Coaches will always coach, particularly during trying moments.
Following the Warriors’ season-ending 121-110 Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Target Center, coach Steve Kerr shared some motivational words with guard Brandin Podziemski.
Podziemski, who underwent a historic shooting slump through the first four games of the Western Conference semifinals, led Golden State’s scoring with 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting while adding six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Game 5.
Even though Podziemski’s revival was too little too late, Kerr acknowledged the 22-year-old culminated his postseason run by becoming a more seasoned player.
“This was a great experience for him,” Kerr told reporters after the loss. “There were times in this series where he was hesitant to shoot, even tonight he was 4-for-6.
“I thought he could’ve gotten 10 or 11 threes off, and we needed those. And I told him that after the game, I said, ‘When we get back here next season, you are not going to turn down a single shot.’”
In hopes of keeping the season alive and giving star guard Steph Curry an opportunity to return to action, Kerr leaned heavily on Podziemski.
Outside of wing Jimmy Butler’s team-high 42 minutes, Podziemski followed with 39 minutes, responding positively to a series that challenged him physically and mentally.
“And that’s part of the playoffs. I lived it as a player. It’s a mind game,” Kerr continued. “I call it something more profane, but the playoffs are a mind game.
“It’s really easy to lose your confidence, teams throw different schemes at you. You had a bad game, and everyone is talking about your shooting percentage. You feel like you’re on an island. I’ve been there. It’s great for Brandin to go through that and then finish the series with a great game because he has to understand this is what it feels like.”
As Kerr emphasized, the pressures of the NBA playoffs are incomparable to those of the regular season.
Podziemski’s slump, for one, is proof of that.
“Nobody cares in January if you’re 4-for-20, but in the playoffs, everyone is writing about it, everyone is talking about it,” Kerr concluded.
“You feel exposed, and that’s a big part of the playoff experience is understanding you got to keep firing, you have to stay aggressive [and] keep your confidence any way you can.”
Kerr will be expecting more of that from Podziemski next season.
MINNEAPOLIS – From the moment Stephen Curry limped off the floor after playing 13 promising minutes in Game 1, the Warriors were crawling uphill in mud against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They had to know winning even one more game, perhaps creating a jolt of post-Steph confidence, would require an extraordinary performance.
No such thing occurred. The Warriors were not extraordinary enough. Not in Game 2 or Game 3 or Game 4, all losses with similar characteristics.
It was no different Wednesday night in Game 5, facing elimination in the Western Conference semifinals, which ended with the Warriors being thumped into the offseason by a 117-110 loss that was much more decisive than the score indicates.
The better team won Game 5 and the series, sweeping the last four games.
“I thought Game 3 was the key to the series,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re at 1-1, and we got a six-point lead in the mid-fourth [quarter], and they made huge plays down the stretch. That was the one we needed to get.
“And then I thought the last two games, they broke free offensively. And they shot 63 percent tonight. We couldn’t stop them.”
There is no shame or dishonor about Golden State’s effort before a rollicking sellout crowd at Target Center. The Warriors accomplished their No. 1 defensive priority, doing a marvelous job of preventing the redoubtable Anthony Edwards from shooting them off the floor. Doubling and trapping, they forced Edwards to move the ball.
Edwards quickly caught on and improvised, turning the game over to his teammates, who did a terrific job of shredding Golden State’s formerly respectable defense. The Warriors in the first half limited Edwards to six points but went into the locker room trailing 62-47.
“We threw a lot of stuff at him,” Kerr said of Edwards who finished with 22 points and a game-high 12 assists. “Box-and-one on one possession, a lot of zone-trapping in the back court. But they’re a hell of a team. They’ve got shooting everywhere. And that’s the name of the game in the modern NBA.”
The Timberwolves shot 62.8 percent from the field, including 41.9 percent from deep. Six different players scored in double figures, led by Julius Randle’s 29 points. Golden State’s top-five offense was no match.
