Category: Basketball

Draymond has great Batman analogy for Butler, Hield's contributions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

An important DC Universe trio was called to action on Tuesday night.

After Steph Curry left Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center with a left hamstring strain, the Warriors needed a new Batman. And Batman needed a new Robin. And both needed a new Alfred.

With the recent developments to the lore of the Warriors Cinematic Universe, there were two candidates most likely to answer the call.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Warriors forward Draymond Green praised veteran teammates Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield for their clutch performances in the wake of Curry’s untimely injury.

“Robin (Butler) turned into Batman, Alfred (Hield) turned into Robin and they just filled in,” Green said. “It was beautiful to see. Everybody played great minutes.”

If you haven’t kept up with the latest Warriors character developments, Butler famously declared himself the Robin to Curry’s Batman earlier in the postseason, while Hield anointed himself Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler in the comic book series.

Of course, with Curry out, the Warriors needed an interim Batman, which Butler provided.

However, Hield (24 points) out-scored Butler (20 points) in the game and hilariously stole the lead title from Butler in the two players’ postgame press conference.

“I’m Batman today,” Hield proclaimed. “I saved the day. [Jimmy] is still Robin.”

Regardless of which fictional character each player is, the Warriors needed key players to step up.

Butler and Hield did exactly that.

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How Warriors' playoff schedule could benefit Steph's injury timeline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry will miss at least one week with a hamstring injury, but time could be on the Warriors’ side for his potential return.

With Curry ruled out for Games 2, 3 and 4 against the Timberwolves, Golden State will provide another update next Wednesday, when Game 5 is set to take place in Minnesota. If he is ruled out of Game 5, there might not be a reason for Warriors fans to panic just yet.

As is the case with all other playoff games occurring around the league, Games 1 through 5 between the Warriors and Timberwolves will be played every other day. But Game 6, due to the Bay’s new WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, opening their regular season Friday, May 16, at Chase Center, the Warriors wouldn’t play the if-necessary Game 6 until Sunday, May 18.

That would give Curry 11 full days off to rest before potentially returning in Game 6 in San Francisco.

The regular playoff schedule would continue as normal thereafter, with a Game 7, if needed, scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, in Minnesota.

An MRI revealed Curry has a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, the first muscle strain of Curry’s 16-season NBA career. He sustained the injury early in the second quarter of Golden State’s 99-88 Game 1 win over the Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Warriors had Curry’s back and pulled out a needed team win in Game 1. But there’s no doubt they want — and need — their best player back on the hardwood with them to keep their championship aspirations alive.

Fingers crossed, Dub Nation.

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These stats should make Celtics fans confident entering Game 2 vs. Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics blew a huge lead in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks and lost 108-105 in overtime Monday night at TD Garden.

A bad 3-point shooting display — including a playoff-record 45 missed 3-pointers — sunk the Celtics.

But if history is any indication, Celtics fans should be confident in their team’s ability to not only bounce back with a Game 2 win on Wednesday night, but also rebound with a series victory.

The Celtics are 4-0 after a loss in the playoffs since last season, including 1-0 this postseason (Game 4 in Orlando). They’ve won those four games by an average of 15 points.

Specific to the second round, Boston lost Game 1 of the conference semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023. The C’s won Game 2 in both of those series before ultimately prevailing in Game 7.

The Celtics are also 21-10 all-time in Game 2 of the conference semifinals, including a 16-4 home record.

The Knicks are 6-20 all-time in Game 2 on the road in a best-of-7 series, and that includes five straight losses and a 2-9 record in road Game 2s in the conference semis.

Boston is 8-4 in its last 12 Game 2s overall, including three straight victories.

The Celtics missed a ton of open shots in Game 1 and the Knicks shot 45.9 percent from 3-point range. And yet, the C’s only lost by three in overtime.

There’s no reason for the Celtics to panic, and the stats/trends going into Game 2 are in their favor.

But the task of winning this series would get far more difficult if they lose Wednesday. The Celtics are 1-3 all-time in playoff series in which they lose the first two games at home, with the only win coming in 2017 against the Chicago Bulls.

Steph cried in locker room after Game 1 injury vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry didn’t need to say a single word to his team during halftime after exiting the game with a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series Tuesday night at Target Center.

