Category: NBA

A look back at when Scottie Pippen was almost a Celtic originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In 1997, the Rick Pitino-led Boston Celtics nearly made a franchise-altering deal with the dynastic Chicago Bulls.

Boston finished the 1996-97 season with only 15 wins, the fewest in team history. On the bright side, the Celtics’ terrible record gave them great odds of securing the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and selecting Wake Forest star Tim Duncan.

Despite having a 27.5 percent chance of picking first overall, the C’s ended up with the No. 3 pick, in addition to the No. 6 from a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The draft lottery results forced Pitino and Co. to get creative as they looked to piece together a competitive team for 1998.

First, Pitino attempted to trade the third and sixth picks to Gregg Popovich and the Spurs for the No. 1 selection.

“I got a call from the folks in Boston,” former Celtics coach and general manager M.L. Carr told NBC Sports Boston. “The Pitino group (was) asking, ‘Could we give picks to Popovich and ask him if he’d trade the first pick for a third and sixth?’ I went to Popovich; he felt sorry I even had to ask.

That didn’t work, so Pitino turned to Plan C.

Rumors swirled before the draft that the Celtics tried to trade their two first-round picks and a future first-rounder to the Bulls, who had just won their fifth NBA title, in a move to pair perennial All-Star Scottie Pippen and big man Luc Longley with young C’s star Antoine Walker.

Pitino confirmed the rumors on draft night.

“You have maybe, arguably, a top-20 player of all time, and you get Luc Longley. So you get a center, you have Scottie Pippen on one side, Antoine Walker on the other side,” Pitino said. “Our job is to bring the fans the best product as quickly as we can bring them the best team. Our fans deserve the best. I felt Scottie Pippen was one of the best players in the game, so we had a look at that.

“(The Bulls) wanted to sweeten — three and six was not enough for them. We sweetened it a little bit, but then they wanted the whole sugarcane factory, and we could not do that.”

With Duncan and Pippen off the table, the Celtics reluctantly stood pat and selected Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer with the third and sixth picks, respectively. Billups, who went on to enjoy a Hall-of-Fame career, was traded to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline during his rookie season. Mercer was traded to the Denver Nuggets after two years in Boston.

The Celtics improved to 36 wins in 1997-98. They wound up with the 10th overall pick, which they used to select Kansas standout Paul Pierce.

If Pippen had turned around Boston’s fortunes, they may not have been in the position to select “The Truth.” Pierce endured a difficult decade as the face of the franchise before forming the “Big Three” with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2008 and bringing Banner 17 to TD Garden.

Later, Pitino admitted in a radio interview that taking the Celtics coaching position was a mistake.

“I took over a team with 15 wins, banking everything on the Tim Duncan lottery,” 790 the Ticket. “Once we didn’t get Tim Duncan, I realized that leaving Kentucky was not a good move.”

Pitino resigned from his role as Celtics head coach in 2001. Pippen announced his retirement in 2004 after spending his final few seasons with the Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers.

Learn more about the Celtics nearly trading for Pippen in the video above, narrated by Michael Holley.

Holiday reacts to Brown's knee injury: ‘Nobody's worried about him' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The status of Jaylen Brown’s right knee is one of the biggest storylines for the Boston Celtics as they prepare for Game 1 of their first-round series in the 2025 NBA playoffs on Sunday.

Brown appeared to be less than 100 percent healthy over the last couple weeks. He didn’t have his normal workload in several matchups and missed three of Boston’s seven games in April.

Brown was a participant in Celtics practice Tuesday, and his teammates gave a positive report on how he looked.

“He looked great today,” Celtics forward Al Horford told reporters. “I was very happy to see him out there doing everything. It’s a really good sign for us.

Horford added: “Jaylen is very strong mentally and he finds a way. He’s the type — he’s out here putting in the work and trying to get himself ready to go. He understands what’s in front of us. I know that mentally he’s gonna be in a good place.”

Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday also came away impressed by Brown’s practice.

“He looked good to me,” Holiday told reporters. “JB is gonna be JB in terms of not showing weakness. Everything is about not showing weakness and being the strongest mentally and physically. Nobody’s worried about him. We know he wants to be on the court every time we play. We also know he’s going to be prepared.”

Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season. He was named to the All-Star Game in February and would have been a candidate for All-NBA Third Team had he played in 65-plus games.

