this season</a>. Not only is The Joker averaging a mind-boggling 26/13/6 stat line to go with 1.7 made treys per contest, but he is also shooting a career-high 59.3% from the floor.
9. Utah Jazz (8-5) 🔽 Last Week: 5
Utah stormed out of the gates this season, winning 7 of its first 8 contests. However, the Jazz's defense has abandoned them of late, as they're allowing over 114 points per 100 possessions during a current five-game stretch. Utah will look to get back on track Tuesday night vs. Philadelphia.&nbsp;
10. Philadelphia 76ers (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 2
If you were looking for a reminder of just how important Joel Embiid is to the success of the Sixers, last week was Exhibit A. Embiid entered the NBA's health and safety protocols last Monday after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19. Consequently, the big man missed all four games the 76ers played, and Philly lost each contest.&nbsp;
11. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6) 🔽 Last Week: 9
Rookie sensation Evan Mobley entered Monday's matchup with Boston on a heater, averaging 19.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 triples and 2.0 blocks over Cleveland's five previous contests. However, the kid came crashing back to earth vs. the Celtics, missing all 11 of his field-goal attempts prior to exiting the game with a right elbow sprain. The Cavs then announced Tuesday afternoon that <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1460664697997438982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobley would miss 2-to-4 weeks due to the elbow injury</a>.&nbsp;
12. Los Angeles Clippers (8-5) 🔼 Last Week: 17
The Clippers were riding a seven-game winning streak into Sunday's showdown with Chicago before the Bulls handed L.A. its first loss since the Friday before Halloween. Still, Clippers fans got some encouraging news on Sunday from head coach Tyronn Lue. He told reporters that Marcus Morris has made progress in his recovery from a left knee injury, and that it may be possible Morris could travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip later this week.
13. Milwaukee Bucks (6-8) 🔼 Last Week: 16
The Bucks spanked the Nets by 23 points on opening night. That was the last time the team had all five of its starters healthy. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Khris Middleton (health and safety protocols) is reportedly expected to return Wednesday against the Lakers after missing eight consecutive contests. In addition, the Bucks begin their longest home stand of the season (five games) starting Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
14. New York Knicks (8-6) 🔽 Last Week: 10
The Knicks got <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/knicks-to-begin-an-important-three-game-home-stand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a much-needed victory</a> on Monday vs. the Pacers. It was their backup backcourt of Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickly that led the way. That combo has been, by far, New York's most effective two-man lineup this season; the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 89 points in the 183 minutes D-Rose and IQ have been on the floor together. In contrast, New York has been outscored by 75 points in the 290 minutes that the starting backcourt of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have played together. Over the Knicks' last four games, Quickley is averaging 13.3 points and 3.0 made treys while shooting 51.5% from the floor, 60% from downtown and 87.5% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
15. Los Angeles Lakers (8-7) &harr;️ Last Week: 15
The Lakers lost on Monday in blowout fashion to the Bulls, but L.A. fans were once again treated to another impressive performance from Talen Horton-Tucker. THT started and racked up a career-high 28 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 37 minutes. And, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is "growing optimism" that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-optimism-lebron-james-could-return-friday-vs-celtics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James (abdominal strain) could return to action</a> on Friday in Boston.&nbsp;
16. Charlotte Hornets (8-7) 🔼 Last Week: 18
The surging Hornets put an end to the Warriors' seven-game win streak on Sunday. It was thanks in large part to another phenomenal all-around effort from LaMelo Ball, who racked up 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to go with four triples. Despite turning 20 years old just a few months ago, Ball is averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.7 made treys per game. Only three players in NBA history have ever finished a season averaging more than 15 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes before turning 21: Magic Johnson in 1979-80, LeBron James in 2004-05 and Luka Doncic in 2019-20. &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
where does lamelo get his ideas <a href="https://t.co/IHyFafKDBY">pic.twitter.com/IHyFafKDBY</a>
&mdash; James Herbert (@outsidethenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/outsidethenba/status/1460055631524777996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

17. Boston Celtics (7-7) 🔼 Last Week: 23
In early November, Dennis Schroder was inserted into the starting lineup to replace Jaylen Brown (strained right hamstring), and Schroder has filled in admirably. He is averaging 24.0 points (on 51% shooting), 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 dimes in his five consecutive starts. However, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said Schroder would return to the bench once Brown is back. "We like our regular starting lineup," Udoka said. "Dennis is a pseudo sixth starter for us, coming off the bench and finishing games."&nbsp;
18. Memphis Grizzlies (7-7) 🔽 Last Week: 14
After losing three straight games, all by double-digits, a matchup with the hapless Rockets was just what the doctor ordered for the Grizzlies. Memphis blew out Houston by 34 points on Monday night, 136-102.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (7-8) 🔼 Last Week: 20
After missing Sunday's game vs. the Nuggets, Damian Lillard (abdomen) was back in action on Monday and led the Blazers to a 118-113 home win over Toronto. Lillard recorded 24 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and cashed-in three treys. Portland 6-1 at home, but just 1-7 on the road.&nbsp;
20. Toronto Raptors (7-8) 🔽 Last Week: 13
The Raps have lost 5 of their last 6 games, and things don't get any easier in the near future. Toronto is just beginning a six-game road trip that will include stops in Utah and Golden State later this week.&nbsp;
21. Atlanta Hawks (6-9) 🔽 Last Week: 19
The Hawks got a much-needed victory over the Magic on Monday, but received awful news over the weekend when they learned <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/hawks-f-deandre-hunter-out-2-months-with-wrist-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">De'Andre Hunter would have to undergo surgery on a tendon in his right wrist</a> that's expected to sideline him for roughly two months. And in Monday's victory, Kevin Huerter was forced to exit the game due to left hamstring tightness.
22. Indiana Pacers (6-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 22
On Monday, the Pacers were held to just 10 points in the fourth quarter in their loss to the Knicks. Remarkably, Indiana didn't convert a single field goal attempt in the final seven minutes of regulation. The Pacers will look to get back in the win column Wednesday vs. the Pistons.&nbsp;
23. Sacramento Kings (6-8) 🔽 Last Week: 21
The Kings snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday vs. the lowly Pistons, but coach Luke Walton is on the hot seat. Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kings-losing-streak-could-have-luke-walton-on-hot-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walton's job "will likely be in peril"</a> if the Kings don't turn things around soon.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 24
The Spurs have faced a demanding schedule early on, with 9 of their first 15 games on the road. And, despite having a positive point differential on the season (+1), they find themselves five games below .500. San Antonio is expected to welcome back Jakob Poeltl this week once his conditioning improves, as he works his way back from COVID.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 25
Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a season-high 35 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 2 assists, but also committed a season-high-tying 7 turnovers in Monday's 99-96 loss to the Suns. The Wolves have now lost 8 of their last 9.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Karl Anthony Towns scored a season-high 35 points as the Wolves battled until the end with Phoenix but fell short 99-96. Full highlights ⤵ <a href="https://t.co/x8gU14LE8R">pic.twitter.com/x8gU14LE8R</a>
&mdash; Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsNOR/status/1460454524863361024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8) 🔼 Last Week: 27
OKC has lost two in a row, but Luguentz Dort has continued his impressive play. We know what he brings to the table on the defensive end, but over the Thunder's last four games, Dort is averaging 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 made treys, while shooting 56.9% from the floor, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the charity stripe.&nbsp;
27. Orlando Magic (3-11) 🔽 Last Week: 26
Jalen Suggs was unable to play Monday in Atlanta due to a right ankle sprain, which he suffered late in Saturday's home loss to the Wizards. However, Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said the team was "just being cautious," adding that Suggs went through shootaround Monday morning and is considered "day-to-day." Orlando's next game is Wednesday vs. the Knicks.&nbsp;
28. New Orleans Pelicans (2-13) 🔼 Last Week: 30
Brandon Ingram returned to action over the weekend after missing seven straight games due to a hip injury. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst <a href="https://twitter.com/EliotClough/status/1459240545679822850?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported last Friday</a> that he believes Zion Williamson (right foot surgery) is still "weeks away" from a return and won't be cleared to play until December.
29. Detroit Pistons (3-10) &harr;️ Last Week: 29
Pistons fans haven't had much to cheer about this season, but they did get to enjoy No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham pouring in a career-high 25 points while also tallying 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and five treys on Monday.
30. Houston Rockets (1-13) 🔽 Last Week: 28
The Rockets are riding an embarrassing 12-game losing streak. And it's not as if these contests have been nail-biters. During this 12-game slide, Houston has been outscored by a whopping 169 points.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Suns shining during winning streak