“They moved the ball incredibly well, got into the paint,” Jimmy Butler III said. “I don’t feel like we took too much away from them. We talked about what we wanted to do. We did it in some spurts, but not the entire game – which we needed to do. They played well. You’ve got to give them that.”
The Warriors were appreciably outplayed by a team that is bigger, faster, deeper, more athletic and more skilled. Quite simply, superior. The Timberwolves, for much of this series, and surely in clinching Game 5, looked as if they were from a higher league.
“They got a chance. They’ve got a real shot,” Draymond Green said of the Wolves. “Anytime you got No. 2 [Randle] that can just go get it, you give yourself a chance at the go make it happen and get a ring. The way Julius has been playing … he’s been lights out.”
Game 5 was such disaster that the arena DJ turned to soundtrack that practically mocked the Warriors and the Bay Area, blasting such artists Too Short, Mac Dre and E-40 on what felt like a rotational loop.
Golden State’s veteran starters – Butler, Green and Buddy Hield – never mounted much of a threat in Game 5, combining for 35 points on 10-of-31 shooting from the field, including 1 of 13 from beyond the arc. Butler was minus-17 over 41 minutes, Green was minus-9 over 36 minutes and Hield finished minus-13 over 30 minutes.
What little offense Golden State stirred during the heart of the game came mostly from Brandin Podziemski (a playoff-career high 28 points in by far his best game of the series) and Jonathan Kuminga (26 points, his third consecutive productive outing).
This always was going to be a tough series, but there is no doubt Curry’s presence could have made it more competitive. Whether that would have been enough to tip the balance toward the Warriors is questionable. Once Curry was sidelined, the Warriors needed to win at least one of their home games to give themselves legitimate hope. Dropping both games and returning to Minnesota facing elimination put them in position to get smacked.
Two-plus months of quality basketball took the Warriors this far. About as far as they could go, considering their compromised roster. Even through the disappointment, they can hold their heads high.
While Derrick White (34 points) and Jaylen Brown (26 points) led the Jayson Tatum-less C’s in the scoring column, Luke Kornet was the difference-maker in Wednesday’s 127-102 rout. The big man recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high seven blocks in 26 minutes off the bench.
“He was great. Just both ends of the floor,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “His presence was good… He made some big-time plays for us.”
The Celtics took control of Game 5 in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 32-17 after being tied at the half. It’s no coincidence that Boston’s dominance began when Kornet replaced Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis, who started in Tatum’s place despite an ongoing battle with a mysterious illness, struggled mightily in his 12 minutes. He logged only one point and was a -12, making him the only Celtic to finish in the negatives.
According to Mazzulla, Porzingis didn’t play in the second half because he had difficulty breathing. The setback is concerning for the already shorthanded Celtics, but it opened the door for Kornet to give Boston a much-needed spark with its season at stake.
“He was unbelievable,” White said of Kornet. “He came in and just seemed to always be in the right position. “Seven blocks is crazy. He was unbelievable tonight and stepped up when we needed him.
“Yeah, I was barking with him,” White added. “It’s just fun seeing him do that.”
It was more than just a career night for Kornet. The 29-year-old made NBA history, becoming the first player with at least 10 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, and a perfect shooting performance (5-5 FG) in a playoff game. Anthony Davis (2023), Robert Williams (2022), and Draymond Green (2016) are the only other players to notch at least 10 points, nine boards, and seven blocks in a postseason game in the last 10 years.
“Luke was huge tonight, defensively and offensively,” Brown said. “He was stellar, and that’s the type of performance we need in the playoffs.”
After the win, Kornet credited Brown and veteran big man Al Horford with helping the team reset after Tatum’s Achilles tear.
“Understanding the situation and understanding that we have a game to play, and to go out and represent ourselves well and play hard,” he said. “I feel like those two led the way in that.”
