Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby.
A person familiar with the situation said Monday that O’Neal will take the voluntary job for the program that his son, Shaqir, recently joined as a player. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school hadn’t made an announcement.
ESPN first reported the news.
Bibby, the former NBA star for the Sacramento Kings, was hired as head coach for the Hornets last month as the school tries to raise its profile in collegiate athletics.
One of the first additions Bibby made was signing Shaqir O’Neal as a transfer from Florida A&M. Now Bibby has O’Neal’s father involved in the program.
O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a general manager role at a college program. Stephen Curry was recently announced as the assistant general manager at Davidson and Trae Young has that same role at Oklahoma.
O’Neal won four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs and a league MVP during his 19-year career in the NBA. He is currently an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show. He also served as a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013-22.
Sacramento State went 7-25 this season under interim coach Michael Czepil, who was promoted last spring after David Patrick left to take a job as associate head coach at LSU.
The Hornets had gone 28-42 in two seasons under Patrick and the program has never made an NCAA Tournament since moving up to Division I in 1991-92. The Hornets have had a winning record only twice since then, going 16-14 in 2019-20 and 21-12 in 2014-15.
SAN FRANCISCO – When a desperation heave by Houston’s Fred VanVleet, who couldn’t miss most of the night, went awry at the buzzer, the Warriors rejoiced with celebratory roars, high-fives and flying chest bumps.
Most of the Warriors, that is. Not Jimmy Butler III, who secured this 109-106 Game 4 victory Monday night by scoring Golden State’s final seven points and grabbing the most majestic and essential rebound of the series.
Nobody dared slam into Butler because everyone inside Chase Center knew that would be the most foolish moment on a night when foolishness was splattered all over the floor.
Butler was limited to understated satisfaction – with the tiniest trickle of a grin while limping triumphantly off the court – for a good reason. He’d spent part of his terrific second half clutching that bruised pelvis that kept him out of Game 3 and didn’t receive medical clearance until about an hour before tipoff.
“We had to have him,” coach Steve Kerr said. “If this were the regular season, he’d probably miss another week or two. But it’s the playoffs. He’s Jimmy Butler, so . . . this is what he does.”
Butler’s final few minutes were straight from the fantasies of everyone in the Warriors’ orbit, from CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, who acquired Butler in February at a steep financial cost, to every player, coach, marketing associate and card-carrying member of Dub Nation.
A driving layup to give the Warriors a 104-101 lead with 2:12 remaining. Three free throws to give them a 107-106 lead with 58.7 seconds remaining. And The Rebound, a soaring snag that led to a foul that sent Butler to the line for the game-clinching free throws with four seconds left.
“First three quarters he couldn’t move,” Draymond Green said of Butler. “Yet he never complained. He stuck with it. I think what was most important, when the time was right, everybody on our side looked to get him the ball. When you get him the ball, he made great things happen for himself or for others. It was huge.
“I think my favorite play was the last rebound. I looked up, I thought it was (Jonathan) Kuminga out there flying. It was Jimmy.”
Jimmy with the pelvic bruise. Jimmy, whose discomfort was obvious. Jimmy, who, no matter his pain, couldn’t stomach the idea of missing another playoff game.
Butler ignored his pain and chased that rebound with the conviction of a man who would not be denied. Didn’t matter that his barrier was Houston’s massive Steven Adams, four inches taller, 35 pounds heavier, one of the best offensive rebounders in the league.
Green had forced a miss from Alperen Şengun, and an offensive rebound with 6.4 seconds remaining would have meant another shot for the Rockets, who trailed 107-106.
“I saw that I wasn’t battling with Adams the last play, so I was able to go up there and be a semi-athlete,” Butler said. “But I wanted the rebound. I told Dray, if you get a stop, I will get the rebound. He got the stop, and I got the rebound.”
Butler scored a team-high 27 points, 23 of which came after halftime and 14 of which came in the fourth quarter – representing most of Golden State’s 27 points – during which he played all 12 minutes.
“I thought it was winning time,” Butler said. “Doing certain things that the team needed me to do to go out there and help win finally. I started moving a little bit better.”
