Category: NBA

Playoff Jrue returns at perfect time for Celtics: ‘I like to win' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Our working theory has been that, since arriving in Boston, Jrue Holiday spends pretty much the entirety of the 82-game regular season exploring all the different ways he can impact winning, shunning his own counting stats so that the rest of his teammates can pile up theirs. Then when the postseason begins and the games really matter, he goes into turbo mode.

When we presented this theory to him recently, Holiday had a much simpler explanation for his knack for giving games exactly what they need, particularly on the playoff stage.

“I like to win,” said Holiday.

And for the better part of the past half decade, all he’s done is win. Two NBA titles. Two gold medals. He’s the glue that holds together whatever collection of talent you pair him with.

In Sunday’s Game 1 against the Orlando Magic, Holiday limited his opponents to five points on 2-of-10 shooting with three forced turnovers. Holiday changed the entire tenor of the game with his third-quarter defense on the Magic tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, helping the Celtics pull away.

Banchero finished with 0 points on 0-for-4 shooting and a turnover in five minutes, 15 seconds of matchup time, per NBA tracking. Wagner managed two points on 1-of-3 shooting with 2 turnovers.

In maybe the defining sequence of the game, Holiday forced Wagner to turn the ball over at midcourt then drilled a 3-pointer in transition.

Holiday, typically stoic and composed, had a little extra bounce as he did his trademark Dr. Evil pinkie finger celebration and bounced toward a euphoric Celtics bench.

Holiday finished with nine points while knocking down a trio of 3-pointers. He added five assists, three rebounds, and three steals over 33:13. And his defense was a game-changer yet again. Just like it was throughout last year’s playoff run.

So back to that theory on Playoff Jrue.

“I like to win and I feel like, when it comes to winning, you have to do whatever is necessary,” said Holiday. “Sometimes if you want to and sometimes if you don’t. A lot of the time, you get a certain gratification if you’re the handyman or doing the dirty work. Or even just seeing your teammates succeed. Like, that’s a big smile put on my face.”

Holiday insists he gets more gratification from watching Derrick White and Payton Pritchard do their thing — whether that’s combining for the first 40/40 game in Celtics history, or propelling the offense in Sunday’s Game 1 win over the Magic — than he does in chasing his own counting stats. He’s secure in what he brings to the team.

It was easy to fret about Holiday’s inconsistent 3-point shooting during the 2024-25 season. One year after being the best corner 3-point shooter in the NBA, his efficiency literally halved, dipping from 60 percent (55 for 92) in the corner last year, to 30 percent (32 of 105) this year.

At age 34, was Father Time finally catching up to Holiday? Would the Celtics regret the big-money extension they delivered at the end of last season?

A late-season surge, even as he battled a rare mallet finger injury, calmed those concerns. And to the surprise of no one, Holiday shifted to another gear at Sunday’s start to Boston’s latest postseason adventure.

“He just does so much for our team,” said White, praising the havoc Holiday created on the defensive end while taking on the challenge of defending Banchero in the third quarter. “And [Holiday] just doesn’t care about the numbers and whatnot. It’s great to have him as a teammate.”

Holiday and the Celtics kicked up their defensive energy throughout Game 1. The Celtics averaged 13.9 deflections per game during the regular season, but that number spiked to 26 deflections in Game 1, the highest mark of any team in the weekend’s opening games.

The Celtics posted a defensive rating of 88.5 during Holiday’s court time. They had a +24.6 net rating overall in his court time.

That’s the Playoff Jrue we know. When the lights are the brightest, Holiday is ready to give the game whatever it requires.

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

Experienced Warriors prevail in battle of lessons vs. young Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors spent most of three quarters Sunday night dragging the young Houston Rockets down a path of self-destruction. Their postseason experience was teaching lessons. They were cooking up a rout.

This first-round playoff series was going to be over in four or five games.

But prosperity is fleeting for this season’s Warriors. After building a 23-point lead (66-43) with 6:28 left in the third quarter, Houston pulled within three (76-73) over the next 12 minutes.