For the Celtics to play at their apex during the playoffs, they’ll need Brown to be an effective scorer and an elite defender, like he was in the postseason last year en route to winning NBA Finals MVP.

The Celtics will know their first round opponent Tuesday night when the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic square off in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament game. The winner will come to Boston to begin Round 1.

During the NBA playoffs, fans see the returns on 82 hard-fought regular season games and all unanswered questions become clear as day -- sometimes in ways staggeringly unexpected.

With the postseason starting later this week, here are five bold predictions for what will happen...

1. Pacers and Clippers take out fledgling franchises

The No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed matchups in each conference often provide much of the first round entertainment, and feature two teams usually close in talent and performance. This spring's slate -- likely to be enjoyable -- will actually serve better as a ceremonial goodbye to the reigns of two once-contenders.

The Pacers will be taking on the Bucks, who will be playing without veteran star Damian Lillard after a rocky and ineffective season. Milwaukee is no longer a feared Eastern Conference elite, and this will only be reaffirmed when Indiana advances to the next round.

Meanwhile in the West, the Clippers will challenge the Nuggets, who just recently fired the major architects of their 2023 championship team -- head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. Denver is clearly moving toward a transition period, and Los Angeles is eager to push them along, having found success behind a healthy Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

2. Julius Randle comes around

After spending the first half of his career falling short of the playoffs, Julius Randle finally led the Knicks there in three of four seasons, only to be haunted by the experiences that followed. He crumbled in 2021, struggled through injury in 2023, and completely missed 2024 with a shoulder issue.

But this is the time Randle turns it around. He looked increasingly comfortable as his first season with the Timberwolves progressed, and a nice first-round matchup with the wing-heavy Lakers creates plenty of opportunity for him in a critical contract year.

Expect the usual, rumbling, stat-stuffing Randle in this year’s playoffs. Minnesota may not be able to make a deep run, but it won’t be because he fell short again.

3. Playoff version of Jalen Brunson defies doubters (again)

Like clockwork, the playoffs arrive and Brunson’s prior work is immediately forgotten -- this time in order to stamp rising star Cade Cunningham as the best player in the Knicks-Pistons series.

For those who need reminding: During last year's playoffs, Brunson became the first player since Michael Jordan to record four consecutive 40-point games. That's also only a snapshot of what he’s been able to achieve in the postseason.

Once again, expect Brunson to block out the noise and have, at the very least, a spectacular first-round series for New York. He shouldn’t have anything left to prove against Detroit, but if the dissenters insist on clamoring, the added motivation is welcome.

4. Lakers make Western Conference Finals push

It’s hard to predict anything but chalk in this year’s bracket, with so many juggernauts leading the standings. But one team that could surprise with the strength of their push is the Lakers, who've resembled an entirely different squad since acquiring superstar Luka Doncic.

They’re probably a year removed from truly contending, but they boast a flexible and suffocating defense. And playing on the side of the bracket that includes the Timberwolves, the Rockets, and play-in tournament teams allows them to avoid the West's grim reaper. Los Angeles also has two of the best playoff performers of their respective generations, both with chips on their shoulders.

5. Thunder over Celtics in NBA Finals

Perhaps this isn’t "bold," per se, but the likeliest outcomes don’t always come true -- and some still favor Boston as the NBA’s kingpin. But the pick to win it all is Oklahoma City in six games. They have more functional depth, even more lineup flexibility, and the likely MVP of the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Why Ja vs. Podz and GP2 is matchup to watch vs. Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

Though the Warriors would like to forget the events of May 21, 2021, they would be wise to remember every ugly minute when they take the floor Tuesday night.

They’re facing the same team, Memphis. At the same location, Chase Center. Under the similar circumstances, the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The previous such occasion was a disaster, the Warriors losing in overtime under a flood of turnovers and 35 points from Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant.

Morant will be back in Golden State’s face this time around, and containing him will be a priority. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 6 p.m. with “Warriors Pregame Live,” with “Warriors Postgame Live” immediately following the TNT telecast. Tipoff is scheduled for 7.

The Warriors dropped into the play-in tournament Sunday after a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, whose point guard, James Harden, exploited a rotation of defenders and finished with a game-high 39 points.

Morant isn’t the offensive conductor that Harden is, but he’s appreciably shiftier and more explosive. With Moses Moody (back spasms) listed as questionable, keeping Morant in check will require the best of Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II. That group was unsuccessful Sunday.

