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Alperen Şengün got away with ‘baby flop' on Draymond flagrant, Lou Williams says originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former NBA guard Lou Williams isn’t a fan of the flagrant foul assessed to Draymond Green for a collision with All-Star center Alperen Şengün during the Warriors’ 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at Chase Center.

“That one’s tricky,” Williams told Michelle Beadle and fellow former NBA player Chandler Parsons on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” on Monday. “I wouldn’t give this one too much. This looks like a routine basketball play to me. Now, everything else is typical Draymond, getting on the guy’s skin and trying to get him revved up. But this one right here looks like a basketball play to me.”

Williams, who played 17 NBA seasons with six teams, used a different F-word to describe the play: Flop.

“But referees are human,” Williams continued. “They look at who it is, what type of play it is and your reputation comes into play, and they make calls based on it. I don’t know if he’s seeking out Şengün right here. I really don’t. And it looks like it’s barely even any contact as well. Like, it looks like a somewhat of a little baby flop right there, but yeah, I’m not rolling. I’m not rolling on this one, but again, it’s Draymond Green, so everything that he does is going to be considered with a grain of salt, and referees are going to make this call based on who it is and what it is. So for that I’m not rolling.”

Parsons, who played nine NBA seasons with four teams, agreed with Williams’ assessment of the play, believing there’s nothing Green could have done differently.

“What else do you want him to do?” Parsons said. “That looks like a natural movement that he’s going to. I don’t think this is anything malicious. I don’t think this is dirty. Again, the things he did later were a little obnoxious, but like this is just a normal basketball play. It was unfortunate that he caught an [elbow], but this the risk that you take when you go vertical and you got an aggressive dude coming at you, but I think this is bad. I think this is a natural basketball play.”

Williams doubled down on his assessment of a flop after watching the replay multiple times.

“Honestly, now that I’m watching it over and over and over, this is a flop more than anything to me,” Williams said.

Green also wasn’t sure what the referees expected him to do on that play.

“I mean, the Flagrant call, I don’t know what to do,” Green told reporters after the game. “Go duck? Don’t go up for the layup?”

As Parsons noted, Green picked up a technical foul before halftime for shoving Şengün. The Warriors forward then barked in Şengün’s direction.

Based on Green’s history and reputation, it’s unlikely that the NBA rescinds the flagrant foul.

But two former NBA players believe the four-time NBA champion did nothing wrong, for what it’s worth.

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How Jaylen can become All-NBA eligible over Celtics' final four games originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are essentially locked into the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed entering the final week of the season.

But there’s one interesting storyline worth monitoring over the final four games of the season.

Jaylen Brown, who’s been dealing with a nagging right knee injury and admitted he was “in some pain” during the Celtics’ win over the Miami Heat last Wednesday, has played in 62 games this season as of Monday.

If Brown wants to be eligible to earn All-NBA honors and be nominated for end-of-season awards like Defensive Player of the Year, he needs to meet the following criteria:

• 65 games played
• At least 20 minutes played in at least 65 games
  • Two “near misses” allowed (games with at least 15 minutes played)

Brown insisted last week that the games-played threshold has zero impact on his decision to play or not play as he manages his knee injury. But the fact that he’s suited up in each of the last three games suggests he’ll try to reach the 65-game mark down the stretch.

Based on that criteria above, Brown can become All-NBA eligible by playing in three of Boston’s final four games. He only needs to play 20 minutes in each of those games, however, and because he’s played 20 minutes or more in every game to date this season, he still has both of his “near misses,” meaning he can be limited to 15 minutes in two of the Celtics’ final four games.

Here’s a look at Boston’s remaining schedule:

• Tuesday, April 8: at New York Knicks
• Wednesday, April 9: at Orlando Magic
• Friday, April 11: vs. Charlotte Hornets
• Sunday, April 13: vs. Hornets

If the C’s want to manage Brown’s minutes while getting him to 65 games, a logical plan would be playing him against the Knicks, resting him on the second night of a back-to-back against the Magic, and then limiting him to as close to 15 minutes as possible in each of Boston’s final two games against the Hornets.