He had been sitting back in the visitor’s locker room since sustaining the injury early in the second quarter. When Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the guys rolled in at the midway break, Curry’s face said it all.

Kerr looked at Curry, who had tears falling down his face, and instead of saying anything, gave his superstar point guard an emotional hug, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II shared in his latest column.

“That’s all I could do,” Kerr told Thompson after the Warriors’ 99-88 win. “I just feel so bad for him. Everything that he does. How much he cares.”

Kerr added that no one on the team said anything to Curry at halftime, who was icing the injury at his locker with his headphones in. All the Golden State coach could do was tell Gary Payton II he would start for Curry in the second half and game plan for the final 24 minutes of the contest without their best player.

Curry exited the game with 13 points in 13 minutes. He’s averaging 22.6 points on 47.7-percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range through eight games during Golden State’s current playoff run, adding 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.1 minutes.

An MRI revealed Wednesday morning that Curry sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and would miss at least one week, ruling him out for at least Games 2, 3 and 4. Game 5 is set for next Wednesday in Minnesota. Game 6, if necessary, will be Sunday, May 18, at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“He’s obviously crushed,” Kerr told reporters postgame. “But the guys picked him up and played a great game. Obviously, we’re all concerned about Steph, but it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt and you move on. Our guys did a great job of moving on and getting a great win, 48 hours after a Game 7 road win.

“It’s an amazing group of guys. They compete, they’re together, been the best defense in the league since the Jimmy trade, and that’s what’s keeping us afloat.”

The team rallied around its superstar and pulled out a huge win on the road. It will take a group effort, led by Curry’s “Robin,” Jimmy Butler, to collectively put on their superhero capes against the Timberwolves.

“It’s super motivating,” Kevon Looney told Thompson “He’s carried a lot of us on his back to the highest level. He set a high standard, and you just want to kind of follow that. He knows we got his back. However long it’s gonna be, we’re gonna go out there and fight and try to win.

“We ain’t gon’ put our heads down. We know how to fight. We know how to be the men at war.”

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This Mazzulla exchange says it all about Celtics' 3-point mentality originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Joe Mazzulla couldn’t contain his smile.

One day after his Celtics set NBA records for the most 3-point attempts (60) and misses (45) in a playoff game en route to a Game 1 loss to the Knicks, a reporter asked Mazzulla about Boston’s 3-point defense and pointed out that New York made more than half of its 3-pointers (11 for 19) in the second half Monday night.

“So, they made them,” the Celtics interrupted with a grin. “Man, what a novel idea. That’s a novel concept, huh? Just make them when you’re open.”

Mazzulla clearly had heard the criticism about Boston’s 3-point-heavy attack in Game 1, which backfired in a big way. Just one of the Celtics’ 20 shot attempts in the third quarter was a 2-pointer, and 34 of their 41 attempts in the second half were 3-pointers. The C’s made just nine of those deep attempts, blowing a 20-point lead and losing home-court advantage as the Knicks took a 1-0 lead in the second-round series.

But if you think Boston’s misses will deter the team from hoisting up more 3-pointers in Game 2, you don’t know Mazzulla.

“The duality of that question is really cool to talk about,” Mazzulla continued. “We start the press conference off by saying, ‘You took all these and you missed them.’ And then you say, ‘They shot 50 percent in the second half from three.’ Yeah, you have to make them.”

There’s nuance to the 3-point discussion, of course. While the Celtics have been historically reliant on deep balls — they smashed NBA records for 3-point makes and attempts during the regular season — they’re at their best when they get quality looks off good ball movement. Their offense was more stagnant in Game 1, however, which led to a few forced 3-pointers that Mazzulla admits he’d like his team to have back.

“I loved the majority of our shots,” Mazzulla added. “There were probably 10 or 11 you could probably take back considering the ebbs and flows of how the game was going at that particular time.

“So, you have to be able to do both. You have to be able to make open shots and you have to have that understanding of the ebbs and flows of a game. Coaching shot selection is always easy. Hindsight’s always 20/20.”

The Celtics swept their regular-season series against the Knicks this season thanks in part to excellent 3-point shooting; they made at least 17 3s on 38.6 percent shooting or better in all four matchups. So, Mazzulla and Co. are likely banking on the idea that Monday’s brick-fest was an aberration.