Winning the final two games of this Eastern Conference semifinals series without Tatum is a tall task, never mind making it through another two rounds. But if Kornet continues to provide a significant boost, and both White and Brown step up in starring roles, the reigning champions can’t be counted out.
With Porzingis’ status uncertain, Kornet will likely be asked to give the C’s more big minutes in Friday’s do-or-die Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Coverage for the matchup begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston with Celtics Pregame Live.
Arizona forward Carter Bryant will remain in the NBA draft, where he could be a lottery pick. Bryant told ESPN on Wednesday he's “completely in" on the draft process following workouts at the NBA draft combine. A 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, Bryant had a solid freshman season at Arizona after being a McDonald's All-American in high school.
BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis’ struggles to stay on the court continued Wednesday night, and it sounds like his health issues were more pronounced this time around.
The Celtics big man logged just 12 minutes in Game 5 of Boston’s second-round playoff series with the New York Knicks at TD Garden and didn’t play at all in the second half. He finished with just one point on 0 for 3 shooting with one rebound and one block.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla shared a concerning update on Porzingis when asked about the big man’s limited minutes.
Porzingis started the game and played 7:38 minutes in the first quarter. He was used sparingly in the second quarter, however, and came to a mutual agreement with Mazzulla at halftime.
“That was just a decision between me and him,” Mazzulla said of Porzingis’ absence in the second half. “He was having difficulties breathing. But he wanted to be out there, and if we absolutely needed him, we would have been able to go to him and rely on him.”
“I’ve had ups and downs up until this point, and just now had a big crash,” Porzingis said after Game 2. “My energy, my everything hasn’t been good.”
Porzingis played just 13 minutes in Game 1, 14 minutes in Game 2 and 19 minutes in Game 3 before delivering his “best” performance of the series in Game 4: a seven-point, four-rebound effort in 24 minutes. It’s clear the 29-year-old is very far from full strength, however.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Kornet stepped up in a huge way in Game 5, racking up 10 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in 25 minutes of action. Kornet’s efforts were a big reason why Boston out-rebounded the Knicks 44-40 on Wednesday night after getting killed on the glass in Game 4.
With a must-win Game 6 set for Friday night in New York, don’t be surprised if we see more of Kornet going forward, with Porzingis only being deployed on an “as needed” basis.
Tip-off for Game 6 is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
The Warriors have never been swept in a playoff series with Steve Kerr as their head coach. For the first time ever, though, they lost four consecutive playoff games under him after dropping Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, 121-110, against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at the Target Center.
Steph Curry, because of a strained left hamstring, missed all four losses. The Warriors were 4-1 against the Timberwolves with Curry this season, and 0-5 without him.
To keep the season alive and the remaining hopes of Curry getting another crack at this, the Warriors needed a miracle. They instead laid an egg. When the Warriors cut the lead to nine points in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves immediately pushed it to 14 and always had an answer.
Brandin Podziemski finished on a high note with his one strong game of the conference semifinals. The second-year pro was far and away the Warriors’ best player, scoring a team-high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and had six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
But the Warriors sans Curry was supposed to be about Butler, the co-star they acquired at the trade deadline. For the second straight game, Butler did not live up to his Playoff Jimmy moniker one bit.
Butler only took 11 shots and made four on his way to 17 points, nine of which came at the free-throw line. Butler led the Warriors in rebounds (six), assists (six) and steals (three), but was a game-worst minus-17.
The two best players in the series were Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. The duo outplayed Butler and Draymond Green. To cap it off, Randle scored a game-high 29 points, and Edwards had a 22-point, 12-assist double-double.
Minnesota’s offense found a lot of comfort in Golden State’s defense the past few games, and sliced the Warriors like melted butter to end their season. Whether it was inside the paint or behind the 3-point line, the Timberwolves like their looks. The Timberwolves shot 62.8 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three, far better than the Warriors’ final shooting numbers of 43.3 percent overall and 28.2 on 3-pointers.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ season-ending loss.