“He’s an All Star; he’s going to score points,” Podziemski told reporters Tuesday morning after shootaround. “But the things that help him get into a rhythm are the things you try to take away. That’s with any great player, but free throws and transition are where he scores a lot of his points. You try to take one or one or both of those away and it gives us good chance.”

If Morant is having his way against that tag-team duo or trio, it is conceivable that coach Steve Kerr would turn to uber-athletic wing Jonathan Kuminga, who was banished from Golden State’s rotation against the Clippers.

Neither Payton nor Kuminga was available two weeks ago in Memphis, where Morant dropped 36 points, on 14-of-22 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from distance. The Warriors pulled out a 134-125 victory behind 52 points from Stephen Curry.

An important development in that win was Golden State’s fourth-quarter defense. The Grizzlies scored 112 points through three quarters but managed only 22 in the fourth, as the Warriors forced Morant into four turnovers, with two steals by Jimmy Butler III and one steal each by Draymond Green and Buddy Hield.

There are other factors in play, most significant being rebounding. The Warriors, the league’s No. 3 rebounding team through the first four months, tumbled to 14th after the All-Star break – coinciding with Kerr’s mostly rewarding commitment to a small starting lineup. Memphis is a strong rebounding team, No. 2 this season and sixth since the break.

But the top goal for the Warriors is to avoid turnovers and prevent Morant from getting into a rhythm, much less taking over the game as he did four years ago.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Celtics playoff predictions: A Tatum statement, the Kornet Game and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

We’d like to think our crystal ball has magical powers, but the truth is that the Boston Celtics have simply been so darn good over the past two seasons that it’s pretty easy to make bold predictions about the successes they’ve enjoyed.

You didn’t need to be any sort of seer to know Payton Pritchard was poised for a breakout season. Or that the Celtics would stack up a whole bunch of 3-pointers during the 2024-25 campaign. 

Still, it’s comforting that our crystal ball rarely lead us astray. With the playoffs upon us, it feels like another good opportunity to take a gaze and see what it forecasts for Boston’s next championship quest.

But before we look into the future, let’s look at our 13 season predictions (the first six from our midseason check-in, and seven more from before the 2024-25 campaign tipped) to see what we hit and what we missed:

1. Luke Kornet finishes top-five in net rating

Kornet shimmied up to third in the NBA, finishing with a team-best +14.9 net rating. (The next-closest regular on Boston’s roster: Al Horford at +11.5.)

The Oklahoma City Thunder accounted for six of the top seven spots in the league, with Kornet the only outlier. The Celtics were 8.6 points per 100 possessions better with Kornet on the court versus off this season, easily the best differential on the team (next-closest: Horford, +4.1).

Verdict: Hit

2. Drew Peterson gets final roster spot before end of season

Peterson gave the team an unexpected burst early in the season but logged only 77 minutes in 14 appearances over Boston’s final 47 games. The team ultimately elected to reward fellow two-way player JD Davison for his MVP season in Maine by adding him to the parent roster at the finish line of the season.

Offseason roster changes could open pathways to Peterson being a roster player for the Celtics next season.

Verdict: Miss

3. Jayson Tatum finishes 3rd in MVP voting …

4. … And is the Finals MVP 

ESPN’s final straw poll of the season had Tatum fourth in balloting. We suspect he’ll leapfrog Giannis Antetokounmpo when voters submit their final ballots, which will feature Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic at the top.

And with Jaylen Brown hindered by a knee injury entering the postseason, we’re further emboldened to suggest Tatum will be the Finals MVP if the Celtics raise Banner 19.

Verdict: TBD

5. Celtics defeat Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers to win East … 

6. … Then outlast the Thunder in the NBA Finals

If higher seeds win out, then we’ll nail the path. Still, we’re intrigued to see if Orlando’s offense can hang with Atlanta in a one-game showdown during Tuesday night’s play-in game.

The Knicks should have their hands full with Detroit in Round 1 but we suspect they’ll still advance. Cleveland and Oklahoma City appear poised to build off their strong regular seasons.

Verdict: TBD

7. Jaylen Brown lands on All-NBA, All-Defense teams

The late-season knee woes left him short of the 65-game threshold to qualify for award eligibility. Even if he had hit the mark, that balky knee ultimately might have prevented Brown from making a strong final case for those spots.