Under threat, the Warriors recalled the formula that served them so well earlier, taking charge over the final six minutes and escaping with a 95-85 victory in Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Golden State over the final 6:33 limited Houston to four field goals and forced four turnovers to walk out of Toyota Center with the W and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It took everything,” Draymond Green said on “Warriors Postgame Live.” “We know that’s a great ball club. They’re the No. 2 seed for a reason. They’re a great defensive team. They never back down. We got up 23 points, and they continued to fight. That’s what we expect. It just takes a consistent effort for 48 minutes.

“And we can be a lot better.”

That’s true, and it’s not something the Rockets want to hear. The Warriors shot 47.4 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from distance. Stephen Curry (31 points) and Jimmy Butler III (25) carried an offense that otherwise was ordinary.

This was a triumph of intellect over athleticism, discipline over zeal. The Rockets dominated rebounds (52-36), second-chance points (22-12) and attempted 11 more field goals than the Warriors. Those wins were rendered irrelevant because Golden State’s execution of its defensive game plan kept nudging their offense out of rhythm.

“They’re the best team in the league in the possession game,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Houston. “They got 11 more shots than we did tonight as a result of all those offensive boards. Now we’re going to turn them over, too. Our defense is excellent. We just held a hell of a team to 85 points on their home floor, so our defense is big time and we’re going to count on that.”

Houston’s top scorer, Jalen Green, managed seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0 of 4 from deep. His backcourt mate, Fred VanVleet, was 4 of 19, including 2 of 13 from beyond the arc. Aside from center Alperen Şengün’s 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, the Rockets’ offense was MIA.

The game plan was to keep the Rockets in the half court, where their offense tends to stagnate. It’s a lesson the Warriors learned two weeks ago in a 106-96 loss to Houston at Chase Center. They committed 20 turnovers, mostly of the live-ball variety, and that allowed the Rockets to launch into transition buckets.

“If we can keep them in the halfcourt,” Moses Moody said after that game, “their offense is basically whatever Şengün can get or step-back 2-pointers by Jalen Green.”

When the Warriors took care of the ball, they were in command. When they got sloppy, as they did late in the first half and early in the second, they opened Houston’s transition game, which narrowed the margin.

“We’ve got to recognize that we don’t need to take chances in this series,” Kerr said. “We need to be clean with our execution and transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic. We don’t need to throw a lob passes to try to get a dunk. We’ve got to be rock solid. And if we’re smart and tough, we’re going to be in good shape.

The Warriors had some trouble with the Houston’s twin-towers lineup, featuring Steven Adams and Şengün, who combined for 21 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass. But Golden State’s defense exposed the Rockets’ mediocre shooting.

“We just flew around,” Green said. “We didn’t give up any easy looks. We followed our defensive game plan. Just make them take tough shots. Be a lot better off if we could get some rebounds.”

The Rockets learned that forcing turnovers and pounding the glass is their only route to success against Golden State. They’re not built to win any other way.

The Warriors learned that they’re able to navigate Houston’s physicality barely well enough – only 20 assists – but their offense is what will dictate the direction of this series. 

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Stephen Curry scored a game-high 31 points as the Golden State Warriors began their play-off campaign with a 95-85 win at the Houston Rockets.

The seventh-seeded Warriors made it successive wins in Houston, with Curry also adding six rebounds and three assists.

Jimmy Butler chipped in with a further 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists to hand Golden State a 1-0 series lead - with Game 2 scheduled for Thursday.

"Steph was incredible. He was incredible," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"With that type of pressure on him from [Amen] Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays and, obviously, carried us offensively along with Jimmy."

The Rockets, seeded second in the play-offs, endured a disappointing end to the regular season with three successive defeats and have lost back-to-back games at home.

Ime Udoka's side are featuring in the play-offs for the first time since 2019-20, when they lost against the Los Angeles Lakers in the semi-finals.

"I wouldn't say the moment, I would say the physicality at times, going after guys, and just play-off basketball," Udoka said when asked if a lack of experience cost his side.

"It's not really about the moment. Going into the lane, trying to shoot over too many and not finding your outlets is a big thing and a big key for us all year."

Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers sealed a 121-100 win against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points with Ty Jerome adding 28 points and Darius Garland scoring 27.

Jerome, who picked up 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, was making his play-off debut.

They call him Captain Clutch for a reason. 

Knicks PG Jalen Brunson has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. 

The nomination is very deserving, as Brunson has stepped up for the Knicks time and time again -- putting the team square on his back often down the stretch in games when they need him the most.

The latest example: Saturday’s Game 1 playoff victory. 

With the Knicks trailing by eight entering the fourth, Brunson went on another one of his vintage runs -- scoring 12 of his game-high 34 points in the final 8:30 of the quarter to help pullout the come-from-behind win. 

During the regular season, the All-Star point guard averaged 5.6 points while shooting a stellar 51 percent from the field during the “clutch,” which is defined by the NBA as the last five minutes of the game. 

Overall, Brunson averaged 26 points and a career-high 7.3 assists on the year. 

The other finalists for the award that was introduced during the 2022-23 season are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Pistons are trailing the Knicks in their first round matchup, and now one of their big pieces appears to be banged up. 

Sources have told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley that center Isaiah Stewart had to undergo imaging on his right leg following Saturday night’s Game 1 Knicks win at the Garden.

The big man is officially being listed as questionable due to right knee inflammation heading into Game 2.  

Stewart was laboring for most of his 19 minutes as he finished with just two points and five rebounds while also picking up five fouls -- and he was subbed out at the beginning of New York’s fourth quarter comeback.

The 23-year-old NY-product has found himself relegated to more of a reserve role this season, but he’s still served as one of the Pistons’ toughest front-court options, setting the tone off the bench night in and night out.

He averaged 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the regular season.

Even if Stewart isn't forced to miss any time, the injury could potentially have an impact on the remainder of the series since he plays such a physical game down in the paint.

Steph shines, silences physical Rockets defense in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – As Amen Thompson grabbed a hold of Steph Curry’s left arm in the third quarter Sunday, the Warriors superstar secured a defensive rebound with his right hand off a missed Fred VanVleet 3-point attempt and pushed the ball down the length of the court. Curry was too fast for both Thompson and Dillon Brooks. 

From behind, Thompson jabbed at Curry and VanVleet met him beyond the arc where his only response in slowing Curry down was pushing down at his left arm. Curry tried to beat the Houston Rockets’ game plan, or at least get to the free-throw line, with a right-handed layup through all the holding and prodding, but the ball bounced off the side of the backboard and into the hands of Jalen Green. 

No whistle. 

Curry quite literally was laughing in stride while trying to evade the Rockets’ defense. He didn’t find it to be a laughing matter, though, and neither did the rest of the Warriors. Steve Kerr threw his hands up in disgust. So did assistant coach Jacob Rubin and forward Gui Santos. 

The last place Curry will turn to, win or lose, is making excuses. He knows the narrative of how referees treat him and hears his team’s pleas. Those words of frustration aren’t going to come from him.

“If you’re really allowing the refs to be a talking point or a distraction or something you’re relying on, you’re kind of thinking about the game wrong,” Curry said Sunday night. 

The Rockets couldn’t contain Curry. Outside factors didn’t bother him, either. That missed layup also broke a streak of eight consecutive made shots for Curry after missing his first three on the night, still finding his way to 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting and 5 of 9 from deep in 40 minutes as the Warriors took down the Rockets on the road, 95-85, in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff matchup. 

“He was incredible,” Kerr said. “With that type of pressure from Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays and obviously carried us offensively.” 

Curry in the lead up to Sunday rewatched all three games he played against the Rockets this season. He pressed pause and rewind on his three-point performance in the Warriors’ loss to the Rockets two weeks ago when he took 10 shots and only made one. But eight of those shot attempts were threes. 

So were his first three tries Sunday. None fell through. 

The Warriors’ April 6 loss to the Rockets was their second game home after returning from a six-game, 13-day road trip. They had just enjoyed a 14-point win against the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back where Curry scored 36 points. After one day off, Curry and the rest of the Warriors looked exhausted with heavy legs that turned to sweaty Jell-O. 

