Category: NBA

Celtics player spotlight: How will Pritchard's role evolve after stellar season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 season ultimately ended in disappointment with a playoff defeat to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. But it was a season to remember for Payton Pritchard.

The 27-year-old guard raised his performance and became an integral part of the team’s success on a nightly basis. After setting career highs in many different stat categories, Pritchard was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the fourth player in team history to receive that honor.

What role will Pritchard play next season?

Let’s take a look at Pritchard’s 2024-25 campaign and analyze how he fits into the Celtics’ lineup going into 2025-26.

2024-25 Season Recap

Pritchard had his best season as a pro in 2024-25. He set career highs in the following categories:

• Minutes: 28.4 per game
• Points: 14.3 per game
• Rebounds: 3.8 per game
• Assists: 3.5 per game
• Steals: 0.9 per game
• Field goal percentage: 47.2 percent

Pritchard also shot 40.7 percent from 3-point range, which ranked third on the Celtics. He has shot 40-plus percent from beyond the arc in three of his five seasons with the C’s, and he has improved his 3-point percentage each of the last two seasons.

The fact that Pritchard shot 40.7 percent on a career-high 7.8 3-point attempts per game was encouraging for the Celtics.

Despite his lack of size at 6-foot-1, Pritchard also was the second-most efficient guard scoring at the rim this season (among the 105 guards with 100-plus shot attempts at the rim).

Pritchard was a little less effective offensively in the playoffs (11.9 points per game), but he did score in double figures in eight of Boston’s 11 postseason games. During the East semifinals versus the Knicks, the only two matchups the Celtics won — Game 3 and Game 5 — were the games in which Pritchard played his most minutes of the series.

Overall, Pritchard did a great job providing instant offense off the bench. He can hit 3-pointers, he can drive to the basket and finish over taller defenders, he isn’t a huge liability on defense and he crashes the glass as well as any player his size.

Pritchard has developed into a true difference-maker.

Contract details

Pritchard just completed the first year of a four-year, $30 million extension that expires after the 2027-28 season. His average yearly salary is just $7.5 million and his salary cap hit for 2025-26 is only $7.23 million, per Spotrac.

This is one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. Pritchard provides enormous value for a player making less than $8 mllion annually. As a result, it would make little sense for a team like the Celtics to entertain trade offers for Pritchard.

A very productive player on a team-friendly deal is ideal for a second apron team such as Boston.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: Pritchard starts if Jrue Holiday or Derrick White are traded

Pritchard has played in 347 games over five seasons for the Celtics, but he has started only 17 of them. This past season, he started just three of the 80 games he played.

Pritchard might have to start next season depending on what moves the Celtics make this summer. The C’s could look to shed salary and get under the second apron. If the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday, for example, that would open up more minutes and potentially a starting guard role for Pritchard.

The C’s have a lot of depth in the backcourt, so if they had to move someone for salary reasons, it would make sense to trade a guard.

It’s a small sample size of just 17 games, but Pritchard has performed well as a starter in his career. He’s averaged 34 minutes, 17.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range in those matchups as a starter.

Scenario 2: Pritchard remains in sixth man role

If the Celtics don’t trade one of their starting guards, or if the team just decides Pritchard is most effective off the bench, then it would make sense to keep him in a sixth man role. You don’t have to start to be a very important player or be part of the closing lineup.

Pritchard has proven he can play at a high level either as a starter or bench player, which gives head coach Joe Mazzulla valuable flexibility when configuring his lineups.

Final thoughts

Whether he’s a starter or sixth man next season, the Celtics will need Pritchard to reach another level offensively with Jayson Tatum potentially missing most or all of the regular season due to an Achilles injury.

Tatum led the Celtics with 26.8 points per game this past season. That’s a lot of scoring to lose, and even though replacing that production will certainly be a team-wide effort, Pritchard could play a key role in filling it.

Pritchard’s field goal and 3-point percentages were at or near career-high levels this past season, even though his shot volume was way up. This bodes well for Pritchard’s ability to remain an efficient scorer if his usage rate increases again in 2025-26.

Watch magician hilariously prank, terrify Warriors star Butler originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler’s famous “Playoff Jimmy” alter ego didn’t shine in full form for the Warriors during the 2025 NBA playoffs, but “Off-Season Jimmy” has been front and center ever since Golden State was eliminated.