But the C’s still need to make a concerted effort to get better looks from distance, or Mazzulla will be facing more pressing questions going forward. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday at TD Garden, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.

Report: Steph has Grade 1 hamstring strain, will miss Game 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without their best player for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Target Center, and perhaps longer.

Golden State superstar Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Minnesota and will be ruled out for Thursday’s contest, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday, citing sources.

Charania also reported, citing sources, that the Warriors expect Curry to miss at least one week with the injury and that an exact return timeline will be based on how he responds to rehab for the muscle strain, which is the first of his 16-year NBA career.

Curry suffered the injury early in the second quarter on Tuesday, and left the game for good after scoring 13 points with one rebound and one assist on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range in 12 total minutes.

While it’s unclear exactly how long Curry will be out, the reported one-week timeline would indicate he not only will miss Game 2 on Thursday, but Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a possibility to return for Game 5 next Wednesday at Target Center, which is exactly one week away.

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Steph to miss at least one week with Grade 1 left hamstring strain originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without their best player for multiple games in the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Golden State superstar Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Minnesota and will be re-evaluated in one week, sidelining him for Games 2-4, the team announced after ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the news.

The Athletic’s Anthony Slater later reported that the Warriors currently are planning on Curry remaining in Minnesota to begin his rehab process with director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini before the team flies back to San Francisco after Thursday night’s game.

Curry suffered the injury early in the second quarter on Tuesday, and left the game for good after scoring 13 points with one rebound and one assist on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range in 12 total minutes.

With Curry set to be re-evaluated in one week, he will miss Game 2 on Thursday at Target Center, Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday at Chase Center, but could return for Game 5 next Wednesday at Target Center, which is exactly one week away, if all goes well.

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Butler tells Timberwolves fans to ‘watch their mouth' with heckling originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler issued a stern response to heckling Minnesota Timberwolves fans.

Speaking to reporters after the Warriors’ 99-88 win over Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday at Target Center, Butler, the former Timberwolf playing in his first game at the arena since 2021, was asked about the heckling and loud boos he received throughout the game and shared a message to his former fan base.

“That doesn’t bother me,” Butler said. “But people do have to watch their mouth. It’s cool with the boos and all this stuff, but when you’re calling people out of their names, which I can hear …”

“What they say?” Warriors teammate Buddy Hield, who sat next to Butler at his postgame press conference, asked.

Butler: “You want me to repeat it? No, I’m not going to repeat it … That’s unnecessary. The boos, I get it, I understand. Let’s just keep it at that.”

Hield: “Yeah, watch your mouth.”

Butler: “Thanks, little bro.”

Butler only spent one-plus season (69 total games) with the Timberwolves from 2017 to 2018 before requesting a trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The veteran forward’s short tenure in Minnesota was shrouded in controversy due to contract disputes and an overall dissatisfaction with the organization’s culture. So much so that Butler’s former Timberwolves teammate, Jeff Teague, declared Butler the “most hated man in Minnesota” prior to Game 1.

And based on what Butler might have heard from the crowd Tuesday night, he might not be wrong.

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A hot shooting night and swarming second-half defense helped guide the Knicks to a 108-105 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics.

Monday night’s win was progress for the Knicks, who dropped all four games to the Celtics in the regular season. Game 1 highlighted some ways that the Knicks can attack Boston and further a series lead in Game 2.

Top of the mind from the series opener is Boston’s record-breaking night. The Celtics went 15-for-60 (25 percent) from beyond the arc. The 60 three-point attempts and 45 misses were both NBA playoff records. That doesn’t seem like something that the Knicks can rely on happening again. But still, New York’s defenders showed they could get out and contest shooters.

The second half was a masterclass on defense for the three-headed monster of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. The trio of wings flew all over the floor, defending their one-on-one matchups, helping and recovering, and being a general nuisance to Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

All three players covered a considerable amount of ground and propped up two shaky defenders in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. Expect Boston to emphasize attacking the paint more. The Celtics settled at times in the opener, and 60 threes in a playoff game is an extreme. The Knicks will have to be prepared to defend the paint.

