Category: NBA

How does one city get so lucky in hoops?

The Dallas Wings won the WNBA Draft lottery last November and drafted Connecticut star Paige Bueckers last month. Then on Monday, the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft Lottery.

The basketball gods have nodded in Dallas’ favor not once, but twice in a matter of months.

That’s two basketball teams in the same city now united by the hope that comes with the No. 1 pick after trying seasons. It’s the second time one city has held the top pick in the NBA and WNBA drafts in the same year. It happened in Cleveland in 2003, when the Cavaliers drafted LeBron James and the now-defunct Rockers drafted LaToya Thomas.

After the 2024 WNBA season and the 2024-25 NBA season, Dallas was a city looking for reasons to feel good about basketball. The Wings needed a fresh start on the court and in the front office. The Mavericks need something to ease the anger of fans stung by the shocking trade of superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February that made general manager Nico Harrison as popular as someone wearing a Jalen Hurts jersey at AT&T Stadium.

Good fortune from the lottery balls isn’t going to make basketball the biggest draw in Dallas. Win or lose, that title belongs to the Dallas Cowboys. The lotteries, however, did provide renewed optimism, and it’s not crazy to look at Dallas as a basketball city. Nothing engages a fan base quite like hope, and both basketball teams can sell that thanks to their luck in the lottery.

The Dallas area has produced NBA lottery picks such as Larry Johnson (No. 1 pick, 1991), LaMarcus Aldridge (No. 2, 2006), Deron Williams (No. 3, 2005) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh (No. 4, 2003), in addition to active players like Cade Cunningham (No. 1, 2021), Julius Randle (No. 7, 2014) and Myles Turner (No. 11, 2015). The list of WNBA lottery picks consists of Odyssey Sims (No. 2 pick, 2014), Moriah Jefferson (No. 2, 2016), Lauren Cox (No. 3, 2020) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings (No. 3, 2001).

Dallas may not have the hoops legacy of New York, but the area has had good basketball for a long time. Fans care. They cared about Dončić. They care about Dončić, even as a Laker. They care about Bueckers as the WNBA regular season tips off Friday for the Wings. And they will care about Flagg if the Mavericks draft him.

Lottery luck was the result of a variety of actions. The Wings finished 9-31 in 2024, the second-worst record in the WNBA, and fired coach Latricia Trammell. The Wings hired a new general manager, Curt Miller, in November, then hired a new coach, Chris Koclanes, the following month to revamp the roster.

The Mavericks had a season marred by injuries and executed a trade that not only shocked the NBA but also enraged fans. The Dončić trade sent the team’s generational talent — and most popular player — to the Lakers. Anthony Davis, the marquee player acquired in the Dončić trade, was injured when the trade was finalized and was hurt again in his first game with the Mavericks. He played only nine games for Dallas in the regular season.

And then Kyrie Irving, the team’s other remaining star, tore his ACL on March 3. Additionally, there were injuries to players like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

The Mavericks, a team that made the NBA Finals last year, finished 10th in the Western Conference and eventually lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in a Play-In Tournament game, missing out on the playoffs. The Mavericks had a 1.8 percent chance of winning Monday’s lottery. If they draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg as most expect next month, it will add to what Bueckers gave the city last month: another opportunity for a rebrand and boost in basketball.

Flagg and Bueckers have similar characteristics that should resonate with the Dallas fan base. Both players earn the respect of basketball die-hards. Neither player will arrive in Dallas unfamiliar with what it takes to please the hardcore fans. And based on where they played in college and the attention they received, even the casual fans will know about these two.

Bueckers won a national championship with UConn last month. She is the sixth UConn player selected as the No. 1 pick in a draft, most in WNBA history, joining Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart. As for Flagg, Duke is one of the most successful-yet-polarizing brands in college basketball. The program is loved by many, but plenty of fans also love to watch them lose.

Both players have also been in the public spotlight for several years. Bueckers is the last of the famed top five of the 2020 recruiting class to make it to the WNBA. The other four stars of that class: Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. Flagg has been the projected top pick in 2025 since he was in high school. When he announced his commitment to Duke in October 2023, it was presumed he was following the footsteps of Irving and Zion Williamson, who both played for the Blue Devils for a season before becoming the top pick.