Butler’s Bad Ending
The Butler who did his best Batman impression in Game 3 was nowhere to be found in Game 4. Everybody was looking for Butler to be far more aggressive in Game 5 after battling an illness and being held to 14 points on a lowly nine shot attempts Monday night. Then he took just one shot in the first quarter and was a minus-11.
Butler began forcing his way to the free-throw line and scored six points in the second quarter, bringing him to eight points on five shot attempts and five free throw attempts. And he also was down to a game-low minus-19.
Butler never got going. He went into the fourth quarter as a minus-19 with 12 points on nine shots. He took 26 shots when he scored 33 points in Game 3, and then scored a total of 31 points on 20 shot attempts in the final two games of the season.
He wasn’t close to Batman, nor Robin, once again. Butler looked tired and helpless. Maybe his illness was that big of a factor. Maybe his pelvic contusion still is bothering him more than we know. Maybe this is who Butler is at 35 when he doesn’t have a Curry to play next to.
Kuminga’s Up-And-Down Finish
Leaping over Randle, Jonathan Kuminga swallowed a rebound off a Jaden McDaniels missed shot, ran the floor and threw down a hammer dunk on the other side in the first quarter. That sequence right there is what the Warriors always envisioned, combining athleticism and true impact on the court.
Kuminga, for the fourth straight game, was aggressive the moment he came off the bench. In his first stint, Kuminga played eight first-quarter minutes and scored nine points on seven shots. He was beating his man to the basket, nailed a three and had words for both Naz Reid and the Timberwolves crowd.
As the Timberwolves had three players at halftime in double figures, led by 15 points by Randle, Kumiga was the lone Warrior in the club with 11 points. That rebound in the first quarter that led to a dunk also was his only board at the time.
Though he was up to 19 points, he still only had that one rebound to his name entering the fourth quarter, which is two fewer than how many he finished with on a night where he didn’t have one assist. Kuminga tallied 26 points off the bench of 11-of-23 shooting, and in the four games without Curry, again showed he can put up points, but again, his weaknesses were exposed.
The Steph Effect
Simply said, the numbers don’t lie. The Warriors could have been contenders if Curry remained healthy. They’re not even pretenders without him, they’re an afterthought.
It was astounding to be reminded how much Curry shifts the entire court. Curry, at 37 years old and in Year 16, completely changes an offense, as well as the mindset of the other team. As general manager Mike Dunleavy assesses his roster this offseason, the lack of scoring and shooting will have to be noted.
The Warriors, in their four losses against the Timberwolves, shot 31.9 percent on threes, going 38 of 119. The Timberwolves made 41.9 percent of their threes in that span, making 58 and taking 136.
Podziemski’s performance was too little, too late. His shooting in the first four games was historically bad. It’s great to end strong, but the Warriors needed more earlier.
Buddy Hield had a combined nine turnovers (four) and fouls (five) while scoring eight points in 30 minutes. The historically strong 3-point shooter missed all four attempts and was 2 of 9 from the field. Moses Moody showed fight in the fourth quarter, but he and Quinten Post were mostly out of the rotation in the most important games.
It’s the Steph Effect, and it’s a reality check. The Warriors made the big move. They still also live and die by one player.
All Steph Curry could do was watch from the bench as the Warriors’ 2024-25 NBA season ended with a thud.
The Warriors couldn’t extend their season, losing 121-110 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night at Target Center.
Brandin Podziemski led the way with 28, while Jonathan Kuminga scored 26 points off the bench and Jimmy Butler added 17. Draymond Green finished with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss.
All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures, led by Julius Randle’s 29 and Anthony Edwards’ 22.
While the Timberwolves advance to their second consecutive Western Conference finals, the Warriors head into an important offseason.
Butler, the Warriors’ massive NBA trade deadline acquisition, fit in well with Curry, Green and Co. But now, general manager Mike Dunleavy must figure out which pieces fit with the aging superstars.