Butler acknowledged that he received extra motivation from the verbal volleys from Houston’s Dillon Brooks. The two sparred most of the night, barking at each other and bumping with each other. That’s typical of Brooks, but it backfired, putting the Rockets one game away from elimination.
“No, we’re not having fun,” Butler said. “Give me this: I don’t like Dillon Brooks. We’re never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor. He’s a fierce competitor. There ain’t nothing fun about that.”
The fun came at the final buzzer. Butler enjoyed it, but not nearly as rambunctiously as his teammates.
SAN FRANCISCO – With five personal fouls including a Flagrant 1, not to mention yet another technical, Warriors forward Draymond Green had no intentions of slowing down his aggressive nature on defense or doing anything to alter his style on Monday night at Chase Center.
The only real issue for the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year was to avoid picking up a silly foul, which was a serious reality during a game when fouls were given out like candy.
In Green’s mind, it was well worth the risk of picking up his sixth and final foul rather than alter his game because of the situation.
“Just not pick up a cheap one, but I’m never going to be one of the guys that just because you got five [fouls] you don’t defend,” Green said after the Warriors’ 109-106 Game 4 win over the Houston Rockets. “I feel very confident in my defensive ability to defend without fouling. In that situation, you have to make sure your fundamentals are clean. That’s what I try to do.”
Green kept his emotions and fouls in check long enough to make the winning play of the game.
With the Dubs clinging to a 107-106 lead and the final seconds ticking away in the fourth quarter, Rockets center Alperen Şengün got the ball above the arc and tried to drive toward the left side of the key, looking for a go-ahead bucket. Instead, he got below the free-throw line and bumped into Green, who forced the former first-round draft pick into a rushed hook shot that missed the mark with 4 seconds left to play.
Houston had another chance to tie the game a few seconds later when Fred VanVleet missed a 3-point attempt, allowing Golden State to take a very comfortable 3-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series.
“He knows we must have Draymond on the floor in order to win,” Jimmy Butler said. “The amount of poise he has when everything he does, it’s always blown out of proportion. To stay so calm, to come out there [and] get stops … a special human being. That’s why he’s the hustle man of the year. Remember that.”
Green indeed was selected as the 2024-25 NBA Hustle Award winner, though he had been making a serious case – on the court and in the media – to win his second DPOY Award.
When that didn’t happen, Green reacted just like he did when he was in foul trouble against the Rockets. No reason to make a big fuss. Just keep it pushing.
“Draymond always walks the line, he always teeters on that line. He’s an emotional force, a physical force and he just can’t cross the line. He knows that,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s done a great job of playing through the frustrations. This is a tough series for him. The way the game is being played, they’ve kind of taken the ball out of his hands a little it. He’s done a really good job of dealing with the frustration and competing. The last two games his fourth-quarter defense keyed everything.
“He’s the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life. He rises to the occasion. On top of being a great defender, he’s an incredible competitor.”
But on Monday night, Butler declared that his joy is back.
After helping the Warriors win a thrilling Game 4 over the Houston Rockets, Butler spoke to TNT’s Allie LaForce about his monster performance.
“It means the world,” Butler said after Golden State’s 109-106 win. “I’ll die for these guys. For real. It’s so fun. I got my joy back, as some would say. But more than anything, it’s always good to win.”
Butler missed most of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to a left pelvic contusion, but he returned with a vengeance Monday night, scoring 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 12 of 12 from the free throw line in 40 minutes.
“Somebody said something to me,” Butler told LaForce. “That’s all it takes, somebody to say something to me gets me going every single time.”
The Warriors needed Butler’s gutsy effort in Game 4, and they’ll need more of the same when they try to close out the Rockets on Wednesday night in Houston.
With a series lead on the line, Warriors second-year guard Brandin Podziemski leaned into the challenge, igniting Golden State’s thrilling 109-106 Game 4 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night at Chase Center.
The 22-year-old registered a crucial 26 points that came on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, delivering one of his best performances to give the Warriors a 3-1 series lead over a feisty Rockets team.