On Monday, a video of a vacationing Butler went viral after he was pranked with a card magic trick that turned into a snake scare by Colombian artist J Balvin. 

Butler, who did suffer a pelvic contusion after falling hard on his rear during Golden State’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets, fell on his butt once again — but he seemed to be OK this time around, leaving everyone around him crying laughing.

Butler’s immediate reaction was priceless, as he fell out of his chair.

“Get that snake away from me, dog,” Butler exclaimed to Balvin. “I swear to God, I’ll fight. I swear to God — I don’t play with snakes.”

And Balvin had fun with Butler’s off-guard fear.

“That was a good one, eh?” Balvin sarcastically asked Butler, to which the Warrior replied, “No, it’s not.”

Butler seems to be having a — mostly — good time during the offseason leading up to the 2025-26 NBA season. The trade-off, though, is that he’ll likely never trust someone trying a magic trick on him ever again, let alone something involving a box of cards.

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Watch magician hilariously prank, terrify Warriors star Butler originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler’s famous “Playoff Jimmy” alter ego didn’t shine in full form for the Warriors during the 2025 NBA playoffs, but “Off-Season Jimmy” has been front and center ever since Golden State was eliminated.

On Monday, a video of a vacationing Butler went viral after he was pranked with a card magic trick that turned into a snake scare by Colombian artist J Balvin. 

Butler, who did suffer a pelvic contusion after falling hard on his rear during Golden State’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets, fell on his butt once again — but he seemed to be OK this time around, leaving everyone around him crying laughing.

Butler’s immediate reaction was priceless, as he fell out of his chair.

“Get that snake away from me, dog,” Butler exclaimed to Balvin. “I swear to God, I’ll fight. I swear to God — I don’t play with snakes.”

And Balvin had fun with Butler’s off-guard fear.

“That was a good one, eh?” Balvin sarcastically asked Butler, to which the Warrior replied, “No, it’s not.”

Butler seems to be having a — mostly — good time during the offseason leading up to the 2025-26 NBA season. The trade-off, though, is that he’ll likely never trust someone trying a magic trick on him ever again, let alone something involving a box of cards.

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Why Shams believes 2025 NBA offseason could be ‘craziest' ever originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If you thought the 2025 NBA trade deadline was wild, just wait and see what could happen this summer.

With just over one month remaining until the NBA’s June 30 free agency tampering window opens, teams like the Warriors and Kings are watching the remainder of the playoffs from home as they gear up for a busy offseason.

ESPN’s Shams Charania appeared on Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he was asked if he anticipates an active free agency this summer.

“Pat, this is the most, I think, anticipation team executives have had over an offseason,” Charania said. “I think this is going to be the craziest offseason of all — I don’t want to say ‘all time’ — we just came off a trade deadline that was the craziest of all time.

“I think this offseason might be the most craziest ever because I think what you have right now is the parity of the league, is so thin right now, as far as the thin line of you can win a championship, or you might be falling into the lottery. I think the ability to go out there and improve your team and get there to a championship level, I think that’s on the minds of everyone around the league. So, how can you elevate your team?”

The Warriors were bounced from the playoffs after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games during the Western Conference semifinals, while the Kings failed to make the playoffs after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Both Golden State and Sacramento will be busy re-tooling their rosters this offseason in an effort to prepare for deep playoff runs next season, and both teams could make significant moves this summer to do so.

Might the craziness Charania anticipates find its way to Northern California?

Why Steph won't follow Warriors, NBA peers in starting podcast originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Could Warriors guard Steph Curry soon become the next NBA podcast star? 

Not exactly.

Although the four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP appreciates the art of communication and its proponents, Curry also has his reservations about entering the booming scene.

“I love the idea of people giving fans a new perspective, some good storytelling,” Curry told Jon Youshaei (h/t Bleacher Report). “It does get a little loud at times. Some people are really good, though.” 

The 37-year-old, who has a fervent worldwide following, is a relatively busy individual already, spearheading the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation with his wife, Ayesha.

It’s also no secret that Curry is a passionate golfer who won the 2023 American Century Championship golf tournament and will attempt to defend his most recent title in this year’s event from July 9-13. 

So, no, don’t expect Curry to follow teammate Draymond Green’s lead in the podcast world anytime soon. 