Dunleavy also has to decide if Kuminga, a soon-to-be restricted free agent, still fits with the Warriors, or if it’s best for the sides to move in different directions.
The Warriors had championship aspirations after acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat, and they closed the regular season on a 23-8 run after the six-time NBA All-Star joined the lineup on Feb. 8.
Golden State made a late push for a top-six seed but lost the regular-season finale to the Los Angeles Clippers, meaning it had to get out of the Western Conference play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
The Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the No. 7 seed and a showdown with the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets.
Golden State built a 3-1 series lead but lost Games 5 and 6, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Houston. Buddy Hield was the unlikely hero, scoring 33 points to lift the Warriors to a thrilling win.
The Warriors carried that momentum over into Game 1 against the Timberwolves, stealing the series opener at Target Center even as Curry exited in the first half.
But without Curry, the Warriors didn’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up with the hungry Timberwolves.
A helpless Curry sat on the bench in disbelief that a golden opportunity to get to the Western Conference finals slipped away, all because of the first hamstring injury of his 16-year NBA career.
Curry, Green and coach Steve Kerr might have one last chance next season to win a fifth NBA title during this dynastic run.
The process to get back to the NBA mountaintop begins now.
Draymond Green had fouled out of Game 3 and the Minnesota Timberwolves were up eight in the final minute. That's when the ESPN broadcast caught Green talking about the referees and the point spread, appearing to say, "5.5, I know what y'all doing."
Wednesday the NBA fined Green $50,000 for "making an inappropriate comment that questions the integrity of game officials."
“5.5. I know what y’all doing.”
Draymond Green has been fined $50,000 for questioning the integrity of the officials by referring to the 5.5 point spread in Game 3, the league has announced. pic.twitter.com/ZUo4cgpJUk
Green had fouled out with 4:38 left in the game and the Timberwolves up two, 84-82. Jonathan Kuminga drained a 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds left to make the final score 102-97, putting the game within the 5.5-point spread.
The NBA is quick to fine anyone who suggests the referees are making calls based on the point spread, which most players do by rubbing their fingers together in a "money" gesture to the officials. Name players such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Rudy Gobert have been fined for this in the past.
This week on the Takeoff podcast with John Clark, Daryl Morey joins from the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago to discuss the Sixers’ strategy after winning the 3rd pick. Plus, Morey talks about what he learned from last season and changing their approach when Joel Embiid makes a full recovery
Episode Notes
00:00 – Daryl Morey 00:24 – Sixers keep the pick 00:56 – 2025 Draft Class 01:46 – Biggest need for the Sixers 02:40 – Sixers staying at 3? 03:03 – Can Embiid keep up as the Sixers get younger? 04:00 – If Joel Embiid comes back… 04:58 – Ace Bailey 05:51 – Embiid’s recovery 07:35 – Learning from last season 09:26 – Roster going into next season 12:23 – Message for the fans 13:47 – Lottery night roller coaster
The moment the Dallas Mavericks leapt up 10 spots and their 1.8% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick became reality, the speculation began:
Would the Mavericks trade the No. 1 pick and the rights to draft Cooper Flagg? What about sending it to the Milwaukee Bucks as the core of a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo? What about a team (maybe Utah) that could throw a flood of future picks at them?
Sources told ESPN that Patrick Dumont, who just finished his first year as the Mavs' governor, considers the opportunity to be in position to draft a generational talent such as Flagg a "gift." While Dumont has given (GM Nico) Harrison great leeway to run basketball operations, the governor has final decision on all personnel matters.
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts echoed that idea the day after the lottery.
"I don't know who we're going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong," Welts said. "Every time he's put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he's succeeded and then some."
It would be foolish to trade away Flagg, whose projected floor is a multiple-time All-Star and whose ceiling is a top-five player in the league. Even for more of a win-now team, such as the Mavericks with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, they are not going to trade away that much talent and a bridge to the future.