It&rsquo;s not often that an aspiring professional basketball player makes their debut on the big screen and the NBA hardwood simultaneously, but Michael Foster is right on track.
Projected as a first-rounder in the 2022 NBA Draft, the burly 18-year-old power forward is set to appear in Adam Sandler&rsquo;s upcoming Netflix film, "Hustle," in a small role. There's no concrete release date, so it&rsquo;s conceivable that Foster will kick off his NBA and acting careers in the same year.
&ldquo;That opportunity really came out of nowhere,&rdquo; Foster told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &nbsp;&ldquo;I was at a tournament when my guy Avery [Smith] had told Chianti [Clay Sr.] about it, and then Chianti told me that I had to do a little audition. I'm like, 'I gotta do an audition?'&nbsp;
&ldquo;It seemed so simple. I had to just dunk the ball, turn around, say a couple lines. But it's tough once you've got two phones recording you, flashlight on. It's like, 'Aw, you've got to say it like you really mean it.&rsquo; It's tough, but I got through it and they liked it and now I'm there."
Before either happens, however, Foster has the task of spending the next season preparing in Walnut Creek, California with the G League Ignite. Though it won&rsquo;t technically be on the top stage, this will still be his introduction to the pro level. He&rsquo;ll be competing in games against former NBA players scattered throughout the G League, as well as practicing against former pros and other top prospects on the Ignite (including Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Fanbo Zeng).
Foster already got a taste of what that will be like. While he was in Los Angeles in early August, he participated in scrimmages with players from the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons for a few days prior to NBA Summer League. He played with a number of guys who were a part of the 2021 draft class as well, so he got a little bit of a head start before the Ignite start camp for the upcoming campaign.
&ldquo;It's pretty fun [knowing I&rsquo;m getting ready for my first pro season]. It motivated me a lot to get up every morning, go extra hard in the gym, push myself,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;Of course I've never played an NBA game, but I've been hooping with a couple professional basketball players... I'm an open book for anything. I know the game's gonna be different &mdash; the speed of the game, the physicality, all things like that &mdash; so it's just a mental state I've gotta keep myself in."
It always helps to have an NBA-ready body before you get there. At 6-foot-10 with an imposing 220-pound muscular frame, Foster has that part taken care of &mdash; and he might not be done.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm growing by the month actually,&rdquo; he said with a laugh.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/Zl3ewRLRSU">pic.twitter.com/Zl3ewRLRSU</a>
&mdash; Michael Foster (@MichaelFoster__) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelFoster__/status/1391575734427082753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Foster believes that his strength separates him from the pack, but he knows that this alone won't get him very far.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know everybody be like, 'He got a pro body already,' but people don't understand that one of the major things on the next level is being able to control your body, be able to guard bigger, better players, faster,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;You go in there &mdash; and it's no offense to the skinnier and little guys &mdash; but at some point, you're gonna have to hit that weight room... unless you leap like Kevin Durant, and it ain't that many people like that."
When asked if he feels he'll be able to beat up players at the next level, Foster doesn't hesitate.
"Ain't no question. Playing against a couple pros, everybody be like, 'Oh my God, his strength is on another level.' But I'm still learning to control my strength and my body control and things like that..." he said, before adding that he wants to be a multi-dimensional player.
"I probably look at the game differently... Once you're bigger &mdash; 6-foot-8, 6-foot-10, 6-foot-9 &mdash; everybody wants to be that forward that can do it all, [like] Kevin Durant or LeBron James. I'm pretty sure everybody's mimicking their game after them too."
Foster believes his best attributes are "my strength, my speed, the way I move [despite being] this big of a guy." He&nbsp;is extremely confident in his scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. He additionally insists that he&rsquo;s a good defender who can guard 1-through-5 and play positionless basketball. As for aspects he needs to improve on, Foster points to his outside stroke and decision-making with the ball in his hands.
&ldquo;My shot selection. Like, take the first one instead of taking the hard one, turning to a stepback, doing fades when I don't got to," Foster said when asked of what he's got to get better at. "And overthinking sometimes, for sure.&rdquo;
BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock is a big believer in what Foster brings to the table, especially after watching Foster work out a few weeks ago.
Michael Foster&rsquo;s physical profile and athleticism are intriguing as he is 6-foot-9 and possesses extreme power and explosiveness. He also has a solid skill set, including an ability to shoot the ball from outside. This year while he is with the G League Ignite, I&rsquo;d like to see him simplify his game. If Foster limits how much he tries to do off of the dribble, improves his shot-selection, and uses his physical tools more effectively, I think he will elevate his game and draft stock exponentially.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
It was great to see Michael Foster before he heads out to join the G League Ignite. Foster possesses big-time physical tools and major upside. I&rsquo;ll certainly be tracking him closely this season in preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft. <a href="https://t.co/w381xbDtNO">pic.twitter.com/w381xbDtNO</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1428014146235240452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The Ignite&rsquo;s roster features plenty of future NBA talent for Foster to develop alongside. Aside from the highly-talented Jaden Hardy (whom he&rsquo;s gone head-to-head with in high school), Foster doesn&rsquo;t have previous relationships with his new teammates. &nbsp;He keeps in touch with Hardy and Scoot Henderson over texts here and there, and they've all been getting to know one another while taking a financial literacy class together via Zoom.
In late July, it was announced that Jason Hart would be taking the Ignite's head-coaching reins from Brian Shaw, who took an assistant coaching job under Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers. During the the team's mini-camp last month, Foster said that Shaw informed the group of his plans to pursue an NBA coaching opportunity that he'd been chasing. The message? That this is a business and when chances like that come along, you&rsquo;ve got to do what&rsquo;s best for your family.
Foster said that he&rsquo;s had some brief conversations with Hart, whom he met in Los Angeles while working with NBA shooting specialist Chris Matthews, known as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lethalshooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Lethal Shooter"</a> on social media.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a cool guy,&rdquo; Foster said of Hart. &ldquo;He understands that the game is evolving. He understands he's got young guys going against older, stronger guys. He told us that they're gonna want to play on their [own] level. They're gonna try to slow the game down, this and that. But he said we've got to do our best to speed 'em up and keep our composure."
As we saw in this most recent NBA Draft, the Ignite program helped elevate its inaugural prospects into top-tier picks. Foster relays that seeing Jalen Green go No. 2 to Houston and Jonathan Kuminga go No. 7 to Golden State on draft night only solidifies his trust in the Ignite and what they can do for him.
Foster is quite familiar with both of those guys, as well as Isaiah Todd (No. 31 to the Washington Wizards). He and Green were on the same Team USA junior squad, and the two shared Co-MVP of the 2019 Chick-Fil-A Classic. And before Kuminga reclassified, he and Foster were in the same class.
&ldquo;We was debatable; they had me I think like fifth [overall] and he was No. 1, but we was always the two cats... [Like], 'Okay, them pros. It ain't too many people like that in our class of 2021,&rsquo;" Foster said of Kuminga. &ldquo;He went there [to the Warriors]. He boosted my confidence by that. The G League did a great job making him who he is today. That right there just made me like, 'Okay, they're really over there wanting better for the kids.'
&ldquo;We always had that competitive edge, being debated as the two best in the class. Of course we're going at each other every time we'd see each other. So [I&rsquo;m] pretty sure that he knows about me; we for sure know about each other.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/michael2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="729" height="412" />
As he&rsquo;s embarked on this journey from his hometown of Milwaukee to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix to the West Coast, Foster has leaned on his strong support system. Chianti Clay Sr. (his coach and mentor) and Chianti Clay Jr. (his coach's son and former teammate, who's a great prospect in his own right) have been by Foster&rsquo;s side since his middle-school days. Avery Smith and Josh Williams are &ldquo;his guys&rdquo; who work out with him and help motivate him. Foster&rsquo;s mother, sister, brother and father support and pull for him too.
&ldquo;In my inner circle, I've got them wanting me to be the greatest I can be. And that's also my mindset. My mindset is the main thing,&rdquo; Foster said.
Clay Sr. told Foster that he's different from any of the other players he's taken under his wing.
&ldquo;He had plenty of guys that could've made it out of Milwaukee, but they decided to do anything that got theirself put in a different situation. But me, see, I'm just different. I'm more low-key of a guy,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I've got one goal in life, and that's to become an NBA player and take care of my family. Ain't nothing gonna stop me from getting there. God forbid I get injured or anything like that, but I feel like I can bounce back from anything if I really put my mind to it.&rdquo;
At Hillcrest Prep, Foster averaged 32.2 points and 18.4 rebounds per game during his senior season. He was an All-American who tore up the high-school scene as the No. 7 prospect in the 2021 class before becoming the Ignite&rsquo;s first commit for the 2021-22 season. The school hadn't seen that kind of dominance from a big man since Deandre Ayton.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/01/21/hillcrest-preps-michael-foster-aspires-better-than-7-footayton/4235442001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview last winter with The Arizona Republic</a>, Foster sternly spoke about being associated with the Phoenix Suns star: &ldquo;I want to be better than him.&rdquo;
That sentiment has not changed, and now a year away from achieving his NBA dream, his objectives extend beyond himself.
&ldquo;Being the best I can be, that's one goal,&rdquo; Foster said. &ldquo;I don't know what the [Ignite] record was last year, but the team goal is to have a better record [than 8-7]. Go for the championship for the G League or being a better playoff seed than the previous year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Of course, I want to get my numbers up, but you know, you've got to do what you've got to do first. To get your numbers up, you've gotta play team ball, you've got to play more games. So that's the goal, be a better team than last year."

G League Ignite forward Michael Foster speaks with Spencer Davies about his game, his goals for the upcoming season and more.

