Category: Basketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 34 points and 10 assists, Jalen Duren added 30 points and 11 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-107 on Friday night in an NBA Cup group opener.

Cunningham was 13 for 18 from the field and made all six of his free throws to help lead Detroit to its fifth straight victory and a 7-2 record. The All-Star point guard has averaged 29.8 points and 11.2 assists while shooting 54 percent from the field during the streak.

Ausar Thompson had 14 points, and Caris Levert added 10 for the Pistons. They have won their last four meetings against Brooklyn.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points for Brooklyn, and Noah Clowney added 19 as the Nets fell to 1-8. They were without Cam Thomas because of a strained left hamstring. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks.

Detroit fell behind by 10 points in the first quarter and led by five at halftime before Cunningham took over in the third with 14 points as the Pistons had a 34-19 edge in the period.

Cunningham led a 7-0 run with five points to extend the lead to 72-57 with 9:05 left in the period as the Nets called a timeout. He then ignited another 7-0 run with a basket and a free throw before Duren’s dunk capped the spurt to make it 82-65 with 4:04 remaining in the quarter.

Up next

Pistons: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Nets: At New York on Sunday night.

JJ Redick was already preaching one type of Japanese philosophy, harping to his team about the concept of “kaizen” to improve each day. Off the court, the head coach found inspiration in another Japanese phrase.

Lakers players and coaches have used PechaKucha presentations to facilitate team bonding this season. The slideshows, which come from the Japanese word for chitchat, could be a secret to the team’s hot start as the Lakers (7-2) have won five consecutive games entering a five-game road that starts Saturday in Atlanta at 5 p.m. PST against the Hawks.

The Lakers have pieced together one of the NBA’s most efficient offenses despite injuries keeping LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic in and out of the lineup, relying on a strong team bond that’s developed quickly through an even faster form of communication.

PechaKucha presentations are traditionally 20 slides, each with a photo. The speaker has 20 seconds to explain each slide for a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The Lakers' version consists of five slides: where you’re from; favorite basketball memory; person, event or thing that has impacted your life; your non-basketball happy place; and dealer’s choice.

“A lot of times most of the interactions you'll have with your teammates is on the basketball court,” forward Jake LaRavia said. “So it's good to just kind of either learn some stuff about them outside of basketball, like hobbies and stuff like that, where they come from. And that just helps you kind of understand who the person is a little bit better."

Read more:Lakers takeaways: Luka Doncic's defense (yes, defense) helps hold off Spurs

Assistant coach Scott Brooks started his presentation with a photo of a walnut, symbolizing the walnut farm he worked on during the weekends to help his family make ends meet. LaRavia showed a photo of his driveway as the origin of his basketball journey. Doncic spoke about how his daughter Gabriela changed his life.

One coach and one player present, and then they each nominate the next coach or player to go. With about half of the players and coaches left, Redick said he’s already noticing the holdouts actively planning their presentations before their nominations.

“We're just constantly encouraging and empowering our guys to get connected,” Redick said. “I believe if you're connected off the floor, you're connected on the floor. You need buy-in to that. I'm not trying to take credit for my staff here. It's the guys on the team, they're bought into that.”

Doncic, for one, isn’t sold. He deadpanned that he doesn’t think the exercise helps.

Just the fact that Doncic made the joke meant it’s working.

Settled after last season’s jarring trade, the 26-year-old’s personality has started to emerge among his teammates. He is a sarcastic jokester who expresses love for his teammates by threading passes to them through pinhole-sized gaps in the defense and then trash talking them right soon after.

Doncic’s smiling antics, whether he’s trying to sit on Austin Reaves’ lap on the sideline or swishing halfcourt shots in a contest with Reaves, Maxi Kleber and staff members, show just how connected the superstar feels to the team.

“Honestly, the feeling is I'm enjoying, very much, playing with these guys,” Doncic said. “AR [Reaves] can’t play. We're still missing LeBron. So this team has a big potential. But everybody who steps on court, gives maximum, man, everybody. So it's very enjoyable to play.”

Reaves is present on the road trip but will miss a third consecutive game Saturday. The Lakers ruled him out after practice Friday as his right groin injury progressed to a strain after previously being categorized simply as soreness.

James did not make the trip to Atlanta. He progressed to on-court basketball activities this week after missing four weeks because of a sciatica on his right side. He was playing one-on-one with coaches, Redick said. A stint with the South Bay Lakers is on the table, but no decision has been made.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t played a single minute for the Lakers yet. Reaves, averaging 31.1 points and 9.3 assists, has missed the last two wins, and Doncic has played in only half of the games. But the Lakers are still fifth in the NBA in offensive rating.

“It shows how professional we are,” guard Marcus Smart said of the team’s chemistry despite constantly changing personnel. “I think a lot of people, especially who aren't in the brotherhood, they forget that you build a relationship with guys, and then one guy or a couple guys, you get traded and you got to rebuild another one. You don’t understand how tough that is, how much of a toll that takes.”

Just as Smart spoke, Doncic appeared behind the group of reporters, clapping loudly. Then Doncic made sure to put on the record that he would beat Smart at a team-building competition that night. Both smiled as they walked away.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Draymond Green takes blame for Warriors' ‘s—-y' defense in loss: ‘I've failed' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

DENVER – Draymond Green takes defense personally. It’s his pride and joy, an extension of his growing family.

In a second straight loss without Steph Curry, Green was the Warriors’ best offense in an ugly trouncing from the Denver Nuggets, 129-104, Friday night at Ball Arena.

Green led the Warriors with 17 points and made five 3-pointers, two fewer than the rest of his teammates combined. That was long forgotten, watching how the Nuggets scored with ease against the Warriors.

