Category: Basketball

NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could be looking for a new city to call home this offseason – could that mean we see the Greek Freak in New York?

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo, for the first time, is "open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere."

After trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby, the Knicks - on paper - don’t look like a team that could trade for Antetokounmpo.

But league sources familiar with the dynamic say it would be foolish to count the Knicks out because of their roster construction, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

If the 2024-25 season had gone poorly, the Knicks would have had strong interest in dealing for Antetokounmpo, Begley notes.

The Knick focus at the moment is far from Antetokounmpo; they host Boston in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series and hold a 2-1 series lead.

While Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2020-21, the Bucks have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three years.

Per Charania, Antetokounmpo and his representatives will meet with the Bucks front office at some point this offseason to discuss his future with the club.

He is currently on his second super-max contract with Milwaukee, and is under contract through the 2026-27 season, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

"The Nets, it should be noted, have a bevy of assets to offer in a trade for Antetokounmpo – or another star," Begley wrote in April. "Brooklyn owns four first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft and has 13 tradeable first-round picks in the next seven drafts."

Antetokounmpo was named to his ninth-straight All-Star team this season, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.

These Celtics stats at MSG should make fans confident entering Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have played pretty well at TD Garden over the last 25 years, both in the regular season and playoffs. In fact, they’ve closed out two championships (2008, 2024) on the parquet floor during that span.

But they’ve actually performed even better, based on win percentage, at a different Garden over that stretch.

The C’s resume their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks with Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

The Celtics trail 2-1 in the series, but Boston fans should feel pretty confident entering this pivotal matchup because the C’s have played fantastic at MSG — not only this season but since the turn of the century.

The Celtics have a better winning percentage at MSG than they do at TD Garden over the last 25 years.

The Celtics are 3-0 with an average margin of victory of 17 points at MSG this season, including Saturday’s 115-93 win in Game 3.

Boston has won five straight games at MSG overall, with its last loss in that building coming on Feb. 27, 2023.

The Celtics aren’t just a good team at MSG, they have dominated almost everywhere away from home lately. Boston’s 33-8 road record this season was tied for the second-best in league history.

Road teams are 10-4 in the conference semifinals so far this year. Can the Celtics make it 11-4 on Monday night? There are many stats and trends that would suggest their chances are pretty good.

Michael Jordan joining NBC for NBA coverage as a special contributor originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA’s GOAT is coming to NBC.

Michael Jordan will join NBA on NBC coverage for next season as a special contributor, the company announced Monday.

Jordan starred for the Chicago Bulls throughout the 1990s, when NBC aired NBA games. NBC was the home of the NBA Finals from 1991 to 2002, with Jordan’s Bulls winning six titles over that span.

The announcement came at NBCU’s Upfront presentation Monday. Composer John Tesh took the stage for a live performance of his iconic “Roundball Rock” jingle before a video message came in from Jordan.

“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,” Jordan said. “The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.”

NBA coverage will return to NBC next season as part of a new media rights deal, with games and telecasts also available to stream on Peacock. It will be the first time since 2002 that the league will be on NBC.

NBC has made several announcements for its coverage next season, including Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller joining the network. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle have been revealed as play-by-play announcers, and more hires are expected to be shared in the coming months.

Michael Jordan joining NBC for NBA coverage as a special contributor originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The NBA’s GOAT is coming to NBC.

Michael Jordan will join NBA on NBC coverage for next season as a special contributor, the company announced Monday.

Jordan starred for the Chicago Bulls throughout the 1990s, when NBC aired NBA games. NBC was the home of the NBA Finals from 1991 to 2002, with Jordan’s Bulls winning six titles over that span.

The announcement came at NBCU’s Upfront presentation Monday. Composer John Tesh took the stage for a live performance of his iconic “Roundball Rock” jingle before a video message came in from Jordan.

“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,” Jordan said. “The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.”

NBA coverage will return to NBC next season as part of a new media rights deal, with games and telecasts also available to stream on Peacock. It will be the first time since 2002 that the league will be on NBC.

NBC has made several announcements for its coverage next season, including Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller joining the network. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle have been revealed as play-by-play announcers, and more hires are expected to be shared in the coming months.

Giannis Antetokounmpo open to leaving Bucks and exploring potential fits: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo is exploring his options.

The Greek Freak reportedly is open to leaving the Milwaukee Bucks after a third straight first-round playoff exit, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Charania added that the two-time league MVP has not made any firm decisions about his future just yet. But, after 12 seasons in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo’s open-minded to figuring out where his best long-term fit is.

Antetokounmpo, 30, is coming off perhaps the best statistical season of his decorated career. He averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists over 67 games, which is likely to earn him a seventh straight All-NBA First Team nod.

The Bucks, though, fell to the Indiana Pacers in five games for another early playoff exit. With Damian Lillard expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles, Milwaukee’s expectations for next year won’t be much higher.

