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Lakers

Jason Kidd has been here before in his first season as coach of the Mavericks, down 1-0 in a third consecutive NBA playoff series. 
The Bay Area native is looking for another bounce-back from Luka Doncic and company in his first trip to the conference finals as a coach, which just happened to start in San Francisco.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-dallas-mavericks-milwaukee-bucks-kobe-bryant-nba-a6934fb817052fb13539d1d0bc4c2f31">Kidd is guiding the franchise</a> that was his first home away from home nearly 30 years ago, and is this deep in the postseason for the first time since Kidd was the point guard on the Dirk Nowitzki-led team that won the 2011 title.
“There’s a team out there that’s won a championship starting the same way, losing the first game,” Kidd said after Wednesday's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-phoenix-suns-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-8d9a4604e727cdb17fb6bc6e394e1a06">112-87 loss to Golden State in Game 1</a> of the Western Conference finals. Game 2 is Friday night.
Kidd has kept the conversations on championships since replacing his coach from that 2011 title year, Rick Carlisle. In this case, he could have been referring to those Mavs, who beat Miami in six games after losing the opener.
With a steady hand as the coach, Kidd has help Dallas rally from a 16-18 start to finish in the top four in the West for the first time since 2011. 
The Mavericks started the playoffs without Doncic following <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-jason-kidd-619222aa783a75cdbff2b01bf986cedb">Kidd's questionable decision to keep him in a regular-season finale</a> that had clearly become meaningless before the young superstar strained his left calf.
Kidd rejected the idea that he should have pulled Doncic, then the Mavericks won their second game without their All-Star against Utah and did it again when the first-round series moved to Salt Lake City. Dallas eliminated the Jazz in six games, with Doncic returning for the final three.
After losing the first two games at top-seeded Phoenix, neither of which was particularly close, Dallas won four of the last five, capped by a 33-point Game 7 victory. It was the only victory for the road team in the series.
“Coach did a good job of getting everybody to buy in,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “He's the only person in the locker room who's been in this situation. He's always got a cool, calm, collected attitude, and I think we take that from him.”
Kidd has acknowledged learning lessons from taking a hard-charging approach to his second job as a head coach in Milwaukee, where he was fired in the middle of his fourth season after the Bucks gave up draft picks to get him from Brooklyn.
There was an unflattering anecdote in a book about Giannis Antetokounmpo released shortly after the Bucks won the title last year, describing a grueling practice on Christmas Eve when Kidd was upset over a loss.
Dallas guard Sterling Brown, who played for Kidd in Milwaukee, has suggested his current teammates are seeing a different version of Kidd. What matters most, of course, is his relationship with Doncic — which appears to be all good so far.
“I think we’re a way better team now,” Doncic said during the season. “He’s been great for us. He communicates with the players. He’s just been great, helping not just me but everybody, just to see a better picture.”
The picture has developed into the best one in a decade for a franchise still led by a European star. Doncic, from Slovenia, is a year ahead of Nowitzki (Germany) in getting to the conference finals — both in age (23 vs. 24) and seasons (four vs. five).
Kidd, drafted second overall by Dallas in 1994 before getting traded 2 1/2 years later and returning to win his only title, reached the NBA Finals with each of the three teams he went this far with during a Hall of Fame playing career.
To do it again, his team will have to beat coach Steve Kerr and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, both of whom faced Kidd on the court.
“The way he conducted his teams from that point guard spot, coaching seemed like a perfect fit,” said Kerr, whose final season as a player was with San Antonio when the Spurs beat Kidd and the Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals. “But you never know; a lot of superstars don’t go into coaching. I’m glad he went down this path. He’s done an amazing job with Dallas.”
Curry's overlap with Kidd was four years, capped by Kidd's final season as a player with the New York Knicks in 2012-13.
“My favorite memory of him is all the reactions and mannerisms he had when he was on the bench in New York and I was going off,” Curry said.
Kidd wasted no time getting into coaching, joining Brooklyn immediately upon retiring and leading the Nets to the second round in 2014. He couldn't repeat that with the Bucks, losing in the first round twice. 
“I love the chess aspect of the game,” Kidd said. “I love the mental aspect of the game. I love helping players achieve their goals — financially or winning. As a player, I played to win. As a coach, you play to win. Your impact is a little bit less, but you’re here to help guide the guys to achieve their goal.”
His Mavericks will have to dig out of another hole to do it.
___
AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.
___
NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks are hoping for a bounce-back game against the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the WCF.

Kidd, rekindled Mavs on familiar turf down 1-0 at Warriors

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the Monday's postseason slate.
Boston Celtics (-4.5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
This series is going to be a war, folks. Two of the best defenses in the Eastern Conference square off in the conference semifinals, and I can&rsquo;t wait to watch it all unfold. So much star power and intrigue flows from both sides, but the absence of Khris Middleton looms large throughout. For the Celtics, they will be keying in on Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the series. The question is, can Giannis break through the Celtics&rsquo; elite defense and change this potential outcome entirely? It&rsquo;s certainly something to monitor in Game 1 and beyond, but we&rsquo;re wagering on the home team here. Boston has the all-around versatility to make it tough on Milwaukee, plus Middleton not being out there is a massive blow for the Bucks&rsquo; offensive firepower. In the end, confidently hammer Boston to cover the 4.5-point spread.
Pick: Celtics -4.5
Player Props: Jayson Tatum over 30.5 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo over 30.5 points, Jaylen Brown over 23.5 points, Jrue Holiday over 6.5 assists
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors (-2.5)
Will the Warriors immediately steal away homecourt advantage from Memphis in Game 1? Honestly, it&rsquo;s a very real possibility for a multitude of reasons. If Stephen Curry and the Warriors&rsquo; offense find their perimeter mojo early on, Memphis is in big trouble. The Grizzlies certainly can match this explosive potential from the Warriors with Ja Morant and other scorers, but Golden State&rsquo;s new &ldquo;Death Lineup&rdquo; has the opportunity to keep Memphis on its heels early and often. I&rsquo;m predicting this series to go the distance for seven games, but count me in for the Warriors stealing the first of what should be many incredible games.
Pick: Warriors -2.5
Player Props: Ja Morant over 25.5 points, Dillon Brooks over 18.5 points, Darymond Green over 7.5 assists, Stephen Curry over 3.5 threes
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As the NBA Conference Semifinals tip-off, "Nothing But Bets" provides its best bets for Sunday picks and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/1/22

DETROIT (AP) — Luka Doncic has helped the Dallas Mavericks win 50 games, a relatively rare feat lately for the franchise.
The All-Star guard had 26 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to lead Dallas in a 131-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks reached the 50-win mark for the first time in seven years, and just the second since winning their only NBA title.
“It’s a great accomplishment," coach Jason Kidd said. “The guys in that locker room can’t take that lightly because it’s not easy to do."
Dallas is 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2011, when they went on to win the NBA title. The franchise is set up to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs, for the first time since Kidd was their point guard during the championship season, after starting 2022 with a losing record.
“I think it’s pretty impressive," Doncic said. “We started the season kind of slow. I’m proud of how we played and hopefully we get to 52 (wins)."
Jalen Brunson had 24 points for the Mavericks, who have won five of their last six to build momentum going into the playoffs next week.
Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Pistons, who had won three straight to match what was their longest winning streak of the season.
Even with the game out of reach in the final minutes, coach Dwane Casey had his starters on the floor.
“That’s going to be a top team in the West," Casey said. “I wanted them to feel it and experience it."
Dallas led by as much as eight in the first, but trailed 34-32 after Doncic and Cunningham each had their fourth assist over the last 3.4 seconds of the quarter.
The Mavs moved back ahead in the second quarter and led 65-58 at halftime with Doncic scoring 16 points, making six assists. 
Doncic was called for his fourth foul at the 8:05 mark of the third. Kidd left him in the game and it turned out to be a wise move as Doncic was dominant, making a 3-pointer and assist that put the Mavs ahead 93-77 late in the quarter.
Dallas didn't have any trouble keeping its comfortable cushion in the fourth, finishing with 15 3-pointers on 33 shots beyond the arc.
“They do a great job of spreading out and making 3-point shots," Casey said. “You make one mistake and they make you pay. They’re a great offensive team, exactly what we want to be in terms of moving the basketball and knocking down 3s," 
CROSSOVER
Kidd is among the many marveling that Tiger Woods is teeing off at the Masters on Thursday morning, 14 months after a car crash left him in a hospital bed for three months.
“What Tiger is doing has already broken the internet,” Kidd said. “If he’s in the running for winning it, he definitely will shut down the internet. What he’s done to just come back, is incredible. I think everyone will be watching.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Reserve Sterling Brown missed the game for personal reasons. ... Forward Maxi Kleber (right ankle) missed a second straight game. ... The Mavs have won five straight against Detroit, winning each game by double digits.
Pistons: The banged-up, rebuilding team was without several injured players Marvin Bagley (hip), Hamidou Diallo (finger), Jerami Grant (calf), Cory Joseph (back), Rodney McGruder (hip) and rested Kelly Olynyk. “I think we have a couple of coaches, and we are ready to go," Casey joked. ... Faces in the crowd included Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, sitting with former players Mateen Cleaves and Mat Ishbia, who has courtside seats.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Close the regular season at home against Portland on Friday night and San Antonio on Sunday.
Pistons: End the regular season against Milwaukee on Friday night at home and at Philadelphia on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Luka Doncic leads the Dallas Mavericks over the Detroit Pistons for Dallas' 50th win on the season.