G League Ignite's Michael Foster won't let anything stop his NBA dream

It&rsquo;s not personal... It&rsquo;s just business.
We&rsquo;ve all heard that phrase millions of times, and anyone who&rsquo;s ever played in the NBA &mdash; at one point or another &mdash; has probably heard those words coming from the other end of a phone.
In the name of winning, guys get cut, don&rsquo;t get their options picked up and get traded against their will.
It&rsquo;s the nature of the business.
With the influx of capital that the NBA got with its new TV deals and the stiff luxury tax penalties in the new collective bargaining agreement, we&rsquo;ve all become so much smarter about the business of basketball.
At the end of the day, it&rsquo;s important to remember that this is exactly what the NBA is&hellip; a business.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This summer, we got great reminders of that fact when guys like Steph Curry, Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid signed huge contracts to stay with their teams.
But on the other end of the spectrum, most players &mdash; especially the players who aren&rsquo;t superstars &mdash; have those difficult moments where the business of basketball ends up pushing them towards situations that weren&rsquo;t necessarily their preferred outcome.
For me, that moment came after we won the championship in Boston in 2008.&nbsp;
Even today, when people are reminded that I was only a Celtic for one season, they seem surprised. It just seemed like I was there longer. And for me, it feels that way, too. Unfortunately, as you probably guessed, business got in the way.
In the summer of 2005, Memphis traded me to Miami along with Jason Williams and Andre Emmett. Pat Riley<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-james-posey-championship-expectations-boston-celtics-doc-rivers-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-ray-allen-cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-tyronn-lue-miami-heat-pat-riley-shaquille-o-neal" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> put together a decent squad around Shaq and D-Wade</a>, and we ended up beating Dallas in the 2006 Finals.
The next season, though, for some reason, we never really got it going. We got swept by Chicago in the first round, and it just seemed to me like I needed a change. I was still in my prime and was only one year removed from helping Miami win the championship. By this time, I had a reputation for being a good &ldquo;3-and-D&rdquo; guy, so I thought I would have an easy time finding a situation as a better fit.
By that time, Boston traded for KG and Ray Allen, and the team was looking for some tough role players and experienced specialists to round out the squad. I had a couple options, but I thought that was the best opportunity for me to win, and that&rsquo;s exactly what we went out and did.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YHDJItsGgQ" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
I&rsquo;ll never forget what it felt like to play against the Lakers in the Finals as a member of the Celtics.
Truth be told, I left more money on the table in Miami and took a bit of a pay cut to play for Boston. Even worse? The Celtics' front office only offered me a one-year contract. At this point, I&rsquo;d just turned 30 years old, and even though I felt good enough to play a few more years, once you hit 30, you start to think about your post-playing career.&nbsp;
As a player, especially when you&rsquo;re young and you&rsquo;re having some success, you don&rsquo;t really want to think about what life will be like once your playing days are over. So you kind of start mentally preparing yourself as you get older. So by the time you hit 30 years old, you start to value long-term security and multi-year deals a little more than when you were in your 20s.
Despite all that, I was confident in myself and decided to take the one-year deal to play in Boston. I assumed that if I proved that I could be a productive member of the team, the organization would reward me with a multi-year deal closer to my market value.
I ended up being wrong.
We won the championship, lit the cigars and had the ticker tape parade and all that.&nbsp;
And when it was all said and done &mdash; you guessed it &mdash; I was offered another one-year deal.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s no other way to put it: I was really disappointed. I helped deliver a championship and felt like I proved myself. In my mind, there was no reason why we wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to win at least one or two more if the squad, including me, was brought back.&nbsp;
But if there's one thing I learned during my years in the league, it&rsquo;s this...
It&rsquo;s a business.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to win, but winning in the NBA costs money. When most teams win a championship, they start thinking about how they can win by spending less money. And it&rsquo;s usually players like me who end up getting pinched.
So yeah, I wanted to go back to Boston, but when New Orleans stepped up and offered me a four-year deal, my agent felt it was a no-brainer. I&rsquo;d had good relationships with both Chris Paul and David West, and they were coming off a 56-win season with CP finishing second in MVP voting to Kobe. I&rsquo;d won championships in Miami and Boston, so I thought I could help get New Orleans over the hump.&nbsp;
I was happy as hell with the situation, but not as happy as I would&rsquo;ve been to stay in Boston and help my team defend our championship. It just didn&rsquo;t work out that way.
For every Steph Curry, there are 100 James Poseys... and 100 P.J. Tuckers.&nbsp;
Curry is obviously one of the greatest players of all-time, but without guys like Tucker, teams don&rsquo;t win. Without Tucker this past season, Giannis doesn&rsquo;t win.
And now, P.J. is in Miami.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
P.J. Tucker just posted on his IG. &ldquo;Wow. I&rsquo;m still a little lost for words to be honest. Still in shock, but it is what it is. Today took a hard turn on the road of my car career, but like my grandma used to tell me...all you can control is what you can control.&rdquo; Full message: <a href="https://t.co/DbYJIBHoAe">pic.twitter.com/DbYJIBHoAe</a>
&mdash; Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) <a href="https://twitter.com/eric_nehm/status/1422383880242352128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Now, I can&rsquo;t say I know the particulars of P.J.&rsquo;s situation. But I&rsquo;m not surprised to see a role player on a championship team end up finding himself in a different situation, because it happens all the time.
Having been in that situation, I just can&rsquo;t help but to notice it. I also can&rsquo;t help but to notice the double-standard that exists with players who want to maximize their earning potential and owners who want to maximize their bottom line.
When front offices find ways to save money and reduce payroll, they&rsquo;re looked at as smart. When players opt for greener pastures, we&rsquo;re looked at as being greedy. For most role players, you&rsquo;re lucky to get one or two multi-year contracts in your career. There is nothing wrong with trying to maximize your earning potential, and that needs to be said more often.
After all, it&rsquo;s business, right?
It was business when Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Brooklyn Nets for $200 million and sold the team for $3.3 billion.&nbsp;
It was business when Leslie Alexander bought the Houston Rockets for $85 million and sold for $2.2 billion.&nbsp;
And it was business when the late, great Larry Miller bought the Utah Jazz for $14 million and sold for $1.6 billion.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s just also remember that there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with players deciding they want to do what&rsquo;s best for them when they have the opportunity to become a free agent.
Particularly, the proven winners who have worked their entire careers for an opportunity to earn a nice payday.
After all, fair is fair.

James Posey shares why he only played one year with the Celtics after an NBA title win and how it compares to P.J. Tucker's situation.

The NBA is a big business, and players should be allowed to act like it

METAIRIE, La. (AP) &mdash; New Pelicans coach Willie Green sees New Orleans as a team on the cusp of contending &mdash; a conclusion he explains by referencing his past two years with the Phoenix Suns.
&ldquo;This situation actually reminds me a lot of Phoenix,&rdquo; Green said during his formal introduction on Tuesday, highlighting &ldquo;really high-talented players&rdquo; such as 2021 All-Star Zion Williamson and 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram.
The Pelicans are &ldquo;really close to taking the next step,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;Going into next season, that&rsquo;s our goal. That&rsquo;s our mindset and that makes it a sleeping giant.&rdquo;
In Green&rsquo;s first season with Phoenix as an assistant to Monty Williams, the Suns narrowly missed the 2020 playoffs. This season, they advanced to the NBA Finals and won the first two games of that series before the Milwaukee Bucks stormed back to take the title.
A former NBA player who turns 40 on Wednesday, Green was hired last week to his first head coaching job. He emerged as a top candidate several weeks ago while helping the Suns advance through the playoffs.
David Griffin, the Pelicans&rsquo; executive vice president of basketball operations, said that while researching potential candidates, so many people around the NBA asked if he and Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon had spoken to Green that the question became &ldquo;almost a joke between Trajan and I.&rdquo;
Griffin added that when Green&rsquo;s name came up, he was repeatedly advised, &ldquo;That is the dude, and if you don&rsquo;t get him, you&rsquo;re an idiot.&rdquo;
Griffin said he heard similar things about Tyronn Lue before making him a first-time coach in Cleveland, where they won the 2016 NBA title together with a squad led by LeBron James.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Green is the Pelicans&rsquo; third coach since Griffin took over the front office two seasons ago. Alvin Gentry lasted one season under Griffin and was fired last August. Stan Van Gundy, who was hired in October, left the club in June after the Pelicans again failed to make the playoffs.
Green said he was concerned about the recent rate of coaching turnover in New Orleans and made that known to Griffin during the interview process. Green said he was comfortable with the explanation he received and grew confident that he and New Orleans&rsquo; front office were philosophically aligned.
&ldquo;I was honest about things that I saw or things that happened here. Griff was straightforward with me,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;The different coaching changes &mdash; both coaches are really good coaches, but the fit was important. ... We left the room feeling confident that we all fit together and wanted the same things.&rdquo;
Last season, Van Gundy expressed frustration at his players&rsquo; lack of commitment to his scheme, particularly on defense. New Orleans went 31-41 and ranked in the bottom third in the NBA defensively.
Griffin, who'd hired the 61-year-old Van Gundy for his basketball knowledge, decided he wanted his next coach to be someone who could effectively get through to younger players. Green, now the third-youngest head coach in the league, played 12 NBA seasons, including one in New Orleans under Williams.
Griffin said Green, who also was part of two championship coaching staffs with Golden State in 2017 and 2018, has a &ldquo;demonstrated ability to galvanize a group and engender a spirit and a clarity of purpose that is needed to lead young men.&rdquo;
Green said the best head coaches are not necessarily those who specialize in &ldquo;the Xs and Os.&rdquo;
Rather, he said, &ldquo;The best coaches are people that you know care about you. And connecting with players is no different than just connecting with people. You realize really quickly that you have a lot more in common than you don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Green said he also had personal reasons for returning to New Orleans; he and his family enjoyed it during his lone season playing in the city.
His wife, Terrah, and children Ross, 21, Aaliyah, 14, and Mason, 9, were all with Green on Tuesday. Terrah Green said they were eager to revisit New Orleans' renowned restaurant scene and perhaps find a home in the historic, tree-shaded Uptown section.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think tourists really get a chance to understand this city unless you live here,&rdquo; Willie said. &ldquo;After living here for one year, it&rsquo;s impacted us.&rdquo;

After two years as an assistant with the Suns, Willie Green is now the Pelicans' head coach. He sees similarities between the teams.

New coach Willie Green sees Pelicans primed to ascend like Suns

Make way for something new in the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1974 and Phoenix hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1993, two stats that have been repeated so often over the last few days that the Bucks and Suns probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind if they don&rsquo;t hear them again for the next few decades.
But there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals. Consider:
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1998 that the finals will be played without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade.
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1983 that nobody in the NBA Finals has been, or will be, a teammate of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal. You read that correctly. Every title series from 1984 through 2020 featured at least one player who had been (or would eventually be) teammates with O&rsquo;Neal, a list that includes names like Greg Kite, John Salley, Byron Scott, Steve Kerr, Leandro Barbosa, Danny Green and Matt Barnes (along with everyone he played with on the 1995 Orlando Magic, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 Los Angeles Lakers teams, and the 2006 Miami Heat). Though there is one technicality at play here: Phoenix guard Chris Paul and O&rsquo;Neal were All-Star Game teammates.
&mdash; Of the 12 referees working this series, three are in the NBA Finals for the first time. Courtney Kirkland, James Williams and Sean Wright are all set to make their finals debuts, though Wright was an alternate for the 2019 finals.
PAUL&rsquo;S WAIT
Phoenix guard Chris Paul is in his 16th NBA season. This is his first finals.
It is a historic wait.
He has played in 123 playoff games without ever reaching the finals, the third-most in NBA history behind Paul Millsap (129) and Al Horford (124).
And he could join a very small club. Only five players have won their first championship in their 16th season or later; Juwan Howard and Kevin Willis won championships in their 18th seasons (not counting the 1988-89 season that Willis missed), Jason Kidd got the elusive ring in his 17th season, and Dwight Howard and Gary Payton finally got their hands on the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy in their 16th seasons.
CALENDAR ADDITION
Tuesday will mark the first time that an NBA Finals game has been played in July &mdash; which becomes the seventh month in which a title-round matchup will occur.
Other months that have seen finals games: March, April, May, June, September, and October.
JORDAN COMPARISON
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 40 points on 60% shooting in Milwaukee&rsquo;s two games against Phoenix this season. No player had averaged that, and shot that well, against the Suns in a single regular season since 1992-93 &mdash; when Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan averaged 42 points on 60.3% shooting.
The Bulls ended up playing the Suns in that season&rsquo;s finals, too.
DIVISIONS MATTER
Milwaukee won the Central Division and Phoenix won the Pacific Division this season.
That means this will be the 10th consecutive season where a division champion will win the NBA title. The last division non-winner to end up as NBA champions was Dallas in 2011. Every team that made the finals since did so after winning a division crown.
LATE NIGHTS?
NBA Finals games typically start late; most in this series will tip off shortly after 9 p.m. in the Eastern time zone, so they tend to finish around 11:30 p.m.
History says the Suns might go a bit later.
There have been two triple-overtime games in NBA Finals history &mdash; and Phoenix has played in both. They lost to Boston 128-126 on June 4, 1976, and defeated Chicago 129-121 on June 13, 1993.
The NBA has also seen three double-overtime finals games. Milwaukee played in one of those, beating Boston 102-101 on May 10, 1974.
3 OVER 2
A good omen for Milwaukee, perhaps?
Since the NBA went to the current playoff format in 1984, there have been three instances of a No. 3 seed from one conference taking on the No. 2 seed from the other conference in the NBA Finals. (This will be the fourth; Milwaukee was seeded No. 3 in the East, Phoenix No. 2 in the West.)
In all three of the previous 3-versus-2 finals matchups, the No. 3 seed won the NBA title: Detroit over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, San Antonio over Cleveland in 2007 and Dallas over Miami in 2011.
FINALS FAMILIES
Jrue Holiday doesn&rsquo;t know what it&rsquo;s like to play in the NBA Finals. Same goes for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. In fact, no player in this series &mdash; except for Phoenix&rsquo;s Jae Crowder &mdash; has logged a single second in a finals game.
The Holiday and Antetokounmpo families have a bit of experience in this area, though.
Justin Holiday, Jrue&rsquo;s brother, played in a game with Golden State during the 2015 finals. And Kostas Antetokounmpo &mdash; Giannis&rsquo; and Thanasis&rsquo; brother &mdash; won a ring with the Lakers last season but didn&rsquo;t play in the title series against Miami.
OUT FRONT
One key for both teams in these NBA Finals: Don&rsquo;t let the other team get a double-digit lead.
Milwaukee and Phoenix have been pretty much unbeatable in these playoffs when either club gets a lead of at least 10 points. The Suns are 11-0 in the playoffs in games where they&rsquo;ve had a double-digit lead; the Bucks are 10-1, the loss coming when they let a 17-point lead get away against Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In the regular season, Milwaukee was 41-9 in games in which it led by at least 10 at some point; Phoenix was 45-10 in such games.
Phoenix&rsquo;s biggest comeback win this season was 16 points, done twice, including once against Milwaukee. The biggest Bucks comeback win was a game in which they trailed by 19 against Philadelphia.
RISING SUNS
If the Suns lead this series at any time, the franchise will have a winning postseason record again for the first time since May 18, 1995 &mdash; when they were 86-85 in their all-time playoff history.
The Suns enter these finals 145-145 in postseason play.
The Bucks haven&rsquo;t had a winning postseason record since May 26, 2001, when they were 96-95. At the end of the 1980 playoffs, when they were 85-84. They&rsquo;re 138-145 all-time in playoff action, meaning they can&rsquo;t get over the .500 mark again in this series.