Verdict: Miss

8. Celtics raise the NBA Cup in Las Vegas

Luke Kornet’s mortgage is never getting paid off if this team can’t lock in for the in-season tournament.

Verdict: Miss

9. Celtics set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a season

Boston obliterated this record, connecting on 1,457 3-pointers to leave the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors (1,363) deep in the rearview mirror.

Verdict: Hit

10. Payton Pritchard wins Sixth Man of the Year

Just send the award to the Auerbach Center.

Verdict: TBD (likely hit)

11. Joe Mazzulla wins Coach of the Year

Too many teams overachieved (Cleveland and Detroit chief among them) for voters to right their wrong after ignoring Mazzulla last season.

Verdict: TBD (likely miss)

12. Celtics don’t lose more than two games in a row … for second straight season

It’s absurd that the 2024-25 Celtics had only two losing streaks, both of only two games: December 23 to 25 (Orlando, Philly) and February 26 to 28 (Detroit, Cleveland).

That’s two straight seasons without losing more than two games in a row, and they only did that six total times over the course of 164 games.

Verdict: Hit

13. Celtics win 62 games and repeat as NBA champions

OK, we missed by one win. We don’t think we’ll whiff on on the second half of that prediction.

Verdict: Near miss/TBD

In fact, here are six more bold postseason predictions to bring us to a tidy 19 season predictions before Banner 19:

1. The Kornet Game is coming

Every playoff run has at least one instance where a bench presence leaves an indelible mark on a postseason win. Think Leon Powe in Game 2 of the 2008 Finals, or the “Shrek and Donkey” game that Glen Davis and Nate Robinson tag-teamed during the 2010 Finals.

Kornet is going to play an even bigger role than he did last postseason (10.2 minutes per game in 13 playoff appearances) and his energy is going to tilt at least one game. 

2. Tatum is East Finals MVP, too

If we suspect that we’re steamrolling towards a Celtics-Cavaliers showdown, then Tatum is key to Boston’s chances of getting to the Finals. His averages in four regular-season meetings with Cleveland: 33.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent beyond the 3-point arc.

If we had to pick a sneaky dark horse to snag any MVP other than Tatum, keep an eye on Porzingis.

3. Jrue Holiday finds his 3-point powers

In 15 games after returning initially from his mallet finger ailment, Holiday shot 39.1 percent (27 of 69) beyond the 3-point arc. He seemed to regain his corner superpowers, routinely busting out his new Dr. Evil pinky finger celebration. 

4. Brown’s defense is key for a second straight year

All eyes are on Brown’s knee, and the Celtics absolutely need him to leave a mark on the postseason journey the way he did last year.

We suspect Brown’s biggest impact will be on the defensive side, with a willingness to grind through the knee pain to defend the likes of Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, and Gilgeous-Alexander on the biggest stages.

That trio accounted for three of Brown’s top nine most frequent matchups during the regular season and represented some of his toughest covers. 

5. Tatum averages 7.5 assists per game in postseason

Tatum averaged 4.9 assists per game during the 2023-24 regular season, and that mark spiked to 6.3 in the postseason. In 2024-25, his regular-season assist average spiked to 6.0 helpers per game, and we suspect that number will pop again in the postseason.

Whether it’s just more opportunity with bigger minutes, or all the attention he’ll draw generating quality looks for others, the triple-double watch is going to be a nightly event with Tatum.

6. The path will be bumpier … but the Celtics will not be denied

The Celtics made Banner 18 look easy while posting a 16-3 mark in the postseason. We all know it wasn’t as breezy as they made it look, particularly the four-game sweep of the Pacers in the East finals. But the East is undeniably better, and Boston is going to be challenged if opponents are healthier than they were a year ago.

Still, it’s hard to see any team taking four games out of seven against this team. Health will be key but the Celtics are poised and hungry for another title.

Cavs' Garland states Draymond has DPOY ‘cheat code' with podcast originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

How Draymond Green stacks up against his fellow NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidates on the court is up for debate, but there is no question he has one advantage over the competition off the court.

The Warriors forward, along with Cleveland forward Evan Mobley, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lu Dort and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels likely will be the finalists for the award, and Cavaliers star point guard Darius Garland explained on Friday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” why his teammate is most deserving of the honor.

"Draymond Green has a cheat code with his podcast."