Some Celtics fans may want to just see Brown rest down the stretch to make sure his knee gets right for the playoffs, especially since there’s no guarantee he even makes an All-NBA squad. But Brown believes there’s value in learning to play through the pain, which he suggested won’t be going away any time soon.

“Pain is definitely a physical thing, but it also is a mental thing,” Brown said last week. “So, (head coach) Joe (Mazzulla) has allowed me, even though my team visibly can see maybe I’m in a bit of pain, they trust me to go out there and I can control my body and still be able to make plays and mentally, be able to push through it.

“I think that’s going to be something I’m gonna have to have in my back pocket.”

The Celtics also will have about a week off between their season finale and the start of the first round, as the NBA play-in tournament runs from April 15-18. So, don’t be surprised if you continue to see Brown in action as the regular season wraps up.

Jalen Brunson played in an NBA basketball game for the first time in four weeks on Sunday -- as you’d expect, his rhythm was a little off, his conditioning was less than 100 percent. 

Those things will come back with time. 

The best sign for the Knicks on Sunday? Brunson didn’t hesitate in any of his movement on the court. 

“Everyone always talks about the physical part about how you’re feeling. But mentally it’s just trusting (the ankle). Trusting your movement. Trusting the way you play and not second-guessing yourself,” Brunson said. “That was an adjustment, but I’m feeling a lot better.”

Brunson logged 34 minutes on Sunday -- it was his first game since March 6, when he suffered a significant ankle sprain. 

He didn’t have a hard minutes limit against Phoenix. 

“With Jalen and (associate athletic trainer Anthony Goenaga), if there’s fatigue, he’ll tell us. And they’re watching him pretty closely,” Thibodeau said. 

Brunson said his conditioning was better than anticipated. That’s probably because he was diligent in his conditioning during rehab. 

“Right now, it’s more his timing,” Thibodeau said. “He’s got to play. There’s no way around that. He practiced well the other day but the intensity of practice can never be replicated to what the game is.” 

Brunson will have four more games before the postseason. If he plays in three of those games, he will be eligible for end-of-season awards.  

PLAYING UNTIL THE END

The Knicks need one win -- or one Pacers loss -- to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

IF and when they clinch the third seed, don’t expect them to rest in the final games of the season. 

“As you head down the stretch, you want to check boxes,” Tom Thibodeau said after Sunday's win over the Suns. “You want a winning record at home, a winning record on the road. Fifty wins is good. You want the highest seed possible. And then you want to be playing well. So you go step by step. We’re not skipping over anything. And this is the approach we’ve taken all season long. We’re not going to change now so we think this’ll help prepare us for what’s down the road.”

Is this the right approach? Or is it better to rest players after the Knicks clinch the third seed?

The answer to those questions will reveal themselves in the playoffs. 

Minutes have been -- and will be -- a topic of public debate around Thibodeau until he retires. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart rank first and second in the NBA in overall minutes played. OG Anunoby entered play Sunday ranked 11th in total minutes.

To some, this is a sign that the players should sit once the Knicks clinch the No. 3 seed. But Thibodeau doesn’t see it that way. 

He wants his teams to be playing their best at the end of the regular season. It’s one of his bedrock principles. That means playing regular minutes until the end – even if the games have no bearing on the standings. 

(It should be noted here that the Knicks will have at least five days between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. So they have a built-in rest period.)

PISTONS IN FIRST ROUND? 

If the season ended today, the Knicks would face the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.

Detroit, led by Cade Cunningham, has won two games at Madison Square Garden this year. They are playing at a high level. Veteran Tobias Harris has been part of the turnaround that’s seen Detroit triple it's win total from last season. 

Harris, a Long Island native, took a lot of heat in Philadelphia for the Sixers’ shortcomings.  The Sixers last year won 57 percent of their games with Harris. This season, Philadelphia is winning at an abysmal 29 percent clip.