But it wasn’t a coincidence; he knew he was ready for the big stage all along.
“I think it’s the work, and I know I’m built for this,” Podziemski told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike on “Warriors Postgame Live.”
“Good players in this league, they want the moment, and they don’t back away from it.”
In addition to his offensive finesse, Podziemski added five rebounds, five assists and two steals, while delivering crucial buckets in contentious moments.
Although not perfect, Podziemski lived up to the moment.
“The two threes I missed at the end, I’m going to take those every time,” Podziemski added. “I’m built for this moment.
“I know what I put into this when nobody is watching. That’s how you build confidence. You got a lot of reps to prove it. And so, just by that, why doubt yourself?”
On Monday night, Podziemski made it evident that as long as he doesn’t doubt his abilities, the Warriors’ postseason will continue marching forward.
SAN FRANCISCO – The bad blood between the Warriors and Houston Rockets boiled over into dangerous territory Monday night at Chase Center in Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff series.
With so much on the line, the Warriors were the last man standing on the battlefield, beating the Rockets 109-106 to take a commanding three-games-to-one series lead.
All eyes were on Jimmy Butler in his return from missing Game 3, and most of Game 2, because of a left pelvic contusion. Butler limped to the free-throw line with 58 seconds left and the score tied 104-104 after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. The longtime playoff star made all three free throws. His two free throws in the final four seconds were the final points of the night, putting an exclamation point on his heroic effort of 27 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes.
Butler was a perfect 12 of 12 on free throws, finding the extra gear Golden State needed in the second half.
Steve Kerr also changed his starting lineup, bringing Buddy Hield in and keeping Moses Moody on the bench. The decision went about as perfectly as Kerr could have hoped for. Hield brought defensive intensity early, and later hit some big shots, scoring 15 points as a game-high plus-17 in 30 minutes.
The starting five played 14 and a half minutes together and outscored the Rockets 41-20 together.
On a night where Steph Curry was held to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting and 2 of 8 on threes, Brandin Podziemski had a game to remember as his backcourt mate. Podziemski scored 26 points and made six threes. He also had five rebounds, five assists and two steals, but his ability to be a big-time scorer shone brightest in the most important game of his young career.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 4 win.
Robin’s Return
The pain Butler played through is sure to be downplayed by the man himself. He isn’t one to make excuses or show a sign of weakness. He also clearly wasn’t at full strength like the player who put up 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals over 42 minutes in the Warriors’ Game 1 win.
Butler scored four points on two shot attempts in the first quarter, and then was held scoreless as a minus-11 in the second, bringing him to just four points, two rebounds and two assists on three shot attempts in the first half. In the third quarter, though, the beast inside Butler was awakened.
His short halftime rest had Butler looking more active in the third quarter, and it showed in his stats. Butler in the third quarter drew three fouls and scored nine points, going 5 of 5 at the free-throw line. That’s the Butler the Warriors badly needed.
Butler bodied the Rockets down the stretch and turned a paltry first-half stat line into pure production, scoring 23 of his 27 points in the second half. Take a bow, Playoff Jimmy.
All The Antics
Basketball was replaced by a dumbed-down backyard brawl in the second quarter, bringing the pace of the game to a snail’s crawl. There were numerous scuffles and multiple reviews by the referees that mostly made the home crowd furious. It was ugly in so many ways.
Between two different incidents, Draymond Green was called for a technical foul and a Flagrant 1. Curry was called for a technical for taunting Dillon Brooks, who also was given a tech in the same sequence. Tari Eason also was assessed a technical foul during a skirmish on the floor with Green. This kind of game was incredibly predictable given how the series has played out so far.
The antics also played in the Rockets’ favor, at least for the second quarter.
They were able to completely muck the game up and get the Warriors out of their rhythm. After only one turnover in the first quarter, the Warriors didn’t take care of the ball in the second quarter and paid for it. They tallied eight turnovers for the period, which led to 16 Rockets points – more than half of their 31 second-quarter points.