In addition to how long it's been since the Bucks and Suns have been here, there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals.

2021 NBA Finals: 10 things to know about Bucks vs. Suns

In this series, Matt Babcock shares his experience growing up around the Milwaukee Bucks organization since his dad, Dave Babcock, has been an executive with the team for 23 years. He also provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/growing-up-a-buck-millewahque-milwaukee-bucks-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For Part 1, click here</a>. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-george-karl-arrives-in-milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> For Part 2, click here</a>. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-milwaukee-bucks-its-reggie-miller-time-indiana-pacers-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For Part 3, click here</a>.
After finishing the 2000-01 NBA regular season as the top team in the Central Division, the Milwaukee Bucks were headed to the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Thanks to my dad&rsquo;s job within the Bucks&rsquo; front office, I was lucky enough to be along for the ride. As a 16-year-old kid, I routinely shot around with the team before games, spent time in the locker room before and after games, and even traveled with the team. Of all my fortunate experiences with the Bucks during that time, nothing compares to the emotional roller coaster of the 2001 playoff run.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s how I remember it happening...
The Bucks' first playoff series that year was against the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic led by head coach Doc Rivers. The previous season, the Bucks and Magic played a &ldquo;do-or-die&rdquo; game on the last day of the regular season. The winner would secure a playoff spot, and the Bucks won in a nail biter. George Karl and Doc Rivers seemed to regularly take jabs at each other in the media during that time and the two teams had suddenly established a testy rivalry with one another.&nbsp;
However, the 2001 Orlando Magic team was a little different than the team the Bucks beat the previous season. The previous Magic team was led by a group of underdog journeymen, including Darrell Armstrong, Bo Outlaw, and Ben Wallace &mdash; they were a scrappy bunch of overachievers, which was their clear-cut identity as a team. Following the 1999-00 season, the Magic really opened up their wallets, signing superstar Grant Hill from the Detroit Pistons and young budding star Tracy McGrady from the Toronto Raptors. Their idea was, presumably, to have Hill be the leader and the face of the team as they slowly brought along McGrady. However, after signing that big contract, Hill only played four games that season as he battled ankle injuries &mdash; injuries that derailed the rest of his career, unfortunately. Subsequently, the idea of slowly developing McGrady was scratched and, suddenly, the Magic were dependent on the 21-year-old to carry their team.&nbsp;
However, McGrady did not have any problems stepping into this role, averaging 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game that season. In the first-round playoff series versus the Bucks, McGrady was outstanding, averaging 33.8 points, 8.3 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game &mdash; superstar numbers. He did all of this while also holding All-Star Glenn &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; Robinson to only 14.8 points per game and 34.8% shooting from the field, which were well below his normal averages. I also remember McGrady relentlessly trash-talking &ldquo;Big Dog,&rdquo; infamously calling him &ldquo;Puppy Dog.&rdquo; Following that series, McGrady quickly became well known within the basketball world, and I guess you could say &ldquo;a star was born.&rdquo; He was a long, 6-foot-8 scoring machine who could essentially do everything on the offensive end.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
However, in hindsight, based on what I saw from McGrady in that series, I don&rsquo;t think he maximized his full potential over the course of his career (although he was an all-time great player). Although not a bad defender, he had the potential to be elite. He could have had a Scottie-Pippen-type of career on the defensive end and become a two-way star, if he had really applied himself. This was an early lesson for me in evaluating players: just because a player has the tools to be a great defender does not mean he will be. Intent and effort are absolutely necessary for a player to be productive on the defensive end. Regardless, McGrady was great during that series and it is still one of the best individual performances throughout a playoff series that I have ever seen. Nevertheless, despite McGrady&rsquo;s impressive performance during that series, the Bucks far outmatched the Magic talent-wise. The Bucks beat the Magic 3-1, and I suppose &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; got the last laugh in that matchup.
And on to the next round the Bucks went&hellip;
In the second round, the Bucks faced the Charlotte Hornets, who were led by star player Jamal Mashburn and second-year point guard Baron Davis. The first two games of that series went as expected; the Bucks protected their home court and won the tough games. The next two games were played on the road in Charlotte and that was an entirely different story.
As I mentioned, the Hornets&rsquo; top player was Mashburn. Having had somewhat of a roller-coaster career up to that point, the 28-year-old had really come into his own as a player. The Hornets traded for him the previous summer and it clearly seemed to be a good fit. At 6-foot-8 and a strong 240 pounds, the small forward from the University of Kentucky was a handful for any opponent. He could shoot from outside, handle the ball, post up, and pretty much score from all over the floor. He was simply a matchup nightmare due to his strength and versatility. He <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-former-player-would-fit-perfectly-in-todays-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would be perfect as a combo forward in today&rsquo;s modern style of play</a>. In Games 3, 4, and 5 of that series, his value really showed, as he was the top scorer in each contest and led the charge for the Hornets to win three games in a row over the Bucks.
And like a whirlwind, the Bucks went from being up a comfortable 2-0 to down a terrifying 3-2. The tide had turned quickly, and the pressure was on the Bucks.
Despite the Bucks having gone to the playoffs the previous couple of seasons, the 2001 playoffs were my first real taste of how intense playoff basketball can be for everyone involved -- including the families of the players, coaches, and management. The NBA is big business, and when a team goes far in the playoffs, everyone wins on some level or another. Player values in free agency increase, coaches and management get raises or new job opportunities, and, of course, playoff bonuses get bigger with each round. The family room at the Bradley Center following a loss in the playoffs felt like a funeral. Needless to say, stress levels were high now that the team&rsquo;s back was up against the wall, down 3-2.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Game 6 was played in Charlotte and it did not start off well. The Bucks went into the locker room at halftime down 10 points. However, in the second half, the &ldquo;Big Three&rdquo; of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glenn &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; Robinson lit it up. The Bucks outscored the Hornets 61-44 in the second half and won the game by seven points. Allen, Cassell and Robinson combined for 85 points. When it comes to perimeter shooting and scoring, they were probably the NBA&rsquo;s best trio at the time (and they&rsquo;re arguably one of the best ever). When Ray, Sam and &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; got hot, good luck trying to stop them!
That intense series would come down to one final deciding game. By that point, the Hornets had earned everyone&rsquo;s respect and in Game 7, Baron Davis put on a show. The 6-foot-3, strong, explosive point guard diced up the Bucks&rsquo; defense off the dribble, scoring 29 points. But that game was played in Milwaukee, in our house, the Bradley Center. The Bucks closed out that series, winning by nine points. &ldquo;The Big Three&rdquo; came through in the clutch again, as Ray and &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; combined for 57 points, and Sam chipped in 17 points and 13 assists.&nbsp;
The Bucks were moving on again. Now, to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they matched up against the Philadelphia 76ers, who were coached by Larry Brown and led by that season&rsquo;s NBA MVP Allen Iverson.
The 76ers had the best regular-season record in the East that year, so Philadelphia had home-court advantage. After a few bogus calls, non-calls, and just poor overall officiating at the First Union Center, the 76ers unfortunately pulled out a win over the Bucks in Game 1. The matchup between Allen Iverson and Ray Allen quickly proved to be entertaining in and of itself, as Ray scored 31 points and Iverson had 34 in Game 1. It was pretty evident that this would be a showdown we would all remember.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ray_ai1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="412" />
The officiating in Game 1 was bad, but the team had to move on and get a win in Game 2 to tie up the series before heading back to Milwaukee &mdash; and that&rsquo;s exactly what they did. The Bucks&rsquo; defense was able to hold Iverson to 5-26 shooting from the field and just 16 points. Just as important, Ray absolutely went off, netting 38 points and hitting seven three-pointers. Heading back to Milwaukee for Game 3, tied up 1-1 with the Sixers, the Bucks&rsquo; confidence was already high, but then the news came out that Iverson was not even traveling with the team because of a sore hip. Going into Game 3 without their star player, Coach Brown clearly instructed his 76ers to &ldquo;muck it up.&rdquo; The team was built around Iverson and his scoring ability; the rest of the roster was made up of tough defenders with relatively little offensive talent and &ldquo;glue guys&rdquo; -- players such as Eric Snow, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, and veteran center Dikembe Mutombo. 
The Sixers&rsquo; plan to make it a physical, sloppy game worked, as both teams struggled to score. Although it was an admirable effort, the Sixers could not overcome the Bucks&rsquo; talent without Iverson. Milwaukee defeated Philly 80-74, taking a 2-1 series lead. At that point, I couldn&rsquo;t help myself from getting excited about the idea of traveling with the team to Los Angeles, where they would most likely face Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, and the Los Angeles Lakers in the sacred NBA Finals.
The Bucks needed to get past the 76ers first though, and with Iverson returning, that wouldn&rsquo;t be an easy task. Iverson returned from his injury in Game 4 as expected, and the Sixers won the next two games. The officiating continued to become more and more of a focal point in that series and the referees came under major scrutiny, especially after Game 4. There started to be a lot of chatter in the media about a conspiracy theory that the NBA and NBC did not want a small-market team like the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. Needless to say, this series was quite dramatic.
The Bucks were up against the wall, again, and they needed to win two games in a row in order for my dream trip to L.A. for the NBA Finals to become a reality.
Down 3-2, the Bucks were facing elimination in Game 6 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Before that game, rumors circulated that a bellman at the 76ers&rsquo; hotel had found Iverson passed out drunk outside of his room earlier that morning. I&rsquo;m not quite sure if that story is true or not, but I do know that I watched Iverson drop 46 points on the Bucks that night! Still, despite Iverson&rsquo;s incredible game (in which he may or may not have been hungover), the Bucks won. This meant there would be a Game 7 in Philly &mdash; winner goes to the NBA Finals and the loser &ldquo;goes fishing.&rdquo;
Many fans in Milwaukee theorized that the NBA was trying to clear a path for Iverson and the 76ers to make the Finals. Then, the suspension of the Bucks veteran big man Scott Williams only added fuel to that fire. In Game 6, Williams, the &ldquo;heart and soul&rdquo; of that Bucks team, was called for a flagrant foul on Iverson. The day after the game, the NBA notified the Bucks that Williams would be suspended for Game 7, which was a huge blow.
Game 7 went on without Williams and Iverson was great again, scoring 44 points. The 76ers beat the Bucks, and just like that, the Bucks&rsquo; playoff run was over.
It was devastating...
The saddest part? I don&rsquo;t think that Bucks team was ever able to fully recover from that loss. Within a couple of years, Milwaukee traded Ray Allen (to the Seattle SuperSonics), Glenn &ldquo;Big Dog&rdquo; Robinson (to the Atlanta Hawks), and Sam Cassell (to the Minnesota Timberwolves). The team fired head coach George Karl, and general manager Ernie Grunfeld left to join the Washington Wizards. The Bucks went into rebuilding mode.
I really don&rsquo;t have any interest in debating whether that 76ers series was fixed; I sincerely hope it wasn't. However, there is no question that the poor officiating directly affected the results of that series. Years later, I&rsquo;m still left with a lot of &ldquo;what if?&rdquo; questions that send my mind spinning. If the officiating was better in that series, would the Bucks have beaten the Sixers? Could the Bucks have defeated the Lakers? Would my dad have a championship ring? Would that Bucks core have stayed together longer? Would Ray have retired a Buck and have his No. 34 retired in the rafters? What would Michael Redd&rsquo;s career have been like if Ray was never traded? What number would Giannis Antetokounmpo be wearing right now if No. 34 was retired? Would we even have Giannis? And on and on...
Despite the disappointing conclusion of that 2001 season, I can say, without hesitation, that from 1998 to 2001 were the greatest years of my life from a basketball perspective. I was an impressionable teenager going through a critical time in my life from a developmental standpoint, as a basketball person and as a young man. I was lucky enough to be able to experience the ins and outs of the NBA, learn the game from some all-time greats, make many lifelong friends, and create memories that now seem more like a dream than reality, memories that will certainly last a lifetime.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-from-ray-allen-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-dave-babcock-remains-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Part 5 of this series, which fast forwards and looks at the present-day Bucks.</a>
Also, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out Matt Babcock's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft here.</a>