“… You won’t see me doing it, though,” Curry added. “Don’t worry about that. I have a lot of other things I want to do other than be behind the mic every day.” 

Curry’s passions lie elsewhere, Dub Nation. The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis podcast will have to do for now. 

“[Because] if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to be all in,” Curry concluded. “It is a time commitment; it’s a big lift. It’s not something I’m passionate about.”

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The Path, Part I: How Celtics can ‘thread the needle' with tweaks to core originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Editor’s Note: As the Celtics enter a critically important offseason, Chris Forsberg is exploring three different paths Boston can take this summer, each with their own pros and cons for the short- and long-term future of the franchise. The first path: threading the needle.

Welcome to the Summer of Brad Stevens. All eyes turn to Boston’s president of basketball operations to steer a teetering Celtics ship, with 18 banners as its mast, through some suddenly murky waters.

Stevens must choose a path to charter after a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season that included superstar Jayson Tatum rupturing his Achilles as part of Boston’s second-round exit. 

Should the Celtics attempt to thread the needle with their current core? Should they slam the reboot button? Or can Stevens overhaul the core on the fly despite the financial limitations as the rent comes due for Boston’s splurge that delivered Banner 18?

In the first installment of our three-part series ahead of a potentially volatile offseason, we ponder the case for Boston threading the needle.

Objectives of this path:

• Get below the second apron by trimming $20-plus million in salary.
• Remain a tax-paying team, but limit the total spend.
• Keep much of the core intact … for now.
• Remain competitive in the East, even with Tatum out indefinitely.
• Identify and develop young, low-cost talent for rotation roles.

The road map:

• Trade Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser with limited financial return.
• Build a frontcourt with limited funds.
• Use draft assets to acquire young, low-cost talent.

Why this path makes sense:

Boston’s brass hasn’t been bashful in acknowledging this approaching reckoning. Changes were coming regardless of whether the Celtics repeated as champs. A new collective bargaining agreement, with its punitive second-apron penalties, will prevent teams from building sustainably expensive rosters.

In a twisted way, the Celtics have to cut costs in order to ensure they can remain competitive deeper into the future.

There’s a line of thinking that suggests Boston ought to try to trim payroll below the luxury tax line with a goal of eliminating long-term repeater penalties. But we suspect that, with a new, energy-filled owner in Bill Chisholm, the Celtics will stomach a more manageable tax bill with hopes of getting out of the tax further down the road. 

Why this path might not make sense:

Trading soon-to-be 35-year-old Holiday with $100-plus million remaining on his contract may not yield the best return among Boston’s roster players. Even moving his salary for limited financial return won’t be enough to ensure the team gets below the second apron. 

What’s more, if Tatum is going to miss some or all of the 2025-26 season, then it might make more sense for the Celtics to endure a more robust overhaul of the roster with the goal of getting all their finances in order.

What this path looks like:

We’ve previously laid out the financial constraints facing the Celtics this offseason. Boston is committed to roughly $228 million in salary for the 2025-26 season, and that’s before pondering the future of free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet. The Celtics must trim roughly $20 million after roster construction in order to get below the second apron. 

Every member of the Celtics’ championship starting five is under contract for next season, and at monster money. The quintet of Tatum ($54.1 million), Jaylen Brown ($53.1), Holiday ($32.4), Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7), and Derrick White ($28.1) accounts for $198.4 million. The second apron starts at $207.8 million.

We all knew these tough decisions were coming. The Celtics got ahead of the CBA curve by trading for Holiday and Porzingis in the summer of 2023 and then extended both of them, while knowing the rent would come due in July 2025. Banner 18 made it a worthwhile dice roll. 

Now something has to give. The development of Payton Pritchard, who is playing on an uber-thrifty four-year, $30 million extension that will pay him $7.2 million in the 2025-26 season, makes it slightly easier to move a guard. 

Holiday’s trade value is hazy given his age and big money remaining on the deal. But he can absolutely help a playoff team, and there should be suitors. Holiday is a proven winner who will be desirable for any contender looking to inject some defensive DNA. 

But even in moving Holiday with limited return, the Celtics almost certainly will have to trim even more money, and that’s where it gets tough to retain Hauser. 

