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Brown shares Kornet's hilarious reaction to Giannis' fake handshake originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

One of the most memorable Boston Celtics moments from early in the 2024-25 season happened during a Nov. 11 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo hit Celtics forward Jaylen Brown with an elbow to the face and was called for an offensive foul. As the two of them jogged back down the court, Antetokounmpo did a fake high-five with Brown — extending his hand and then pulling it back at the last second.

Brown wasn’t pleased with Antetokounmpo after the game, saying “Giannis is a child. I’m just focused on helping my team get a win, and that’s what we did tonight.”

There’s more to the story.

According to Brown, Celtics center Luke Kornet was contemplating doing something with Antetokounmpo in Brown’s defense, but he ultimately chose not to escalate the situation.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg, which can be watched in the video player above, Brown told the hilarious story.

“Luke came to me, and this was the first time I’ve seen Luke serious, and he said, ‘I didn’t like that.’ He was straight faced,” Brown said. “And I was like, ‘It’s whatever.’ He was like, ‘I should’ve done something.’ I said, ‘What were you gonna do, Luke?'”

It sounds like Kornet regrets not doing more in that moment.

“Lamenting that I wasn’t more of an enforcer is exactly what happened,” Kornet told Forsberg. “I’m generally a peacemaker type of person, but you realize sometimes there’s an appropriate level of ‘this is unacceptable.’ I think I’ve been growing in my defending — protecting justice?”

Brown also added, while laughing: “He was like, ‘I should’ve done something. I didn’t like that. I was right there, and I contemplated it, and I thought about it, and I analyzed it, and I did nothing. But I should have done something.'”

“I was just angry at myself for not having been like a vigilante and taking justice into my own hands,” Kornet added.

When asked if he’s ever been in a fight, Kornet explained he got three days of lunch duty once as a kid before saying the real answer is, “No, not really.”

It’s always good to stick up for your teammates, but Kornet probably made the right decision not to engage with Antetokounmpo. In the end, the Celtics won the game, which is what’s more important.  

Why Butler vs. Barnes matchup is key to Warriors-Raptors outcome originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When the Toronto Raptors take the court against the Warriors on Thursday night, their best player, Scottie Barnes, will be facing a familiar opponent wearing an altogether different jersey.

Barnes can reacquaint himself with Jimmy Butler III, formerly of the Miami Heat but now of the Golden State Warriors, when the teams meet at Chase Center. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 6 p.m. with Warriors Pregame, with tipoff scheduled for 7.

The game is the finale of a seven-game homestand for the Warriors (40-29), who occupy sixth place in the Western Conference standings. The rebuilding Raptors (24-45, 11th in the East) are crossing their fingers and hoping for luck in the 2025 NBA draft lottery.

Toronto already has identified Barnes, 23, as a core member of its future; he received a rookie maximum extension last summer worth $224.9 million over five years. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward owns, like Butler, a comprehensive set of skills as he leads the Raptors in assists (5.9 per game) and steals (1.5 per game) and is second in scoring (19.5 points per game) and rebounding (7.8 per game).

Put simply, Barnes, a 2024 NBA All-Star, is the Raptors’ best route to pulling off an upset.

And Butler is Golden State’s first line of defense against that possibility.

Barnes and Butler faced each other nine times as Eastern Conference foes, and each was the primary defender of the other. Butler posted slightly better individual statistics – including two triple-doubles – but the Raptors posted a 5-4 edge over the nine games.

Butler, 35, has been at the root of Golden State’s recent resurgence, providing stable leadership and the kind of court generalship that has enhanced the games of complimentary players but also allowed stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to flourish.

In 17 games as a Warrior, Butler is averaging 17.2 points on 44.8-percent shooting from the field, including a paltry 22.9 percent from distance – but 87.4 percent from the line. His 127 free-throw attempts rank eighth in the league over that span.

Butler’s scoring and efficiency have increased in recent games, as over his last seven games he is averaging 18.9 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 40 percent from deep. He was Golden State’s top scorer for the first time Tuesday with 24 points in a victory over Milwaukee.

The Warriors, amid a heated playoff race in the West, have won eight of their last nine games and are seeking their first 6-1 homestand since January 2022.

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Who will Celtics face in first round? It's likely a two-team race originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics haven’t secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs just yet, but they have a 99.6 percent chance of doing so, per Basketball Reference.