Luka Doncic-led Mavericks beat Pistons 131-113 for 50th win

During the Boston Celtics&rsquo; 125-97 walloping of the Utah Jazz on March 23, Marcus Smart attempted just one shot in the first period, yet played one of the best individual quarters I&rsquo;ve seen outside of a top-15 player this season.&nbsp;
Across his 12-minute, first-quarter stint, the 28-year-old handed out nine dimes, drilled a triple, forced two turnovers and detonated at least two more possessions defensively. Amid a game with five different All-Stars, Smart was its best player through 12 minutes. By the end of the opening frame, Boston held a 39-24 lead over the NBA&rsquo;s top offense and cruised to victory, fueled by a season-high 35 assists.
The win marked the Celtics&rsquo; 21st victory in 24 tries since Jan. 29. Despite losing two of their last three games, they&rsquo;re now 47-30 after beginning the year 25-25. A bevy of factors have powered this team&rsquo;s turnaround, one of which is Smart enjoying the best stretch of his career and it&rsquo;s been facilitated by a shift in his offensive role for the betterment of everyone.&nbsp;
Throughout these 27 games (he&rsquo;s played 25 of them), he&rsquo;s averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 assists (2.5 turnovers), 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 56.2% True Shooting (.436/.348/.775 split). Boston has elected to utilize him in more screening actions as the pick man and ball-handler, and entrust him with greater on-ball duties, both of which amplify Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s talents.&nbsp;
All the while, his <a href="https://streamable.com/uwr8ja" target="_blank" rel="noopener">savvy connective passing</a> continues to flourish, thanks to his instantaneous, purposeful decision-making when the ball swings his direction. He&rsquo;s a daring, frugal distributor, illuminated in part by his 2.6:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That metric never captures the whole passing picture, but it's a useful snapshot for him.
By embracing Smart as the primary point guard that people have long stressed as the missing ingredient of Boston&rsquo;s offense, a once-stale attack sits third in offensive rating (118.9) over the past 27 games. Prior to that, the Celtics were 22nd (109.1 offensive rating), buried by poor and poor execution. Neither really hampers this team anymore; although, the ramifications of Robert Williams&rsquo; absence have yet to be fully experienced.&nbsp;
As a pick-and-roll conductor, Smart is wily and patient, though rarely timid. He excels at table-setting for big men and has formed a particularly collaborative connection with Williams. According to Synergy, he only ranks in the 22nd percentile in pick-and-roll scoring this year. Add passes into the equation, however, and he vaults to the 75th percentile.&nbsp;
Tatum&rsquo;s scoring gravity may open up more lucrative reads than Smart&rsquo;s does, but Smart is probably the team&rsquo;s most talented passer among its perimeter options. Balancing that duo&rsquo;s opportunities to commandeer ball-screens is broadening Boston&rsquo;s playmaking diversity and Smart is taking advantage of these chances.&nbsp;
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Among Smart, Tatum and Brown, Smart is the least adept play-finisher. Having Tatum (and Brown, to a lesser extent) be the catalyst for so many actions early in the year suppressed some of Smart&rsquo;s offensive value and complicated Tatum&rsquo;s job. It&rsquo;s not that Tatum cannot create for himself at a high level, it&rsquo;s that he&rsquo;s also practical as an off-ball player and Smart is adroit on the ball. Limiting those chances provides diminishing returns for both (well, all three players) offensively.&nbsp;
The Smart-Tatum pick-and-pop has been highly prosperous for the Celtics and they&rsquo;ve expanded its usage during this run. With so many teams switching on defense this season, the 6-foot-8 Tatum screening for the 6-foot-3 Smart enacts beneficial mismatches for the star wing, empowering him to easily shoot over the top or attack downhill to exploit a size advantage.&nbsp;
With Brown, his off-ball usage generally revolves around cuts from the corners or curling around a pindown from Williams. Both talented wings are displaying their off-ball chops much more commonly the last couple months and they can do so because Smart is such a trustworthy facilitator.&nbsp;
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Since Smart took on grander point-guard duties in late January/early February, Tatum is averaging 29-7-5-1 on 63.7% TS (.501/.391/.885 split) and Brown is averaging 22.5-5-3.5-1 on 57.8% TS (.491/.344/.714 split).&nbsp;
Tatum has especially thrived from Smart&rsquo;s amended usage, with 51% of his buckets coming via assists since Jan. 29, a notable leap from 43% before that, according to Cleaning The Glass. Similarly, his season-long TS% has risen from 54.5 to 57.7 over his past 26 games.&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s sealing off smaller defenders inside amid early offense, flowing off flare screens into side pick-and-rolls or cutting from the perimeter, he&rsquo;s catching the ball on the move more often and encountering simpler scoring looks.
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Smart is also excellent when operating as a screener for Tatum. Boston has increasingly frequented that gambit to further unlock the superstar&rsquo;s resurgence and augment the entire offense. He&rsquo;ll create on the short roll or attack from the perimeter, and he&rsquo;s also netted a credible 37.7% of his 114 catch-and-shoot treys over this span.&nbsp;
Players who thrive off the advantages that a primary initiator fashions are crucial for any threatening offense. Smart fits that criteria because he&rsquo;s a sound decision-maker and gifted passer. When opponents toss two dudes at the ball against Tatum, Smart is a wonderful release valve who punishes the defensive tactic.&nbsp;
Even if Smart isn&rsquo;t the one punctuating a play, he can spark similar mismatches to the ones arising when Tatum screens for him. Either way, this action has been integral to Boston&rsquo;s 180 offensively.
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From ball-handler to screener to play-linker, there are simply an array of contexts Smart can be relied upon to execute favorable decisions. While it took a while for the Celtics to truly lean into that, it&rsquo;s occurred over the past two months and yielded sterling outcomes.&nbsp;
Smart is playing better than ever. Tatum moved out of his slump and resembles a dominant top-10 player again (positive shooting regression helps too). Brown&rsquo;s versatile secondary scoring is prominently on display.&nbsp;
The ball pings in Boston&rsquo;s offense to magnitudes it didn&rsquo;t throughout the first three months. Before Jan. 29, it ranked 20th in assist rate (58.5%). Since then, it&rsquo;s sixth (63.9%).&nbsp;
Ball movement isn&rsquo;t a necessity for effective offense, but the Celtics aren&rsquo;t loaded with high-level creators, so it's certainly tied to their success. Once they get the defense into scramble mode, they&rsquo;ve been dynamite at maintaining that advantage with prompt passing to produce a worthwhile shot. Smart&rsquo;s rapid, shrewd facilitating feels like it sets the tone for those sequences and this team-wide development (in fairness, Boston rosters many good passers in its rotation). 
Everyone rightfully discusses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smart&rsquo;s defensive credentials</a> when extolling his virtues. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned an All-Defensive First Team bid</a>this season and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/give-marcus-smart-the-damn-dpoy-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a viable case for Defensive Player of the Year</a>.&nbsp;
But his on-court value extends well beyond being elite on one side of the ball. As Boston has remade itself into a legitimate title contender, his offensive contributions and reshaped role are glimmering &mdash; just as he did during a masterful first quarter against the Jazz last week.&nbsp;
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Everyone rightfully praises Marcus Smart’s defense, but his offensive contributions have helped turn Boston into a legitimate contender.

Marcus Smart's playmaking is vital to Celtics' offensive resurgence

CLEVELAND (AP) — With a large, loud contingent of Slovenia fans on hand, Luka Doncic wanted to give his countrymen a show.
The Cavaliers couldn't stop it.
“When all the people come to see you, you want to put on a show," Doncic said.
He didn't disappoint.
Doncic scored 35 points, added 13 assists and just missed another triple-double, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 120-112 win on Wednesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without star rookie forward Evan Mobley.
Dorian Finney-Smith added a career-high 28 points — many of them off passes from Doncic — for Dallas, which came in fourth in the Western Conference and locked up one of the top six playoff spots.
Doncic scored 20 with ease in the third, when the Mavericks took control by outscoring the Cavaliers 39-22.
With Cleveland still hanging around in the fourth, the do-it-all All-Star forward, who finished one rebound short of his second triple-double in two nights, put the Cavs away with a deep, dagger 3.
“We talked about there being a large Slovenian contingent in Cleveland on the plane,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "He wanted to put on a good show and came to work. He comes to work every night.
“He knew when to pass the ball and when to attack. Luka will have two (guys) on the ball and he trusts his teammates to make plays.”
Caris LeVert had his best game with Cleveland, scoring 32 points. Darius Garland added 25 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, who have dropped four of five and are trying to hang onto a home game in the play-in tournament amid some major injuries.
Mobley, one of the Rookie of the Year frontrunners, missed the game with a sprained ankle suffered Monday night and will miss at least two more.
One of the game's most complete players, Doncic dominated in the third to help the Mavericks erase a six-point halftime deficit and take an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Doncic did it almost effortlessly as the Cavs couldn't figure out how to stop him from splitting high screens and driving down the lane for either a short bank shot or an assist to an open teammate.
Dallas closed the third with a 15-2 run, highlighted by Doncic feeding Finney-Smith with a behind-the-back pass for a 3-pointer.
“He does a great job of playing at the right tempo and the right speed," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Doncic. “Tonight it was a pick your poison because his teammates were making shots. He does a great job of finding them and setting them up.”
“He's a wizard with the ball in his hands.”
Mobley's loss is a huge blow at the worst possible time for the Cavs. He will not travel to Atlanta and New York in the next few days so he can get more treatment and hopefully be back for the final few games.
Bickerstaff said Mobley's not in a walking boot, perhaps an encouraging sign the injury isn't long-term.
The Cavs have been forced to maneuver around injuries all season, and because of that Bickerstaff was confident his players would respond.
“It's a test of character and that our guys have passed time and time again,” he said. “Our guys don't quit.”
Another positive for Cleveland was LeVert, who has struggled with his role and confidence since coming to the Cavs in a deadline trade.
“This is who Caris is,” Bickerstaff said. “It was just a matter of time.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: G Spencer Dinwiddie sat out the second night of a back-to-back as part of planned maintenance for his surgically repaired right knee. ... G Frank Ntilikina (right ankle sprain) and G Theo Pinson (right finger fracture) were also unavailable. … G Sterling Brown and G Trey Burke remain in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Cavaliers: Allen has missed 12 games since getting hurt on March 6. ... G Rajon Rondo (sprained ankle) was downgraded from doubtful to out and was sidelined for his ninth consecutive game. ... C Moses Brown made his first start with Cleveland and had 12 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes.
TEAM PLAYERS
Cavs forward Kevin Love and Mavs center Boban Marjanovic are among the 12 finalists for Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
A year ago, it would have been impossible to imagine Love being considered. He was frustrated and vented toward teammates on the floor more than once. But he’s changed and his turnaround has had a major impact on Cleveland’s success.
“He’s a guy who has truly been supportive of the guy (Mobley) he had to pass the torch to, and in sports that’s not always the case,” Bickerstaff said. “Not too many people at his level are willing to sacrifice the way he has."
As for the 7-foot-4 Marjanovic, Kidd said he’s never seen the big man have a bad day.
“I hope he wins,” Kidd said, “because he deserves it.”
NEW JERSEY (PATCH)
The Cavaliers are making a subtle but strong change to their jerseys for next season. The team expanded its partnership with Cleveland Cliffs and will wear the local steel company’s logo. It will replace Goodyear’s iconic Wingfoot logo, which the club has had for five seasons.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Continue a four-game trip Friday in Washington.
Cavaliers: Visit Atlanta on Thursday, beginning a stretch of three games in four days.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Luka Doncic's big night fuels win for Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic's 35 points, 13 assists send Mavs past Cavs 120-112