Darius Garland says Evan Mobley deserves to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award 🗣️@dariusgarland22 | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsonspic.twitter.com/MKzRFeSnfe

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 15, 2025

“Evan really deserves it,” Garland said of Mobley. “A young guy in the league that’s really starting to come into his own. And defense, that’s his mindset, trying to stop the best defenders, try to protect the paint, trying to protect the rim as much as he can. If you guys watch the games, you see what his abilities are, you see how he affects shots and other defenders …

“We really have to advocate for him a lot since he’s so quiet. There was no shots are Draymond, that’s my bro. But Evan Mobley definitely deserves Defensive Player of the Year.”

The off-the-court advantage that Green has, is his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show With Baron Davis,” where he continuously has campaigned for the award. And, as Garland believes, rather successfully.

“I think we’re just going to go the media route, have the media just do what they do,” Garland said about campaigning for Mobley. “We’ve been tweeting it a little bit, we’ve been putting it out there just on our end. I mean, Draymond really has a cheat code with his podcast, he can really go on there every day, which is super cool and it’s really working.”

Green currently is the betting favorite to win his second career award on a number of gambling sites, and only has strengthened his DPOY case in recent months since the Warriors’ blockbuster trade for star forward Jimmy Butler on Feb. 5.

However, Garland and the Cavs’ campaign for Mobley might just be heating up …

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has become the first non-American player to top the list of the NBA's most popular jerseys.

The 26-year-old Slovenian, who joined the Lakers in February from the Dallas Mavericks in a huge three-way trade deal, is the first player other than Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry or LeBron James of the Lakers to top the list since the 2012-13 regular season.

The five-time All Star was described as a "one-of-a-kind, young global superstar" by the Lakers when he made his move.

Curry is second on the list, and James third, with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks rounding out the top five.

The Lakers lead the most popular team merchandise list ahead of the Celtics, Warriors, Knicks and Chicago Bulls with results for both categories based on sales from the NBA store's official site during the regular season.

Since the sport's trade deadline on 6 February, jersey sales via the site are up 21% compared to the same period last year, primarily driven by Doncic's trade.

For the Clippers to become the fifth seed in the competitive Western Conference and avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament, they had to win their last two games of the regular-season, at Sacramento and Golden State, respectively, and both games came down to the wire.

The Clippers escaped with a victory over the Kings by one point after James Harden turned the ball over late in the game that led to DeMar DeRozan missing a potential game-winning shot as time expired. The Clippers got by the Warriors in overtime behind Harden scoring 12 of their 13 points in the extra five-minute period en route to 39 points.

The Clippers are on a roll, having won eight straight games and 17 of their last 20.

Read more:How the NBA's play-in tournament works and when it starts

Kawhi Leonard finished the season strong, showing no signs of slowing down because of a right knee injury that kept him out much of the season. Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell have both starred in their roles, giving the Clippers two more weapons.

So when the Clippers and the Denver Nuggets open their best-of-seven playoff series Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Ball Arena, it has the makings of a very intense and close series.

Let’s take a quick look at how the matchup:

KEY TEAM STATS

Clippers

Record: 50-32

Offensive rating (OFF RTG): 114.3 (15th)

Defensive rating (DEF RTG): 109.4 (3rd)

Net rating (NET RTG): 4.9 (5th)
(*Net rating subtracts defensive rating from offensive rating for a projected margin of victory.)

Nuggets

Record: 50-32

Offensive rating (OFF RTG): 118.9 (4th)

Defensive rating (DEF RTG): 115.1 (21th)

Net rating (NET RTG): 3.8 (9th)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clippers

James Harden: 22.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 8.7 APG, 41.0 FG%, 35.2 3FG%, 87.4 FT%

Kawhi Leonard: 21.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 49.8 FG%, 41.1 3FG %, 81 FT%

Ivica Zubac: 16.6 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 BLK PPG, 62.8 FG%, 66.1 FT%

Nuggets

Nikola Jokic: 29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 10.2 APG, 57.6 FG%, 41.7 3FG%, 80.0 FT$

Jamal Murray: 21.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.0 APG, 47.4 FG%, 39.3 3FG%, 88.6 FT%

Michael Porter Jr.: 18.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 50.4 FG%, 39.5 3FG$, 76.8 FT%

Read more:Clippers beat Warriors and get fifth seed in NBA playoffs

HOW THEY FARED

Season series: (2-2)

Oct. 26, 2024, in Denver

Clippers 109, Nuggets 104

This was the beginning of Powell’s breakout season, a sign that he was ready to step into a big void with Leonard out recovering from a right knee injury and Paul George having taken his talents to the 76ers. Powell exploded for a career-high 37 points on 14-for-21 shooting and seven-for-11 from three-point range.