Clinching the No. 2 seed would result in the Celtics playing the No. 7 seed in the first round of the postseason. The Miami Heat had a 23.5 percent chance of getting the No. 7 seed last week, but those odds (calculated by Basketball Reference), have since dropped to 9.5 percent.

The two most likely first-round opponents for Boston are the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. Both of these teams have more than a 40 percent chance of finishing seventh, as of March 20.

Here’s an updated look at the probabilities:

The Pistons, who are 14-5 in their last 19 games (including a Feb. 26 win over the Celtics), would really need to fall apart over the next few weeks to be a No. 7 seed candidate.

The Heat and Bulls could also jump back into the mix for the No. 7 seed, but it’s unlikely.

The Celtics went 1-2 against the Hawks this season. The last meeting was a 119-115 overtime defeat for the C’s in Boston on Jan. 18. The Celtics have one more game against the Magic on April 9 — the third-to-last matchup of the regular season. Boston is 1-1 versus Orlando so far this season. These teams last met on Jan. 17 at TD Garden, where the C’s won 121-94.

The No. 7 seed will be determined by the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the play-in tournament. The play-in tournament runs from April 15-18.

The Celtics last played the Hawks in the playoffs in 2023. Boston won that first-round series in six games. The most recent Celtics-Magic playoff series was the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, which Boston won in six games.

Celtics to be sold to Massachusetts native William Chisholm originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have found a buyer.

An investor group led by William Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and lifelong C’s fan, has agreed to purchase a majority of the team at a $6.1-billion valuation — a record for a North American sports team.

“Bill is a terrific person and a true Celtics fan, born and raised here in the Boston area,” Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement. “His love for the team and the city of Boston, along with his chemistry with the rest of the Celtics leadership, make him a natural choice to be the next Governor and controlling owner of the team. I know he appreciates the importance of the Celtics and burns with a passion to win on the court while being totally committed to the community. Quite simply, he wants to be a great owner. He has asked me to run the team as CEO and Governor for the first three years, and stay on as his partner, and I am glad to do so.”

Chisholm is the managing director and co-founder of private equity firm Symphony Technology Group.

“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm said in a statement. “I understand how important the Celtics are to the city of Boston – the role the team plays in the community is different than any other city in the country. I also understand that there is a responsibility as a leader of the organization to the people of Boston, and I am up for this challenge.

“My partners and I have immense respect for Wyc, the entire Grousbeck family and their indelible contributions to the Celtics organization over the last 23 years. We look forward to learning from Wyc and partnering with Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla and the talented team and staff to build upon their success as we work to bring more championships home to Boston.”

The Grousbeck family announced last July that it intended “to sell a majority interest in 2024 or early 2025.” The Grousbecks have owned the team since 2002 and the franchise has won two championships during that span.

The Celtics, who won their league record 18th championship last season, are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 50-19 record as of Thursday.

This is a breaking news story. This article will be updated when more information is available.

Luka Doncic scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers eased to a 120-108 home win against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference.

The 26-year-old Slovenian bagged 21 points in the first quarter alone and went on to reach the 200th 30-point game of his career while also recording nine rebounds and seven assists.

Austin Reaves added 22 points for the Lakers, who were without the injured LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.

The Nuggets, who missed Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray because of injuries, failed to recover after trailing 46-29 at the end of the first quarter and saw the Lakers leapfrog them by moving into third place in the standings.

Doncic, who joined the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February, has now scored 30 points or more in eight of his 16 games since the move.

"Like I always say, every day gets better," Doncic told ESPN after the win.

"That's three wins in a row now so we've got to just keep it going.

"We go game-by-game because if you think too far in the future maybe you forget about the next game. We know the [standings] are tight but we've just got to try and win every game."

The Lakers' 46-point first quarter was their highest-scoring quarter of the season, while Doncic's 21 points was his most points in any quarter for the Lakers.

In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain top but fell to a 123-119 loss to the Sacramento Kings - their third straight defeat.

DeMar DeRozan added 27 points for the Kings against the Cavaliers, who had seen their franchise record 16-game winning streak snapped by the Orlando Magic at the weekend.

The streamers eventually would fall Wednesday night. The huge cheers for Bronny James coming off the bench in the fourth quarter were bound to happen. Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” would play.