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.

Mavs rout Lakers 128-110 with LeBron sitting, AD near return

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic knows the Mavericks haven't had home-court advantage in the playoffs since the young superstar came to Dallas.
Coach Jason Kidd might remember the last time the club did, since he was the point guard on the team that won the 2011 championship.
The Mavericks took an important step toward the elusive top half of the Western Conference playoff picture Sunday night.
Doncic scored 32 points and the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100 for the inside track to the fourth seed in what could be a first-round playoff matchup.
The Mavericks (46-29) moved a game ahead of the Jazz (45-30) in the battle for the fourth and fifth seeds in the West and earned a split of the season series, with the home team winning all four games.
Dallas would have to finish a game ahead of Utah if the Jazz keep their Northwest Division lead over Denver. The Mavericks and Jazz have seven games remaining.
&ldquo;That's what we wanted, but it's a long way to go,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We've still got to keep our composure, focus on the next opponent and try to win every game.&rdquo;
Rudy Gay scored 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth in a row on a season-long, six-game trip that ends Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert was a late scratch for Utah because of the 7-foot-1 center's right leg contusion as another 7-footer, Hassan Whiteside, sat for the second consecutive game with a right foot sprain.
Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the ninth time in 10 games as he battles a right calf strain, and Utah had a scare in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell left the game briefly after Dwight Powell landed on his lower right leg.
Mitchell stayed down in front of Utah's bench as play continued at the other end and limped to the bench when he finally got up. But Mitchell missed less than a minute and a half, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
&ldquo;Most of their team wasn&rsquo;t playing, so you can&rsquo;t judge,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We had a Christmas game out there without half our team. You only will be judged once the playoffs start. This wasn&rsquo;t a playoff game. No one&rsquo;s up 1-0.&rdquo;
Doncic beat the halftime buzzer with a longer 3-pointer to get the Mavericks within a point and set up a second-half surge as Dallas won for the 18th time in 22 home games.
Reggie Bullock connected on a season-high seven 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting beyond the arc. He had consecutive 3s in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Dallas its biggest lead to that point at 17.
&ldquo;I thought Bullock's 3s were really big 3s,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;You can't take all of them away. There's a few that were really impactful.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson had 22 points while matching Doncic with 10 rebounds and five assists. They were the first starting Dallas guards to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the same game in franchise history.
Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece for Utah.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder said Whiteside has been playing through soreness and mentioned feeling it in a loss at Brooklyn last Monday. Whiteside played the next game in Boston. &ldquo;It's a hard thing to predict, how long or how quickly,&rdquo; Snyder said of the outlook for Whiteside.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans scored six points after missing three games with right knee soreness. ... G Sterling Brown was out again after entering COVID-19 protocols during the trip to Minnesota, where Dallas lost Friday.
NCAA CONNECTIONS
On the same weekend Villanova reached the Final Four, Brunson shared the floor with Utah's Eric Paschall, his teammate when the Wildcats won their second title in three years in 2018. Paschall made his third start of the season with Gobert out and scored 10 points. Jazz rookie Jared Butler, who scored seven points, was the point guard on Baylor's championship team last year.
UP NEXT
Jazz: After finishing the road trip at the Clippers on Tuesday, Utah returns home against the Lakers on Thursday. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Clippers and 0-2 against the Lakers.
Mavericks: The Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas starts its final road trip of the regular season (four games) at Cleveland on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100.

Doncic, Mavs top Jazz 114-100 for inside track to home court

Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols) has been downgraded to out for tonight's game in Minnesota, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/mavspr/status/1507409528639442949?s=21&amp;t=XtkwPbB3RwZKcb3OCmYiuA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mavs PR</a>.
Brown has averaged 3.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in the 48 games he's played for Dallas this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols) has been downgraded to out for tonight's game in Minnesota. <a href="https://t.co/oUr6ORBonh">https://t.co/oUr6ORBonh</a>
&mdash; Mavs PR (@MavsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1507409528639442949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Sterling Brown will miss Dallas' game tonight vs. Minnesota because of health and safety protocols.

Sterling Brown out tonight (COVID protocols) vs. Minnesota

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, and the Phoenix Suns rallied late to beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 on Thursday night.
In a matchup of two of the NBA&rsquo;s hottest teams, Phoenix (35-9) finished a sweep of its season-high, five-game road trip and won its ninth straight against the Mavericks by outscoring Dallas 35-19 in the fourth quarter. Paul scored 10 points in the fourth.
&ldquo;Chris knows when to go,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He showed that again in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
Luka Doncic scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks (26-20), who had won four straight games and 10 of their last 11.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s been running through the league here of late,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams. &ldquo;To beat them on their home floor like that is huge.&rdquo;
After Mikal Bridges&rsquo; floater gave Phoenix a 101-99 lead with 2:56 left, Bismack Biyombo &ndash; playing only his seventh game this season after joining the Suns this month &ndash; followed his free throw with a dunk to give Phoenix a 104-99 lead. Paul&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go was the clincher, putting the Suns ahead 107-99.
Doncic had 24 points through three quarters &ndash; giving him 20 or more points in nine straight games &ndash; but went to the bench in the period&rsquo;s closing seconds after hurting his neck on a hard fall. He played eight minutes in the fourth, hitting 2 of 3 shots from the floor with none behind the arc.
&ldquo;My neck&rsquo;s not an excuse,&rdquo; said Doncic, who had eight turnovers and said he might have lost some steam in the fourth quarter. &ldquo;But man, they&rsquo;re the best record in the league. We were right there.&rdquo;
The Suns won despite shooting a season-worst 22.2% on 3-pointers (8 for 36), including missing 17 straight in the first half. But they forced a Mavericks team that was second in the NBA averaging 12.4 turnovers into 19 and outscored Dallas 31-7 on points off turnovers.
Paul has an NBA-best 49 career games with double-digit assists and no turnovers.
&ldquo;He pushes everybody,&rdquo; Booker said of the 11-time All-Star. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very vocal.&rdquo;
BY POPULAR DEMAND
With the Suns leading 104-99 in the final minute, Booker was called for a blocking foul as Dorian Finney-Smith drove the baseline. Every Phoenix player on floor motioned to the bench that the call should be challenged.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to trust the players because no player in the history of the league has ever committed a foul,&rdquo; Williams said.
But he did trust them &ndash; along with his gut and from what he heard from down the bench &ndash; and the play was reversed into an offensive foul.
THE PORZINGIS HAT TRICK?
During Dallas&rsquo; 14-0 run to take a 42-38 lead late in the second quarter, the 7-foot-3 Latvian had a block on JaVale McGee, scored on an alley-oop from Maxi Kleber and then popped a 25-foot 3-pointer.
TIP-INS
Suns: They&rsquo;re one win short of the franchise&rsquo;s best record through 44 games. Being 26 games over .500 is the most since finishing last season&rsquo;s shortened schedule 51-21. &hellip; Played their second straight game without starting center Deandre Ayton, their second-leading scorer and top rebounder (right ankle sprain).
Mavericks: Had won six consecutive home games, including wins over Golden State and Chicago. &hellip; Finished a home back-to-back after beating Toronto by four points on Wednesday night. &hellip; Played their second straight game without reserve guard Sterling Brown (sore left foot).
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Indiana on Saturday for their first home game since Jan. 8.
Mavericks: Home on Sunday against Southwest Division leader Memphis to finish a five-game homestand.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, Suns rallied late to beat the Mavericks.