The Knicks picked up their second consecutive win, defeating the Phoenix Suns 112-98 on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- Jalen Brunson returned for New York after missing the previous 15 games with a right ankle sprain. The superstar point guard had a relatively quiet night but he stepped up when the Knicks needed it the most, knocking down a massive three late to help stave off a Suns comeback attempt. 

He finished 3-of-9 from the field with 15 points and six assists in 34 minutes of action.

- After a back and forth first quarter, it was Karl-Anthony Towns who helped New York create some separation during the second. The big man was having his way with the Phoenix defense, producing 11 of his 19 points during the frame. He was relatively quiet from there but also finished with 13 rebounds. 

- The Suns’ offense was struggling, but Devin Booker was doing everything he could to keep them in it. The star showing guard has loved playing against the Knicks throughout his career and he finished with a game-high 40 points on the night on 16-of-29 shooting from the field. 

- Just when it looked like Booker was going to take things over, OG Anunoby said not tonight. Anunoby continued his offensive outburst, knocking down all seven shots he took (six threes) during a monster third quarter, to help him finish with a team-high 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting. 

- Anunoby’s surge helped the Knicks open their largest lead of the game, but Phoenix refused to go away. Led by Booker and Bradley Beal (16 points) they were able to get back within three, but clutch buckets down the stretch helped New York pull out their 50th win of the season. It’s the first time they’ve reached that mark since 1995. 

- Miles McBride also returned from an eight game absence with a groin injury and he provided a nice spark off the bench. The backup point guard knocked down three of the six shots he took for eight points and also dished out a pair of assists. 

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby continues to develop into an offensive weapon for the Knicks down the stretch.

Highlights

JB is back pic.twitter.com/Hqx7RWvfK9

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 6, 2025

Deeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuce! pic.twitter.com/pumDeBfJJ5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 6, 2025

OG. Beast. pic.twitter.com/8gQMIRNmgF

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 6, 2025

OG ANUNOBY.

UNSTOPPABLE. pic.twitter.com/IOFouloCCT

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 7, 2025

Whats next

The Knicks host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Butler astounded by Steph's lack of foul calls: ‘It really angers me' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – All it took was two months playing alongside Steph Curry for Jimmy Butler to speak his mind on how his superstar Warriors teammate is guarded, overcoming a physical beating each and every game, yet rarely getting a favorable whistle that somebody bound to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer with a résumé as good anybody usually gets.

Curry totaled 125 points, scoring 52, 37 and 36 in three consecutive games as the Warriors took down the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets in that order. He also shot 25 free throws in that three-game span for an average of over eight attempts at the line. That’s not how things went for Curry in the Warriors’ 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Chase Center, snapping Golden State’s five-game win streak. 

After averaging nearly 42 points in his previous three games, Curry scored three against the Rockets. He took 10 shots, including eight 3-pointers, and only made one. His lone time seeing the ball tickle the twine was a 36-foot heave in the final seconds of the first half. 

But despite being held, hugged, grabbed and in some instances borderline mauled, Curry didn’t get to the free-throw line once. 

Speaking in the Warriors’ locker room after the loss, Butler vehemently defended Curry while trying to wrap his head around the lack of foul calls he receives. 

“Did a good job of whatever you want to call it,” Butler said about the Rockets’ defense on Curry, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. 

When asked to clarify what he meant by “whatever you want to call it,” Butler made his message crystal clear. 

“I don’t even know,” he continued. “I’ve never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled. To me, I think that’s astounding. But, you know, it’s crazy to say but he’s used to it. It’s been happening to him his whole career, and he’s found a way through it, around it, under it, whatever you want to call it – that’s tough.” 

Since making his Warriors debut on Feb. 8, Butler has played 23 games with Curry. Sunday’s loss dropped their record together to 20-3. What has been evident to Curry’s longest teammates was obvious to Butler right away. 

The same thing can be said when Butler and Curry were opponents.

“I’m pretty sure it’s been happening for 16 straight years,” Butler said. “I get to see it, and it really angers me that he’s on my team and he gets hacked like that.” 