Nikola Jokic was a force with 41 points, but with Harden producing 23 points and 16 assists, the Clippers pulled off the win.

Dec. 1, 2024 in Los Angeles

Clippers 126, Nuggets 122

It took Harden playing 38 minutes, 25 seconds and producing 39 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and it took Powell adding 28 points for the Clippers to overcome the brilliance of Jokic’s 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

Read more:Bronny James got A+ rookie grade from JJ Redick before first Lakers start. Then LeBron's son struggled

Dec. 13, 2024 in Denver

Nuggets 120, Clippers 98

This time, it was Nuggets guard Jamal Murray who did the Clippers in. He had 20 points on a night when Jokic had just 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Harden struggled taking care of the ball during this game, turning it over nine times. He had just 15 points, while Powell had 16.

Jan. 8 in Denver

Nuggets 126, Clippers 103

Leonard flew back to Los Angeles before the game to help his family deal with the wildfires. Powell had 30 points. Murray led the Nuggets with 21 points and nine assists and Russell Westbrook had 19 points and eight assists.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: Reggie Lewis and a dark time in C's history originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Episode 7 of Max’s Celtics City docuseries, titled “Not Again,” spotlighted a dark era in the franchise’s storied history.

Only seven years after Len Bias’ tragic death, the Celtics experienced another devastating loss. In July 1993, Reggie Lewis suffered sudden cardiac death at age 27 while working out in preparation for the 1993-94 NBA season.

Lewis, an NBA All-Star in 1992, collapsed on the court three months before his death during Game 1 of the Celtics’ playoff series against the Charlotte Hornets. He briefly returned to the game but was eventually pulled again after experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath.

The next day, Lewis was diagnosed with “focal cardiomyopathy,” a disease of the heart muscle that can cause irregular heartbeat and heart failure. Lewis was told his condition was likely career-ending, but after seeking a second opinion, he was told he had a less serious and non-fatal condition called neurocardiogenic syncope.

More Celtics City ‘Beyond the Episode’

• Episode 1: “Founding Fathers”
• Episode 2: “No Final Victories”
• Episode 3: “All Swept Up”
• Episode 4: “Great Hope, Period”
• Episode 5: “F**k the Celtics”
• Episode 6: “Untenable Toll”

Longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan knew Lewis personally and was in attendance when he collapsed on the court. She recalled Lewis’ tragic death during NBC Sports Boston’s Keys to the City show recapping Episode 7, as seen in the video player above.

“I saw it in real time, but I don’t think I understood. Did he trip on something?” MacMullan said. “I was so relieved when he came back into the game, I really was. Then I saw him go with the team doctor and I thought, ‘Well this isn’t good.’

“What went on from then on was the worst story in the history of my life and everybody else around it. There was nobody I loved more than Reggie Lewis, that’s just the truth. He was a wonderful person, he was a great teammate, never had a technical foul in his entire life, and was an MVP in the community in Roxbury and Dorchester much the way no one since Bill Russell had invested in the community. … His story deserved a better ending.”

Celtics City Episode 7 delved into how the team went downhill following Larry Bird’s retirement, spiraling into crisis and irrelevance upon Rick Pitino’s arrival in 1997. One month before the 2000-01 season, promising forward Paul Pierce was left clinging for his life after being stabbed in a Boston nightclub. Those 15 years dating back to Bias’ untimely death marked a horrific time in franchise history, to say the least.

Learn more about the life and legacy of Reggie Lewis with NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive interviews and footage below:

Reggie Lewis’ family and friends discuss his life and the impact he made on and off the court with the Celtics andthe city. Included are moments from Lewis’ number being retired by Red Auerbach and the Celtics, interviews with Dee Brown, Tommy Heinsohn, Jackie MacMullan, Muggsy Bogues, David Wingate, Kendall Gill, Jim Calhoun, and his mother, Inez Ritch.

SportsChannel and Mike Gorman, longtime voice of the Celtics, look back at the life of Reggie Lewis.