Suns rally late to beat Mavs 109-101, sweep 5-game road trip

Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt discusses the power and influence the NBA has, and can continue to have &mdash; if the NBA continues using its platform, voices and resources to fight for justice.&nbsp;
Lee Merritt is one of the attorneys for Ahmaud Arbery&rsquo;s family &mdash; a 25-year-old black man who was murdered while on a run near Brunswick, in Glynn County, Georgia. A verdict of life imprisonment was just announced in the case, in which three men were convicted of murdering Arbery. While Lee Merritt is definitely relieved about the verdict, we discuss the long road ahead to achieve justice and equality for all. Merritt is running for attorney general in Texas and I would love to see the NBA duplicate what the WNBA did, when they threw their support behind Raphael Warnock, an Atlanta-area pastor who was running as a Democrat at the time for (and would eventually win) one of Georgia&rsquo;s seats in the U.S. Senate.&nbsp;
This was a great discussion.
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Etan Thomas: So this time last year, I interviewed a group of WNBA players, [including] Renee Montgomery and Elizabeth Williams, who both played for the Atlanta Dream at the time, [as well as] Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Angel McCoughtry &mdash; and Eric Garner's daughter, Emerald. And <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-nba-kelly-loeffler-atlanta-dream-renee-montgomery-elizabeth-williams-swin-cash-etan-thomas-activism-black-lives-matter-activist-movement-vote-warnock-shirts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we discussed what the WNBA did to galvanize support for Raphael Warnock, and ultimately get him in office and Kelly Loeffler out of office</a>. And it was really amazing. Because for one, Raphael Warnock was polling at 9% before the WNBA got involved. And he won &mdash; in Georgia, of all places.&nbsp;
So I want to see how we can galvanize the NBA to duplicate that with you, as you're running for attorney general in the state of Texas. So that's why I reached out to you to have this interview with you. I've been following you for a long time and I'm a big fan of the work that you do. And so, I'm going to send this interview to the NBA, to the <a href="https://www.thesocialchangefund.org">NBA Social Change Fund</a>.
Which, for those that aren't familiar, it was birthed out of the Bubble season. After the NBA players went on strike, after Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in broad daylight, in front of his children. The NBA Social Change Fund was formed by Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, and is aimed to support critical issues in the black community.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_7183_lg.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="282" />
So that's why after speaking to Allisa Charles-Findley, who is Botham Jean's sister &mdash; and I actually interviewed her for my new book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/police-brutality-and-white-supremacy-the-fight-against-american-traditions/">Police Brutality and White Supremacy: The Fight Against American Traditions.</a>&rdquo;
She was one of the people I interviewed, along with Atatiana Jefferson's family, who I know that you work with as well &mdash; so we came up with the idea of conducting this interview with you, to try to galvanize that support from the NBA. Some people are like, "Alright, you usually do basketball stuff. Why are you interviewing a politician right now?" But that's the reason why. So thank you for taking this time.
Lee Merritt: "Sure, I really appreciate that. During most of my career, I've enjoyed the support of the National Basketball Association. I can recall in 2017, a young man named <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2018/08/29/jordan-edwards-made-the-case-against-roy-oliver-unlike-any-murder-trial-dallas-had-ever-seen/">Jordan Edwards </a>was slain in Balch Springs, Texas.&nbsp;
"It was in the middle of the NBA playoffs &mdash; and Steve Kerr, who had suffered family tragedy as well, identified with that family, reached out, invited them to the playoff games [and] got his brothers to take their mind off of it for a bit.
"I actually used to coach basketball myself. I was a coach down at South Atlanta High School. I coached Derrick Favors, I coached against Cousins and Walls* when they were high school students. And I enjoy a relationship with them today, continuing to give back to the community of Atlanta.
"And yeah, the names that you mentioned that you work with, Chris Paul has supported the work and the families I represent. Dwyane Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, [have] been major, major supporters over the course of my career.
"And, just as I transition away from representing one family at a time and start talking about representing larger groups of people and going towards policies, I certainly think the NBA can play a major role &mdash; in not only the success of the campaign, but championing some of those issues that we're fighting for on a case-by-case basis, and taking it to one of the biggest states in the country and really impacting national policy."
Etan: So, let me ask you to review some of the cases that you've worked with before, and the people that you've represented. We could start off with Ahmaud Arbery.
Merritt: "Sure. I came to represent the Ahmaud Arbery family before the video was released of his brutal slaying in South Georgia. Many [...] will recall that he was a South Georgia jogger. On February 23, 2020, he was targeted by three white men who have now been each <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-reaches-verdict-ahmaud-arbery-death-case/story?id=81353504">convicted of murder</a>, and are facing life sentences in the state of Georgia, as well as federal hate crime charges.
"I've also represented... Unfortunately, the list of families that I've represented is quite extensive. I represent over 67 families who have suffered misuse of force, that lost a loved one, as a result of the deadliest police culture in the world. Some of the names that your viewers may have heard of.
"You mentioned [...] <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article236198028.html">Atatiana Jefferson</a>.&nbsp;
"Of course, that case is ongoing. <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/death-innocent-man-timeline-wrong-apartment-murder-trial/story?id=65938727">Botham Jean</a>, who was an accountant eating a bowl of ice cream in his own apartment complex.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-illinois-police-shooting-guard-20181112-story.html">Jemel Roberson</a> was a security guard in Chicago. Had just stopped a mass shooting, and was shot in the back by a police officer who must have mistook him for a gunman.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/us/california-attorney-general-sean-monterrosa-shooting/index.html">Sean Monterrosa</a> in California.
"But the bulk of my work has been in Texas. I represent <a href="https://foxsanantonio.com/news/local/damian-daniels-family-responds-to-no-indictment-for-deputy-that-killed-him">Damian Daniels</a>, a veteran shot to death in his home.&nbsp;
"<a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Family-of-woman-killed-by-Baytown-officer-13872709.php">Pamela Turner</a> in the Houston area.&nbsp;
"And like I said, we could probably spend the rest of this podcast going through the list of names."
Etan: Wow! So now you're running for attorney general in Texas. And for those that don't know, what exactly are the responsibilities of an attorney general?
Merritt: "The attorney general of Texas, and an attorney general in any state, is the legal voice for the people. They're supposed to serve as the spokesperson for what justice is in a municipality. And so we've seen it, in cases like Breonna Taylor, where we had a really bad attorney general interfere with accountability in that case, in the form of Daniel Cameron. We've seen the opposite end of that spectrum with Keith Ellison and the work that he's done in Minnesota. Prosecuting the officers responsible for the death of George Floyd and, most recently, Daunte Wright.
"But even beyond the criminal justice aspect, the attorney general&rsquo;s office, particularly in the state of Texas, impacts virtually every aspect of Texas life. So property taxes, school protection. And we've heard a lot recently in the news about the CRT [Critical Race Theory] scam, where they're trying to erase entire portions of our history in the name of not getting anyone upset.
"From the border crisis, to really economic empowerment in our schools. There's so many businesses that are attempting to get off the ground, but don't have access to the kind of governmental loans and support that our white counterparts do.
"All of those things run through the attorney general's office. It's a very, very influential office. More or less the second-in-command in the state of Texas."
Etan: Now, Ken Paxton, [is] who you would be running against, and who is the current attorney general &mdash; and has been since 2015. I want to talk about the stark differences between the two of you, because it's really night and day.
But I want to start off with this, because the Jan. 6 insurrection [anniversary] is upon us. And you know, I'm looking at him, looking at the footage, and I see him at a rally right before the insurrection, almost like leading the charge. Explain to me, let's start off with there, about the stark differences between you and Ken Paxton.
Merritt: "Well, there is a clear contrast. You know, Texas was in the national news because of [its] unique voter suppression laws. They passed some laws that would make it more difficult for the black and brown people in the state, people with disabilities and marginalized communities to vote.
"It was so upsetting that certain members of the Texas legislature left the state and went to DC &mdash; refused to participate in that session in order to fight for voting rights. Now, I was present with them. I thought that was a fight worth standing with people for, providing both legal advice and strategies, working with the labor community and others to take on voting issues in Texas.
"By contrast, the last sort of infamous trip of the attorney general, the current attorney general, to our nation's capital was on Jan. 6. And we don't know exactly what he did there, because he has not participated in an ongoing investigation in terms of his potential criminal liability for helping to incite a riot.
"But he was very publicly on camera, encouraging the soon-to-be riders and insurrectionists that the election was stolen, that they had a responsibility to fight. And he invoked the name of Texas when he did it. He said, "You all should fight, because Texans fight." And he laid out that he had fought to overturn the results of the free and fair election. And yeah, that's our top legal position in the state, advocating for the overthrow of our government."
---------------
We then went on to discuss particular differences between him and Ken Paxton such as his position on education, police reform, border, gun training before owning a gun, and we cleared up the misconceptions on CRT, being anti-police vs. anti-police brutality, Second Amendment rights, etc.
---------------
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Etan: So let's go to the NBA, and how important it is for the NBA to continue to promote, to continue to use their platforms, to be able to &mdash; I mean, this is the thing. It's important to do that part. But now we have to take it a step further.
And I think the NBA has been doing a great job of promoting, raising awareness. You saw it all especially during the Bubble season, after the entire country was promoting and demonstrating and protesting what happened with George Floyd, what happened with Breonna Taylor [and] Ahmaud Arbery.
You saw John Wall and Bradley Beal here in D.C. leading protests. You saw all the Ball brothers, you saw Russell Westbrook in L.A. You saw Jaylen Brown and Enes Kanter Freedom too, in Boston &mdash; of course everything that LeBron was always doing.
But now it's like, it needs to be a step further, like the next step. And I think that you, with what you are trying to implement in Texas as the attorney general, is that next step. Because you have to be able to have someone in place that's on the right side of wanting to be able to create something that functions properly. So just talk about that, how this is like the next step that should happen. Along with [...] raising awareness and protesting and everything like that.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can recall, we were in the middle of the NBA playoffs when Jacob Blake was repeatedly shot in his back by a Milwaukee police officer. And I was watching the game, and Chris Paul had just gone off, sort of a historic performance.
"And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcNbbyg0ZI">they interviewed him</a> right after the game. And they said, 'You know, Chris, you were playing...' I think he was playing his old team, the Houston Rockets. He was with the Oklahoma City Thunder [...], where Derrick Favors is currently.
"And they said, 'Tell us about this performance against your old team. You had a chance to really show them that you still got it.' And he said, 'Yeah, I don't really care about that. That's cool. And that's what I'm paid to do. But a law enforcement officer in my community has just shot someone in their back several times. He was unarmed and nonviolent. Let's talk about that.'
"I think it's on the players to stand up like Chris Paul did, and like you said, like people have done, in a systemic way across the National Basketball Association &mdash; where the pundits and the media might tell you, 'Could you just shut up and dribble.' We've heard that refrain before.
"It's important for the players to say, "No, actually I won't. This is my community. What's going on in our community, it's urgent. It's a crisis. It's not something that we want to put off for a later conversation or for the offseason. But where it happens, I'm going to stand up to it. And I will get involved in elections. And I will use my resources and time and attention to shine a light on these issues that must be addressed."
Etan: You know, it's interesting. In my book, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/we-matter-athletes-and-activism/">We Matter: Athletes and Activism</a>&rdquo; I interviewed Jahvaris Fulton, who is Trayvon Martin's brother. And in the interview, he told me how &mdash; and when he said this, it kind of threw me,&nbsp; because I didn't expect him to say it &mdash; he said that if it weren't for NBA players and celebrities and everybody like that, talking about his brother, he didn't think that anybody would know his name. And I was like, "Wow, that's kind of strong. Why do you say that?"
So then he explained to me how, when Trayvon Martin was first killed, his family was trying to get the local news people to cover it and they didn't want to cover it. They said, "Okay, another young black man was killed. That's not newsworthy."
And I was like, "That's what they told you?" He said, "Yeah," he was like, "We don't have no evidence. We don't have no video of it. Just your word saying that he [was] killed, that's not newsworthy." And he gave a shout-out to Roland Martin and some of the black news people, who were covering it. But he said, "But no local news people wanted to cover it."
So then he said, "But then, LeBron James started talking about it. And Dwyane Wade started talking about it. And then the entire Miami Heat team posed in the hoodies." So then he said, "So then you had everybody like, 'Okay, what is this that LeBron James is discussing? And why is Dwyane Wade feeling so passionate about this, and talking about his kids, and about this case?' Then everybody started to gravitate towards it and cover it and everything like that."
But he said [...] before, they couldn't get anybody to cover it. And that's just... It's unfortunate that it is that way, because people should have a regard for human life anyway, without an athlete having to speak about it. However, the athlete speaking about it is what drew the attention &mdash; and that just shows where athletes have to continue to do that, continue to use your voice and your platform to be able to speak to these causes.
And also to take it a step further by having laws being changed, and people who are in positions to fight for laws being changed, like [you are]. You know what I mean? And running for attorney general &mdash; [who] are in positions to actually implement some things so these things don't just continue to keep happening.
Merritt: "Yeah. I can remember in 2016, we saw two high-profile officer-involved shootings back-to-back, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. It was the same weekend, and it was almost like a dark cloud being hanged over impacted communities. And if you and I saw each other on the street, we would make eye contact and say, 'You know, man, this is becoming too much.'
"Dallas had a protest &mdash; I was living in Dallas at the time. And they had a protest downtown, where we marched and we discussed what happened, and started to talk about organizing police reform. And at the end of that protest, a vigilante named Micah Xavier Johnson, targeted law enforcement officers and shot five police officers and a couple of civilians as well. And you could imagine the national outcry about Black Lives Matter, and how they put law enforcement lives at risk.
"And everyone began to ignore the fact that people were there for protesting peacefully about police violence &mdash; that was back-to-back and overwhelming. And while it was a tragedy for our entire community that law enforcement officers were targeted by Mr. Johnson, there was also an ongoing crisis in our community, that was the reason that all those people had gathered and made targets of themselves.
"And it was Dwyane Wade. LeBron was still, I think, in 2016, with the Miami Heat. So it was Wade and LeBron who came forward at the ESPY Awards that weekend and re-centered the conversation. And said, 'That's terrible what happened in Dallas, and we back the blue. We stand for the law enforcement officers.'
&ldquo;But understand that our community is also under attack. And it's two sides of the same coin. We don't tolerate violence directed at law enforcement officers. And we cannot continue to tolerate violence directed at our community.
And it saved the national conversation so that we could get back to what had brought us all there in the first place. And so, yeah, members of the NBA have the opportunity, in [the] state of Texas, but [also] throughout the country, the voices of the NBA are critically important to that."
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="666" height="333" />