Curry’s play style is as unique as it comes. He’s the greatest 3-point shooter of all time, but he doesn’t simply camp out beyond the arc. Curry turns the hardwood into his personal track-turned-obstacle course, running all around the court and through defenders. Butler says referees miss calls when Curry is both on and off the ball, making an emphasis on how much is missed when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. 

Finally, Butler put an end to the conversation while protecting himself from the league and making sure his wallet doesn’t become lighter. 

“That’s not my job, leave me alone,” Butler said in response to being asked why more off-ball fouls aren’t called for Curry. 

For his career, Curry has only averaged 4.3 free-throw attempts per game, which is the exact number he now is at this season. Butler, being someone whose style lends more to shooting free throws in bunches, has averaged 6.7 free-throw attempts per game in his 14-year career.

He went 4 of 4 on free throws Sunday night, and in 26 games now is averaging 7.2 shots at the line in a Warriors jersey. 

This conversation is something Curry has dealt with for years, hearing the outcries of frustration from Dub Nation. Behind closed doors, he has had the same amount of annoyance in certain instances that fans and Butler showed. Complaining and crying wolf also isn’t his style. Never has been, never will be.

It surely wasn’t following his sixth game this season alone without a single shot at the free-throw line. 

“I don’t know how to answer that question,” Curry said. “When you’ve been around 16 years, you’ve seen it all. I don’t ever expect to get calls. I don’t ever go in looking for it. Just trying to play basketball, play the way I do every night – battle through physicality, whatever. If I need to say something, say something. 

“But I don’t have any expectations.” 

As his teammate for 13 seasons, neither does Draymond Green.

“You know my view on fouls and referees,” Green said, garnering a laugh from Curry as they shared the podium. “You know my view.” 

How Curry is guarded, and in return how he’s officiated, isn’t a new topic of discussion. The reaction from his newest star teammate is. 

Every team will continue to try and out-physical Curry, whose added strength, muscle and facial hair should have his Baby-Faced Assassin nickname long retired. Teammates and coaches alike will vouch for him until he makes the decision his playing days are done. 

Putting him down for more than three points Tuesday night in the Warriors’ game against the Phoenix Suns is as near of a guarantee as one can make. When he was held to two points against the Grizzlies earlier this season, Curry scored 31 two nights later in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Trying to predict favorable – or even fair – foul calls is similar to the same shrug of the shoulders Butler displayed. Good luck guessing. Just know Curry is going to keep his real feelings to himself.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Jonathan Mogbo tied his career highs with 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors beat the Brookyn Nets 120-109 on Sunday.

Mogbo also had a season-high seven assists for the Raptors. Ochai Agbaji added 15 points as Toronto snapped a three-game skid. RJ Barrett and AJ Lawson each had 13, Cole Swider and Jamison Battle each had 12 and Jared Rhoden 10. Jamal Shead finished with a career-high 12 assists to go with nine points.

Toronto used its 40th different starting lineup this season.

Reece Beekman led eight Nets in double figures with 14 points and also had five assists and three steals. Keon Johnson added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Dariq Whitehead, Trendon Watford, Drew Timme and Maxwell Lewis also had 13 points apiece. Tosan Evbuomwan had 12 and Ziaire Williams 11.

Battle had all of his points in the first half, while Mogbo scored 11 in the second half for Toronto.

Takeaways

Raptors: They took the season series 3-1 for their first against Brooklyn since 2020-21. Even with the Raptors eliminated from postseason contention, they at least head toward season’s end taking three straight from the Nets with this their second win since March 26 also at Brooklyn.

Nets: The Nets lost their second straight to start a four-game home stand. The Nets also have lost eight of 10 limping to season’s end.

Key moment

After the Nets tied it at 35 on Lewis’ bucket, Battle’s 3 put the Raptors ahead to stay. They finished the second quarter on a 26-11 run. Up 61-46 at halftime, the Raptors took their biggest lead opening the third scoring 12 of the first 14.

Key stat

The Raptors had a season-high 16 steals and forced 23 Brooklyn turnovers, which Toronto turned into 22 points.