In discussing Flagg and Bueckers, their level of popularity is high, and their potential alone is enough for fans to pay attention when they are on the court. They can give Dallas a reason to look forward to basketball in the future.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Dallas Mavericks, Duke Blue Devils, Dallas Wings, Connecticut Huskies, NBA, WNBA, Sports Business, Culture, NBA draft, NBA Draft Lottery

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Kerr confident Butler will be ‘ready to roll' in Game 5 vs. Wolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Two nights removed from attempting 26 shots in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, Jimmy Butler went just 5 of 9 in the Warriors’ Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at Chase Center.

Butler finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block, and was a game-low minus-30 in plus/minus rating in 34 minutes as Golden State fell 3-1 in the best-of-seven playoff series.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr anticipates a more aggressive Butler Wednesday night in Minnesota, as the Warriors face elimination in a do-or-die Game 5.

“I don’t have to say a whole lot to Jimmy,” Kerr told reporters Monday night. “We collaborate all the time and we talk about ideas. I always feel like he has a great sense for the game. And he does whatever’s necessary to win. He’s proven that. Not only here since we traded for him, but over the years.

“He knows what’s needed. I’m confident that Game 5 — he’s the ultimate competitor, he’ll be ready to roll.”

The Warriors’ offense took a major hit ever since losing superstar point guard Steph Curry, who sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Timberwolves.

Since Curry’s been sidelined, Butler was supposed to be the guy to step up in his absence. He did so in Game 3 alongside Jonathan Kuminga, as the two combined for 63 points in a late loss.

But nine shot attempts just won’t cut it.

Kerr knows it, and he’ll work to make the necessary adjustments for Game 5.

“Well, he wasn’t as aggressive tonight, but I didn’t see a lot of openings either,” Kerr said. “Ideally, we could put more shooting around him to open up the floor a little bit. But with Steph out, we’re not going to be able to do as much of that.

“With that said, we’ll look at the tape and see where we can find some openings for him and I know he’ll be aggressive for Game 5.”

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Jalen Brunson scored 39 points as the New York Knicks beat the Boston Celtics 121-113 to leave the reigning NBA champions on the brink of elimination from the play-offs.

The Knicks stormed back from 14 points down in the third quarter to go 3-1 up in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final and are in sight of the finals for the first time since 2000.

The Celtics also lost forward Jayson Tatum, who scored 42 points before being carried off in the fourth quarter with what coach Joe Mazzulla described as a "lower body injury".

The six-time All Star, who was later seen being taken to the Madison Square Garden locker room in a wheelchair, will have a scan on Tuesday to assess the damage.

"He'll get the MRI and we'll see what it is," said Mazzulla.

"Obviously you're always concerned about someone's health. It's two-fold, we're concerned about his health and where's he's at. And then we're concerned what we've got to do better in game five."

The Knicks can clinch the series with a win in Boston on Thursday (00:00 BST).

Boston, who won game three on Saturday, started strongly with Tatum and Payton Pritchard leading the charge.

A Derrick White three-pointer gave the Celtics their biggest lead of the night early in the third quarter (72-58) but from then on the Knicks took over, taking an 88-85 lead into the final quarter.

Brunson controlled matters and when OG Anunoby grabbed a steal off Tatum in the incident that left the Celtics star writhing in pain before making a dunk, the Knicks were 118-106 ahead.

"I was just in a flow and doing whatever. I wasn't really trying to take over. It was just 'whatever we've gotta do'," Brunson said.

"We didn't quit, kept fighting. And that's what's most important. Whenever you get in a hole you can't quit."

Timberwolves edge closer to Western Conference final

The Minnesota Timberwolves went 3-1 up in their Western Conference semi-final series against Golden State Warriors thanks to a 117-110 win on the road.

Anthony Edwards finished with a 30-point tally in the win over the Warriors, who are missing injured star player Stephen Curry.

The Timberwolves hit 17 unanswered points in the the third quarter which helped them build an 85-68 advantage which they never looked like losing.

A win on their home court in game five on Thursday (02:30 BST) will see them advance to the finals.

Edwards revealed a half-time dressing down by Minnesota coach Chris Finch had sparked the second-half revival.