With four days of rest and preparation, Curry again showcased Sunday why his ability to adjust is one of his great superpowers. What got him going was slicing the Rockets’ obstacle-course defense and still making his way to the basket. Curry’s next four buckets were two finger rolls and two layups cutting to the hole. The threat of him going downhill allowed him to tap into his deadly 3-point prowess. 

“The first three shots were all threes, so it was kind of counterintuitive to how I saw that game and the adjustments I was making, but once I got to the lane a little bit, things started to open up,” Curry said. 

Then there’s all the noise surrounding a series that features two teams on different timelines whose styles are as different as can be. Curry has found himself on the playoff stage against Brooks and VanVleet trying to bully him numerous times throughout his storied career. Thompson supposedly was in line as the next Steph Stopper.

Could Curry, at 37 years old and dealing with nagging injuries all season, hold up enough from the Rockets’ physicality? He has seen it all, he has beat it all. And Curry, whether he wants to or not, hears everything. 

“He’s a true pro,” Draymond Green said. “Today’s day and age, it’s impossible to not hear anything. You open your phone up, even if you’re not looking at something, somebody’s going to send you a DM or somebody’s going to send you a message off Instagram. That’s just the nature of the world we live in. I think it’s impossible for anybody to not hear anything, but at the end of the day, we’re not coming out here trying to prove a point. 

“We’ve been at this for a very long time. To try to prove a point because someone said ‘X’ is pointless. We’re trying to win basketball games, and in order for us to win basketball games, it requires Steph Curry to be great.” 

Curry put Brooks, VanVleet and a handful of others on the grill and cooked them to a crisp. He made three 3-pointers from 27, 28 and 34 feet with Thompson right up on him. It’s easy for all this to feel routine by now, but his falling fadeaway three from the right corner to give Golden State its game-high 23-point lead in the third quarter had his teammates holding each other back on the bench.

The Dubs' bench couldn't believe that Steph 3 😵 pic.twitter.com/dcOmEouH3Z

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 21, 2025

Jimmy Butler has seen the show from afar and now up close as Curry’s co-star. Try as he will to stay in the moment, on the floor and on the bench, Butler was in awe on a night where he also was spectacular himself. 

“The shots that he takes and makes are absolutely incredible,” Butler said. “For him to know that that ball is going in and for everybody probably in the building, maybe even in the world, to know that the ball is going in, it’s incredible. I’m a fan as everybody else is, and he just makes big shot after big shot and helps us build on these leads.”

Easter Sunday marked Curry’s 59th playoff game scoring at least 30 points. The Warriors are 17-2 in series with Curry and Green after winning Game 1, and now have won a road game in 29 of the 30 playoff series those two have been in. Golden State also improved to 24-5 this season in games Curry and Butler have played together. 

Sitting at the podium, a puddle of water formed under Curry from the ice wrapped around his injured right thumb, serving as a metaphor for perhaps the Rockets’ only hope.

All these years later, one constant remains the same: Houston, you still have a Steph Curry problem.

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Steph shines, silences physical Rockets defense in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – As Amen Thompson grabbed a hold of Steph Curry’s left arm in the third quarter Sunday, the Warriors superstar secured a defensive rebound with his right hand off a missed Fred VanVleet 3-point attempt and pushed the ball down the length of the court. Curry was too fast for both Thompson and Dillon Brooks. 

From behind, Thompson jabbed at Curry and VanVleet met him beyond the arc where his only response in slowing Curry down was pushing down at his left arm. Curry tried to beat the Houston Rockets’ game plan, or at least get to the free-throw line, with a right-handed layup through all the holding and prodding, but the ball bounced off the side of the backboard and into the hands of Jalen Green. 

No whistle. 

Curry quite literally was laughing in stride while trying to evade the Rockets’ defense. He didn’t find it to be a laughing matter, though, and neither did the rest of the Warriors. Steve Kerr threw his hands up in disgust. So did assistant coach Jacob Rubin and forward Gui Santos. 