This summer, Hauser’s four-year, $45 million extension hits the books. His $10 million salary next season isn’t prohibitive, but it is for a Boston team that, even if it dips below the second apron this summer, still would have to pay roughly $5.5 for every dollar spent at its repeater rate. So, Hauser’s price tag effectively becomes $55 million for the 2025-26 season.

Hauser is a desirable shooter on a reasonable deal, which could leave a low-spending team willing to use its non-taxpayer midlevel exception to absorb him in exchange for draft assets. The Celtics would shuffle second-year swingman Baylor Scheierman into Hauser’s role and hope his shooting blossoms the way Hauser’s did over time in Boston.

With enough maneuvering, the Celtics can examine the possibility of bringing back Al Horford or Luke Kornet. Is the soon-to-be 39-year-old Horford willing to play on cheap money when Boston isn’t as much of a surefire contender without Tatum? Can the Celtics outbid any suitors to keep Kornet, who already took a discount to return to Boston on a minimum deal last summer?

Let’s make some deals:

A trade that seemingly makes sense for both sides — and was being theorized even before Boston’s season ended — would see Holiday land in Dallas in exchange for some combination of expiring deals, including Daniel Gafford ($14.4 million) and P.J. Washington ($14.2 million). A third team would be involved in order to absorb money in the deal. 

Boston could retain Gafford to stabilize an uncertain frontcourt, while a team with options to absorb salary (perhaps Brooklyn with its cap space or Atlanta with its large trade exceptions) might take on Washington and other filler in exchange for draft assets from both Dallas and Boston. The savings in money from Holiday to Gafford is roughly $18 million next season.

Moving Hauser to a team with the non-taxpayer midlevel in exchange for draft assets would save Boston another $10 million next season. It would be difficult to move a homegrown asset who was key to a title run, but a Hauser trade would be one of the least painful ways for the Celtics to trim salary. 

The top of Boston’s 2025-26 depth chart, under this path, looks something like this:

• Ball-handlers: White, Pritchard
• Wings: Brown, Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Tatum*
• Bigs: Porzingis, Gafford, Queta

*Injured

Boston could examine what it has for room below the second apron to fill out the roster. Maybe there’s space to squeeze in Horford or Kornet on limited funds. But the rest of the roster almost certainly would be minimum-salary players. 

The bottom line:

Threading the needle allows Boston to tread cautiously into a new season. A roster topped by Brown, White, and a healthier Porzingis still has potential to compete in the East.

If the Celtics got to the trade deadline and felt that 1) Tatum’s return would wait for the 2026-27 season and 2) Their team wasn’t a true contender without him, then they could take further steps to shed money by moving players on expiring deals like Gafford and Porzingis (ideally, when the latter’s trade value has been reestablished).

This path avoids a more immediate overhaul and gives the remaining core of this team a chance to show it can stay afloat without Tatum. The Celtics can also prioritize playing time for younger players while evaluating the pieces that will remain whenever Tatum is back on the floor.

Knicks-Pacers Game 4 tonight: Timing, channel, Haliburton's dad, injury report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The New York Knicks are set to take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night in a crucial matchup for the Knicks.

The Knicks visit the Pacers in Indianapolis trailing 1-2 in the series after a shocking loss in overtime in Game 1, and then dropping Game 2 114-109 on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks won the last meeting 106-100 on Monday, led by 24 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 20.

Haliburton’s father, John, will be watching from a Gainbridge Fieldhouse suite — the first game he has attended in person since being banned following his run onto the court after Indiana closed out the first-round series against Milwaukee. And, of course, he has something to prove again as the Pacers try to position themselves for a second straight series-clinching victory at Madison Square Garden.

The Pacers are shooting 48.8% from the field this season, 1.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 115.8 points per game, 0.7 more than the 115.1 the Pacers allow.

It’s the Knicks first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, but if they want to avoid a 1-3 deficit, Game 4 proves pivotal. The winner of the Eastern Conference finals will play the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Here’s what to know about tonight’s game:

What time do the Knicks play tonight?

Game 4 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers is set for 8 p.m. Eastern.

What channel is the Knicks game on tonight?

The Knicks vs. Pacers Eastern Conference finals will be available on TNT.

How do I stream the Knicks game tonight?

The Eastern Conference finals will be streaming on MAX from Warner Bros. Discovery with a subscription.

Where is Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals being held?