Up next

The Raptors host Charlotte on Wednesday night in their home finale. The Nets continue that home stand Tuesday night hosting New Orleans.

Warriors' loss to Rockets opens eyes to potential playoff problem originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA is a “young man’s league” is one of the most inarguable truisms in team sports, and 79 years of his history tells us it’s particularly accurate when the youth is long, athletic, frisky – and, of course, talented.

That combination is high on the list of issues the Warriors, who have the league’s oldest core trio, must overcome during a grueling, two-month postseason to realize their dream.

They encountered that dynamic Sunday at Chase Center and now have a very real idea of what they’re up against.

The Warriors’ 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets can be traced to two directly connected failures. The first was the inability to take care of the ball, committing 20 turnovers, and the second being the launchpad those giveaways provided for the Rockets.

“If we keep them in their half-court sets and make them run their s—t, we’re fine,” Gary Payton II said. “But when they leak out and get athletic and get easy buckets, that’s when they’re a problem.

“If we take care of the ball, we win that game.”

Failure to take care of the ball allowed the Rockets to do what they do best, use their young legs to turn the game into a transition war the Warriors can’t win. Golden State in too many instances was a step slow and unable to keep up with an opponent built to sprint.

“They have great size and athleticism at pretty much every position,” coach Steve Kerr said of the Rockets. “[Coach Ime Udoka] has done a great job. They really established an identity, and they kind of know who they are. They have a great defensive team, and they played a really good defensive game.”

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski each committed four turnovers. Jonathan Kuminga committed three in 19 minutes off the bench. And many those turnovers were not a product of Houston’s defense. They simply were unforced.

It was enough to put the Rockets in their comfort zone. They scored 18 points off turnovers and posted a 26-12 advantage in fast-break points. Their length/athleticism blend allowed them to dominate inside, with a 56-40 win in paint points and a 17-15 edge in second-chance points.

Curry, battling through hyperactively physical defenders, never found rhythm and finished with three points on 1-of-10 shooting, including 1 of 8 from deep. If not for Buddy Hield’s team-high 20 points, the Warriors might have been blown off their own floor.

And they would have greatly aided in their demise.

“Just got to take better care of the ball,” Green said. “They struggle to score in the half court a bit, so when you give them run-out layups, that makes anybody tough to guard. Just take better care of the ball, get to our spots, so you can see the pressure. They pressure a lot, you get bunched up, it works to their advantage.”

Houston’s nine-man rotation features a core – Jalen Green, Alperen Sengün and Amen Thompson – that averages 22.7 years of age. But it is surrounded by the likes of Fred VanVleet, a 31-year-old NBA champion; Dillon Brooks, 29, with three trips to the NBA playoffs; and 31-year-old Steven Adams, who has 66 playoff games on his resumé.

The Warriors failed to match the Rockets’ energy and ended up straying from their game plan.

“We talked about not committing turnovers and did the exact opposite,” Jimmy Butler said.

There are ways to deal with the Rockets, whose youth can sometimes be problematic. They can get reckless, commit turnovers. Their aggression leaves them prone to fouling.

But their activity and size were a problem on this night and could be in the playoffs. Houston has five players with wingspans of 7 feet or more, from Sengun and Thompson, at 7-foot each, to Adams at 7-foot-5. The Rockets blocked seven shots and bagged seven steals. They soar in for offensive rebounds, turn passing lanes into road closures and hang “Keep Out” signs in the paint.

Yet there is an undercurrent of confidence within Warriors that suggests they have ways to handle Houston’s length, athleticism and youthful exuberance.

“Anything we did tonight wasn’t really reflective of their lineups,” Curry said. “It more self-inflicted. We turned the ball over, gave up offensive rebounds, didn’t execute on the offensive end. Everything was bad.

“They have different looks. They play zone. They have two bigs. We can adjust to all of that. We just didn’t do it tonight.”

Curry, Green and Butler – the oldest core in the league, average age 35.7 years – know the way to the top. They practically own the map.