The last place Curry will turn to, win or lose, is making excuses. He knows the narrative of how referees treat him and hears his team’s pleas. Those words of frustration aren’t going to come from him.

“If you’re really allowing the refs to be a talking point or a distraction or something you’re relying on, you’re kind of thinking about the game wrong,” Curry said Sunday night. 

The Rockets couldn’t contain Curry. Outside factors didn’t bother him, either. That missed layup also broke a streak of eight consecutive made shots for Curry after missing his first three on the night, still finding his way to 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting and 5 of 9 from deep in 40 minutes as the Warriors took down the Rockets on the road, 95-85, in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff matchup. 

“He was incredible,” Kerr said. “With that type of pressure from Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays and obviously carried us offensively.” 

Curry in the lead up to Sunday rewatched all three games he played against the Rockets this season. He pressed pause and rewind on his three-point performance in the Warriors’ loss to the Rockets two weeks ago when he took 10 shots and only made one. But eight of those shot attempts were threes. 

So were his first three tries Sunday. None fell through. 

The Warriors’ April 6 loss to the Rockets was their second game home after returning from a six-game, 13-day road trip. They had just enjoyed a 14-point win against the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back where Curry scored 36 points. After one day off, Curry and the rest of the Warriors looked exhausted with heavy legs that turned to sweaty Jell-O. 

With four days of rest and preparation, Curry again showcased Sunday why his ability to adjust is one of his great superpowers. What got him going was slicing the Rockets’ obstacle-course defense and still making his way to the basket. Curry’s next four buckets were two finger rolls and two layups cutting to the hole. The threat of him going downhill allowed him to tap into his deadly 3-point prowess. 

“The first three shots were all threes, so it was kind of counterintuitive to how I saw that game and the adjustments I was making, but once I got to the lane a little bit, things started to open up,” Curry said. 

Then there’s all the noise surrounding a series that features two teams on different timelines whose styles are as different as can be. Curry has found himself on the playoff stage against Brooks and VanVleet trying to bully him numerous times throughout his storied career. Thompson supposedly was in line as the next Steph Stopper.

Could Curry, at 37 years old and dealing with nagging injuries all season, hold up enough from the Rockets’ physicality? He has seen it all, he has beat it all. And Curry, whether he wants to or not, hears everything. 

“He’s a true pro,” Draymond Green said. “Today’s day and age, it’s impossible to not hear anything. You open your phone up, even if you’re not looking at something, somebody’s going to send you a DM or somebody’s going to send you a message off Instagram. That’s just the nature of the world we live in. I think it’s impossible for anybody to not hear anything, but at the end of the day, we’re not coming out here trying to prove a point. 

“We’ve been at this for a very long time. To try to prove a point because someone said ‘X’ is pointless. We’re trying to win basketball games, and in order for us to win basketball games, it requires Steph Curry to be great.” 

Curry put Brooks, VanVleet and a handful of others on the grill and cooked them to a crisp. He made three 3-pointers from 27, 28 and 34 feet with Thompson right up on him. It’s easy for all this to feel routine by now, but his falling fadeaway three from the right corner to give Golden State its game-high 23-point lead in the third quarter had his teammates holding each other back on the bench.

The Dubs' bench couldn't believe that Steph 3 😵 pic.twitter.com/dcOmEouH3Z

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 21, 2025

Jimmy Butler has seen the show from afar and now up close as Curry’s co-star. Try as he will to stay in the moment, on the floor and on the bench, Butler was in awe on a night where he also was spectacular himself. 

“The shots that he takes and makes are absolutely incredible,” Butler said. “For him to know that that ball is going in and for everybody probably in the building, maybe even in the world, to know that the ball is going in, it’s incredible. I’m a fan as everybody else is, and he just makes big shot after big shot and helps us build on these leads.”

Easter Sunday marked Curry’s 59th playoff game scoring at least 30 points. The Warriors are 17-2 in series with Curry and Green after winning Game 1, and now have won a road game in 29 of the 30 playoff series those two have been in. Golden State also improved to 24-5 this season in games Curry and Butler have played together. 

