Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

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Nets fall to short-handed Celtics, 104-96

BOSTON (AP) — Baylor Scheierman scored 13 of his career-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, Kristaps Porzingas had 25 points and 13 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 104-96 on Tuesday night.

Scheierman took advantage of some bonus playing time as the Celtics rested injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown against the struggling Nets. Boston still had plenty down the stretch to hold off Brooklyn, which couldn’t stop Scheierman’s second-half surge.

After beating the buzzer at the end of the third with a 3-pointer that put Boston up 71-70, Scheierman hit three more from beyond the arc in the fourth before leaving to a standing ovation with about four minutes left. Scheierman, a rookie out of Creighton, had never scored more than 15 points before Tuesday.

Derrick White scored 18 points, Jrue Holiday had 12 points and eight assists and Payton Pritchard added 10 points for Boston, which won its third straight.

D’Angelo Russell led Brooklyn with 18 points. Ziaire Williams scored 15 and Cameron Johnson and Trendon Watford added 11 points apiece.

Takeaways

Celtics: With 13 games remaining in the regular season and facing the struggling Nets, Tatum (knee) and Brown (right knee, back) got some extra rest. The remaining Celtics beat the Nets for the ninth straight time in the regular season.

Nets: After snapping a three-game losing streak Sunday with a win over Atlanta and leading after two periods Tuesday, Brooklyn couldn’t hold off the Celtics in the fourth.

Key moment

After a layup by Tyrese Martin put Brooklyn up 80-71 midway through the fourth, Scheierman hit the first of back-to-back 3-pointers that put Boston in control.

Key stat

The Celtics shot 11 for 20 in the fourth quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 33-26 in the period.

Up next

Brooklyn visits Indiana on Thursday night. The Celtics start a six-game trip on Friday night at Utah.

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Gregg Popovich 'ahead of schedule' in recovery, but no timeline for when he might return to bench

About three weeks ago, on an off-day between games, Gregg Popovich returned to the Spurs practice facility to address the team for the first time since his Nov. 2 stroke. He may have moved a little slower and been a little more deliberate, but he was still himself, according to an insightful report from Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN. And he let the players know he'd been watching their games.

"Everybody shut the f*** up when he walked in," [Keldon] Johnson said. "That's just how it's always been with Pop. Obviously, he's still recovering. But he was still cussing. 'Y'all need to play defense. Y'all need to rebound.' Knowing that, s***, he really is watching the games because he's calling out specific situations, was huge.

"It was what we needed. I feel like he brought that life, that spark. That Pop that we all knew and loved. He came into that meeting and that's who he was. It was like he didn't skip a beat."

News of Popovich's recovery was all good — he is "ahead of schedule," according to Harrison Barnes — but it doesn't mean he is near a return to the court. Popovich already announced he would not return this season and it's unknown if he could return next season, according to the report.

"It's Pop's decision," one person close to the situation told ESPN. "He's earned that."

He has. He just needs to make the best decision for himself, the Spurs will be there whatever and whenever he decides.

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Butler makes Warriors history as fastest player to hit stat benchmark

Butler makes Warriors history as fastest player to hit stat benchmark originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler nearly recorded his second triple-double as a Warrior while leading Golden State to a 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at Chase Center.

On a night when Steph Curry sat out for some needed rest, Butler filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.

Not only was Butler’s performance critical to getting the Warriors a bounce-back win, but it also put him in the franchise record books.

The veteran forward needed just 17 games to reach both 100 rebounds and 100 assists in a Golden State uniform, which is the fastest mark in the franchise’s storied history, according to StatMamba.

In those 17 games, Butler has helped his new team to a red-hot 15-2 record and a much-improved NBA playoffs outlook.

With Curry absent, the Warriors especially relied on the six-time All-Star down the stretch to carry their offense.

In the fourth quarter alone, Butler recorded nine points, four assists and three rebounds to help stave off a Bucks squad that went on a huge run to start the second half. His witty drawn foul on a 3-point attempt at the end of the third quarter — he converted all three free throws — restored Golden State’s lead for good.

With the Western Conference standings crowded, the Warriors wouldn’t mind another 100 rebounds and assists from Butler over their last 13 regular-season games.

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Playoff Jimmy makes early appearance for Warriors in win vs. Bucks

Playoff Jimmy makes early appearance for Warriors in win vs. Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – With bedlam all around him and the Warriors trending toward full self-immolation, Jimmy Butler III checked his mental clock and realized it was time to dig deeper into his bag than in any of his previous 16 games with the team.

From the end of the third quarter through the fourth on Tuesday night at Chase Center, Butler took charge. He showed proper respect for the ball. Scored when desperately needed. Fed others when it was the wise option. Turned the free-throw line into his den. He also found a way to intensify his defense.

Between Butler’s emergency turn-up and Draymond Green’s crafty and relentless defense that stifled the great Giannis Antetokounmpo, Golden State’s available veterans – with Stephen Curry out – met the moment and delivered a 104-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Either one is worth the headline,” coach Steve Kerr said of Butler and Green. “Draymond had defense tonight on Giannis. He was incredible to hold him to five field goals. Draymond showed why he’s still one of the great defenders in the world, and why he’s so important to winning games night after night. It wasn’t just the defense, it was the leadership, it was the energy …

“And Jimmy played the whole fourth and just took over the game.”