"We came out like we had won the series already, and when we went in at half-time coach said we were playing like losers," he said.

"He told me I wasn't defending at a high level, and needed to do better offensively, so in the second half I tried to do that."

Six months ago, Josh Hart was sitting at his locker after a brutal loss to the Celtics, pushing back against criticism of his friend Mikal Bridges. 

“We don’t care about all that background noise about Mikal, his shot, all that other — we don’t care about it. He puts the work in every day. He’s going to be good. The talk around it is stupid,” Hart said then. 

So what Bridges did on Monday -- scoring 23 points in the Knicks’ Game 4 win over Boston -- meant something to Hart. 

“I’m so proud of him as a teammate, as a friend, going through all the adversity that he’s gone through this season,” Hart said late Monday night. “He’s never complained. He always comes to work happy, smiling. He deserves his credit and his flowers.”

After an uneven regular season, Bridges has come up big night after night in the playoffs for the Knicks. Monday night was just the latest example; Bridges had 10 key points in the fourth quarter to help New York build and maintain a lead against Boston. 

He also had three steals, seven rebounds and three assists in the game while defending Boston’s tough wings/perimeter players. He started the game slowly (5-for-14) but hit seven of his final 10 shots, including five in a row at the beginning of the fourth. 

“That's what I love about him,” Tom Thibodeau said afterward. “He played hard the whole game. I thought he had some good looks that didn't go in, but that didn't sway him at all.”

Bridges wasn’t the only offseason acquisition to deliver on Monday. OG Anunoby defended well for much of the night and hit several big shots on the way to 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting. 

Mitchell Robinson -- whom the Knicks elected not to trade at the deadline -- had five offensive rebounds (eight overall) in 25 minutes. 

Of course, there’s Jalen Brunson -- the most important acquisition of the Leon Rose era. 

Brunson had another masterclass (39 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds). His 18-point third quarter turned the game. 

Add it all up and the Knicks are one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years -- they got here with a Game 4 win on the night of the NBA Lottery. 

For a long time, the lottery was the most exciting night of the season for Knicks fans. That still holds true today, but for a much different reason.  

New York took a commanding 3-1 lead against a Celtics team that dominated them in the regular season. 

How is that possible?

“I think just getting better throughout the year…Just takes some time,” Bridges said. “I know everybody wants success early on. But just kept getting better (all season), all of us.”
No one epitomizes that more than Bridges himself. All anyone wanted to talk about this year was the five first-round picks New York used to acquire him.

Now, thanks to Bridges, the Knicks are five wins away from the NBA Finals. 

PRAYERS FOR TATUM

Jayson Tatum was in severe pain on the court late in the fourth quarter with what looked like a lower leg injury. The ESPN telecast showed Tatum in the back of the arena on a wheelchair. 

Obviously, the Celtics are a much different team without Tatum. But no one wanted to talk about that in the immediate aftermath of the injury. The players’ focus was on Tatum’s health and well-being. 

“I just wanted to send prayers out to JT man. First and foremost,” Brunson said at the beginning of his post-game press conference. “Praying for the best.”

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Homecourt advantage is huge in the playoffs. 

The Knicks weren’t able to take advantage of it during Game 3 -- the MSG crowd was quickly taken out of the equation as they fell behind early in a blowout loss in what was their first home matchup of the second round. 

But Tuesday was a different story -- the Knicks again found themselves trailing by double digits early in the second half, but this time they were able to stage another miraculous comeback sparked by the rocking MSG crowd.

“It was crazy,” big man Mitchell Robinson said. “I think it was way crazier than the other playoff games we’ve been in here before -- this one was definitely No. 1.”

New York was trailing by as many as 13 points early in the third quarter, but another late barrage from Jalen Brunson pushed them back in front for the first time since late in the first quarter. 

Brunson made clutch bucket after clutch bucket down the stretch. But he wasn’t alone in the late-game heroics as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were also tremendous and it took a complete team-effort to pull out the win -- including the sixth man. 

It was just the second home victory for the Knicks this postseason but it was certainly a big one, as it helped them establish a commanding series lead. 

“We always say we have the best fans in the world,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said.