Now, the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 2 pick are a different story; that pick is expected to be available in something like an Antetokounmpo trade with the Bucks. The win-now 76ers likely will consider trading the No. 3 pick for the right deal.
However, the Mavericks are not listening to trade offers.
Those are the Warriors' offensive ratings in this series' three games without Stephen Curry, who has been sidelined with a strained hamstring. For some context, the best of those numbers would have ranked 26th in the league for the regular season. Golden State lost all three games, which is why the news he is officially out for Game 5 Wednesday — a must-win for the Warriors, who are down 3-1 in the series to the Timberwolves — is troubling. Curry was re-evaluated Wednesday and will begin some on-court work, with the possibility of him playing in a potential Game 6 on Sunday out there, the team announced.
Without Curry, the Warriors have relied on their defense to muck up the game and make it ugly, then hope to find enough offense to get the wins. Even Jonathan Kuminga was let out of Steve Kerr's doghouse to help spark the offense a little.
To its credit, Minnesota has shown it can play and win ugly. It is an elite defensive team with a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert on the floor, not to mention athletic perimeter defenders like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards. Plus, Edwards has started to figure out how the Warriors are defending him and with that he and the Timberwolves offense is picking up.
With Jimmy Butler leading the way, Golden State will not go quietly in Game 5 — force a Game 6 and maybe they get Curry back, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. However, they will have to find new offense on the road five games into a playoff series, which is a big ask.
Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
It’s Wednesday, May 14, and the Golden State Warriors (48-34) and Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33) are all set to square off from Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Warriors are down 3-1 in the series and will be without Steph Curry tonight.
The Warriors are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 3, while the Timberwolves have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Warriors vs. Timberwolves live today
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Time: 9:30PM EST
Site: Target Center
City: Minneapolis, MN
Network/Streaming: TNT
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Warriors vs. Timberwolves
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Odds: Warriors (+452), Timberwolves (-617)
Spread: Timberwolves -11.5
Over/Under: 204 points
That gives the Warriors an implied team point total of 100.96, and the Timberwolves 106.95.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday’s Warriors vs. Timberwolves game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Warriors & Timberwolves game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Golden State Warriors at +11.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 204.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Warriors vs. Timberwolves on Wednesday
The Timberwolves have won four of their last five games at home against Western Conference Pacific Division teams
The Over is 35-26 in the Timberwolves' matchups against Western Conference teams this season
The Warriors have gone 27-20 on the road against the spread this season
The absence of Steph Curry has clearly been hurting Golden State, who have lost three straight to fall 3-1 down in this Western Conference semi-finals series against Minnesota. Their offence has been severely compromised, and with their backs against the wall a cagey affair can be expected.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
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Retired NFL veteran and current Fox Sports 1 analyst Emmanuel Acho shared a list of his top 10 active NBA players if everyone were at their peak in an X post on Tuesday.
Acho rightfully received some responses from those he agitated. And one respondee, surprisingly, was Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons, who called out Acho in support of Golden State’s sharpshooting future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.
“I’m sorry, not having Curry first is disrespectful!” Parsons wrote on X.
Arguments for first place can be made for any of the players Acho listed.
However, NBA fans like Parsons who have paid attention to Curry’s illustrious 16-year Warriors career – consisting of four championships, two NBA MVP awards, 11 NBA All-Star nods, 10 All-NBA nods and a spot on the league’s 75th Anniversary Team – know how irreplaceable he is to Golden State and the success he has – and still can – brought the franchise when at his best; Curry’s case looms even larger, once considering how the Warriors miss him dearly in the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And that’s before mentioning how Curry forever changed basketball with his transformative 3-point shooting prowess, unlike any of the great players on Acho’s list.
Nonetheless, Acho insisted on dying on his hill, even defending his take on Curry in response to Parsons.
In their prime: LeBron, Kawhi, Giannis are all DPOY caliber players.