After their defense powered the Warriors to a 58-44 halftime lead, they got careless and started treating the ball like a live grenade. After committing five turnovers in the first half, they generated 10 in third quarter, giving the Bucks 14 points and putting them back into the game.

With the Warriors trailing 76-75 in the final seconds of the third quarter, Butler went to work. He drew a foul on a 3-point shot with 1.5 seconds left and made all three free throws, providing a 78-76 lead. He scored on a 3-point play in the first minute of the fourth quarter, and followed that with a midrange jumper that gave the Warriors an 83-76 lead.

“I’ve been playing in this league for 14 some years now, so I can tell,” Butler said. “I know when I need to get my guys involved. I know when somebody has it going. I know when somebody needs to shoot the ball. And I think that’s my job out there, to get the ball where it needs to go. When I need to score, be able to do that. When I need to get to the free-throw line, be able to do that. Get some stops.

“Whatever the team asks me to do, that’s what I got to do. I think I’ve got a good feel of that, because I’ve been doing it for a long time now.”

Butler finished with a game-high 24 points, a game-high 10 assists and eight rebounds. He either scored or assisted on 15 of 18 points over a six-minute span during which the Warriors restored order. He either scored or assisted on 23 of their final 29 points.

“We ran every play through him down the stretch,” Kerr said.

With Green limiting Antetokounmpo to 20 points, 10.4 below his average, on 5-of-16 shooting from the field, Milwaukee’s offense had only their 32-point third quarter, on 55-percent shooting, to celebrate. The Bucks scored 61 points in the other three quarters.

After failing to complete a comeback Monday night against a Denver Nuggets team without Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, the Warriors looked like a different team for all but that third quarter Tuesday night.

They followed Green’s defense and leadership and Butler’s late-game tour de force to find themselves back in the win column. The Warriors are 40-29, still in sixth place in the Western Conference. They’re 15-2 when Butler is in the lineup.

He was, on a night without Curry, Golden State’s salvation when things got tight.

“You know, he’s been telling you guys, like, when it’s time, he’ll know. And he’ll do it,” Kerr said. “Tonight, it was time.

“[Monday] night in the comeback, he kind of took over. He just does whatever is necessary. And I think [this was] a good game for us to play without Steph. Because it sort of forces the rest of the team to play a game without him and to play through Jimmy and to see what we’ve got.”

This was a glimpse of Playoff Jimmy, the fabled legend who worked wonders in Miami. With 13 regular-season games remaining, the Warriors surely hope they’ll see more of him – even before the postseason.

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How Steph highlights inspired Butler in Warriors' win over Bucks

How Steph highlights inspired Butler in Warriors' win over Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler spends his free time doing what most NBA fans do: Searching for Steph Curry highlights on YouTube.

Following the Warriors’ 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night at Chase Center, Butler was asked by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole if there was any calculation to him drawing a foul on Kevin Porter Jr. while shooting a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter.

“I’ve been watching Steph highlights,” Butler told reporters after the game. “I’ve been going on YouTube and watching him do his thing. So, now that he’s on my team and he’s out, I get to play a little bit like him.”

Curry, who sat out the game against the Bucks, is the master of drawing a foul while shooting a 3-pointer. More often than not, he makes the 3-pointer and earns a chance at a 4-point play.

Butler missed the 3-pointer Tuesday night but made all three free throws to give the Warriors a 78-76 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

So, what are Butler’s favorite Curry highlights?

“Probably his dunks because he don’t get too many of them,” Butler said. “Anytime my man gets a dunk, I’m a fan.”

Curry has vowed never to dunk again after his March 1 jam against the Philadelphia 76ers, so Butler will have to settle for those YouTube highlights.

Butler finished with a game-high 24 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, 10 assists and eight rebounds while making all 11 free-throw attempts.

Add Butler to the long list of basketball players Curry has inspired.

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What Butler told Warriors to stop Bucks' third-quarter run in win

What Butler told Warriors to stop Bucks' third-quarter run in win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors teetered on the brink of disaster in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s game at Chase Center.

But Golden State stabilized itself and pulled out a 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to improve to 40-29 this season.

The Warriors led by as many as 17 in the second quarter and by 14 at halftime, but the Bucks quickly erased the deficit in the third quarter and managed to take a six-point lead before Jimmy Butler took over, steering Golden State to a much-needed win.

So what was Butler’s message to the Warriors as the Bucks won the third quarter 32-20?

“That this is a game of runs,” Butler told Bonta Hill, Chris Mullin and Festus Ezeli on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Postgame Live” moments after the win. “We knew that they missed shots in the first half and they were going to make some in the second. But we got away from doing what we were doing, closing out, making it difficult. We got back to doing that and took the lead back.”

Butler led the way with a game-high 24 points, but 16 came in the second half on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.

With Steph Curry resting, the Warriors needed Playoff Jimmy to take centerstage and he did just that.

Coming off a disastrous loss to the short-handed Denver Nuggets on Monday night, the Warriors didn’t crumble when the Bucks erupted in the third quarter.

Earlier in the season, the Warriors likely wouldn’t have made the in-game adjustments to pull out the win. But Butler has added a different element and it was on display Tuesday night.

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