“They’ve been special all year,” Karl-Anthony Towns added. “When you have the fans we have and you have the city that supports you the way our city does, anything is possible. It’s because of them we have such a joy in our hearts coming to work everyday. Shoutout to them for sticking with us through the ebbs and flows of the season.”

The Knicks will now go back on the road to TD Garden looking to close out the series.

The Knicks have been resilient all season long so it was obvious they weren’t going to just roll over after being punched in the mouth by the Celtics in a Game 3 blowout loss on their own court. 

However, Game 4 did start out on a similar note -- as was the case just a few days ago, Boston simply couldn’t miss from the beginning and the Knicks got off to an extremely slow start on the offensive end. 

Led by the red-hot shooting of Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, the Celtics opened a double-digit advantage less than five minutes into the game. 

"Early on there was a lot of miscommunication in transition," Mikal Bridges said. "White was getting a lot of open looks -- having the early struggles offensively, we can't let that happen on the other end."

New York would answer back time and time again, but they simply could not put together multiple stops and a sustained run, and again found themselves trailing by as many as 13 points early in the second half.

Then, late in the third, things changed -- the Knicks had the MSG crowd rocking as they captured all of the momentum and opened their first lead since the first quarter heading into the final frame. 

As has been the case all season long, Jalen Brunson shined the most during clutch time, going bucket for bucket with Tatum before the Celtics’ superstar power forward left with a non-contact lower-body injury. 

Bridges and OG Anunoby were tremendous defensively and made some huge baskets of their own down the stretch -- helping the Knicks hold on for a massive 121-113 victory.

“They hit us early, but I love the way we fought back,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We showed a lot of toughness and more discipline in the second half and then timely play with everyone working together on both ends of the floor. It starts with the defense -- you have a lot of toughness and you have to do it together.”

So now, New York finds itself heading back on the road to TD Garden just one win away from eliminating the defending champs and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.  

Only 13 teams have been able to pull off that comeback in NBA history -- no one has done it since Denver did so twice back in 2020 -- and the Celtics may have to do so without Tatum pending the results of his MRI.

Still, the Knicks know the job is far from complete. 

"The toughest game is the one to close out someone's season," Karl-Anthony Towns said.

"We’ve got to go into this next game with a sense of desperation," Josh Hart added. "We need a sense of urgency from the jump. We have to stop giving up leads in the first quarter and doing those kind of things -- we just have to keep getting better.”

The Celtics were said to be expecting the worst, and, unfortunately, that did turn out to be the case for superstar Jayson Tatum, who underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

There is no timetable for Tatum's return, per the Celtics, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

With just minutes remaining in the final frame of Monday night's Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks had recaptured all of the momentum and were on the verge of closing out the victory on their home court to establish a commanding 3-1 series lead. 

Coming out of a timeout, Tatum went down with a non-contact lower-body injury while diving for a loose ball in the open court. 

As OG Anunoby broke free for a huge fastbreak slam, Tatum remained down in the backcourt and was rolling around in an immense amount of pain before calling the Celtics’ final timeout on his own.

The All-Star forward was very emotional as he was immediately helped to the locker room by trainers.

He wouldn't return over the final few minutes, which saw the Knicks completely take things over to close out yet another come-from-behind victory.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla described the injury as "definitely tough to watch" after the game.

Prior to the injury, Tatum was putting together a tremendous showing -- leading all scorers with 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting from the field and 7-of-16 from behind the arc.

"I never want to see a player get hurt," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He's been a great player and he's a great guy too, so I hope it's not a serious injury."

The Knicks have a chance to close out the series on Wednesday, with Game 5 in Boston set to tip off at 7:00 p.m.

The Knicks beat the Boston Celtics, 121-113, in Game 4 of their second round matchup on Monday night.

New York now has a 3-1 series advantage over the defending champs.

Here are some takeaways...

- Tom Thibodeau said pregame that the Knicks had discussions about starting Mitchell Robinson to keep the Celtics from fouling him while in the bonus, but they ultimately decided to stick with the usual starters.

- The opening few minutes of this one were a bit of a carbon copy from Game 3. New York got off to an extremely slow start offensively and Boston was able to open an early advantage behind some hot shooting -- headlined by Derrick White knocking down his first four triples.