It was fated by the time fans started filing into the building.

The latest chapter in the Lakers-Nuggets rivalry was going to look a lot different, with word that Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray weren’t going to play buzzing around before the game.

The script was flipped, the Lakers and their fans used to seeing Nuggets come off the injury report ahead of games against them. But without Denver's best players, all it was going to take from the Lakers was a focused performance to get the job done.

Read more:Lakers don't shy away from 'naked' opportunities in blowout win over Spurs

By midway through the first quarter, Luka Doncic was so good that the bar for “focused performance” suddenly had been significantly lowered.

The Lakers handled the Denver Nuggets 120-108, Doncic’s monster first quarter enough to cover up for sluggish, sloppy play that might’ve cost them if Jokic and Murray were on the floor.

Doncic scored 21 points in the quarter, including nine in the first three minutes, to give the Lakers a lead that grew to 30 in the second half before they fully eased off the gas.

The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 16 in the fourth quarter and still lost by 12, Doncic able to spend the final 12 minutes on the bench with the Lakers set to host Milwaukee on Thursday.

It’ll be the Lakers’ sixth game in eight days. They're 3-2 in the first five.

Doncic finished with 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. And while he cooled off significantly after the first quarter, his presence again allowed the Lakers (43-25) to take and make wide-open threes all game. Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht combined to make 10 threes on 17 attempts.

“Sometimes teams send three guys at him. It's just amazing that he finds the open man time and time again,” Vincent said of Doncic. “He makes the game so easy for us, you know, whether he's getting to the free-throw line himself or walking to the rim or making a tough shot when we need one or finding the open guy over and over again. ... He makes the right read every time and that's something that's invaluable."

While the Lakers earned a 2-2 split with Denver this season, a valuable asset in a tight West race in which they should finish ahead of the Nuggets in tiebreaker scenarios, it didn’t really offer much insight as to where either team stands heading into the final four weeks of the season.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 33 and gritty Lakers beat Suns to end four-game losing skid

Before the game, Denver coach Michael Malone forcefully said that Jokic and Murray weren’t “resting” as the Nuggets competed without their dynamic duo for the second straight game. Both players are dealing with injuries, he said.

Without them, Denver didn’t have a chance, the Lakers riding a dominant quarter from Doncic during which he was able to get whatever he wanted near the basket or behind the three-point line, leading them to 46 first-quarter points.

“When you've got one player that scores 21 of 'em,” guard Austin Reaves said, “you're gonna score a lot of points in the quarter.”

The Lakers continued to earn high-quality shots in rapid succession, putting together enough good defensive stretches to keep Denver from seriously threatening.

The Lakers finish one of the toughest stretches of their schedule Thursday, the final of three sets of back-to-back contests.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Looking at the schedule, anyone can see how brutal the Knicks’ recent stretch of games has been.

After a five-game West Coast road trip, New York came back home for one game before heading back out west to play the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. A lot of traveling for a team that is trying to stay afloat without Jalen Brunson, who sprained his ankle early during the road trip.

But no one saw Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs playing out the way it did.

San Antonio, playing without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox -- their two best players who are missing the remainder of the season due to injuries -- got out to a 28 first-half lead that seemingly rattled the Knicks defense.

The Spurs scored on their first five possessions, en route to shooting 51 percent from the field in the first half.

“Defensively, we were a step behind,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “We got in a big hole. Tough to get out of.”

The Knicks’ schedule has been a topic of discussion for why the team has gotten off to slow starts recently, especially in their last two contests.

In Monday’s game against the Heat at home -- the first coming off their road trip -- the Knicks were down as much as 13 points but fought back to win. Wednesday’s 28-point deficit turned out to be too large, but the team isn’t going to make their schedule the culprit for their slow starts.

“Not gonna say that [is the reason] because we got it to eight and then we just had some bad possessions and let them build a lead up,” Josh Hart said. “But we knew this one was going to be tough. Young hungry team. Plays fast, obviously. We've had a tough schedule…we knew it was going to be tough. We just weren't there, physically or mentally. We were just fatigued.”

As Hart alluded to, New York did cut the Spurs’ deficit to eight points twice. But it was their third-quarter performance, outscoring the Spurs 29-16 powered by their defense, that gave them a shot to steal this win. But when they made a run in the fourth quarter, San Antonio was lifted by an unlikely name: Sandro Mamukelashvili.