Sitting at the podium, a puddle of water formed under Curry from the ice wrapped around his injured right thumb, serving as a metaphor for perhaps the Rockets’ only hope.

All these years later, one constant remains the same: Houston, you still have a Steph Curry problem.

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Steph Curry hilariously corrects Charles Barkley's Jimmy Butler description originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors star Steph Curry made sure TNT analyst Charles Barkley properly respects Jimmy Butler’s talent.

Following the Warriors’ thrilling 95-85 Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Toyota Center, Barkley asked Curry a question about Butler’s role with the team, to which the two-time NBA MVP had a quick rebuttal.

“Obviously, he’s a heck of a player,” Barkley said. “He’s giving you the ability to rest more. He’s not as great as you but he’s a really nice second closer to have on the team, correct?”

“Jimmy’s nice. Don’t get that twisted,” Curry retorted. “He’s carried teams to the Finals. The idea of what he brings to us is another guy who is just comfortable with the ball in his hands to create for himself and others, no matter what the situation is. You saw plenty times, he kind of made something out of nothing. He is a legitimate ballhandler, where we can give it to him in space, on the post, at the elbow, wherever and teams have to respect him. So if I can space and give him room and keep the defense honest, that helps. And we’ve had a really good chemistry since he’s been here.”

While the Warriors essentially have been playing playoff games for the last few weeks, they got their first official glimpse of Playoff Jimmy on Sunday night.

Butler scored 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting while adding seven rebounds, six assists and five steals, complementing Curry’s 31 points.

Curry and the Warriors know they added another true No. 1 superstar in Butler, even if Barkley doesn’t want to admit it.

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What Stackhouse told Draymond in tense Warriors sideline exchange originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Physicality was a primary storyline entering the Warriors’ playoff series against the Houston Rockets.

And while the Rockets dominated the offensive boards, Golden State held on for a gritty 95-85 Game 1 win on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

Still, Houston’s aggressive tactics — paired with some controversial refereeing — clearly frustrated the Warriors, especially forward Draymond Green.

During a timeout in the second quarter, assistant Jerry Stackhouse had to calm down a visibly irritated Green following a 6-0 Rockets run.

Stack had to calm Draymond down during the timeout😳 pic.twitter.com/ZfPMV8O75S

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 21, 2025

After the game, Green explained what Stackhouse — a former 18-year NBA veteran — said to help the Warriors’ defensive leader get his mind right.

“Stackhouse, he just told me to keep doing what I was doing,” Green told reporters.

“He said, ‘You’re doing a great job. We’re not worried about what’s going on out there, so don’t get so caught up in your emotions during that time — stay locked in.’ So he was great for me.”

"He was great for me."

Draymond reveals what assistant Jerry Stackhouse told him in their tense timeout exchange 🤝 pic.twitter.com/4F5YuHIxlc

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 21, 2025

Green’s statline of four points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals doesn’t jump off the page, but the Defensive Player of the Year finalist helped Golden State limit the Rockets to under 40 percent shooting from the field and a season-low 85 points.

Now, the key for Green and the rest of the Warriors is to keep doing what they’re doing, as Stackhouse said, even if star guard Steph Currycontinues to get a questionable whistle during the remainder of the series.

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After the disastrous season the New York Rangers just went through, team owner James Dolan may be ready to take a more hands on approach. 

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, Dolan is considering taking a more active role in exit meetings with players, which he also did with the New York Knicks last year and found productive.

This comes after the Rangers failed to make it into the playoffs and are in desperate need of change and a culture shift.

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury fired head coach Peter Laviolette and emphasized that the statuesque is simply unacceptable. 

“Quite simply, we fell short across the board,” Drury said. “Nobody here takes it lightly. We know our fans are frustrated and they deserve a better season than this. It starts with me, I need to do a better job and give the staff and players the opportunity to succeed. 

“While ultimately I made a decision a new voice was needed behind the bench, everyone here, players, management staff, need to take ownership of the season, and we'll be having direct, honest conversations during exit meetings on Monday. What are expectations for the summer and moving forward, getting ready for next season.”

Exit meetings are set to take place on Monday as the fallout from this season continues to pile up.