The only finger Green pointed regarding the Warriors’ defensive letdowns was at himself. 

“I’ve failed,” Green said. “If our defense looks as s—-y as it does, I’ve failed. You can send as many messages as you want. Until we do it, I’m failing them.” 

The Warriors opened the game with a corner three from Green and then forced the Nuggets into a shot clock violation. It was almost all Nuggets the rest of the way. They responded with an immediate 12-0 run, forcing a Golden State timeout. 

Any fire the Warriors came into the game with was quickly extinguished. They trailed by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, 19 in the second, 22 in the third and 28 in the fourth before an eventual 25-point loss. 

Aside from the Warriors starting the second quarter on a 10-0 run to bring the game within one while Nikola Jokić was given his first rest, the Nuggets had almost no problems slicing and dicing a leaky defense. The game became a breeze for Jokić, scoring 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting and 2 of 3 from deep. Even his backup, Jonas Valančiūnas, scored 16 points in 16 minutes, going 6 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 on threes. 

Jamal Murray’s 23 points came on 8-of-12 shooting and 5 of 7 from three, and Aaron Gordon got up to 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and was 3 of 4 behind the 3-point line. 

The Nuggets scored at least 30 points in all four quarters, finishing the game with a 56.1 field goal percentage and went 48.5 percent beyond the arc. They dominated around the rim and downtown. Trailing from behind for almost all 48 minutes, the Warriors were called for three more fouls than the Nuggets and saw them take 10 more free throws than them. 

“No. 1, it’s taking the challenge – a personal challenge,” Green said of the Warriors’ defense. “You’ve got to take the personal challenge to guard your man. Then if you get beat, there’s help. But I think right now we’re just relying on the help to beat everyone. When you don’t give effort, then help can’t get there. 

“It starts individually. Everybody must take the challenge individually of guarding their man, and then you build out from there.” 

Clearly, the Warriors have a point-of-attack problem. They’ve seen young players trying to make a name for themself like Ryan Rollins and Quenton Jackson drive downhill right past them in losses, and most recently, a contender in the Nuggets pick them apart without breaking a sweat. They can get back to the drawing board, but it all starts up top. 

Coach Steve Kerr sent a strong statement to his younger players, calling out a lack of purpose and hanging their heads as the problems piled up on them. Green didn’t mince his words, and neither did fellow veteran leader Jimmy Butler. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post, a third-year center and a second-year center, respectively, took it upon themselves to follow the words of the team’s leaders. 

“There were multiple guys that came from the bench tonight that were talking about bringing the energy, and sometimes it’s tough,” Post said. “It doesn’t go your way, but the guys are in the right mindset, and this switch will be flipped. We’ll flip the switch. We got to keep bringing it, the fire, and just go out there and we’ll make it work.” 

The schedule has been a battle of its own, mentally and physically. The Warriors already have played 10 games in 18 days, including three back-to-back. And it’s not about to get any easier. 

After a flight home and a day off Saturday, the Warriors play the Indiana Pacers at Chase Center on Sunday, and then they hit the road for a six-game trip that opens with a back-to-back in Oklahoma City and San Antonio. 

“I mean, hell, every game up to this point is supposed to be one to set the tone,” Butler said. “Now what I will say is – and I say this a lot – when you win, everything’s masked and everything is covered up. So if we go out there and win, it’s going to look like we played hard, it’s going to look like we executed.

“Let’s just win, and then we’ll take it from there. Let’s learn from wins instead of from losses.”

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Russell Westbrook's continued strong play lone bright spot in Kings' loss to OKC originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Russell Westbrook has a single focus when he trots onto the basketball court, no matter who the opponent is, even if it’s the team that drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and paid him $166 million over 11 seasons.

That was the scenario presented to Westbrook on Friday night at Golden 1 Center when the NBA’s best team so far this season rolled into town

The Oklahoma City Thunder, home to Westbrook during his early NBA days, had the look of a team very much bent on making a trip back to the NBA Finals to defend their title.

True to his word, Westbrook remained calm throughout.

There were no sentimental moments or long-ago memories to ponder over. Just straight pure hoopin’.

“I play the same way every night, compete at the highest level given the opportunity,” Westbrook said after the Kings’ 132-101 NBA Cup loss to the Thunder. “Who’s on the other side doesn’t change the energy and effort I’m going to play with.”

Westbrook has shown plenty of both in the last few weeks.

He had scored in double figures in six consecutive games heading into Friday, then extended that streak with 24 points against OKC. Westbrook was 9 of 17 from the floor, made five 3s to go with nine assists and six rebounds.

Not bad for a guy who has been playing out of position lately.

With power forward Keegan Murray still recovering from thumb surgery, Kings coach Doug Christie has tried experimenting with different players and rotations.

Westbrook had adapted fairly well and was one of, if not the only, bright spots on a night when the Kings were taken to the woodshed by the Thunder.

Oklahoma City dominated Sacramento in the paint, forcing 17 turnovers that led to 23 points, and had an easy time easing through the Kings’ defense.

Thunder 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein destroyed the Kings down low to the tune of a career-high 33 points and 19 rebounds.

He had plenty of help, too, as all five OKC starters scored in double figures, as did backup Isaiah Joe.

“If it wasn’t big fella, Hartenstein, going down the lane, the guard was getting around the corner,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “Unacceptable. We have to make sure that we can contain the basketball.”

Westbrook said there was a combination of issues that fueled the breakdowns.

“Just (got) real stagnant offensively,” Westbrook said. “When we move the ball and play with pace it allows us to be able to cut, get to the rim, finish. We just missed a lot of our opportunities. It starts with our defense, too.“

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