The question they’ll try to answer when the postseason begins next week is whether that knowledge is enough for them to hold off the young lions in the West.

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Draymond shares blunt response to Flagrant 1 foul in Warriors' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is no stranger to foul trouble, but even the Warriors forward was confused by the Flagrant 1 foul he received in Golden State’s 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Chase Center.

“I mean, the Flagrant call, I don’t know what to do,” Green told reporters after the game. “Go duck? Don’t go up for the layup?”

Green received his third Flagrant foul of the 2024-25 NBA season in the third quarter of Sunday’s game after he went up for a layup and made contact with Rockets center Alperen Şengün’s face. While it appeared the contact was justified and unintentional as part of Green’s shot process, officials ruled otherwise after a short review of the play.

Draymond received a flagrant 1 for this controversial play pic.twitter.com/6r8SG0URbF

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

Green also received a technical foul with one minute remaining in the second quarter for an incident once again involving Şengün. Green pushed up on Şengün and nudged him near the throat for his 13th tech of the season, but he defended that one as well after the game.

“The tech — I’m not going to stop because the referee says stop and give up position,” Green said. “I already gave up six inches and 50 pounds. So, it is what it is.”

Draymond received a tech for this sequence 😬 pic.twitter.com/PT1ytcTv80

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

Şengün credited the fiery interaction and Green’s subsequent tech as the catalyst for Houston’s win after the game.

“I think that was the moment we won the game,” Şengün told reporters (h/t The San Francisco Standard’s Danny Emerman). “Because [Green] got T’d up and we responded well. I think they were trying to scare us to play softer.”

Green didn’t divulge his motivation for the tech, but it could be assumed he was attempting to light a fire under the Warriors in a tie ballgame with huge NBA playoff implications.

It’s clear the Golden State veteran wouldn’t change anything about how he played Sunday, and Dub Nation certainly agreed the Flagrant 1 foul was unwarranted.

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The postseason road the Lakers want to take probably will roll through Oklahoma City at some point, the unquestioned best team in the Western Conference having played its way to the top with a level of all-around excellence rarely seen.

And the Lakers, heading into the final week of the regular season, have either the good fortune or the curse of having to test themselves against the team with the NBA's best record.

At the worst, the games against the Thunder could expose the Lakers' weaknesses. Oklahoma City is younger and hungrier with more size at the rim, capitalizing on advantages the Lakers will struggle to overcome.

But when the Lakers are at their best — and whoa, they were certainly at their best Sunday — they can prove to everyone, especially themselves, that their combination of otherworldly individual offensive talent and versatile, scrambling defense can hold down even the most talented of teams.

From early red-hot shooting to full-game focus, the Lakers stamped themselves as full-fledged contenders in the West by dominating the Thunder 126-99 in an all-caps, bold-lettered statement win.

Read more:Plaschke: I was wrong. Drafting Bronny James was a win for the Lakers

“We know it's the final stretch into the full season, so we're just trying to rack up great habits,” LeBron James said.

That, plus great players, is a proven combination.

Luka Doncic, who knocked the Thunder out of the postseason last season on the way to the NBA Finals, went deep into his bag of skills, spinning around defenders, firing passes over his head and stepping back and splashing over the Thunder’s league-best defense.

He scored 30 points and had six assists, but more importantly, he helped puncture Oklahoma City’s smothering perimeter defense.

“Luka was spectacular,” James said.

Austin Reaves, who has cemented himself as one of the Lakers’ most important players alongside Doncic and LeBron James, opened another game scorching from three-point range while doing admirable work on MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Reaves scored 20 and Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points, but rarely were any of his buckets easy.

And James, who has regained some of his defensive form coming off a groin injury, scored 19 points but more importantly helped organize the Lakers against the Thunder’s stellar supporting cast, including 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, who scored only 10 points.

The Lakers (48-30) answered the biggest questions in negating one of the Thunder’s biggest strengths. The Lakers fought for loose balls, they extended possessions on the offensive glass and they limited their mistakes.