Etan Thomas is joined by Lee Merritt on "The Rematch" to discuss social justice and the NBA's role in societal change.

Lee Merritt: The NBA could impact public policy and elections

At 17 years old, Scoot Henderson is making history. Spencer Davies spoke with the prodigy and those close to him to find out how.

NBA G League star Scoot Henderson's aspirations far exceed the hype

DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Dorian Finney-Smith came alive in the second half and the Dallas Mavericks, with a boost from two newly signed players, defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-102 in a battle of attrition Tuesday night.
A total of nine players, including three starters, missed the game because they are in the NBA's health and safety protocol. 
Brunson scored 16 points in the first half. Finney-Smith had just four at halftime, but added 15 in the second half, including two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Minnesota's last lead in the game. 
Dwight Powell scored 15 points, Boban Marjanovich had 10 and Sterling Brown combined 12 points with 11 rebounds in his first start this season. 
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with and 26 points and 14 rebounds. Malik Beasley scored 22, D'Angelo Russell had 14 points and 12 assists and Jaden McDaniels scored 11.
The Mavericks got a boost from two players signed since they lost just two days before at Minnesota. Theo Pinson played 22 minutes, scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and added three assists and four steals. In his 16 minutes, Marquese Chriss scored six points, including a thunderous dunk in the 10-0 run, and took down eight rebounds.
In the first quarter, Minnesota made 65% (13 for 20) of its field goal attempts and scored 35 points — and led Dallas by only one point. Towns didn't miss a shot and scored 12 points. In the second, the Timberwolves made just 28% of their field goal attempts and were outscored 27-15 as the Mavericks took a 61-50 halftime lead. 
In the third quarter, the Mavericks ran to a 17-point lead, 79-62, but Minnesota came back with a 13-0 run. The Wolves led 94-91 in the fourth before 3-pointers by Brown and Finney-Smith gave the Mavericks a 97-95 they didn't lose.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota signed F Chris Silva and G Rayjon Tucker, who had been playing in the G-League, to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Silva arrived with 59 NBA games on his resume, and Tucker with 34. ... The Wolves were without starters Patrick Beverly and Jarred Vanderbilt as well as Anthony Edwards, John Okogie and Taurean Prince because they were in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Mavericks: Hardaway was added Tuesday afternoon to the list of players in the health and safety protocol, joining Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock and Josh Green. ... Doncic (left ankle injury) missed his fifth consecutive game, and Porzingis (toe) joined him on the injury list on Tuesday. Coach Jason Kidd said, “We're hopeful that (Doncic) is back for Thursday. Eugene (Omoruyi) and Willie (Cauley-Stein) remain out." ... he Mavericks added 6-5 swingman Pinson and 6-9 Chriss to 10-day contracts under the COVID-related hardship allowance. Chriss previously played in parts of five NBA seasons and Pinson in three.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Complete a two-game trip at Utah on Thursday.
Mavericks: Host the Bucks on Thursday in the second of two home games.

Jalen Brunson scored 26-points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-102.

Brunson scores 26, replacements help Mavericks beat Wolves

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 22 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-105 on Sunday in another matchup between short-handed teams dealing with recent COVID-19 issues.
Dallas, already without star guard Luka Doncic, placed two players in the health and safety protocols the past two days. Minnesota added Josh Okogie to the protocols and Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince each missed their second game while in the protocols.
The Mavericks then lost forward Kristaps Porzingis in the third quarter with right foot soreness. Porzingis finished with 13 points and three rebounds.
Jaylen Nowell provided a much-needed injection of shooting with a season-high 16 points off the bench for Minnesota, which has won four in a row.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 28 points for Dallas. Dorian Finney-Smith added 23 and Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points and 11 assists.
The Timberwolves led for much of the game, but Dallas closed the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take an 88-86 lead. The Mavericks outscored Minnesota 38-30 in the quarter, but Porzingis left the game with 4:59 left in the third and didn&rsquo;t return.
Minnesota turned to Nowell, who hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth as the Timberwolves recovered with a 13-5 run.
Without Edwards and with Michael Beasley&rsquo;s continued struggles shooting, the little-used Nowell was a perfect relief. He scored in double figures for the second straight game and the third time in five games.
COVID-19 STRIKES AGAIN
A day after placing Reggie Bullock in the health and safety protocols, Dallas added Josh Green to the protocols before the game. Coach Jason Kidd also said assistants Darrell Armstrong and Jared Dudley are in the protocols.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who have also lost several players to the protocols, played the Mavericks on Dec. 15 in Dallas&rsquo; last game.
Previous to playing Los Angeles, the Mavericks didn&rsquo;t have many cases of COVID-19 to enter into the protocols. Trey Burke, in late October, is the only player to previously be in the protocols.
Before the game, Kidd said he wasn&rsquo;t making any medical determinations, but &ldquo;some who are into betting or guessing, some would say that&rsquo;s where it came from,&rdquo; he said, regarding the Lakers&rsquo; game.
Coincidentally, Edwards and Prince missed Friday&rsquo;s game against Los Angeles and Okogie was added after playing 13:29 in the game.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Hardaway moved into the starting lineup for the first time in 10 games. Bullock had started nine straight games. G Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) returned after missing six games. &hellip; Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), Frank Ntilikina (illness) and Eugene Omoruyi (right foot injury) were also unavailable for Dallas. &hellip; Finney-Smith was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul in the third quarter on a hard takedown of Towns.
Timberwolves: Beasley started his second straight game for Edwards and scored 13 on 4-of-13 shooting. &hellip; Towns made his first 11 free throws. He finished 11 of 13 from the line. ... With Nowell leading the way, Minnesota&rsquo;s bench outscored Dallas&rsquo; reserves 36-17
UP NEXT
The team&rsquo;s finish back-to-back meetings on Tuesday in Dallas.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Mavericks.