Warriors’ Loud Response
They could have played into the Rockets’ game to begin the second half, but instead, the Warriors came out of halftime laser-focused as a completely different team. The Warriors, through the first three and a half minutes, went on a 13-0 run, finally driving into the lane and breaking down the Rockets’ defense. Their run was pushed to 18-1, making it seem like the Warriors could bury the Rockets for good.
Not so fast. The Rockets then had their own response shortly after, going on a 7-0 run to cut the Warriors’ lead to three points halfway through the third quarter. The final six minutes of the third quarter were a back-and-forth battle with the Warriors holding an 82-80 lead going into the fourth quarter after outscoring the Rockets 32-23.
The Warriors also had to fend off the Rockets for the final eight minutes of the third quarter without Green after being whistled for his fifth foul. He didn’t return until there were just under eight minutes remaining in the game and the Warriors trailed 92-90. Sengun in that span scored 16 points.
Green kept himself in the game and contested Sengun’s game-winning attempt over him with six seconds left. A handful of Warriors played like champions down the stretch, including the one who nearly played himself out of the game.
So, when will the Cavs and Thunder continue their chases for the Larry O’Brien Trophy? And who could their next playoff opponents be? Here’s what we know about the conference semifinals:
When does Round 2 of the NBA playoffs start?
The second round is scheduled to get underway from Monday, May 5, to Tuesday, May 6, according to the NBA. But those start dates could be moved up to Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, depending on when first-round series conclude.
Do the NBA playoffs reseed teams?
The NBA playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams after the first round. That means the Cavs and Thunder will meet the winner of the 4-5 matchup in their respective conferences, regardless of other first-round results.
What are the Round 2 matchups in the NBA playoffs?
Here’s a look at the conference semifinal matchup possibilities:
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cavaliers vs. winner of No. 4 Indiana Pacers-No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
Winner of No. 3 New York Knicks-No.6 Detroit Pistons vs. winner of No. 2 Boston Celtics-No. 7 Orlando Magic
Western Conference
No. 1 Thunder vs. winner of No. 4 Denver Nuggets-No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers
Winner of No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers-No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. winner of No. 2 Houston Rockets-No. 7 Golden State Warriors
What’s NBA playoff schedule for Round 2?
The NBA hasn’t released any series schedule details for Round 2. This section will be updated as more information is announced.
The Boston Celtics came crashing back down to earth not long after their 2008 NBA championship.
Although they returned to the NBA Finals in 2010, then-president of basketball operations pivoted to a new era following his team’s series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Before the 2013-14 season, he traded aging franchise cornerstones Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a package including three first-round draft picks. Two of those picks turned into Jaylen Brown (2016) and Jayson Tatum (2017).
Brad Stevens was the Celtics’ head coach at the time, but after continuously failing to get Boston past the Eastern Conference Finals, he replaced Ainge as president of basketball operations in 2021. Stevens has shined in the role, making several shrewd moves as de facto general manager including a brilliant trade with the San Antonio Spurs for Derrick White at the 2022 deadline and deals for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday ahead of the 2023-24 season. He also made the decision to have Joe Mazzulla replace Ime Udoka as head coach.
The rest is history. White, Porzingis, and Holiday instantly jelled with Tatum and Brown to form a juggernaut in the East. Mazzulla proved to be the perfect leader for the group, and it culminated in the Celtics raising Banner 18 into the TD Garden rafters.
The road to Banner 18 is the subject of the “Celtics City” series finale, titled We’re the Celtics. Max’s nine-episode docuseries starts with the dynastic 1950s and 60s C’s and ends with the potential for a new dynasty in Boston.
Longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan and NBC Sports Boston’s Michael Holley offered their thoughts on the series finale during “Keys to the City,” as seen in the video player above.
“I think Jaylen Brown was so articulate about not only the Celtics as a whole and the franchise as a whole and what it means, and the weight of carrying that expectation, which is a great thing and an onerous thing,” MacMullan said. “But just to list to his personal and professional growth, I thought he came to symbolize why the team did so well last year, the idea of everybody giving up for one another.”