Matt Babcock provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Milwaukee Bucks in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Growing up a Buck: The 2001 Playoff Run

Paul George had just wrapped up his brilliant night, scoring 41 points to keep the Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; season alive. He shared some hugs and fist bumps with teammates and assistant coaches before he finally got to head coach Tyronn Lue.
There were some words of encouragement. They were also apparently too hot for TV.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t share that,&rdquo; George said with a grin, recalling the conversation. &ldquo;Bleep this and bleep that.&rdquo;
George set his playoff-career-high in scoring, Reggie Jackson added 23 and the feisty Clippers staved off elimination by beating the Phoenix Suns 116-102 on Monday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
An ELECTRIFYING performance from Paul George lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAClippers</a> to a Game 5 victory! ⚡️ 41 PTS 15-20 FGM 13 REB 6 AST 3 STL 68.6 FPTS ( Playoff high) <a href="https://t.co/VNu8oSewJ9">pic.twitter.com/VNu8oSewJ9</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1409718616564641793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The Clippers have been counted out multiple times in this postseason. That continues to be a mistake.
&ldquo;The group of guys we&rsquo;ve got, I love those guys. They compete every single night no matter who is on the floor,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;The work&rsquo;s not done, but we came into a hostile environment and got a gritty win.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to do it again two more times.&rdquo;
The series moves back to LA with the Suns holding a 3-2 advantage. Game 6 is Wednesday.
The short-handed Clippers were playing without two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and center Ivica Zubac, who missed his first game of the season with an MCL sprain in his right knee. They&rsquo;ve already fought through two grueling series wins in these playoffs, coming back from 2-0 deficits to beat both the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
Now they&rsquo;re trying to claw back against the Suns. Game 5 was a good start.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Reggie Jackson is COOKING late ♨️ <a href="https://t.co/XHPZGUOsZH">pic.twitter.com/XHPZGUOsZH</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1409714356376330245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

George was fantastic after a tough shooting night in Game 4, pouring in 20 points in the third quarter. He finished 15 of 20 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range and added 13 rebounds and six assists.
&ldquo;If they were going to finish this series, they were going to have to work for it,&rdquo; George said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just the mentality we had. We weren&rsquo;t going to back down. We weren&rsquo;t going to throw in the towel. The fact of the matter is they&rsquo;ve got to beat us.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Marcus Morris Sr., who played for Phoenix earlier in his career, added 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
The Suns trailed by as many as 15 points during the first half but took their first advantage in the third when Chris Paul knocked down a 16-foot jumper for a 62-61 lead. The Clippers responded with the next 10 points and then started sinking 3-pointers. George hit back-to-back 3s and Patrick Beverley added one to push LA ahead 82-70, gesturing to the Suns crowd as he jogged back down the court.
It was the common theme of the night: Every time the Suns got some momentum, the Clippers were there to squash it in a hurry.
The Clippers took a 91-78 lead into the fourth. The Suns pulled within 98-94 with 6:58 left but LA responded with a 10-2 run and pulled away for the win.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points. Paul &mdash; who is trying to go to the NBA Finals for the first time in his 16-year career &mdash; added 22 points and eight assists. Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to be better,&rdquo; Paul said. &rdquo;They came out and they were the aggressors. They looked like us in Game 4. They hit us, they were too comfortable and we&rsquo;ve got to be better.&rdquo;
The Clippers played inspired basketball in the first half, jumping out to an 20-5 lead by halfway through the first quarter. Jackson threw down a huge one-handed jam during the run and LA hit nine of its first 11 shots.
&ldquo;It is just unacceptable the way we started the game,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;It was a big hole for us. It is pretty obvious that we can&rsquo;t play with the show-up mentality. We showed up in the first quarter and they played with desperation.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Morris was 6 of 7 in the first and Jackson made a layup at the buzzer to give the Clippers a 36-26 advantage going into the second.
The Suns cut the advantage to 44-42 midway through the second but the Clippers rallied again to push ahead by 10. Booker hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the Clippers&rsquo; advantage 59-52.
Morris had 20 points in the first half.
The Suns are trying to make their first NBA Finals since 1993. The Clippers have never been this far in the postseason.
TIP-INS
Clippers: DeMarcus Cousins had 10 points in just six minutes in the first half. He made 5 of 9 shots, putting a shot on the rim once every 40 seconds on average. ... Leonard missed his seventh straight game. ... This was the Clippers&rsquo; sixth double-digit win when trailing in a series this postseason. That is the most such wins in a single postseason in NBA history.
Suns: F Abdel Nader played in his second straight game after missing several weeks with a knee injury. He scored two points. ... Phoenix announced a sellout crowd of 16,664.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
MISSING ZUBAC
The 7-foot Zubac has been an ironman for Los Angeles and this was the first game he&rsquo;s missed for two years. Coach Tyronn Lue admitted the Clippers were down during morning shootaround after hearing that Zubac wouldn&rsquo;t play.
Zubac moved into a more prominent role in these Western Conference finals, averaging 12.8 points and 11 rebounds in the first four games. He&rsquo;s also been important on defense as a rim protector.
The Clippers went small to replace Zubac in the starting lineup, going with the 6-foot-5 Terance Mann.

Paul George scored 41 points, Reggie Jackson added 23 and the resilient Clippers staved off elimination by beating the Suns.