Steph may be the most skilled offensively, but to say he’s better than any 2 way player (in their prime) is outta pocket. https://t.co/JNsSZeejjo
“In their prime: LeBron, Kawhi, Giannis are all DPOY caliber players,” Acho wrote on X at Parsons. “Steph may be the most skilled offensively, but to say he’s better than any 2-way player (in their prime) is outta pocket.”
And when questioned by a commenter about his logic and how he placed Durant over Curry, Acho tripled down.
Great question—- I prefer Steph to KD, personally.
However prime KD (championship runs) he was actually an impactful defensive players (blocks, steals, boards.)
Steph has always been someone you attack defensively, even in his prime.
“Great question – I prefer Steph to KD, personally,” Acho replied. “However, prime KD (championship runs) was actually an impactful defensive player (blocks, steals, boards). Steph has always been someone you attack defensively, even in his prime.”
Curry, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, might not be the caliber of defender that the other players mentioned in Acho’s list are. But the initial question Acho answered with his top-10 list was about the NBA’s best active players at their peaks.
And there’s no doubt Curry is one of, if not the, NBA’s best at his apex.
“If you wanted to say Steph, trust me, I won’t argue with you,” Acho replied to another X user. “This a really good convo that I don’t have enough characters for.”
1000%!!!!! If you wanted to say Steph, trust me, I won’t argue with you.
This a really good convo that I don’t have enough characters for.
The Celtics announced Tuesday that Tatum is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing a successful surgery, but they did not give an official timetable for his return.
Tatum reacted publicly for the first time Wednesday with an Instagram post of him laying in his hospital bed, along with the caption, “Thankful for all the love and support.”
Tatum didn’t waste any time addressing his injury. The Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach reported details on why that was the case.
“According to a league source, the injury was confirmed when Tatum underwent testing Tuesday morning and the decision was made to operate immediately because swift action following Achilles’ injuries tends to lead to more favorable outcomes,” Himmelsbach wrote Tuesday.
“The source added that complications during these procedures are common, so the Celtics were encouraged when Tatum emerged from surgery with no further issues.”
Tatum led the Celtics with 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game in the playoffs at the time of his injury.
The Celtics trail the Knicks 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Boston must win three straight games to advance to the conference finals, starting with Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Game 5 tips off at 7 p.m. ET, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
He suddenly landed in coach Steve Kerr’s doghouse toward the end of the regular season and into the postseason, and a new report might indicate what led to those decisions.
“Despite his talent, Kuminga’s propensity to look for his shot at the expense of the flow of Golden State’s offense has irked the coaching staff,” The Ringer’s Logan Murdock wrote in a column published Wednesday. “During a late-season game against the [Portland Trail] Blazers, team sources say Kerr was incensed after several instances in which Kuminga looked off [Steph] Curry to create his own offense.”
In that Portland game during the second-to-last regular-season contest, Kuminga finished with 10 points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and missed his two 3-point attempts, adding five rebounds, one steal and one block in 17 minutes off the bench in the 103-86 win.
But he recorded a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers that raised several eyebrows across the league.
“By the start of the playoffs, many within the organization wondered whether Kuminga, who is eligible for an extension, had played his last game as a Warrior,” Murdock wrote.
Kuminga also was a DNP-CD in Golden State’s play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies and, outside of one game, barely played in the Warriors’ seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Kerr simply pointed to a lack of fit as the reason for Kuminga’s benching, particularly since the team’s acquisition of six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler in early February.
But since Curry sustained a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kerr had no choice but to turn to Kuminga for an offensive boost without his star player.
Kuminga has been stellar since rejoining the rotation, averaging 23.7 points on 60-percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range over the last three games.
The 22-year-old forward likely will continue to be a trending topic throughout the NBA world as the Warriors figure out whether their future will consist of their former No. 7 overall pick. But for now, he’s just trying to make the most of the opportunity in front of him as the Warriors hope to keep their season alive.