Game 4 will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

Who is on the injury report for Game 4?

The Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith (ankle) will be listed as questionable for Game 4 against the Knicks on Tuesday, according to WTHR Channel 13 Indianapolis.

Indiana’s Isaiah Jackson is out with a torn right Achilles tendon. He has been out since Nov. 1, 2024.

No one on the Knicks is listed on the injury report.

What is the remaining Eastern Conference finals schedule?

*If necessary. The Pacers hold a 2-1 lead ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup.

• Game 4: Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. ET, @ Indianapolis
• *Game 5: Thursday, May 29 8 p.m. ET, Madison Square Garden
• *Game 6: Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET, @ Indianapolis
• * Game 7: Monday, June 2, 8 p.m., ET, Madison Square Garden

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced a stunning performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves to move within one win of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma led 65-57 at the break and 90-85 at the end of the third quarter, but had to survive a late Minnesota fightback to take a 3-1 lead in the seven-game series.

Gilgeous-Alexander - who scored 40 points, grabbed nine rebounds and provided 10 assists - made five of six free throw attempts in the final 15 seconds to seal a 128-126 victory.

Jalen Williams added 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting, while Chet Holmgren finished with 21 points on nine-for-14 shooting.

The performance of Mark Daigneault's side was an impressive response to the 143-101 thrashing they suffered in game three.

"We did a good job of staying in the moment tonight," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

"We obviously had a bad taste in our mouth from the last game, and we just wanted to control the things that we could control tonight. I think staying in the moment was the best way to do so.

"We could have been better tonight for sure. Tonight wasn't perfect, but we gave ourselves a chance... and we got a W."

The Timberwolves pushed Oklahoma City all the way, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker scoring 23 points off the bench, Jaden McDaniels contributing 22 points, and Donte DiVincenzo finishing with 21.

"Everything is out there," Alexander-Walker said.

"There's no secrets. They know how to beat us. We know how to beat them. It's just about going out there and doing it and who wants it more [and who is] trying to execute it more.

"We showed that at times throughout this game, but consistency, that's all it has to be."

Victory in game five in Oklahoma on Wednesday (01:30 BST on Thursday) will secure the Thunder a place in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, where they would face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks.

It's obvious by now, but the Knicks' Game 3 win against the Indiana Pacers was quite impressive.

Down by as many as 20 points (where have we heard that before) in the first half, New York was staring down the barrel of being down 0-3 in the series. But for the third time during this playoff run, the Knicks staged a ferocious comeback in the second half and willed themselves to a victory.

"We saw that we were on the brink of it looking pretty dark for us and the way we responded, I think it brings us closer together," Jalen Brunson said via a Zoom call on Monday.

Listen to this, New York is now 3-2 this postseason after being down 20 or more points. All other teams since the play-by-play era (1996-97 season)? 25-835.

That is to say, it just doesn't happen often.

At the helm of it all has been head coach Tom Thibodeau, now in his fifth season coaching the Knicks and his 13th year as a head coach following stints with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

During his time in New York, Thibodeau has gone 226-174 and has reached the playoffs in four out of his five seasons. In fact, Thibs has failed to make the postseason just three times as a head coach.

Despite so much playoff experience, the 67-year-old has never made it to the NBA Finals and is 47-53 in the postseason. Simply reaching the Conference Finals is an accomplishment for Thibodeau who hasn't been here since the 2010-11 season -- his first season as a head coach with the Bulls.

So when the Knicks pulled out the win in Game 3, yes, they did it for one another, but they also did it for coach whether they were aware or not.

"He’s obviously been in a lot of battles. He’s been on different teams that have had different successes," Brunson said about Thibodeau. "We haven’t necessarily talked about it, but now that you ask that question, watching this man work tirelessly day in and day out, 364 days out of the year, he maybe takes one day off, it would mean a lot (to make the Finals).

"I know he’s not thinking about that, I know he’s not thinking about what it would mean to him, he’s just thinking about what can we do better in Game 4."

Brunson is right. During his Zoom call with the media, Thibodeau was only thinking about ways to improve his team for Tuesday's battle in Indiana. After all, New York is still down 2-1 in the series.

However, he did allow himself to discuss what about the team he enjoyed and focused on the journey rather than the destination.