Wolves beat Dallas 111-105; Mavs lose Porzingis to injury

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

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Luka Doncic&rsquo;s summer break has been eventful, albeit short. He signed a $207 million extension with the Dallas Mavericks and nearly led the Slovenian national team to an Olympic medal in Tokyo. But Doncic isn&rsquo;t one to rest on his laurels.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I had two weeks off and I&rsquo;m back to practicing,&rdquo; Doncic recently <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/going-home-with-luka-doncic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Marc Stein of The Stein Line</a> in an interview.&nbsp;
Those close to the Mavericks organization have a right to be worried, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shortened offseason, too &mdash; meaning that Doncic will have experienced two consecutive offseasons with less rest than he would traditionally receive. And most experts agree that health and rest go hand-in-hand.&nbsp;
While no one would question Doncic for taking a longer break, his obsession with improvement is what sets him apart. Doncic was brilliant for the Mavericks in the postseason, but it ended similarly to the prior year &mdash; with a first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.&nbsp;
The 22-year-old&rsquo;s career has been incredible so far. Doncic boasts an average of 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game across three seasons. He&rsquo;s also been named to two All-Star games and two All-NBA teams. But if he&rsquo;s going to accomplish all of his goals, there is still work he has to do.
&ldquo;Every time there&rsquo;s a new season, I&rsquo;m excited,&rdquo; <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/going-home-with-luka-doncic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doncic said</a>. &ldquo;Every time it&rsquo;s the same goal and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re going to try to do about this year: Win a championship. I think that should be everybody&rsquo;s goal and I&rsquo;m just hoping it happens one day.&rdquo;&nbsp;
While all great players want championships, success is predicated on more than just a superstar&rsquo;s output. Front offices&rsquo; impact outcomes nearly as much as superstars&rsquo; efforts, and unfortunately for Doncic, Dallas had a subpar 2021 offseason. (Basketball News&rsquo; Jackson Frank went as far as to say <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas had the worst one of all NBA teams</a>.)
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Dallas added Reggie Bullock, Moses Brown and Sterling Brown, while sending out Josh Richardson via trade. Nothing against those three players, but simply put: the team, and Doncic, needed more.&nbsp;
The Mavericks did shake up their front office and coaching staff, though. Dallas replaced general manager Donnie Nelson and head coach Rick Carlisle with Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd at those positions, respectively.
Harrison, a former Nike executive, is entering his first stint with an NBA team, meaning the rookie executive made a fan of owner Mark Cuban without any relevant experience. During his time at Nike, Harrison built strong relationships with several NBA players, including Doncic, which likely led to his hiring.
Kidd is more of a known commodity, with stops in Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Most recently, Kidd was on the Los Angeles Lakers staff as an assistant coach. Kidd still has supporters in Dallas, but his track record as a head coach is questionable at best, especially since <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/12/book-jason-kidd-held-christmas-eve-practice-with-bucks-that-left-larry-sanders-hospitalized/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news broke this past April</a> about his now-infamous Christmas practice with the Bucks. (This goes without mentioning Kidd's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">off-the-court concerns </a>too.)
Considering the Mavericks&rsquo; lack of additions, it&rsquo;s clear that Doncic will have to do more to propel them deeper into the playoffs. But what more can he do? Doncic has averaged 33.5 points, 9.5 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 39.2% on three-point attempts (compared to 33.1% in his regular-season career) through 13 games. He's literally been the focal point of the Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; defensive strategy in each of the past two postseasons, yet has still flourished. &nbsp;
But <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/will-the-dallas-mavericks-take-the-leap-from-playoff-team-to-nba-finals-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the rest of the Mavericks&rsquo; roster hasn&rsquo;t</a>. Tim Hardaway Jr. broke the 20-point mark in four of the seven games against the Clippers in 2021, averaging 17.0 points in the series. But is Hardaway really a championship contender&rsquo;s second-best option?&nbsp;
And even more importantly, beyond Hardaway (and obviously Doncic), the Mavericks got only one 20-point game out of their supporting cast in the 2021 playoffs. Kristaps Porzingis scored exactly 20 points in the Mavericks&rsquo; Game 2 win. Not to place the brunt of the blame on Porzingis, but he did only average a mere 13.1 points per game this past postseason while on a $158 million contract.&nbsp;
Still, Doncic enters his fourth NBA season as the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-mvp-odds-analyzing-the-top-5-candidates-in-2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favorite to win the 2021-22 NBA MVP award</a>, and while his supporting cast looks underwhelming in September, a lot can happen between now and the 2022 playoffs.
And Doncic is quickly proving himself to be the type of player you do not want to bet against.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca dives into Luka Doncic's offseason and looks ahead to this coming year with the Mavericks.

Luka Doncic doesn’t take breaks in his quest for NBA title

If you look around the loaded Western Conference, which team is poised to really take a big jump? There are teams already established as potential NBA Finals contenders &mdash; the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors (now finally healthy) come to mind &mdash; but there&rsquo;s an underrated option out there: the Dallas Mavericks.
Although it wasn&rsquo;t a splashy offseason for Dallas, it still accomplished the goal of making life a little bit easier on MVP favorite Luka Doncic. Re-signing Tim Hardaway Jr. was a top priority after becoming a key cog to the Mavs&rsquo; success. Add in veteran wing Reggie Bullock on three-year deal, and it becomes an environment where the floor should be optimally spaced for Doncic to create his renowned magic.
During his last two seasons, the Slovenian phenom has averaged 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists on an outstanding 58.6% True Shooting percentage. Doncic is the first player in the modern era to immediately establish himself as an MVP candidate and one of the five best players in the NBA since LeBron James. Doncic&rsquo;s marks at this stage of his career are on the same platform as the all-time greats of the Association.
Dallas knows the time is now to push in the chips, but the organization doesn&rsquo;t need to exactly be in a rush. Doncic&rsquo;s greatness allows the team to properly construct a roster best suited for his high-usage, ball-dominant style, a la James Harden in Houston; building an environment with plenty of floor-spacers who can hit threes at an above-average clip is of the utmost importance. All of the following players in the Mavericks&rsquo; 2021-22 rotation shot above 37% from downtown last season: Hardaway, Bullock, Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and Kristaps Porzingis.
Only two players over the last 60 years have averaged a 30-point triple-double over a full season: Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson. With the right ecosystem of shooters in place, Doncic could soon join that historic list.
The biggest X-factor for Dallas to potentially take the leap from a playoff team to a true title contender is Porzingis. After trading multiple future first-round picks to the New York Knicks for Porzingis, many believed Dallas was ready to join that elite group of squads in the West soon enough. Well, Porizingis has yet to find his true footing in Dallas with a passive, inconsistent role.
Porzingis still averaged 20.1 points last season, but he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-balancing-act-of-kristaps-porzingis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looked more like a third option compared to a "1B" behind Doncic</a>. Especially in the playoffs when Dallas was eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers, Porzingis&rsquo; passivity reach a whole new level averaging 13.1 points on 10.3 shot attempts in 33.3 minutes. A player who was once thought to be one of the most untouchables players in the league during his best season in New York looked very willing to defer to Doncic and Hardaway on the biggest stage. It&rsquo;s been a huge fall for Porizingis, in terms of league-wide value, and now new head coach Jason Kidd will need to rehab his value for Dallas (and potentially other teams).
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Porzingis has the Mavericks in a bind at the moment. With three years and $101.5 million remaining on his max contract signed upon arriving in Dallas, this current version of Porzingis won&rsquo;t help the Mavs or any other team on that kind of deal. Right now, it&rsquo;s fair to rank Porzingis&rsquo; contract as one of the most negative assets in the NBA.
This upcoming season will be critical for Porzingis and the Mavericks to rehab his value; both parties hope to see the long-awaited return of the Unicorn version that was on fully display in New York. Porzinigis was a dominant force with the Knicks, but he&rsquo;s turned out to be an overpaid sidekick in Dallas. If the Unicorn reaches that form somehow again alongside Doncic, the Mavericks will quickly jump from playoff contender to Finals threat. Luckily with Doncic, Porzingis doesn&rsquo;t need a rapid rebound to superstar. All he needs to do is become a solid, consistent No. 2 option who can show the flashes of brilliance that were more frequent in the Big Apple.
With a new head coach, potentially the best player in the NBA and a wildcard 7-footer, Dallas has an ample amount of storylines ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. Let&rsquo;s take a look at the team's rotation:
Starters: Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis
Second Unit: Jalen Brunson, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell
As you can see, Dallas is betting entirely on the Doncic and Porzingis duo to wreak havoc upon the West to take the real contender leap. There&rsquo;s no reason to doubt Doncic&rsquo;s potential to become the best player in the Association in the very near future. However, the Porzingis questions loom large for a team in dire need for its secondary option to regain his star form once more.
The Mavs have the ingredients in place for their superstar to thrive, but the Unicorn element needs to reappear on a more consistent basis for them to gallop atop an even stronger conference this season.