And when the Thunder (64-14) pushed, and they did, Dorian Finney-Smith or Gabe Vincent helped extinguish the spark quickly.

Like they did in a blowout win in Denver earlier this season, the Lakers showed that when they play their best, other teams will need to be at the top of their game to stop them. Against the Thunder, the Lakers took control by scoring 42 points in the first quarter and led by at least 10 points the rest of the way.

“Very committed to what we were trying to do defensively and very committed to where we felt like we could generate good shots offensively against a terrific defense,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And there wasn't any letup to that. There weren’t any overreactions.”

Since the Doncic trade, the Lakers have earned wins against the Nuggets, Rockets and Thunder, turning in strong defensive performances in each. And the Lakers shot the ball incredibly well Sunday — they made a season-high 22 three-pointers — as other parts of their game plan also fell into place.

Read more:Luka Doncic rediscovers his scoring touch, leading Lakers to win over Pelicans

“We know that they're very good when it comes to one, getting into the paint, attracting a lot,” James said. “They do a great job of getting [to] the free-throw line. They do a great job of getting offensive rebounds at second-chance points and those are some of the controllables that you control.”

The Lakers kept the Thunder off the glass, outrebounding them by nine. The Lakers scored 10 more second-chance points, and when they grabbed control of the game, they didn’t relinquish it. And Oklahoma City only shot 12 free throws, with Gilgeous-Alexander attempting none for the first time since Dec. 18, 2021.

The Lakers now have the opportunity to try and do it again Tuesday, though they’ve been a little cagey about their plans for handling the game considering they’ll play again Wednesday in Doncic’s first game back in Dallas.

“Nothing set in stone,” Redick said for the Lakers’ plans Tuesday. “Again, this is all day to day.”

And Sunday, it was a good one.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Steph makes hilarious joke to explain heated exchange with Udoka originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There’s no such thing as a heated, physical game without the banter. 

Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Warriors guard Steph Curry’s intense exchange in Golden State’s 106-96 streak-snapping loss to Houston on Sunday at Chase Center was proof of that. 

As both teams made their way to their respective locker rooms at halftime, Udoka and the four-time NBA champion shared a few words. 

In a joking manner, according to Curry, the motive behind the verbal exchange was a canceled reservation at his wife Ayesha Curry’s International Smoke restaurant.

“He made a reservation at International Smoke, and he canceled it,” Curry quipped to reporters after the game. “And so I was kind of upset with him. We went back and forth on that.” 

Jokes aside, for Udoka, it was just in-game banter.

“He said something,” Udoka told reporters after Houston’s win. “I said something. A little friendly banter.”

The verbal exchange came after a fierce second quarter that saw Warriors forward Draymond Green and Rockets center Alperen Şengün clash. The physical altercation resulted in a technical foul for Green.

Draymond received a tech for this sequence 😬 pic.twitter.com/PT1ytcTv80

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

“I was talking to my team about the physicality,” Udoka added. “This is the type of game we like. This is who we are.”

In the third quarter, Green and Şengün picked up where they left off. 

Green was given a Flagrant 1 foul for making contact with Şengün as he drove in for a layup, making the foul the forward’s third Flagrant of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Draymond received a flagrant 1 for this controversial play pic.twitter.com/6r8SG0URbF

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

Even if the canceled reservation at International Smoke happens to be true, there was plenty to get feisty about at Chase Center on Sunday night.

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Sam Hauser wants C's fans to join in on this Luke Kornet celebration originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Luke Kornet showed again Sunday night why he is a fan favorite at TD Garden.

The Boston Celtics big man enjoyed another strong performance, logging 13 points and 14 rebounds (nine offensive) in a 124-90 rout of the Washington Wizards. After bringing down an offensive board and making a hustle play to give Boston possession, Kornet celebrated by barking like a dog:

The TD Garden crowd chanted “Luke!” after the sequence, but teammate Sam Hauser wants to hear more barking from Celtics fans next time Kornet makes a big play.

“If we can get the fans to join in with it and bark with him, I think it’s going to be something,” Hauser told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin after the victory.