While much of the episode focuses on the Jays, MacMullan identified Stevens as the mastermind behind the 2024 NBA champs.
“He’s just behind the scenes doing all the little things that made this work,” MacMullan said of Stevens. “The things he did for player empowerment within the organization, state of the art facilities, accomodations for families, all the little things that he thought would turn into big things, and created an environment that would be a winning environment.
“Showing Joe Mazzulla unwavering support when a lot of people were like, ‘This guy’s in over his head. Why did you pick this guy?’ He’s hit all the right notes.”
Check out NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive footage and interviews from the road to Banner 18 below:
A complete look back at the highlights of the Celtics’ 2024 playoff run to win their 18th NBA title.
A look at the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and how they came together to win Banner 18. A video essay by Michael Holley.
After endless trade rumors surrounding the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Celtics held the pick and drafted Cal wing Jaylen Brown. Watch NBC Sports Boston’s coverage from that night with Kyle Draper, Brian Scalabrine, A. Sherrod Blakely, Mike Gorman, and Tom Heinsohn as they discuss the pick.
At the event at TD Garden, Wyc Grousbeck announced the pick and many fans famously booed. Brown, of course, has gone on to more than justify the selection for Boston, signing one of the richest contracts in NBA history and winning Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP in 2024.
Pivotal because the winner in a series that’s tied at 2-2 will be one win away from advancing in the Western Conference playoffs.
Pivotal because the loser will be one loss away from their season being over.
Pivotal because the team that wins Game 5 and subsequently takes a 3-2 lead in the series has gone on to win the series 81.3% of the time, according to the NBA.
So for the Clippers, this fifth game is about tilting the odds back in their favor and the only way to do that is to win Game 5 in Denver on Tuesday night.
“That means it’s an important game,” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said after practice Monday. “Every one of them is important. But in a mini-series, a best-of-three, you for sure want to get the next one. So, you want to get a Game 5 for sure. It’s a very important game. But I’ve been in a series where we were 2-2, we lost Game 5 and we still came back and won in seven. So, just got to win two.”
Zubac was talking about when the Clippers lost the first two games to the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs in 2021, won the next two to tie the series, lost Game 5, but won the next two games to win the series 4-3. That Clippers group just happened to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.
As for the current Clippers team, Zubac said: “There’s been a sense of urgency. Nothing changed for us. Best-of-seven. Best-of-five. Best-of-three. Whatever. We got to win four games.”
The Clippers have won in Denver during this series, taking Game 2 and stealing the home-court advantage away from the Nuggets — only to give it back in a dramatic Game 4 loss.
Three of the four games have been decided by three points or less, so one would think the Game 5 will be even more intense than the others.
“You would think so, but I haven’t really looked at it and said Game 5 is something different,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said after practice Monday. “But all these games are the same. Like, you got to be ready to compete from the start. You got to have an attack mentality on both sides of the basketball and you just got to go from there.”
This game will also call for the Clippers to find a way to slow down Denver’s otherworldly center Nikoka Jokic, who after averaging a triple-double during the regular season (29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists) is averaging 28.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists in this series.
Zubac will be assigned to Jokic, like he has all season and in the playoffs. But the Clippers will send plenty of bodies Jokic’s way.
Zubac said the only way to not get discouraged is to “not get bored with the process.”
“It’s what he does,” Zubac said. “It’s what he’s been doing for years now and he averaged triple-double through the regular season. So, it’s what he does. That’s how they play, and that’s it.
“You shouldn’t be discouraged by looking at the other players’ stats. You should be discouraged if you’re down 20 or something. Like, you shouldn’t be discouraged when he got a triple-double and the score is good for us. So, we’re focused on winning. We’re not looking at the other player’s stats and being discouraged by them. We want to win the game.”
Still, Lue was asked what will the Clippers do differently on defense against Jokic now.
The Clippers had two days off to recover from the sting of losing Game 4.
They got down by 22 points in the fourth quarter, took a one-point lead and then tied the score — only to have Jokic shoot an airball on a step-back three-pointer that Aaron Gordon caught by the rim and dunked as time expired.