- The Knicks finally found the scorers touch after an early Thibodeau timeout -- getting back into the game behind an 11-0 run started with five straight points from Mikal Bridges -- but three threes from Jayson Tatum in the quarter's closing minutes helped the Celtics re-establish a double-digit advantage.

Boston opened things up knocking down 9-of-14 threes -- seven of which were Tatum and White.

- The Knicks were dominating the offensive glass in the first half, led by Robinson who saw extended minutes with Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble. The big man reeled in five boards but was forced to the bench late in the quarter with Boston once again turning to the 'Hack-A-Mitch' strategy.

- The second quarter was mainly back-and-forth, but the Celtics' hot shooting continued and they were able to carry an 11-point advantage into the break. As a team, they shot an even 50 percent from behind the arc and the trio of Tatum, White, and Jaylen Brown combined to produce 49 of their 62 points.

- The Celtics were able to open their largest lead of the game coming out of the locker room, but once again the Knicks responded right back. Huge buckets from Towns and Jalen Brunson helped New York get back within striking distance.

- Brunson was terrific, going blow for blow with Tatum in the third. An OG Anunoby wide open three and Josh Hart driving lay-in with seconds remaining in the quarter gave New York their first lead since the first heading into the final frame.

- The teams went back and forth trading baskets early in the fourth before back-to-back buckets from Brunson and Bridges helped the Knicks open their largest lead of the series. Coming out of a Celtics timeout, Tatum went down with a non-contact injury going after an open ball and needed to be helped back to the locker room.

On the play, Anunoby took off and put home an exclamation point slam to put this one away for good. Prior to the injury, Tatum was terrific for the Celtics -- putting up a game-high 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting.

- As always, Brunson led the way for the Knicks down the stretch -- finishing with 39 points on 14-of-24 shooting. Towns put together a 21 point and 11 rebound double-double, Bridges had 23 points, Anunoby had 20 points and Hart scored just six but brought in nine boards. Robinson reeled in seven rebounds off the bench.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

As was the case all season long, Brunson took over for the Knicks when they needed it the most.

Highlights

KAT muscles to the basket for two 💪

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/250nIGOtfY

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 12, 2025

Brunson nails the triple! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/3af2O6FuGN

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 13, 2025

Jalen finds Mitch for the slam! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7zgaLBUvWG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 13, 2025

KAT with the slam 😤

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/eTY7PyTVjo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 13, 2025

Mikal!

The Knicks are back within 6 🔥

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/t7VLcCf0Ou

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 13, 2025

OG Anunoby shoots the open three and NAILS it 🎯 pic.twitter.com/kfCHlIcayz

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 13, 2025

Whats next

The Knicks will look to close the series out on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Boston.

Draymond advises Steph not to be ‘Superman' in injury return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite the need for a hero to save the day, Warriors forward Draymond Green is against the idea of Steph Curry turning into Superman.

Following Golden State’s Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Green advised against a hypothetical scenario in which injured superstar Curry rushed his return to the court for a must-win Game 5. 

“Nah, we’re not going to Superman this thing. If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will,” Green told reporters. 

“Him and Rick [Celebrini] and everyone else will figure that out, but we don’t need Superman. You got to play the long game, so, if he can, we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We got to find a way to win whether he plays or not.” 

Following the loss, coach Steve Kerr avoided giving a definite answer on whether or not Curry could return Wednesday from a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Steve Kerr avoids a hypothetical question about Steph Curry playing Game 5 on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/jTU6T83WLb

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 13, 2025

Curry, speaking with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, played off of Green’s words, alluding that he doesn’t expect to be available for Game 5. 

Without Curry’s magic on the court, the Warriors shot 43 percent from the floor and knocked in a dismal 8 of 27 from 3-point range Monday night. 

Green, a four-time NBA champion, acknowledges there’s no greater postseason luxury than a healthy roster. 

“When you’re competing for championships or trying to, the most important thing you can have on your side is health,” Green added.

Although it’s unlikely Curry returns for Game 5, Green assures there’s a plan in motion.

“As far as Steph, he’s working his tail off every day,” Green concluded. “He’s in here eight, nine hours a day, working and doing what he can to try to get back. 

“His morale is great. Obviously, nobody is excited right now, but he’s working to get back. That’s all you can do at this point.”

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