"I try not to get wrapped up in anything that’s personal," Thibs said. "I think everything is team-oriented and so when you’re with a team you want to maximize all the opportunities that you do get and you wanna try and get the most out of your group. And I think each day when you have a committed group that’s what you enjoy. You enjoy the challenge of it all.

"Each day you’re gonna be tested in a different way and if you love competition this is the best for competition. So we’re fortunate, we have a great group of guys and we work as hard as we can each and every day. Sometimes we fall short and the next day come back with more determination to fix it and get better.

"I think that’s where you get enjoyment and when you’re with a good group of people that feel that the team is the most important thing, that’s what makes it enjoyable."

With so much Villanova representation on the team, it's been well-documented how far back some of the players go. Still, for the most part, a lot of this year's team looks different than last year's and in year's past.

Brunson says building that chemistry remains a work in progress.

"It’s definitely an ongoing process. Obviously the longer you’re with your teammates, the more you understand them," he said. "The way I’ve been able to kind of connect with these guys on a daily basis definitely helps. It takes time. It takes time for teams and chemistry to bond and I feel like we have great chemistry, but we’re able to push each other out of our comfort zones and to make each other better, I think that’s when it takes another step."

Nevertheless, having chemistry and being friends with everybody on the team doesn't necessarily translate to championships.

It's only when a team has the right mix of players, attitude, coaching and skill that helps them reach the top. Brunson and the Knicks believe they have that and Game 3 was a perfect example of them showing it.

"In order to go through and do something special, you have to go through a lot of adversity, you have to go through a lot of questioning mentally internally if we’re gonna do this," he said. "It can make or break teams and I think what we did last night definitely helps us.

"I feel like internally we think we can do it, but when we’re actually going through it and when we actually do it in a time like this, like I said it brings us closer together."

The Pacers could potentially be without a big piece for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks.

Sharp-shooting Aaron Nesmith is expected to be listed as questionable and will likely come down to a game-time decision for Tuesday's crucial matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, head coach Rick Carlisle said.  

Nesmith, who is still very sore, was seen walking around the Pacers’ locker room with a “noticeable limp” after he suffered a right ankle injury midway through the third quarter of Game 3. 

The injury occurred when he landed awkwardly and rolled his ankle on a drive to the basket -- he needed assistance leaving the court and was initially ruled questionable to return for the remainder of the contest. 

Nesmith did get back out there for the final seven minutes, but didn’t record a bucket in the loss. 

Carlisle said postgame that he was moving without limitations when he came back down the stretch -- but they wouldn’t have any further update on his status until he checked in with the training staff on Monday. 

If Nesmith were to miss any time, it would be a huge momentum swing towards the Knicks, who are now trailing just 2-1 in the series. 

The 25-year-old former first-round pick has been a significant presence on both ends of the court thus far this series, averaging 16.7 points on 53.6 percent shooting from the field over the first three games.

Two-time NBA All-Star Reggie Theus remembers the 1981 playoffs. In a “big time” opening round series, his Chicago Bulls faced the New York Knicks. The first game tipped off in one of the world’s most famous arenas, Madison Square Garden, and it included stars such as Artis Gilmore, Bill Cartwright and Michael Ray Richardson. The Bulls won game one and went on to win the series, playing Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the next round. Theus scored 37 points in the clincher against New York, an overtime victory in the Windy City. But it was a thrill he never quite felt again.

While Theus made the playoffs three more times in his long career, he never again featured in such a glitzy postseason showdown like Chicago versus New York. During his 13-years in the league, the he suited up for teams like the Kansas City and then Sacramento Kings (the team relocated to NorCal in 1985) and Orlando Magic. In a way, he was like a kettle moving from the front to the back burners. Indeed, more often than not, the NBA’s glamour markets – cities like Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Chicago – get the attention. But those aren’t its only teams, nor are they necessarily the places with the most success in any one season.

Related: The strange twilight of Russell Westbrook, the NBA’s ultimate fetish player

In this year’s playoffs, many of the franchises came from small markets, including the top seeds in each conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as several of its now-Conference finalists. But while big markets like New York, Miami or Golden State can draw free-agents thanks to their reputations and attraction for nightlife and entertainment, it’s hard not to wonder what life is like for the pros who live and hoop in smaller, more modest locales?