“Sometimes basketball can be amazing and it can be cruel as well,” Nicholas Batum said. “We got to move on. It’s 2-2. We’re right where we’re supposed to be, both teams. Now we got to go out there [to Denver]. We done [won] it once, almost did it twice in their place. We have to go there, regroup, move on. It’s a tough one, but we still got a chance to win this series and we hope to take another one and come back here.”
You know how Game 4 ended: a non-call on contact from Josh Hart on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s three-point attempt that referees later admitted they missed.
If you’re a Pistons fan, you’re obviously upset about the non-call on the final possession. But if you look at the entirety of Game 4, the non-call at the end of the game was consistent with the previous 47-plus minutes.
The refs set the tone early by letting a lot of contact go, and they stuck with that approach throughout the game.
In Game 4, Cunningham shot four free throws on 23 field goal attempts. Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns each shot two free throws on a combined 49 attempts.
Total free-throw attempts were roughly even, with New York getting an 18-17 edge.
Maybe you don’t agree with some individual calls. But if you’re looking for consistency, you got it from the Game 4 crew.
If the refs started calling the game tighter in the final minute, they might have whistled Tobias Harris for a foul with about six seconds to play. Harris clearly hit Hart while trying to rebound Cunningham’s miss on his potential go-ahead basket. It’s also worth noting that the refs missed a potential game-changing call in Game 2 when Hart was fouled on a layup late in the fourth quarter. If Hart had made a free throw, it would have given the Knicks a one-point lead with 1:15 to play.
Cunning defense
Cunningham went 10-for-25 in the Knicks' Game 3 win, and he didn’t fare much better in Game 4. He went 11-for-23 and scored 25 points. Cunningham had 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he also turned it over seven times. He missed five of his seven attempts in the fourth quarter.
After the game, players and Thibodeau lauded Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
“They’ve been great. They’ve been great all year. Regardless of what people say,” Brunson said. “It’s tough to guard people in this league. This league is clearly offensively driven. It’s tough to stop players one-on-one, but when you have two guys like that who just go out there, just play hard every possession, I like their chances.
"They’ve been doing that since I’ve known them, since I’ve been seeing them play, and I’m just glad they’re on my team.”
Building Bridges
Bridges was 1-for-10 from the field entering the fourth quarter. He’d missed all four of his three-point attempts. But he kept shooting. And Bridges hit two threes to start the fourth quarter, which spearheaded the Knicks.
Cam Payne gets an unofficial assist on the play. He was in Bridges’ ear throughout the game.
“He’s big on voicing, helping me out. Sometimes, him calling me some not good names helps, as well,” Bridges said with a laugh. “It just feeds off that. But it’s everybody, man. Like, Ty, I swear it’s everybody. Even Josh, JB, when we’re on the court, they just tell me to stick with it.
"I know I’m ready. I know I’m ready. It’s not fun missing, and you wait for that next opportunity to shoot again and I appreciate those guys, always.”
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) tries to pass to LeBron James during the final seconds of a 113-116 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 of their playoff series at the Target Center on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic had more color in his skin Sunday, his body warmer than when he slowly hobbled out of Target Center Friday night in sweats Friday night. He’d felt miserable during Game 3.
The Lakers played two games in Minnesota, one with a diminished Doncic and one without making a substitution in the second half, and had the same result. Both losses have put the team in an improbable spot, needing three-straight wins to keep their season alive.
Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls a steal as Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) looks to recover the ball during Game 4 their NBA playoff series at the Target Center in Minneapolis Sunday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
There are reasons, credible ones even, to explain away why they left Minnesota empty-handed. Doncic’s Game 3 illness obviously meant it would be tough for the Lakers to win. And despite fumbling a lead in Game 4, the Lakers think Doncic should’ve been shooting free throws with a chance to take a lead with 30 seconds left after being tripped instead of turning the ball over on the inbounds pass that followed.
“I mean it was just, you know, big play after big play,” LeBron James said. “And, they made a couple more plays than we did obviously.”