Dallas stands out as a potential team to take a big leap, but it'll need Kristaps Porzingis to join MVP favorite Luka Doncic as a star.

Will Mavs take leap from playoff team to Finals contender?

More than anything else last year, the downfall of the New York Knicks could be tied to insufficient shot creation. They grinded their way to the league&rsquo;s fourth-best defense and the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s No. 4 seed in the regular season, but their 22nd-ranked offense was a house of cards waiting to be toppled come playoff time.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s precisely what the Atlanta Hawks did in a 4-1 first-round victory, flooding Julius Randle&rsquo;s every touch, cornering him into a bevy of difficult looks and encouraging ill-suited secondary options to commandeer the offense. As a response to those postseason struggles, the Knicks inked Evan Fournier to a four-year, $78 million deal and will reportedly sign Kemba Walker to a two-year deal worth about $16 million.
Following an injury-riddled 2020-21 campaign where he showed obvious signs of decline, Walker is a bit of an enigma. He played in just 43 of 72 games and missed the final two playoff bouts against the Brooklyn Nets, but when he&rsquo;s on the floor, he will undoubtedly give the Knicks a substantial boost. Walker will mainly help with perimeter creation and options for stylistic variance, having averaged 19-5-4-1 on a true shooting percentage of 55.9 last season.
When he&rsquo;s on the floor is, of course, a daunting caveat, given the knee issues that have hampered him since, approximately, the 2020 All-Star Break. Of further concern is the degree to which he may be relied upon in New York. Nonetheless, Walker represents a massive upgrade of the Knicks&rsquo; previous floor generals in Elfrid Payton and Derrick Rose. He still holsters a good bit of offensive juice and should help them improve upon their 22nd-ranked offense.
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From the jump, a point guard who&rsquo;s a legit pull-up threat is a massive shift. Since 2018-19, Walker has drilled 377 of his 1,057 (35.7%) off-the-bounce triples. Over that same span, Payton (53) and Rose (184) took a combined 237 pull-up threes. A staple of the Knicks&rsquo; early offense should be double drag. Walker is the handler, Mitchell Robinson dives to the paint and Randle drifts beyond the arc with Fournier (41.3% from three in 2020-21) and RJ Barrett (40.1%) stationed along the perimeter.&nbsp;
Walker&rsquo;s dynamism as a pull-up guy could invigorate that action, while Robinson&rsquo;s rim-running threat and Randle&rsquo;s jumper further stress defenders. Despite some athletic regression, Walker can still stop-and-pop on a dime to create space for open looks, which will prove fruitful in this action. Any set involving three strengths of New York&rsquo;s starters should be spammed. The Knicks need to find ways to lift the offense that caused their 2020-21 downfall. Double drag is a path toward growth.
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When the defense settles and the Knicks must organize in the half-court, Walker&rsquo;s ball-screen savvy will serve them well. According to Synergy, he ranked in the 66th percentile in pick-and-roll efficiency (0.923 points per possession) last season, a welcomed dimension to an offense that was 18th in pick-and-roll ball-handling PPP at 0.877.
Rostering a starter who can create his own shot off the dribble and get to his spot for pull-ups is critical. Last year, Rose, Alec Burks and rookie Immanuel Quickley were New York&rsquo;s guards who met this criteria. Walker is better than all of them by a comfortable margin, albeit with looming injury worries.&nbsp;
He remains superbly shifty, is a masterful decelerator and knows how to manufacture space for his jumper, despite his (perhaps graciously listed) 6-foot frame. His downhill burst has deteriorated, but he is nonetheless one of the most electric side-to-side athletes, shaking free of defenders and rising for pull-ups. New York needs this skillset. Walker brings it.
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With Walker at the helm as the guard who ties everything together, the Knicks should run more Spain pick-and-rolls next season. Walker offers the pull-up flair, Robinson is the roll man and Fournier, Barrett or Randle is the back-screener darting beyond the arc. Barrett&rsquo;s long-range prowess is best utilized in stationary contexts currently, so Fournier or Randle (likely Fournier) are the better choices. Even so, it&rsquo;s a level of optionality produced by the personnel absent last season.
There are counters to the traditional Spain pick-and-roll, too. Before actually making contact on his screen, <a href="https://streamable.com/co9b0m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fournier can leak out to the wing</a> and attack a titled defense. Randle or Barrett can replace Fournier as the back-screener before <a href="https://streamable.com/r6hkog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robinson flows into a pindown for Fournier</a> from the corner or wing. All of this is possible because Walker is a point guard who can play starter&rsquo;s minutes and forces the defense to respect him as a pull-up shooter. That wasn&rsquo;t the case last season for New York.&nbsp;
Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s track record as an offensive innovator isn&rsquo;t sterling, so it&rsquo;s plausible some or many of these choices fall to the wayside. At the very least, though, greater flexibility exists than it did before the acquisition of Walker (and Fournier) and that elevates the possibilities for this team.
Aside from health, which is a relevant and pressing worry, the primary concern could be the magnitude to which the offense banks on Walker&rsquo;s creation, especially in conjunction with his knee troubles. In Boston, Walker was a secondary handler. Jayson Tatum assumed the reins midway through 2019-20 and Jaylen Brown took a considerable step forward offensively in 2020-21, both of which enabled Walker to flank rather than lead them from the perimeter.
Randle will continue to be the team&rsquo;s offensive hub, but Walker will likely catalyze a ton of possessions. He did not prove capable of such a role with the Celtics. Instead, he&rsquo;s best as an ancillary creator. Walker eases the tension for his All-NBA mate, but the offensive infrastructure in place is worse than it was in Boston. He will&nbsp;help the Knicks, but it seems dubious to expect them to help him as much as his previous employer did and that probably mitigates some of his offensive contributions.&nbsp;
Even though he has maintained many of his principle athletic trails, his downhill burst is not of the same ilk from his prime. Because of his size, he demands every ounce of separation possible to find angles and room for shots. Some of those avenues have dried up. Wings or bigs with mobility who can alter his jumper and close off driving lanes pose hurdles. Navigating the paint or frequenting the paint is arduous. He doesn&rsquo;t torch switches like he used to, nor does he get the same level of lift off the ground, allowing defenders to contest more shots. As a result, the dribble-to-impact ratio can skew far too negative for stretches.
According to Cleaning The Glass, his rim frequency was a career-low 20% last season (23rd percentile among guards), down from 26% in 2019-20 and 31% his final year in Charlotte. His free-throw rate of .220 was also a career-low and well below his .287 mark from the first nine years.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a whole lotta tough shot-making in his arsenal these days, an MO of New York&rsquo;s offense and subsequent faltering. Because he&rsquo;s a stellar shooter, Walker is well-equipped to handle that diet, but there will be dry spells in his on-ball creation. His inability to comfortably turn the corner, separate downhill from defenders or consistently function in the paint are shortcomings that must be priced into the deployment and understanding of his game.&nbsp;
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Despite the creation decline, Walker carries a great deal of offensive value via off-ball scoring. The Knicks must tap into that and avoid saddling him with improper usage. Use him as a screener in inverted pick-and-rolls for Randle. Run dribble handoffs between him and Randle that send him into motion, gaining a step over his man, and watch the space-creation and shooting acumen take over; if his pull-up gravity draws two defenders, he can wiggle in a pocket pass to Randle with Robinson in the dunker spot as an alternative.&nbsp;
A release valve who&rsquo;s converted 37.9% of his catch-and-shoot threes, is adept off-movement and can capitalize on advantages fashioned by Randle&rsquo;s interior gravity beyond mere spot-up volume is an apt partner for the All-Star forward.&nbsp;
Feature him in pick-and-pops where Fournier or Barrett are the handler. The guard-guard actions between Fournier and Walker, both on and off the ball, should be a routine means of leveraging their shooting gravity and involving two perimeter guys with creation equity. They established some connective actions together in Boston last season and Walker&rsquo;s chemistry with Tatum is another template of usage for New York. Plus, its starting big men, Robinson and Randle, are a noteworthy improvement over Boston&rsquo;s 2020-21 (unfortunately) revolving door in the front-court.&nbsp;
Let Randle facilitate actions and empower Walker to create off-ball advantages with his short-area quickness and manipulation of screens. If generally healthy and roughly the same player as last season, when he was certainly an above-average starter in the games he suited up, he provides the necessary potential to expand this uniform offense.&nbsp;
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Another virtue of a retooled guard rotation is the offensive continuity among New York&rsquo;s three best ones in Fournier, Walker and Quickley. T.J. Ferrick explains the value of this concept in great detail <a href="https://twitter.com/tjferrick/status/1421134430224146432?s=20">here</a> as it pertains to Trae Young and Sharife Cooper, but it can be applied to the Knicks.&nbsp;
Last season, their perimeter fleet of Payton, Rose, Quickley, Barrett and Reggie Bullock did not enjoy much overlap in offensive repertoires. Stylistic diversity has its merits, but it also changes schemes and affects how the surrounding players interact and function with one another. Fournier, Walker and Quickley are somewhat synergistic in nature offensively, particularly the latter two, which simplifies responsibilities for others, both players and coaching staff.&nbsp;
Walker and Quickley each tout pull-up and off-movement chops, and struggle as drivers; these similarities could breed some offensive harmony across lineups and generally staggering their minutes seems prudent. The Knicks&rsquo; offense will benefit from Walker&rsquo;s pull-up gravity, which he parlays into facilitating and could impart upon Quickley&rsquo;s development. Robinson will also reap rewards from Walker&rsquo;s probing and interior passing when he does populate the lane, even if it&rsquo;s rarer than ideal for the fourth-year center.&nbsp;
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Although not the All-NBA initiator of 2018-19 or the All-Star of 2019-20, Walker is an excellent player. Fretting over his availability is legitimate because last season did not inspire credence for a small guard who rarely missed games his first eight years and shouldered a hefty workload each of those years. Joining a team lead by Thibodeau might not portend well for careful minutes either.
Yet as long as he&rsquo;s out there, he bolsters the Knicks&rsquo; offense dramatically, malleably operating alongside their cornerstones and incorporating more dynamism. Eastern Conference rivals only grew stingier this past season. The acquisition of Walker may not bear another top-four finish, but New York&rsquo;s team quality improved and his arrival is the foremost reason.&nbsp;

He may not be the same player he was a few years ago, but Kemba Walker will help the Knicks' offense in areas of great need.