Kornet led a C’s team that recorded a season-high 62 rebounds (25 offensive) in the lopsided win. Hauser accounted for eight of them to go along with his 18 points off the bench.

“It reminded me of a good charcuterie board back home in Wisconsin,” Hauser said of the Celtics’ rebounding. “Like, everything you need. Cheese, crackers, grapes, fig dip, a little bit of honey. It was good.”

Hauser accounted for four of the Celtics’ 24 makes (24-52) from 3-point range. Threes and rebounds were the difference as Washington shot just 12-45 (26.7 percent) from deep with only 32 boards.

We’ll have to wait a few days to hear more barking at TD Garden. The Celtics will hit the road for matchups against the New York Knicks on Tuesday and Orlando Magic on Wednesday. They will return home to wrap up their regular season with back-to-back games against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and Sunday.

Kings, Christie show ‘who they are' in sweep of East-leading Cavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season has been littered with too many ups and downs to count, but there’s at least one constant to note after Sunday. 

Powered by a hard-fought team performance, Sacramento’s 120-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena completed a two-game regular-season sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders. 

Yes, with the Cavaliers looking to seal the East’s No. 1 seed after what has been a stellar campaign, the Kings, in the midst of a subpar six-game road trip, spoiled the party. 

That’s partly thanks to notable production from Sacramento’s star power.

“Those are our guys, big-time players, and they step up in the big moments,” Christie told reporters after the Kings’ 38th win of the season.

NBA All-Stars Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine – for a second consecutive game – carried Sacramento’s offensive workload, combining for a total of 92 points. LaVine scored a game-high 37 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

The 30-year-old’s productivity was pivotal as Sacramento looked to decelerate Cleveland’s fourth-quarter resurgence.

Zach with a LETHAL step-back bucket in the clutch 😈 pic.twitter.com/VPpVd8CAXZ

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 7, 2025

DeRozan, on the other hand, contributed 28 points, passing Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West for 26th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. 

DeMar DeRozan passes Jerry West on the NBA's all-time scoring list 👏 pic.twitter.com/3zw1TFTbhY

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 6, 2025

Sabonis posted his league-leading 58th double-double of the season with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

With the Kings’ final road trip coming to an end in Detroit on Monday, Christie acknowledges his team’s mentality is where it needs to be ahead of a crucial juncture. 

“It’s about the mentality of owning who you are,” Christie added. “That is who we are. Now. we’ve played some games and we didn’t play to who we are.

“We let the refs, we let the opponents, we complained to each other, we did the things that we can’t do.”

On Sunday, Sacramento, industriously, did what they had to do, earning a much-needed win and adding a hint of consistency to a season riddled with unpredictability.

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Draymond receives controversial Flagrant 1 foul on odd Şengün play originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green has been known to get into trouble on the court, but the Warriors forward might have been a victim of his reputation in the third quarter of Golden State’s game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Chase Center.

After review, Green was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for making contact with Rockets center Alperen Şengün as he went up for a layup. Green’s elbow appeared to strike Şengün in the face as he attempted to make the basket, and officials deemed the action unnecessary.

Draymond received a flagrant 1 for this controversial play pic.twitter.com/6r8SG0URbF

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

The foul was Green’s third Flagrant of the 2024-25 NBA season, and his fifth personal foul of the game because it wasn’t the first time things got spicy between himself and Şengün.

With just over a minute left in the first half of a 47-47 tie game, Green received a technical foul after pushing up on Şengün and nudging him near the throat — Green’s 13th tech of the season.

Draymond received a tech for this sequence 😬 pic.twitter.com/PT1ytcTv80

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

Green clapped in officiating crew chief Ben Taylor’s face after he called the foul, and after Rockets guard Jalen Green missed the technical free throw, Green walked up to Şengün and let out a visceral yell in his direction.

Draymond let Alperen Şengün know 😅 pic.twitter.com/yY2Fk8U8Lc

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 7, 2025

It has been a tense contest between the two Western Conference foes, who are separated by 4 1/2 games in the playoff standings.

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