Reggie Lewis career highlights:

Steph's season-long stats show his longevity as NBA's best shooter originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

The stats say star Warriors guard Steph Curry remains the NBA’s best shooter. 

Yes, even at 37 years of age, there is no one that can outshoot the Chef from the floor.

Curry ended the 2024-25 NBA regular season with a shooting score of 178.8, putting him 26.4 points clear of Kings star Zach LaVine, who finished second on the list. 

Top 30 Shooters: The Finale https://t.co/xyBSlljtfGpic.twitter.com/3kkfQe2FTB

— Automatic (@automaticnba) April 14, 2025

Additionally, Curry finished first in points per 75 possessions at 2.8 while proving a balanced efficiency through other categories such as pull-up 3-pointers, catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, free throws and long two-pointers. 

Curry, who became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointers in March, is the only Golden State player on the Top 30 list. 

In his 16th regular season, Curry averaged 24.5 points, shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. 

The years keep passing by, but Curry, the game’s greatest shooter, continues to secure his throne. 

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Bronny James saw his share of highs and lows during his rookie season with the Lakers organization.

Before the team's regular-season finale Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, coach JJ Redick was asked how he'd assess James' first season.

From his answer, it's clear that Redick saw only highs out of Lakers superstar LeBron James' oldest son.

"I give him an A+," Redick said. "How he has personally handled a lot of attention, good and bad, he doesn’t even break character. He’s the same guy every day. He doesn’t allow the good attention to get to him, and he doesn’t allow the bad attention to get to him. He just continues to work."

Redick's comment came before Bronny James' first career start, as the Lakers rested their regular starters with the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference already wrapped up.

Read more:Plaschke: I was wrong. Drafting Bronny James was a win for the Lakers

James struggled overall during his 38 minutes in the Lakers' 109-81 loss on the road. He finished with four points on two-of-10 shooting (zero for two from three-point range), three rebounds, six assists, four steals, three turnovers and a plus/minus of -23.

The 6-foot-2 guard James did produce a couple of highlights. He had a two-handed dunk and found a wide-open Christian Koloko under the basket.

Great play design to Bronny!#LakeShowpic.twitter.com/472zft8MtU

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 13, 2025

Bronny with the 👀#LakeShowpic.twitter.com/huv9F657bI

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 13, 2025

Afterward, James was asked to assess his rookie season so far.

“Thought I got better, I thought I grew as a player and a person," he told Spectrum SportsNet. "There’s just more work to be done. Feel like my progression has been slow, but getting better every day.”

"I felt like I grew as a player and person… there's more work to be done."

Bronny James (4 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl) reflects on his rookie season, as the Lakers fall in Portland, losing 109-81. #LakeShowpic.twitter.com/ghX7K4FUBj

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 13, 2025

The Lakers drafted James with the 55th overall pick last summer and gave him a guaranteed four-year contract that could be worth nearly $8 million. On opening night, the two James men became the first father and son to share an NBA court together.

Bronny James would end up splitting his time between the NBA and its G League. With the South Bay Lakers, James showed marked improvement between his seven games in the tournament portion of the schedule early on (13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game) and his 11 regular-season games (21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game).

Read more:Lakers' Bronny James scores career-high 39 points in G League game: ‘I belong out there'

During his final G League game, James scored a career-high 39 points in a 122-118 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors on March 25 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.

"I thought [coach] Zach [Guthrie] and his staff did a phenomenal job with him when he was down with the South Bay Lakers," Redick said. "He’s improved and we saw this particularly — you know, I went to some early games and seeing his confidence grow from October, November, to really that second part of the G League season, post Showcase [tournament], was phenomenal."

With the Lakers, James has played in 27 games, averaging 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 6.7 minutes. His breakthrough game was March 20 at Crypto.com Arena, where he scored 17 points during a 118-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in which most of the Lakers top players did not play.

"I think every time he’s been on the court for us in the second half of the season, you can see that level of confidence and level of comfort," Redick said. "He’s a guy you can tell things to and they don’t let it affect their work or their attitude. I told him I’m very high on him long-term being a part of our rotation."

Time will tell if James fits into the Lakers' postseason plans. They open the first round of the playoffs Saturday at home against the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

Read more:Team LeBron or Team Stephen A? Charles Barkley and others weigh in on the heated feud

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.