Charania said that discussions about Antetokounmpo’s future are expected to ramp up during the NBA draft combine in Chicago this week. Teams have often approached the Bucks about his availability, but the Bucks wouldn’t trade the 2021 Finals MVP unless he asked out.

If bidding for Antetokounmpo does begin, expect plenty of franchises to be interested in his services. He has two years remaining on his contract before a player option in the summer of 2027.

While the second round of the playoffs roll on, this is a storyline worth monitoring across the league.

Steph Curry hamstring injury progression, next step outlined by Shams Charania originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will provide an official re-evaluation of Steph Curry on Wednesday, but per ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, the 37-year-old superstar is taking steps toward returning.

“I’m told his progression going into [Monday] was really like jogging, some movement into his jump shooting over the weekend,” Charania said on “The Pat McAfee Show” roughly nine hours before the Warriors host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series. “I think the next step is trying to get him to the point where he can run fully, sprint fully, cut fully, take contact fully. Until you get to that point, there’s not like a safe way to bring him back from a hamstring injury, and that organization is obviously, I think, been very measured and careful bringing back players from these significant, soft tissue muscle injuries.

“And Stephen Curry said the other day, this is the first muscle strain of this kind that he’s ever dealt with in his 16-year NBA career. So I think they’re going to take a careful approach the next two days, I think it’s to see, can you ramp him up into running and cutting and sprinting, but they got to win tonight.”

Curry sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain early in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on May 6.

The Warriors won Game 1 even without Curry for most of the contest, but they were blown out in Game 2 and coughed up a fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 at Chase Center on Saturday.

Charania previously reported that the earliest Curry could return is Game 6, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 18.

But the Warriors must win Monday or Wednesday night before they can even start thinking about a potential Game 6.

The good news for the Warriors and Dub Nation is that Curry is making progress, even if it’s slow.

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Will Sixers have a 2025 1st-round pick? All the odds going into draft lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A high-stakes date on the 2025 Sixers calendar has arrived.

Here are the essentials ahead of the NBA draft lottery:

When and where is the lottery?

The event will begin Monday at 7 p.m. ET in Chicago on ESPN. Jared McCain will represent the Sixers.

What do the Sixers need to keep their first-round pick?

The Sixers’ first-rounder this year is top-six protected because of the 2020 trade that sent Al Horford to the Thunder and brought Danny Green to the Sixers.

If the Sixers’ pick does not convey to the Thunder in 2025, it will become top-four protected in 2026 (and 2027, in the event the Sixers wind up with very high selections for two consecutive years).

As far as the Sixers’ 2025 outlook, it’s simple: A top-six lottery draw means they own their first-round pick. Anything outside of the top-six means they don’t. In that scenario, the Sixers would only have their second-rounder, which is No. 35. 

The odds 

The team’s top-six odds are 63.9 percent. 

Here’s a rundown of the Sixers’ chances at every pick between No. 1 and No. 6:

• First: 10.5 percent 
• Second: 10.5 percent 
• Third: 10.6 percent 
• Fourth: 10.5 percent 
• Fifth: 2.2 percent 
• Sixth: 19.6 percent 

How do the Sixers view this draft? 

Though Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is always open to trades, there’d clearly be plenty of logic in using a top-six pick.

“Definitely best player available,” Morey said on April 13 of his approach. “It has to be that in the draft for sure, but we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six or we just have the pick in the future. That could also happen. It’s just a tool to make the team better, but there’s obviously a good chance we take someone. 

“In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

The Sixers have generally done well on draft nights during Morey’s tenure. 

They’ve made (and kept) first-round picks in three years under Morey, drafting Tyrese Maxey (No. 20), Jaden Springer (No. 28) and McCain (No. 16). The team’s second-rounders with Morey in charge have been Isaiah Joe, Paul Reed, Charles Bassey, Filip Petrusev and Adem Bona. 

Who are the best prospects? 

As always, experts’ opinions vary on the draft’s leading players. However, Cooper Flagg will be No. 1 anywhere you look. Flagg was fantastic in his freshman year at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. And the 6-foot-9 forward doesn’t turn 19 years old until December. 

Two Rutgers products are projected to go very early in the draft: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper’s a big, crafty lefty lead guard. Bailey’s a 6-foot-10 shotmaker capable of draining tough jumpers. 

Other names regularly found in mock draft top 10s include ultra-athletic Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, sharpshooting Duke wing Kon Knueppel, high-scoring Texas guard Tre Johnson and 7-foot-2 Duke rim protector Khaman Maluach. 

Will Sixers have a 2025 1st-round pick? All the odds going into draft lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A high-stakes date on the 2025 Sixers calendar has arrived.

Here are the essentials ahead of the NBA draft lottery:

When and where is the lottery?

The event will begin at 7 p.m. ET in Chicago on ESPN. Jared McCain will represent the Sixers.

What do the Sixers need to keep their first-round pick?

The Sixers’ first-rounder this year is top-six protected because of the 2020 trade that sent Al Horford to the Thunder and brought Danny Green to the Sixers.