But the real reasons the Lakers might now be in the final moments of their season is because, in this series, they’ve been awful in the final 12 minutes of the game.
“We had opportunities to win,” James said of the fourth on Sunday, “We just didn't close.”
He might as well have been talking about the whole series, though.
The Lakers having actually scored eight more points that Minnesota in the first three quarters of this series only to be outscored by 36 in the last.
It will undoubtedly be a point of emphasis as the Lakers hold practice Tuesday ahead of Game 5 on Wednesday.
They’ve made only 29.1% of their shots during fourth quarters throughout the series. James is 7-for-20. Austin Reaves is 4-for-13. Doncic is 5-for-17. Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura are a combined 2-for-14.
Sunday, those misses included layups and wide-open threes.
“It's definitely disappointing. But nothing is won,” Doncic said. “ We haven't lost nothing yet. It's the first to four wins and we just gotta still believe.”
Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots over Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker during Game of their playoff series at the Target Center Sunday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
And the Timberwolves have been capitalizing late all season, Minnesota outscoring teams by the second most points in the fourth quarter, behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers still have chances to course correct, even if the problems might be bigger than two games in Minneapolis. Postgame, Finney-Smith referenced James leading the Cavaliers to a title after being down 3-1 to Golden State.
But only 13 teams in league history have ever pulled it off.
“Obviously you don't think about winning three,” James said. “You think about just getting the next one. You know, that's the only thing that matters because if not, obviously, the offseason begins. So, you know, it's all about Wednesday. That's what's important.”
And to fight off elimination, they’ll have to fight the fourth-quarter struggles.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to go lace them up and play again, you're not out of it. A lot of these games, besides Game 1…. could have easily went our way if we made a couple more plays down the stretch,” Reaves said. “But we didn’t and dug ourselves in a hole.
"The sun will come up tomorrow and we still got another day to fight.”
Lakers forward Stan Love dribbles the ball during a game against the Washington Bullets in 1975. Love, the father of NBA star Kevin Love and brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love, has died at age 76. (Getty Images)
Raised in a supremely creative Southern California family immersed in pop music, Stan Love took a different path to fame, playing four years in the NBA — including two with the Lakers — after starring at Inglewood Morningside High and the University of Oregon.
When his playing career ended, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound Love remained close to his family. His brother, Mike Love, was a founding member of the Beach Boys, and Stan Love eventually became an essential adjunct to the band, serving as a human shield for his cousin, Brian Wilson, throughout the turbulent late 1970s and early '80s.
"Those were chaotic years," Love told the Portland Tribune in 2019. "It was 24 hours a day of worrying, trying to keep the creeps away. Fame and money in rock-and-roll — it's all a very dangerous area to live in."
Love eventually settled in Lake Oswego, Ore., after marrying Karen Love in 1986. They had a daughter, Emily, and two sons, Collin and Kevin, who followed his father into the NBA.
Kevin Love, a five-time All-Star in his 17th season, announced his father’s death Sunday on social media. Stan Love was 76. His cause of death was not mentioned.
“Dad, you fought for a long time,” Love wrote on Instagram. “The hardest stretch being these past 6 months. The most painful to witness being these last few weeks. And even at the end as you continued to deteriorate — I still saw you as a Giant. My Protector. My first Hero.
"The words we continuously heard from you in your last chapter were how blessed you’ve been to have such a loving family. And in return how much you’ve loved your wife and kids. Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath.
"That breath came. And now it’s time to rest."
Stan Love was drafted ninth overall in the 1971 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets and averaged 6.8 points and four rebounds in 226 games in four seasons with the Bullets and Lakers. He also played 12 games for San Antonio in the American Basketball Assn.
As a three-year starter at Oregon, Love was a twice named first-team All-Pac-8 Conference and posted career averages of 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. He scored 30 or more points in a game 12 times, the most in program history. He was inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame in 1994.
Love shifted gears after his NBA career, in 1977 becoming a full-time protector and caretaker of Wilson, the creative genius behind the Beach Boys music but whose prodigious talent had been compromised by mental illness and substance abuse. Love toured with the band for five years.