The Seton Hall product scored 21 of his career-high 34 points in the final frame, which included back-breaking threes, in which he made four in the fourth.

“Sometimes a guy can get hot. We got to make sure that he puts it down,” Thibodeau said. “Sandro had a great game, but we really didn’t take anything away. When our ball pressure got better in the third quarter, then our defense picked up. That's how we have to play. As I said, we were a step behind all night.”

“He’s in the NBA for a reason,” Hart said of Mamukelashvili. “He's a good player and we weren’t focused enough or locked in enough to realize what was going on. The IQ wasn't there.”

Along with his 34 points, Mamukelashvili came down with nine rebounds, dished three assists and came up with a steal all while shooting 13-of-14 from the field, including 7-for-7 from deep.

Hart added: “A guy has their game going like that, we have to find him and get to his body and be physical and kind of get him out of rhythm. We didn't do that. He had a career night, he's a good player. But we gotta know what guys do well, their tendencies and take that away and we didn't take anything away from him.”

Aside from the sluggish defense, the Knicks were outrebounded 54-42. Thibodeau called those two aspects the biggest reasons for their loss, but the offense was just as sluggish as the defense.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with 32 points, including scoring the team’s first nine points of the game. The rest of the starters scored a combined 41 points.

Hart, who scored just two points on 1-of-4 shooting, said the offensive struggles were a combination of shots not going down and the team not making enough plays.

“You have to make it easier for each other. You have to play-make for each other and put each other in good situations to be successful,” Hart explained. “That was going to be the struggle without [Brunson] but we gotta make the game easier for each other. We didn't do that today.”

With Brunson unlikely to rejoin the team until April, the Knicks have to wake up both sides of the ball on a consistent basis, and they’ll have to do it quickly. The team now has to travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Thursday night. 

The Knicks had a first half to forget, and could not complete an improbable comeback as they fell to the short-handed Spurs, 120-105, on Wednesday night in San Antonio.

New York was down by as much as 28 points but could not get any closer than eight points in the second half as they fell to 43-25 on the season.

The Spurs were losers of 20 of their last 29 games entering Wednesday, and were without Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.

Here are the takeaways...

-Towns scored the Knicks' first nine points, making his first four shots as New York exploited the lack of rim protection with Wembanyama out for the season. However, the Knicks could not stop the Spurs from scoring. San Antonio made five of their first seven shots to take a 13-9 lead.

San Antonio kept pushing the pace and went out to a 16-1 run, which included 14 straight missed field goals when head coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout. The Knicks could not buy a bucket and went big, bringing in Mitchell Robinson who contributed right away with two tip-ins. But overall, the first quarter was a nightmare for the Knicks who shot just 28 percent (8-29) to the Spurs' 44 percent.

Towns scored 13 points while Robinson (4), OG Anunoby (1) and Mikal Bridges (2) accounted for the other Knicks' points. Josh Hart didn't even attempt a shot. Veterans Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul each scored 10 points in the opening frame.

-The Knicks came out in the second quarter much better, cutting their deficit to just four points, but the Spurs used screens and dribble penetration to get any shot they wanted. This was coupled with the Knicks, once again, shooting poorly, especially from three.

With about six minutes remaining, the Knicks were down 22 and to make things worse, Towns appeared to injure his left thumb on a shot. After a timeout, Towns went to the back but was on the bench when the game restarted. The Spurs would increase their lead to 67-43 at halftime, ending one of the worst first halves of the season for the Knicks.

In the first half, New York shot 31 percent (16-51) including 4-for-21 from three. Miles McBride and Bridges were the only starters not named Towns to make a field goal in the first two quarters, and those two only made one field goal each. Hart was left scoreless after missing his only three shots attempted.

On the defensive end, the Spurs shot 51 percent from the field, 8-for-21 from three, in the first half.

-Whatever Thibodeau said to his team at halftime, must have lit a fire under the Knicks as their defensive intensity was better. New York's defense caused turnovers and bad shots to help them go on a 22-3 run to cut the Spurs' lead to 73-65 with 6:25 remaining in the third.

The Spurs would find their offense, capitalizing on Knicks turnovers and getting to the free-throw line to go out to a 10-0 run. The Knicks pushed back to go into the fourth quarter down 83-72.