For Theus, who played more years in places like Sacramento than he did Chi-town, the difference felt obvious. “You just get that hometown feel that small markets have,” Theus says. “Everyone sort of knows each other on a personal level.” Some teams, he says, just have a family feel to them. One organization he cites is San Antonio. While Theus never played for the Spurs, he sees how the culture that squad built over decades led to winning, stability and consistency. “There aren’t a lot of different things getting in the way there,” he says.

While some fans may think that small town life for an NBA star is boring, Theus explains that it was quite the opposite. “You end up doing what the city has to offer,” Theus says. “I’m an archer and [Sacramento and Orlando] had a lot of hunting and fishing for me. It was great. I don’t know anybody that was bored or didn’t have fun. You did a lot more things together with your teammates. Small towns are personal, which is part of the charm.”

When Theus played in the 1980s and 1990s, life was different than it is today. If you were in Sacramento, there wasn’t much national media exposure. Today, though, the reigning NBA MVP, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has already been featured in a number of significant TV commercials. As have players like Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Thanks to social media, NBA League Pass and streaming services, any player anywhere can become a household name. But when Theus played, it wasn’t nearly so easy to get national attention.

“Small markets sometimes feel like they’re on an island by themselves,” he says. But there’s also a big benefit to that, he notes: “[The players] become closer.” Theus says he is still in regular touch with teammates he had in Sacramento and Orlando. But that’s not the same with those in Chicago. It’s a tradeoff. In smaller markets there’s less attention but with that comes, perhaps, a more normal life.

“If you’re in Chicago, LA, New York, there are no other places like that,” Theus says. “Those are the three biggest media markets around. So, obviously there’s no place like that. The nightlife – and when I say the nightlife, I’m thinking of dinner spots, entertainment and so forth – those three places are unique.”

Age can also be a factor in how you see playing in a smaller market. When Theus played in Chicago, he was in his early 20s – and the world was his oyster. When he was in Orlando, he was more mature, and in his 30s. In between, he was in sleepy Sacramento. Today’s NBA stars earn tens of millions of dollars a year. That affords a lavish life, from private jets to vacations around the globe. If you’re young and want to party, you can find a way today, even if you’re in a smaller city. Still, though, when it comes to a city’s reputation or celebrity fans? Some have all the luck.

“There is no place like Madison Square Garden,” four-time All-Star Michael Ray Richardson tells the Guardian. “Sugar,” as he was known then, played in the Big Apple for four years before suiting up across the river in the smaller New Jersey for four more. “In New York, you got all the movie stars and actors and all of that,” he says. “In New Jersey, you really didn’t have none of that.”

For Richardson, who now lives in Lawton, about 70 miles south of Oklahoma City, he’s seen what a winning team can mean to a region that is otherwise devoid of major pro sports. It’s something to rally around, he says, to enjoy together as a community. A winner like OKC can make a state feel like one giant college campus. “The whole state is going crazy,” says Richardson, “because there’s no other professional team here. So, if you go to an Oklahoma City Thunder game, it’s like a college atmosphere. It’s unreal.”

Robert Parish won three titles with Bird and the Celtics in the prime of his career, and a fourth with Michael Jordan’s Bulls. But in between, he played for two years in Charlotte, which at the time was an expansion team in one of the NBA’s smallest markets. Comparing the places, Parish says tradition stands out. If there’s history, there’s more to cheer for, although history is not always connected to size – just look at how the Packers are intertwined with the lore of Green Bay and the NFL. The same goes for the Spurs in San Antonio

“The obvious difference is reputation,” Parish says. “The larger cities [often] have that long, rich history of being loud, loyal and appreciative with crazy fans.” Still, Parish says, victories translate to both types of NBA cities. “The celebrity athletes got the love [in Charlotte] because the Hornets gave the fans a reason to be proud – winning! Same reason for the fan loyalty in bigger markets.”

There may be no team in the world with as much tradition as the Celtics – thanks, in part, to Parish. But it’s something Theus recognizes, too. “When you think about the Boston Celtics,” Theus says, “when you think about LA and Chicago, the sports history is a big factor. The lineage runs deeper because it’s been there for so long.” He adds, “Of course, Sacramento has grown up quite a bit now. But when we first got there, we had to tell the fans they weren’t supposed to clap so hard for the other team! … There was a real learning curve.”