Paul George, gritty Clippers stave off elimination, beat Suns 116-102

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Phoenix Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA draft.
The third-year center was in top form Saturday in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-0a3ebb2306c67e80ec48fc9ad68fee5b">hard-fought 84-80 Game 4 win</a> over the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored 19 points, grabbed a playoff career-high 22 rebounds, blocked four shots, and was generally the only person on the floor who could put the ball in the basket with any kind of consistency.
Now the Suns have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and are one win from a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.
Game 5 is on Monday in Phoenix.
&ldquo;I thought Deandre&rsquo;s presence, his effort, the rebounding, shot blocking, his communication on defense, switching out on smaller guys and being able to guard them, he was the catalyst on the defensive end,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I thought it was an unreal performance from him. Our guys rallied around him.&rdquo;
Williams added of Ayton: &ldquo;Every possession he's playing like his life depends on it.&rdquo;
There have certainly been some growing pains for the No. 1 overall pick out of Arizona. His rookie year was decent, though his effort on the defensive end was sometimes inconsistent. His second year was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/5bff9ec75f884ad09bd5a016bb7ce536">marred by a 25-game suspension</a> for violating the league's Anti-Drug policy after testing positive for a diuretic.
It was easy to wonder if the Suns had made the right choice.
Now there's not much concern. The 22-year-old has already had one of the iconic moments in Suns playoff basketball history when he dunked an alley-oop pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left to win Game 2 last week.
It was another example of Ayton's newfound confidence and tenacity.
&ldquo;I learned I could keep going,&rdquo; Ayton said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s another level &mdash; I learned that. I think I reached the next level that I really need to be at, at this level when it comes to competing.&rdquo;
(Editor's Note: Former Suns director of player development and current Memphis University assistant coach Cody Toppert <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up on Ayton's growth in a piece on developing NBA bigs by Spencer Davies</a>.)
NO KAWHI
There's little doubt that the Clippers have missed the presence of Kawhi Leonard. The All-Star forward has missed six straight games due to a sprained right knee after he averaged 30.4 points in the postseason.
He'll miss a seventh straight game on Monday.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard would remain in Los Angeles while Game 5 is played in Phoenix. Lue hasn't given much clue as to when &mdash; or if &mdash; Leonard might return during the postseason.
UNFORGIVING RIMS
Chris Paul's return after missing two games in the league's COVID-19 protocol was supposed to be a big boost for the Suns' offense.
So far that hasn't been the case. The Suns scored just 92 points in Game 3 and 84 in Game 4.
Devin Booker hasn't been as productive since his broken nose suffered on a head-to-head collision with LA's Patrick Beverley in Game 2. Booker wore a plastic mask over his face in Game 3 and part of Game 4 before ditching it after he missed a layup.
&ldquo;I didn't think the shots were bad yesterday," Williams said. &ldquo;We just had so many shots go in and out, in and out. I don't know if I've ever seen that many in a game. I think both those guys &mdash; they've got multiple defenders on them, they're being blitzed at times, they're being switched onto. It's the playoffs.&rdquo;
Williams said the Suns' intense defense has allowed them to take a 3-1 lead. But he knows a few shots need to drop, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping we see an offensive explosion soon,&rdquo; Williams said.
PAUL'S PROBLEMS
Without Leonard in the lineup, Clippers forward Paul George has had a huge role in the offense. He's averaging 27.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists through four games in the Western Conference finals.
The problem is George is needing a lot of shots to get to those numbers. He's shooting just 36% from the field, 28% from 3-point range and 70% from the free throw line, including a few late-game misses that have been crucial.
George was just 5 of 20 from the field in Game 4, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-00517ad783132bf24c639ae43d1d38a7">Fatigue could be a problem</a>: George is playing more than 41 minutes per game in this series.
&ldquo;You know, it&rsquo;s just what it is. I feel good," George said. "Not going to let that be an excuse or have something to fall back on. I feel good. When I&rsquo;m out there, I feel good.&rdquo;

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Deandre Ayton's emergence has Suns a win from the NBA Finals

In this series, Matt Babcock shares his experience growing up around the Milwaukee Bucks organization since his dad, Dave Babcock, has been an executive with the team for 23 years. He also provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/growing-up-a-buck-millewahque-milwaukee-bucks-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For Part 1, click here</a>. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-george-karl-arrives-in-milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> For Part 2, click here</a>.
The 1998-99 NBA trade deadline was approaching, and the Milwaukee Bucks were in playoff contention after not having secured a playoff bid since 1991. At the time, the Bucks were built around two young, blossoming stars: 23-year-old Ray Allen and 26-year-old Glenn Robinson. However, the team&rsquo;s front-office brass questioned if the supporting cast was enough to elevate their team to being championship-worthy.
Subsequently, Bucks general manager Bob Weinhauer made two bold moves prior to that year&rsquo;s trade deadline. The first move: a three-way trade where the Bucks exchanged oft-injured point guard Terrell Brandon for Sam Cassell, the charismatic lead guard from the New Jersey Nets. The second move had Milwaukee trading power forward Tyrone Hill to the Philadelphia 76ers for a young developing forward, Tim Thomas, and veteran big man, Scott Williams -- two transactions that ultimately proved to be extremely fruitful for the Bucks.
With their core unit set, the Bucks went on to finish that lockout-shortened season with a record of 28-22, giving them the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. After nearly a decade, the Bucks were headed back to the playoffs. In the first round, they faced a team that tied for the best record in the East, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were loaded with talent and experience, a tall task for a developing Milwaukee team, to say the least.
Due to my dad&rsquo;s position within the Bucks&rsquo; front office, I was given countless opportunities to be with and around that Bucks team during the late 1990s. I felt like I was part of that team, and one way or another, I was going to be in that arena for Game 1. I had traveled with the team earlier in the season, but I didn&rsquo;t go on the team plane for that trip. Don&rsquo;t feel too bad for me though... I was fortunate enough to be invited to fly with Senator Herb Kohl, the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, on his private jet.
Before I knew it, my dad and I were pulling into a private hangar and boarding Senator Kohl&rsquo;s jet. Onboard that flight was my dad, Larry Harris (who worked with my dad in the front office), Senator Kohl and myself. There I was, a freshman in high school, sitting with a US Senator and NBA team owner on his private jet, heading to my first-ever playoff game.
After a quick flight, we landed in Indy, and awaiting us was a car to take us to the arena. I learned quickly that the playoffs were completely different than the regular season. I vividly remember walking into the old Market Square Arena that night. I felt like my heart was going to pump out of my chest. Everyone from arena security to players to fans all had an extra pep in their step. Energy and excitement filled the arena. The intensity of the atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and this was before the game even began. It was unforgettable!
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Once in the arena, I beelined to the court to find Coby Karl (the son of George Karl, Milwaukee's head coach at the time) so we could do our normal routine of shooting around with the players and hanging around the court before the formal warm-ups began. I remember being in awe watching some of the Pacers&rsquo; players.
To be able to see Chris Mullin do a shooting workout up-close was special. He is probably the most detail-oriented shooter I have ever seen. He would warm up doing a spot-shooting routine, where he would have five spots around the perimeter, which is typical. However, he would have to make a certain amount of shots in a row to move to the next spot and would not count the shot as a &ldquo;make&rdquo; if the ball even grazed the rim. That specific Chris Mullin workout has always stuck with me. That was one of my early lessons that elite shooters take a scientific approach to shooting and make a conscious effort to master their craft &mdash; going through the motions or just &ldquo;getting shots up&rdquo; is not enough to be elite.
The game was set to begin, but Coby and I didn&rsquo;t have assigned seats, so we sat on the court next to the Bucks' bench, as we usually did for away games. Aside from seeing Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team the year before, I had never been impressed by a team quite as much as I was by that Pacers team.
First of all, their head coach was my childhood hero, the legendary former player, Larry Bird, who had been the recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year award the previous season in '98. His top assistant coach was Rick Carlisle, who had been Larry&rsquo;s teammate when they both played for the Boston Celtics in the mid-1980s. It had been said that Carlisle was the actual technical mastermind behind that Pacers team, and that Larry&rsquo;s role as head coach was somewhat as a figurehead. Regardless of their coaching structure having been set up as a hierarchy or not, whatever they did, it worked. Carlisle went on to be one of the top head coaches in the industry. He has been a head coach for nearly 20 years now, and is back with Indiana for his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/indiana-pacers-hire-rick-carlisle-as-next-head-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second stint as the team's head coach</a>.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_12037372_lg.jpg" alt="" width="487" height="466" />
That Pacers roster had so much depth, and it was filled with many accomplished veteran players. Their lead guard was Mark Jackson. He ran the show and controlled the tempo. He was a modest 6-foot-1 with a stocky build, and not very quick or athletic, but he was a magician with his playmaking. He was incredibly creative with his passing, and had an uncanny ability to see the floor to find shooters on the perimeter or big men around the basket &mdash; he had &ldquo;eyes in the back of his head.&rdquo;
In the middle, they had the &ldquo;Dunking Dutchman,&rdquo; Rik Smits, a huge, 7-foot-4, skilled center who could really score. Alongside Smits were two &ldquo;blue-collar&rdquo; big men who split playing time: Dale Davis and Antonio Davis. It was during an era of basketball when the common theme was &ldquo;no layups.&rdquo; The Davis duo, no relation, was the epitome of power forwards during that time as they were &ldquo;bruisers.&rdquo; Both of them were extremely physical and tough and they did all of the &ldquo;dirty work&rdquo; (perhaps somewhat of a lost art, in my opinion).
On the wing, the Pacers started Mullin, an aging star. He was not quite the player he had been when he was a perennial All-Star earlier in his career, but the guy just knew how to play. And although he wasn&rsquo;t moving all that well anymore, he could still shoot the lights out.
That Pacers team was so good that they had an emerging star, Jalen Rose, coming off the bench. Jalen&rsquo;s role was to come into the game and aggressively look to score. He had the full green light and would score in bunches. He was a 1-on-1 nightmare for whoever had to match up against him. A 6-foot-8 lefty, he had handles like a point guard, a sweet mid-range game, was extremely crafty and had an overall knack to score the ball.
The Indiana bench also consisted of shooting big man Sam &ldquo;Big Smooth&rdquo; Perkins, the defensively-versatile forward Derrick McKey and speedy scoring point guard Travis Best. (Ironically, I ended up coaching Travis Best years later in Italy when I was a young assistant coach for the team Virtus Bologna, and Travis was finishing up his playing career.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
As if that Pacers roster wasn&rsquo;t enough to keep any opposing coach up late at night, those were just the complementary players to their main weapon: Reggie Miller.
Quite possibly the cockiest player the NBA has ever seen, Miller developed a reputation for being the ultimate villain when playing on the road. I remember watching him during pregame warmups wearing a Superman T-shirt. We&rsquo;ve all seen the highlights of the show he put on at the Madison Square Garden in 1995, where he hit all of those threes at the end of the game to come from behind and beat the New York Knicks &mdash; doing so as he relentlessly trash-talked Spike Lee, who had been sitting courtside. Miller even wrapped his hands around his neck to give Spike &ldquo;the choke sign.&rdquo; Reggie fed off negativity. He talked trash constantly. He was arrogant and abrasive. The more hostile the environment, the more he turned up his play. Heckling from fans only added fuel to the fire. I joined a large contingent of non-Pacers fans throughout the NBA that despised him. But now, after all of these years, I have to admit: Reggie Miller was incredible.
At 6-foot-7, a thin physical build, and an extremely unorthodox shooting release, Miller is arguably the best shooter of all-time. Of course, we have Steph Curry now and Ray Allen before him, but Reggie is the one that set the stage for them, in my opinion.
While I was a player in high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to have some of the Bucks coaches work with me on my game. I remember in one instance, Terry Stotts (an assistant for Milwaukee at the time) put me through a shooting workout, and I suppose that I impressed him with my shooting ability. I remember Coach Stotts telling me, &ldquo;Okay, you&rsquo;ve proven that you are a high-level shooter, but now we need to make sure you are able to get your shot off.&rdquo; The lesson he was trying to teach me is exactly where Reggie thrived. The NBA has had many capable shooters that could make open shots at a high percentage, but there has not been anyone that could shoot at an elite level while also being able to create an open shot for himself without the ball quite like Reggie.
During Game 1 of the playoffs versus the Bucks, I was able to watch Miller operate while sitting only&nbsp; steps away. I watched his method closely.
As Jackson would initiate the offense off the dribble, Reggie would take his defender deep into the paint -- under or around the basket -- and he would initiate contact with his defenders, many times by grabbing their jersey. He would take a couple of moments to set up his defender; then, at the right moment, he would take off, a lot of times beginning with a shove to his defender&rsquo;s chest. He would sprint toward one of the hammering screens that were to be set by Smits or one of the Davis&rsquo;; if the screener&rsquo;s defender didn&rsquo;t show, Reggie would turn the corner off those screens like a runner in baseball rounding third base going to home plate. Jackson would deliver a pass right into Miller&rsquo;s numbers as he would do a quick one-two step into his jump shot -- a high release and a high-arcing trajectory. When Miller would release a deep three, the Pacers' arena would have sound effects of a bomb being dropped while the ball was in the air, and when the ball would go through the net, it would have the sound of an explosion. The images and sounds of Reggie Miller coming off screens to bury deep threes are tattooed in my head to this day.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Unfortunately, those sights and sounds were seen and heard routinely in that series, as the Pacers would go on to sweep the Bucks. Although the outcome was not what we had hoped for, it was nonetheless a great introduction to playoff basketball for me. The emotions I experienced during that playoff series were intoxicating. I was completely hooked and I wanted more.&nbsp;
Well, I got it.
The following season, 1999-00, the Bucks would go on to finish No. 5 in the Eastern Conference. They faced the Pacers, again. An improved Bucks team forced a deciding Game 5 versus the Pacers in an exciting and competitive series. I was there for the action, of course. Unfortunately, Miller and his Pacers were still too much for the Bucks. After defeating Milwaukee that year, the Pacers went on to the NBA Finals to face Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. They came up just short of an NBA title, as the Lakers defeated them in six games.
As for the Bucks, in retrospect, the two consecutive years of being defeated by the Pacers in the playoffs were just what they needed to prepare for what was to come&hellip;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-the-2001-playoff-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read Part 4 of this series: "Growing Up a Buck: The 2001 Playoff Run." </a>
Also, check out Matt Babcock and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.