If the Sixers’ pick does not convey to the Thunder in 2025, it will become top-four protected in 2026 (and 2027, in the event the Sixers wind up with very high selections for two consecutive years).

As far as the Sixers’ 2025 outlook, it’s simple: A top-six lottery draw means they own their first-round pick. Anything outside of the top-six means they don’t. In that scenario, the Sixers would only have their second-rounder, which is No. 35. 

The odds 

The team’s top-six odds are 63.9 percent. 

Here’s a rundown of the Sixers’ chances at every pick between No. 1 and No. 6:

• First: 10.5 percent 
• Second: 10.5 percent 
• Third: 10.6 percent 
• Fourth: 10.5 percent 
• Fifth: 2.2 percent 
• Sixth: 19.6 percent 

How do the Sixers view this draft? 

Though Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is always open to trades, there’d clearly be plenty of logic in using a top-six pick.

“Definitely best player available,” Morey said on April 13 of his approach. “It has to be that in the draft for sure, but we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six or we just have the pick in the future. That could also happen. It’s just a tool to make the team better, but there’s obviously a good chance we take someone. 

“In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

The Sixers have generally done well on draft nights during Morey’s tenure. 

They’ve made (and kept) first-round picks in three years under Morey, drafting Tyrese Maxey (No. 20), Jaden Springer (No. 28) and McCain (No. 16). The team’s second-rounders with Morey in charge have been Isaiah Joe, Paul Reed, Charles Bassey, Filip Petrusev and Adem Bona. 

Who are the best prospects? 

As always, experts’ opinions vary on the draft’s leading players. However, Cooper Flagg will be No. 1 anywhere you look. Flagg was fantastic in his freshman year at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. And the 6-foot-9 forward doesn’t turn 19 years old until December. 

Two Rutgers products are projected to go very early in the draft: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper’s a big, crafty lefty lead guard. Bailey’s a 6-foot-10 shotmaker capable of draining tough jumpers. 

Other names regularly found in mock draft top 10s include ultra-athletic Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, sharpshooting Duke wing Kon Knueppel, high-scoring Texas guard Tre Johnson and 7-foot-2 Duke rim protector Khaman Maluach. 

Michael Jordan joining NBC for NBA coverage as a special contributor originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA’s GOAT is coming to NBC.

Michael Jordan will join NBA on NBC coverage for next season as a special contributor, the company announced Monday.

Jordan starred for the Chicago Bulls throughout the 1990s, when NBC aired NBA games. NBC was the home of the NBA Finals from 1991 to 2002, with Jordan’s Bulls winning six titles over that span.

The announcement came at NBCU’s Upfront presentation Monday. Composer John Tesh took the stage for a live performance of his iconic “Roundball Rock” jingle before a video message came in from Jordan.

“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,” Jordan said. “The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.”

NBA coverage will return to NBC next season as part of a new media rights deal, with games and telecasts also available to stream on Peacock. It will be the first time since 2002 that the league will be on NBC.

NBC has made several announcements for its coverage next season, including Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller joining the network. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle have been revealed as play-by-play announcers, and more hires are expected to be shared in the coming months.

The Indiana Pacers overcame the first-quarter ejection of guard Bennedict Mathurin to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 and go 3-1 up in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.

A win for the Pacers over the top seeds in game five in Cleveland on Wednesday (00:00 BST) will see them reach a second straight conference final.

Mathurin left the game with four minutes and 32 seconds left in the opening period after a punch to the chest of De'Andre Hunter.

At that stage, the Pacers led 22-10 and they were 38-23 at the end of the quarter before outscoring their rivals 42-16 in the second to hold a 80-39 advantage

The total was a Pacers franchise play-off record for points in a half.

Pascal Siakam scored 21 points for the Pacers while Myles Turner and Obi Toppin each added 20 as they bounced back from a heavy 126-104 loss in game three.

"This is a group that plays better through adversity," said Turner. "We got punched in the mouth last game, we had a hell of a response. The starters set the tone and the bench picked it up the rest of the game."

The Cavaliers were without six-time All Star Donovan Mitchell in the second half after he suffered an ankle injury - the 28-year-old will have an MRI scan on Monday to see if he can play on Wednesday.

Thunder level series in 'disgusting' game

Elsewhere, Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Denver Nuggets 92-87 to level their Western Conference series at 2-2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points with six rebounds and six assists to lead Oklahoma City, while NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Denver.

The game tipped off approximately 38 hours after Denver's overtime win in game three and both sides showed signs of fatigue with Nuggets coach David Adelman describing Sunday's encounter as a "really disgusting basketball game".

He added: "Give their team credit, those guys made plays, made enough plays to push them over the edge and win the game."

The Nuggets overcame a poor start to lead 53-52 midway through the third quarter and led by eight points early in the fourth.

But the visitors regained the lead thanks to a Cason Wallace three-pointer with 8:35 to play and held on until the end.

The Thunder host game five on Wednesday (02:30 BST).