-The Knicks eventually cut their deficit to eight points thanks to the lineup that included Towns and Robinson. But the combination of Sandro Mamukelashvili off the bench and putting Robinson on the foul line -- which slowed the Knicks offense and forced Thibodeau to bench his center -- helped San Antonio push back and they never looked back.

Mamukelashvili had a career night. He had a game-high 34 points off the bench, including 7-for-7 from three in 19:27 on the floor. The Seton Hall product also had nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Towns had a team-high 32 points while the other starters could not get 15 on this night. Anunoby (14), Hart (2), Bridges (14) and McBride (11) just could not match Towns' production. Robinson posted 13 points and came down with 11 rebounds in 17 minutes on the floor.

The difference in this game was the rebounds. Without a true center, the Spurs outrebounded the Knicks 52-44.

Highlights

KAT with offensive production early!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/Eo4SG2SbyC

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025

OG for three! 🔥

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/8C3A8ydpHD

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025

OG with the slam! 💥 pic.twitter.com/YCkSXFfKoy

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 20, 2025

What's next

The Knicks are right back at it on Thursday as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

Carter's career night pushes injury-riddled Kings past Cavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

No Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, or Jake LaRavia, no problem. 

Well, at least that’s the case when Kings rookie guard Devin Carter erupts for a career night, fueling a short-handed Sacramento team to a pivotal 123-119 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. 

Carter, one of seven Sacramento players to score in double digits, finished the night with a career-high 16 points, adding five rebounds, three assists, and three steals on 6-of-11 shooting from the field.

On a night in which the Kings trailed 20-7 nine minutes into the game against the top team in the East and without some of its major firepower, the stage was set for a new face to step up. 

“Next-man-up mentality: young guy Devin Carter came in and played huge tonight,” big man Trey Lyles told NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.”

“He could have been hanging his head not playing a lot, but he came out ready to play. [He] picked up full court and he ended the game for us, which is great for him. He was playing well and he stayed confident.” 

Fittingly, on the night Carter put together his NBA performance to date, he also delivered the best dunk of his young career. 

OH MY, DEVIN 🤯

pic.twitter.com/5KTDKnDIyT

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 20, 2025

With the Kings and Cavaliers exchanging leads in the dying minutes of the game, interim coach Doug Christie left Carter, who turned 23 on Tuesday, to seal a vital victory. 

“Devin brings the physicality, the swagger, the confidence,” Christie said.  “I’ll just speak for myself that I expect out of my team. 

“There’s a calmness in the competition in him. My grandmother used to say, ‘Still waters run deep,’ and he brought it. Big time.” 

Two-way Devin 💪

pic.twitter.com/V8P5JE8GMn

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 20, 2025

Forward Keegan Murray, who finished with 13 points, alluded to Carter’s growth throughout the season, praising the 23-year-old’s ability to “pick up” advice from Sacramento’s veterans.

“He’s been good,” Murray told reporters. “I think he’s had spurts this year. Like in Boston, he was pretty good. Honestly, he’s a rookie and goes through those ups and downs. 

“I went through them, too. He’s able to capitalize on his opportunities tonight when guys are down. Kudos to him, and I know he should have an impact on our team the rest of the way.” 

DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk combined for 49 points, with the Kings shooting an impressive 50 percent from the floor.

With just 14 games left in the regular season, the Kings’ record stands at 35-33, placing Christie and Co. at the No. 9 spot in the West. 

Injuries might have Sacramento short-handed, but, luckily, it had Carter on Wednesday night.

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3 observations after Sixers get blown out by West-best Thunder  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Western Conference-leading Thunder never trailed and led by as many as 41 points Wednesday night against the Sixers.

The final score of the 57-12 Thunder’s victory at Paycom Center was 133-100.

Aaron Wiggins was OKC’s top scorer, posting 26 points. Jaylin Williams recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists.

Quentin Grimes had 28 points, five assists and three steals for the Sixers. Chuma Okeke tallied 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Justin Edwards scored 19 points.

The majority of the 23-46 Sixers’ roster remained out, including Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain and right finger sprain), Paul George (season-ending left groin and left knee injuries) and Joel Embiid (season-ending left knee injury). 

OKC also sat quite a few key players. Superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rested. Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were all out with injuries. Notably, the Sixers’ first-round pick this year will convey to the Thunder if it does not fall within the top six.