Love told the Portland Tribune that during that time, Brian's brother and Beach Boys drummer, Dennis Wilson, was supplying Brian with cocaine. At one point, Love decided to put an end to it. He and former Oregon football player Rocky Pamplin posed as police officers, broke into Dennis' Bel Air home and beat him up.
Love was fined $750, placed on six months probation and a mutual restraining order was issued.
"Do you think [Dennis] got the message?" Love said in 2019. "Brian is a very fragile individual with a lot of mental challenges. For someone to give him access to cocaine — that pissed me off. People get what they deserve."
"Mike has been unbelievable to hold down that brand and keep them on tour for all these years," Love said. "The demographics are anybody from teenagers to 80-year-olds. They've put together a great body of work."
The Loves grew up in Baldwin Hills, and Stan was the fourth of six children to Milt and Glee Love. Milt was a union sheet metal worker and Glee enjoyed playing piano and singing. Their cousins, the Wilsons, lived in nearby Hawthorne, and founded the Beach Boys in 1961. Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, and rhythm guitar player Al Jardine were teenagers, and Mike Love was in his early 20s.
"In our living room when I was growing up were a cello, a harp, a Steinway piano and other instruments," Stan said. "We'd get together and sing. My mother pushed the arts. I watched opera at Hollywood Bowl at age 12. I like music, and I can carry a tune, but I don't play any instruments."
Love certainly could play basketball, and he passed along that skill to Kevin, a former UCLA star who remained close to his father throughout his life.
“Dad, I’m so proud to be your son,” Kevin Love posted Sunday on Instagram. “My only hope is that you’re proud of me. It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything.”
Steph Curry, the self-proclaimed “Petty King,” made sure Dillon Brooks knew how many fouls he had drawn on the Houston Rockets wing.
And Curry’s gesture started a kerfuffle between the Warriors and Rockets.
Midway through the second quarter of Game 4 at Chase Center, Curry drew the second personal foul on Brooks and as the Warriors superstar lay on the ground, he held up two fingers.
That didn’t sit well with Brooks, who tried to grab the ball from Curry.
The Warriors and Rockets have been headed toward a blow-up all series long, and while this wasn’t a full-on fight, the teams are getting closer to scrapping.
NBA insider Chris Haynes, who is close to Lillard and his camp, posted this:
"In speaking with Damian Lillard, he's motivated on attacking his rehab and returning to form. He's in good spirits."
Lillard went down with a non-contact injury midway through the first quarter on Sunday. He was eventually helped off the court and did not return to the game. When Bucks coach Doc Rivers said postgame, "It's not very promising," you knew things were bad.
Lillard, 34, is a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA player who was part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists a game this season, and he was the guy the Pacers brought in specifically to provide a second high-level shot creation and scoring option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lillard's injury, combined with another early playoff exit — barring a historic comeback, this will be the Bucks' third straight year being bounced in the first round, the last two years at the hands of the Pacers — leaves some challenging questions for just extended GM Jon Horst. The Bucks are not good enough to contend for a title with this roster, now will potentially be without Lillard for a year, are $20 million into the second apron next season with contracts already on the books (limiting trades and ways to sign players), and don't control their own draft picks until the next decade. There is no clear path back to the top of the East. How does Horst retool this team?
The bigger question: Does Antetokounmpo want to stay with the Bucks? Milwaukee will not trade him unless he requests a trade. He remains under contract and has said nothing this season except about how he wants to win in Milwaukee with this group. However, other teams around the league are eyeing how the ultra-competitive two-time MVP is viewing his situation. If winning another ring during his prime is his highest priority, he's going to have to look elsewhere.
Lillard is under contract for $54 million next season and will work hard on his rehab, hoping to return to a team that clearly needs him.
The Rotoworld Basketball crew will be publishing season recap articles for all 30 NBA teams from now through the conclusion of the NBA Finals in June.
Within each article, you'll find the story for each team's season, fantasy highlights and disappointments, as well as a look-ahead to the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Bookmark this page and check back in the coming weeks!
Raphielle Johnson