Matt Babcock provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Milwaukee Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Growing up a Buck: 'It’s Reggie Miller Time'

The Los Angeles Clippers don&rsquo;t have an injured Kawhi Leonard on the court. He&rsquo;s everywhere else, though.
In the halftime locker room, texting, on the phone, watching from above the floor, all the while analyzing and suggesting ways for his team to get past the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
Leonard watched with his family from a Staples Center suite Thursday night, when Paul George had 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in a game-high 43 minutes of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ca-state-wire-az-state-wire-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-dd4645c79a3a35cc8163def7c8f2f332">the Clippers' 106-92 victory. </a> It cut their series deficit to 2-1.
Leonard met up with his teammates at halftime, when they trailed by two.
&ldquo;He was just telling me rotations, what to look for, what&rsquo;s open, what&rsquo;s available," George said. &ldquo;It gave me a good game plan going into the second half for what to look for."
Clearly, it worked. The Clippers outscored the Suns 60-42 in the second half.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-los-angeles-clippers-utah-jazz-kawhi-leonard-lifestyle-9273a6e6a213fff2e364f37b1d96b679">Leonard hasn't played </a> since Game 4 of the second round against Utah because of a right knee sprain. The All-Star joined the coaches' huddle in Game 6, when the Clippers closed out the Jazz and advanced to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.
Coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard won't play in Game 4 on Saturday night. The Suns are 1-point favorites, according to <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports">FanDuel Sportsbook.</a>
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very much a part of this team without being able to play right now," George said. &ldquo;It's just great to have his mind and his presence part of this game, part of this team."
Leonard's low-key approach is in direct contrast to the fiery Patrick Beverley (Devin Booker's nose got broken when they head-butted in Game 2). Beverley went up to each of his teammates at halftime Thursday, telling them what they needed to do. Marcus Morris, Rajon Rondo and little-used DeMarcus Cousins are the other veterans who have their say, too.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an amazing locker room we have,&rdquo; guard Reggie Jackson said. &ldquo;Everybody tried to collectively lead from their position, from their role, and everybody has pure intent. It doesn&rsquo;t matter who is on who, who is saying what. We know where it comes from, from the heart and at the end of the day we want to win.&rdquo;
ANKLE PAYNE
The Suns took it as an encouraging sign when guard Cameron Payne got some shots up during a light workout Friday.
He left Thursday's game after just four minutes because of a left ankle injury.
"We think he's getting better," coach Monty Williams said. "He's walking around fine. We hope he can get back on the floor tomorrow."
Payne proved a solid fill-in for Chris Paul during the first two games of the series, highlighted by 29 points and nine assists in Game 2.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-basketball-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-39cc6462f350d7c883fdd3d83f7dbaf8">Paul returned Thursday </a> after being released from the league's health and safety protocols. Payne's availability is crucial in order to spell Paul after the veteran guard played 38 minutes, which Williams said was too much.
Paul got fouled near the Clippers' bench in the second quarter. He repeatedly shook his right hand and stretched his fingers out.
Williams said Paul's hand was &ldquo;a little sore," however he seemed to be OK.
BIG ZU
Ivica Zubac is back in a big way for the Clippers.
After playing sparingly in the last two games against Utah in the West semifinals, the 7-footer has logged over 30 minutes in two of the first three games against Phoenix.
&ldquo;There's no egos on this team,&rdquo; Zubac said Friday. &ldquo;We're all in here for a great purpose and that&rsquo;s to win a championship."
He had 15 points and a career playoff-high 16 rebounds in Thursday's win.
&ldquo;His presence was great on guards, drives," George said. &ldquo;He just made it tough to finish around the rim."
Zubac altered shots and got in the way of Deandre Ayton, who shot 9 of 13 for 18 points. It was a bit of payback after Zubac failed to defend Jae Crowder's pinpoint alley-oop lob that led to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-b8c7d8c88193e1bd8d0c4aa2d932cef8">Ayton's game-winning dunk </a> with 0.9 seconds left in Game 2.
Zubac is enjoying the variety of big men he's faced so far: Dallas' Boban Marjanovic, Utah's Rudy Gobert, and now Ayton.
&ldquo;He's more of a rim runner, an offensive threat," Zubac said. &ldquo;He can post-up, he can face-up, he can give you a lot of different problems on the offensive end."
Zubac made 9 of 10 free throws in Game 3. Ten of his 16 rebounds were on the defensive glass, to go with all 15 of George's rebounds, helping the Clippers to 41-32 edge in that category.

The Clippers don’t have an injured Kawhi Leonard on the court. He’s everywhere else, though.

Kawhi Leonard is nowhere on court, everywhere else for Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; This time, Paul George didn&rsquo;t flinch. Playoff P showed up and dragged the Los Angeles Clippers back from the brink.
George scored 27 points and the Clippers pulled away in a dominant third quarter, beating newly returned Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns 106-92 on Thursday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
&ldquo;We continue to chip away, try to find ways we can be better and impose our will on opponents,&rdquo; Clippers guard Reggie Jackson said. &ldquo;We showed a lot of heart, a lot of fight.&rdquo;
The Clippers cut their series deficit to 2-1, ending the Suns&rsquo; franchise-record playoff winning streak at nine games.
&ldquo;Our guys keep grinding, keep fighting,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;We never give in.&rdquo;
Kawhi Leonard remained out with a right knee sprain, leaving George to carry the load again. After missing two crucial free throws in a one-point loss in Game 2, George had 15 rebounds and eight assists and played a game-high 43 minutes. He made 6 of 7 free throws.
&ldquo;PG did a great job of just moving on and having a great game for us,&rdquo; Lue said.
The Suns got Paul back after he missed the first two games while being sidelined since June 16 because of the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. The former Clipper, who was booed heartily during intros, had 15 points and 12 assists, but was 5 of 19 from the field.
Cameron Payne, who so ably filled in for Paul in the first two games, went down with a left ankle injury after playing four minutes and didn&rsquo;t return.
&ldquo;We missed him a lot,&rdquo; Suns guard Devin Booker said.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Suns coach Monty Williams said he played Paul too much in his first game back.
&ldquo;Probably got tired,&rdquo; Williams said, &ldquo;but it hurt us when Cam couldn&rsquo;t come back so I left Chris out there for a longer stretch and that&rsquo;s on me.&rdquo;
Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 18 points.
Jackson added 23 points for the Clippers, and Ivica Zubac had 15 points and tied his career playoff high with 16 rebounds.
Game 4 is Saturday night at Staples Center.
After Phoenix won the first two games by a combined seven points, the teams played a close first half. George pumped up the Clippers going into the locker room with a thunderous one-handed dunk.
&ldquo;That probably killed their momentum a little bit,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re fortunate to have a guy like that that can do a little bit of everything.&rdquo;
Los Angeles quickly went to work in the second half in front of 17,222 raucous, Thunder Stix-pounding fans.
They took control with the biggest run of the game, a 21-3 spurt that left them leading 71-56 in the third. Terance Mann got it going with six straight points and Jackson scored four in a row before George scored inside. Zubac dunked off George&rsquo;s pass and made a pair of free throws. The Suns were limited to a 3-pointer by Paul.
&ldquo;They just brought it,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t match their force.&rdquo;
Booker picked up his third and fourth fouls in a 42-second span during the Clippers&rsquo; run. Booker &mdash; wearing a clear mask to protect his broken nose after he and Patrick Beverley banged heads in Game 2 &mdash; was 5 of 21 from the field, making only one of seven 3-point tries, and finished with 15 points.
Jae Crowder, who assisted on Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s winning dunk on Tuesday, fouled out with 4:51 remaining. He had nine points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Suns were just 35 of 90 from the floor, despite getting decent looks.
&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t sound at all,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;They played good defense, but we didn&rsquo;t run our offense the way that we have been running for most of the playoffs.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
George capped the third by banking in a 3-pointer from just inside midcourt, and it beat the buzzer, stunning the fans and sending the Clippers into the fourth leading 80-69. He nearly bobbled the ball along the right sideline, with Booker and Cam Johnson pressuring, before getting the shot off.
Luke Kennard opened the fourth with a 3 from the right corner, getting fouled and making the free throw. Marcus Morris hit a three before George got fouled. He confidently made both, keeping the Clippers ahead 89-71.
Booker&rsquo;s basket drew the Suns within six, but Jackson answered with five straight points and George made a pair of free throws.
BOOKER&rsquo;S NOSE
Booker spoke to retired player Richard Hamilton on how to play wearing a mask. Hamilton broke his nose twice during the 2003-04 season and wore a clear plastic mask. It became his trademark and he wore it the rest of his career.
&ldquo;Nose feels fine,&rdquo; Booker said, confirming it was broken in three places. He had it reset and received several shots of a painkiller.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
INJURED MORRIS
Marcus Morris was close to being scratched after dealing with a sore knee. Instead, he came off the bench. He hit two big 3-pointers in the second half and finished with eight points.
&ldquo;He still did a great job,&rdquo; said Mann, who started in Morris&rsquo; place. &ldquo;Hit some shots, played great defense, in there battling for every rebound.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: Fell to 10-3 in the playoffs, losing for the first time since May 27 against the Lakers at Staples Center in Game 3 of the first round. ... Booker and Beverley were called for double technicals in the third. ... Paul and Booker each missed their first six shots of the game and were both 2 of 10 with seven points each in the first half.
Clippers: Zubac is the first Clipper with a double-double in the first half of a postseason game since DeAndre Jordan on April 30, 2017, against Utah. ... Longtime fan Billy Crystal sat courtside.