An in-depth breakdown of how and why Kemba Walker will help the Knicks

Speaking from Slovenia on Tuesday, Luka Doncic said nothing to dispel speculation that he might eventually be joined on the Dallas Mavericks by countryman Goran Dragic.
The possibility went viral on social media Monday after Dragic &mdash; who was traded by the Miami Heat to the Toronto Raptors in a sign-and-trade deal for Kyle Lowry &mdash; said that Toronto was not his &ldquo;preferred destination&rdquo; because he has &ldquo;higher ambitions.&rdquo;
When asked, Doncic played it cool.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we can say. We don&rsquo;t want to get fined by the NBA,&rdquo; he said as the Mavericks held a major news conference in Slovenia to announce his signing of a historic $207 million supermax extension.
Doncic and Dragic are from the small Balkan nation of 2.08 million people that just finished fourth in men&rsquo;s basketball at the Tokyo Olympics. Dragic was dealt to Toronto in the aforementioned trade, and there has been speculation that he will eventually be re-routed to the Mavericks to play alongside Doncic, his countryman and friend.
And although Dragic tried to clarify his comments to infer that he would have preferred to stay in Miami because his two children have been living there, it did little to quiet the debate over whether he will be with the Raptors long-term. With Dragic about to enter the final season of his contract, it becomes a question of whether Toronto sees him as part of the franchise&rsquo;s long-term plans. If not, it could make more sense to deal him to the highest bidder, which Dallas could theoretically become.
&ldquo;Listen, it was translated and I think I would like to get it directly from him just to understand exactly what he meant by that,&rdquo; Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said on the subject during a radio interview on Toronto-based Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
&ldquo;But I think that if we're just gonna kind of talk about all of the issues, obviously, we feel like we're gonna be competitive, we have a core &mdash; as we've talked about &mdash; that's been around for a while and has won at the highest level as well.
&ldquo;We'll just give it some time here to see how he would fit in and if he likes it here or not. I think he's a pro and he's been around a lot and he's obviously entitled to wanting to make the most of his years as his career comes down here&hellip; So I don't think it's in any way a slight or anything like that,&rdquo; Webster said.
The Mavericks have had a busy offseason, replacing Rick Carlisle as head coach with Jason Kidd and hiring Nico Harrison as the team's new general manager. Dallas also signed free agents Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown, re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and acquired center Moses Brown from Boston for Josh Richardson. With owner Mark Cuban having expressed a desire for a secondary ball-handler behind Doncic, the natural question is whether finding a way to acquire Dragic from Toronto is feasible.
Dragic will make $19.4 million in the 2021-22 season, and in order for Dallas to make a deal and have the salaries match, they would presumably have to include Brown, who cannot be re-traded until Aug. 19. Dallas would also, in theory, have to send other assets in order to satisfy the Raptors. The Mavericks have already traded their 2023 first-round pick (to the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis acquisition), so the earliest they could deal a future first is 2025. For salary matching purposes, Dwight Powell and his $11.08 million contract would almost certainly have to be included.
Even if Dragic begins the season in Toronto, speculation about whether he might be dealt to the Mavs or sign there as a free agent in July 2022 is certain to continue. It was in that atmosphere that Mavs owner Mark Cuban along with Harrison, Kidd, agent Billy Duffy and special advisor Dirk Nowitzki appeared from Slovenia to discuss the signing.
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Doncic said he put pen to paper at his hotel early Tuesday and had not yet decided how he plans to spend the money he will make under a contract that will kick in for the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-7 22-year-old is entering his fourth season. By virtue of being twice named First Team All-NBA, Doncic became the first player eligible to be signed by his drafting team to a &ldquo;designated rookie max extension,&rdquo; which yielded the landmark $207 million deal &mdash; the largest rookie contract extension in NBA history.
&ldquo;I have to process this first before I start spending,&rdquo; he said.

Could Goran Dragic join Luka Doncic in Dallas? In a Tuesday news conference, Doncic stopped short of shooting down the possibility.

Luka Doncic evades question on Goran Dragic potentially joining Mavs

As NBA Summer League kicks off, the <a href="https://www.tampabayprocombine.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampa Bay Pro Combine</a> will be well-represented, as a number of alumni from the inaugural TBPC have been invited by NBA teams to be a part of the Las Vegas event that begins this Sunday.
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Here's the list of TBPC alumni who will be at NBA Summer League:
<ul>
<li>Justin Turner, Bowling Green: San Antonio Spurs </li>
<li>Terry Taylor, Austin Peay: Indiana Pacers</li>
<li>Asbjorn Mitgaard, Grand Canyon: Orlando Magic </li>
<li>Tahj Eaddy, USC: Orlando Magic</li>
<li>Jordan Goodwin, Saint Louis: Washington Wizards</li>
<li>Chandler Vaudrin, Winthrop: Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li>Micah Potter, Wisconsin: Miami Heat</li>
<li>Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Illinois: Denver Nuggets</li>
<li>Chudier Bile, Georgetown: Denver Nuggets</li>
<li>DJ Funderburk, NC State: Utah Jazz</li>
<li>Ryan Daly, St. Joseph's: Chicago Bulls</li>
<li>Sterling Manley, North Carolina: Chicago Bulls</li>
<li>Troy Baxter Jr., Morgan State: Chicago Bulls</li>
<li>Mitch Ballock, Creighton: Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li>Justin Jaworski, Lafayette: Atlanta Hawks </li>
<li>Jahvon Blair, Georgetown: Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li>D&rsquo;Mitrik Trice, Wisconsin: Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li>Damien Jefferson, Creighton: Sacramento Kings</li>
</ul>
NBA Summer League kicks off on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET and will be running until Aug. 17, when a champion is crowned.

18 players who took part in the inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine are headed to NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Tampa Bay Pro Combine to be well-represented at NBA Summer League

Georges Niang tied a career high with 24 points and the NBA-leading Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Houston Rockets 124-116 on Saturday night to reach 50 victories.
Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points, and Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 &mdash; his seventh straight 20-point performance &mdash; for the Jazz.
Utah finished 5-0 on its homestand despite missing All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley again.
&ldquo;We just had to really fight through mentally. And just keep pushing ... that&rsquo;s how we stuck out this win, but I ain&rsquo;t going to lie to you: This season has been grueling and tiring, but it is what it is and we came here to work,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
Niang took advantage of some post-ups in the paint and was a sharpshooter from beyond the arc. Starting just his eighth game, Niang scored 10 points in the third quarter and his 3-pointer with 2:50 left in the period gave Utah its largest lead, 96-75.
&ldquo;I know he&rsquo;s gonna be at the right spot at the right time,&rdquo; Utah's Joe Ingles said of Niang. &ldquo;If I get in the lane and I key to the corner, he&rsquo;s going to be somewhere in that area and he will definitely shoot it so it&rsquo;s a good look for us, when he&rsquo;s out there playing like that with confidence.&rdquo;
The usually mild-mannered Niang was so fired up, he drew a technical for taunting after draining a 3 that tied his career high of 24 early in the final period. He was 6 of 8 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;I usually hold my emotions, and I just happened to lose my cool. That&rsquo;s not who I am or aspire to be,&rdquo; Niang said. &ldquo;I thought he had brushed me in the face on purpose. So I told him that he was too late, like, he wasn&rsquo;t going to get to my shot anyway.&rdquo;
Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Jazz.
The Rockets have lost five straight and 20 of their past 23 games.
&ldquo;They fought hard and they battled. Another hard-fought game just like last night. Again, I was super proud of this group,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said.
Khyri Thomas and KJ Martin each had career highs of 27 for Houston. Thomas has scored 47 in two games with the Rockets, and Martin marked his third straight 20-point game and fourth of his career.
&ldquo;I just look at it as an opportunity to go out and play basketball. I love to do it, so I just come out every night and compete as hard as I can,&rdquo; Martin said.
Both teams were playing the second night of back-to-back, which led to some sloppy play. The Jazz improved to 12-2 on zero days rest.
The undermanned Rockets used a starting lineup with Martin at 6-foot-7 as the tallest player to face the 7-foot-1 Gobert. Danuel House Jr. and D.J. Augustin moved off the injury report and onto the court for first time in weeks to give Houston eight available players.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Injury list was voluminous: Avery Bradley (personal), Sterling Brown (knee), Dant&eacute; Exum (calf), Eric Gordon (groin); David Nwaba (wrist), Kelly Olynyk (ankle), Kevin Porter Jr (ankle), John Wall (hamstring); D.J. Wilson (health protocols), and Christian Wood (ankle). ... Houston used its 40th different starting lineup in 68 games. ... Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate was assessed a flagrant-1 for hitting Gobert in the face in the third quarter.
Jazz: Clarkson has made a 3 in 90 straight games. ... Utah outscored Houston in the paint, 56-46. &hellip; The Jazz swept the season series with the Rockets, 3-0. ... Ingles got a technical foul with 2:10 remaining and then left the game.
UP NEXT
Rockets: At Portland on Monday night.
Jazz: At Golden State on Monday night.
___
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Utah finished 5-0 on its homestand despite missing All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley again.