The Sixers will visit the Spurs on Friday night. Here are observations on their defeat in Oklahoma City:

Sixers struggle vs. OKC’s bigs 

Former Sixer Isaiah Joe helped OKC jump out to a lead, draining a three-pointer to open the scoring.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout less than two minutes into the night after Jaylin Williams hit a triple to put the Thunder up 10-0. OKC racked up 42 points in the first quarter and built a 16-point lead through 12 minutes. 

As usual, the Sixers faced significant disadvantages in their efforts to guard opposing big men. OKC’s starting frontcourt of Williams and Chet Holmgren profited on early opportunities to shoot over smaller Sixers inside. As soon as rookie center Branden Carlson checked in, he got a put-back, and-one layup. The trio of Williams, Holmgren and Carlson totaled 28 first-quarter points on 11-for-13 shooting. 

Going into Wednesday night, the Sixers ranked 29th in the NBA in opponents’ field goal percentage at the rim, according to Cleaning the Glass (68.6 percent). With centers Embiid, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona still sidelined, their interior defense was never likely to dramatically improve in Oklahoma City. 

Nice night for Okeke

The Sixers fell back to earth in the shooting department after sinking 24 threes in Monday’s overtime loss to the Rockets. They started 1 for 8 from long range. 

However, Okeke’s jumpers were dropping right away.

Playing the third game of his second 10-day contract with the Sixers, Okeke drilled three shots beyond the arc in the first quarter. The 6-foot-7 forward was also the Sixers’ best rebounder. He pulled down 11 boards (four offensive, seven defensive) in the first half alone. 

Whether or not they stick with the Sixers past this season, players such as Okeke, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Oshae Brissett have had chances to essentially audition for the league. They’ve all clearly been glad to show what they can do.

No March Madness

The Sixers cut the Thunder’s lead down to 52-46 with a 16-1 run in the second quarter. That’s as close as they’d get, though.

While Grimes kept piling up the points, he didn’t come near matching his career-high 46-point performance in Houston and had a rough third quarter.

Once the Sixers fall behind, it’s hard to see any realistic path back into games these days. Outside of Grimes lighting it up, there’s just not much the Sixers can lean on to wipe out major deficits. Every time the Sixers take the floor, it seems like a win would be a March Madness-style upset.

And, as the Thunder demonstrated Wednesday, OKC certainly doesn’t need its full-strength team to earn very decisive wins.

Why Kerr confidently states Draymond is ‘best defender in the world' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors coach Steve Kerr has immeasurable respect for two-way force Draymond Green.

And on Wednesday, the 11-year coach showed his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame-bound forward even more love, in talking to 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.”

“I think he’s the best defender in the world, and I realize how good [Victor] Wembanyama is, how good Rudy Gobert is and others,” Kerr said of Green to Mark Willard and Dan Dibley.

Kerr didn’t lie.

Green, who has made eight All-Defensive teams and is the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year, needs no defensive introduction. He has spoiled opposing offensive sets throughout his entire 13-year NBA career and, as a four-time champion alongside Kerr, plays today with the same hunger on both sides of the floor as if he were ringless. 

Kerr further explained that Green has plenty of respect outside of the Bay and across the league.

“Draymond said it himself – ask the other coaches around the league who don’t they want to face,” Kerr told Willard and Dibs. “I have personally asked other coaches around the league. Trust me, there’s so much respect around the league for Draymond around the league, amongst the coaches. They see the versatility in his defense. 

“These other guys are good defenders; I don’t think any of them can do everything – protect the rim, guard pick and roll out in half court, blow up stuff from the weak side.”

Green can guard any player, from Damian Lillard to Wembanyama. As Kerr said, the same can’t be said for other top defenders.

Green brings with his defensive skill set an unmatchable passion. Kerr acknowledged that sometimes Green goes over the line, but concluded by explaining how that’s part of the deal for the game’s best defender.

“Draymond, he’s a defensive genius,” Kerr told Willard and Dibley. “He’s also a competitive freak of nature. Obviously, his emotion gets the best of him at times. But it’s all part of the package, and the package is incredibly disruptive to opposing teams. We are so lucky to have him. He remains an amazing player, even at this stage in his career.”

There never will be another player like Green to play for Golden State or in the NBA; Kerr understands and praises his longtime forward often.

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