Paul George scored 27 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of the WCF, 106-92.

Paul George leads Clippers over Suns 106-92 in Game 3

Deandre Ayton jammed an alley-oop pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left, giving the Phoenix Suns a thrilling 104-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
VALLEY OOP! 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐒. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RallyTheValley?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RallyTheValley</a> <a href="https://t.co/W7TWWX9Ld4">pic.twitter.com/W7TWWX9Ld4</a>
&mdash; Phoenix Suns (@Suns) <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1407560131462656002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
CROWDER TO AYTON FOR THE WIN!!! WHAT A FINISH TO GAME 2 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/HBWgm1R8id">pic.twitter.com/HBWgm1R8id</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1407549964151099392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The Suns were down one with 0.9 seconds left when Crowder lofted a high pass on an out-of-bounds play on the baseline. A soaring Ayton came down the lane and stuffed it through the net over L.A.'s Ivica Zubac as the crowd roared in disbelief at Phoenix Suns Arena.
The referees spent about a minute reviewing the play before ruling the basket was good. The Clippers couldn't get a shot off in the final 0.7 seconds.
The Suns now have a 2-0 lead in the series heading to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night. The Clippers will be fighting from a 2-0 deficit for the third time in these playoffs after rallying to beat the Mavericks and Jazz in the first two rounds.
The Crowder-to-Ayton connection negated a Clippers rally that was led by Paul George, who had 26 points.
George made a layup with 31 seconds left to give the Clippers a 101-100 lead for their first advantage since early in the third quarter. Suns guard Devin Booker responded with a jumper of his own with 27 seconds left.
George calmly took the ball on the next possession and drilled a long two-pointer for a 103-102 lead.
But there was a lot more action left.
George missed two free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining and the Suns had a chance to win, but it looked as if it wouldn&rsquo;t happen when Mikal Bridges missed a corner 3-pointer and the ball was deflected out of bounds.
Instead, it set up Crowder&rsquo;s heave to Ayton, who was dominant in the paint all night.
The Suns have won nine straight in the playoffs, which is a franchise record.
The Suns were led by Cameron Payne, who was brilliant while subbing for All-Star Chris Paul. He finished with a career-high 29 points. Ayton had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Booker added 20 points.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Cameron Payne was IN THE ZONE ‼️ 29 PTS (playoff career-high) 9 AST (ties playoff career-high) 2 BLK 2 STL 55.7 FPTS (playoff career-high) 2-0 <a href="https://twitter.com/Suns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Suns</a> ☀️ <a href="https://t.co/rqydbPqQYv">pic.twitter.com/rqydbPqQYv</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1407552335346384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Payne repeatedly carved through the Clippers defense, making tough buckets at the rim with pretty left-handed finishes. He made what looked like a crucial layup with about 90 seconds left, finishing high off the glass to give the Suns a 100-95 lead.
But the gritty Clippers responded and nearly pulled this one out.
It was a tough night for the stars from Game 1 until the final minutes. Booker shot just 5 of 16 from the field and missed part of the third quarter with a bloody nose. George was 10 of 23 from the field and missed his first seven 3-point attempts before his late buckets.
Ayton continued his eye-opening performance in these playoffs. The No. 1 overall pick in 2018 out of Arizona often has been overshadowed by later picks in the same draft like Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young and Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic. But he has carved out quite a niche in Phoenix and now has a play that will live in franchise lore.
The Suns were playing without Paul for the second straight game. The 11-time All-Star has been in the league&rsquo;s COVID-19 health and safety protocol for the past week and the team isn&rsquo;t sure when he&rsquo;ll return.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his fourth straight game with a right knee sprain, and he stayed in Los Angeles to get treatment on the injury.
The action was physical from the opening minutes. Referee Scott Foster gave technicals to Suns forward Jae Crowder and Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. after some jawing following a scrum for a loose ball.
The Suns took a 48-47 halftime lead, largely thanks to Payne and Ayton. Payne led all scorers with 16 points before the break, thriving in his role as the fill-in starter for Paul. Ayton added 12 points, punctuated by a soaring alley-oop dunk over Zubac.
BLOODY BOOKER, BEVERLEY
Booker took a shot to the nose late in the third after he bumped heads with Patrick Beverley, who was playing tight defense. The Suns guard fell to the floor and was down for a minute before walking back to the locker room with the medical staff with a towel over his nose.
Beverley was also left bloody on the forehead from the exchange and had to leave the game and change jerseys.
A foul was called on Beverley. The referees ruled it was not flagrant. Booker jogged back out onto the court before the fourth quarter to a big roar from the crowd.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Coach Tyronn Lue shook up the starting lineup, using Beverley and Zubac in place of Nicolas Batum and Terance Mann. ... Leonard and forward Serge Ibaka (back surgery) didn&rsquo;t play. ... Morris was dealing with a sore right knee that limited him in Game 1, but he started on Tuesday.
Suns: Paul and forward Abdel Nader (right knee arthroscopy) didn&rsquo;t play. ... The Suns had the same starting lineup for the second straight game, using Payne in Paul&rsquo;s place.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Deandre Ayton jammed an alley-oop pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left, giving the Suns a thrilling 104-103 win over the Clippers.

Valley Oop: Deandre Ayton soars for last-second dunk, Suns beat Clippers

Devin Booker had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double and the Phoenix Suns overcame Chris Paul's absence to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Paul sat out because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his third straight game because of a sprained right knee.
Tied at 93 to start the fourth, the Suns went on a 12-2 run and pulled ahead 105-95 on Cam Johnson's dunk with 8:08 remaining. The Clippers wouldn't go away, though, cutting a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes to 116-114 when Terance Mann hit a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left.
Booker scored on a dunk on the next possession to seal Phoenix's seventh straight victory, getting a free lane to the basket on the blown defensive coverage.
Game 2 is on Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Booker was productive and efficient in one of his best games of his career. He shot 15 of 29 from the field, carving apart a defense that had to play just 36 hours after closing out the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
The third quarter featured a stellar scoring duel between Booker and L.A.'s Paul George, who finished with 34 points. Booker scored 18 points in the quarter, and George had 15, including a 3-pointer that tied it at 93 heading to the fourth.
The Suns led 76-68 midway through the third but George scored eight straight points &mdash; including six points on two long 3-pointers &mdash; to tie it up. It was the start of a 16-2 run that helped Los Angeles take an 84-78 lead.
Booker and the Suns responded quickly. Booker scored 12 points &mdash; mostly on mid-range jumpers &mdash; in the final 3:09 of the third to get Phoenix back on track.
Deandre Ayton had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Suns. Cameron Payne started for Paul and had 11 points and nine assists.
Reggie Jackson added 24 points for the Clippers.
The game was a rare stage for both franchises: The Clippers are in the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, while the Suns haven&rsquo;t been this far in 11 years and have never won an NBA title.
BIG-TIME BOOGIE
The Clippers got a boost from veteran big man DeMarcus Cousins in the second quarter. He came into the game and almost immediately threw down a monster dunk over Dario Saric. He scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in his first five minutes on the court.
The talented but oft-injured Cousins has only played in two playoff games this season. The four-time All-Star averaged 7.8 points in 16 regular season games with the Clippers this season.
AWARD-WINNING GM
Suns general manager James Jones was named the NBA's Executive of the Year on Sunday. Team President Robert Sarver surprised Jones with the announcement in a short ceremony at midcourt a few minutes before tipoff.
Jones came to the team two years ago and has helped build the Valley's best team in 11 seasons. His big move was adding Paul during the offeseason but he's also made other key moves, like adding Payne, Torrey Craig and drafting Cameron Johnson.
He got a big ovation from the sellout crowd of 16,583.
The low-key Jones was a man of few words when handed the microphone by Sarver, thanking the crowd and then adding one sentence.
&ldquo;All I can say is &rdquo;Go Suns, let's win," Jones said.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Leonard and forward Serge Ibaka (back surgery) didn't play. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said on Saturday that Leonard was getting treatment on his knee in Los Angeles and wasn't sure about his availability in Game 2.
Suns: Paul and forward Abdel Nader (right knee arthroscopy) didn't play. Suns coach Monty Williams said Paul's situation is &ldquo;day-to-day.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Devin Booker had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double and the Suns overcame Chris Paul's absence to beat the Clippers.

Myron