For the Knicks to have a chance in this series, they need to continue to have an aggressive mindset on the defensive end. Defensive stops and forced turnovers are paramount to creating transition opportunities, which will make it easier to score. In the first half, the Knicks had zero fastbreak points. They had 10 fastbreak points in the second half.

Getting out in transition and finding easier looks will help the Knicks generate better looks. New York hasn’t been as effective in the halfcourt. It was also hot from three, making two more treys than Boston, but attempting 23 fewer three-pointers.

Brunson and Anunoby led the way for the Knicks on offense with 29 points apiece. Brunson found a groove in the third and fourth quarters, scoring 20 points. He had some success going against Celtics veteran Al Horford on switches.

On the margins

Kristaps Porzingis’ health will be important going forward. The former Knick was limited to just 13 minutes due to an illness. He is listed as probable for Game 2.

Miles McBride was bound to recover. After a disastrous first-round series, McBride scored 11 points in 19 minutes on Monday. As I highlighted at the start of the series, the Knicks need McBride to be active on both sides of the ball.

There’s a lot the Knicks can work on even in the win. It won’t always be pretty. Towns and Brunson will be out on an island guarding Boston’s top scoring options often. But it will be about helping them on the backline.

Towns played just 31 minutes as he was hampered by fouls all game. Some of the fouls came when he switched on Tatum or Brown. The big man needs to be more disciplined on defense so he can stay on the floor.

The Celtics had seven more offensive rebounds than the Knicks. It helped Boston win the possession battle as they attempted 10 more shots. If the Knicks lose the possession battle, it will be hard to consistently defeat the Celtics. New York managed to win despite that, but it should be a focus for the rest of the series.

How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Warriors’ stunning 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Target Center completed a remarkable few days in the NBA.

With Golden State’s Western Conference semifinal victory, all four road teams won Game 1 of the Division/Conference Semifinals round for the first time in NBA history.

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers stole their series opener against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. A day later, the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics in overtime, while the Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the final seconds.

The Warriors completed the feat Tuesday night.

Making the Warriors’ win all the more impressive, they did it for the majority of the contest without Steph Curry, who sustained a left hamstring strain early in the second quarter, exiting the game with 13 points.

The Warriors entered Tuesday’s game with one day of rest after beating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night.

Indiana did the unthinkable and somehow won Game 2 in Cleveland earlier on Tuesday night. New York and Denver will have a chance to snatch their respective Game 2s on Wednesday, while Golden State is back in action Thursday night.

Winning Game 2 without Curry might be a tall task, but for now, the Warriors will bask in the glory of taking the series opener.

How NBA road teams made playoff history after Warriors' Game 1 win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Warriors’ stunning 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Target Center completed a remarkable few days in the NBA.

With Golden State’s Western Conference semifinal victory, all four road teams won Game 1 of the Division/Conference Semifinals round for the first time in NBA history.

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers stole their series opener against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. A day later, the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics in overtime, while the Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the final seconds.

The Warriors completed the feat Tuesday night.

Making the Warriors’ win all the more impressive, they did it for the majority of the contest without Steph Curry, who sustained a left hamstring strain early in the second quarter, exiting the game with 13 points.

The Warriors entered Tuesday’s game with one day of rest after beating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night.

Indiana did the unthinkable and somehow won Game 2 in Cleveland earlier on Tuesday night. New York and Denver will have a chance to snatch their respective Game 2s on Wednesday, while Golden State is back in action Thursday night.

Winning Game 2 without Curry might be a tall task, but for now, the Warriors will bask in the glory of taking the series opener.

Hield declares himself ‘Batman' after sparking Warriors' Game 1 win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ Gotham analogy to describe their team dynamic is becoming a tad complicated.

First, Jimmy Butler was the Robin to Steph Curry’s Batman, then Buddy Hield attempted to insert himself as Alfred.

Now, after his five 3-pointers helped lead Golden State to a 99-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Hield jokingly declared himself the new Batman in light of Curry’s hamstring injury.

“I’m Batman today,” Hield proclaimed to reporters alongside Butler. “I saved the day. [Jimmy] is still Robin.”

"I'm Batman today. I saved the day. [Jimmy] is still Robin."

Got to love Buddy's confidence 🤣 pic.twitter.com/mWoLgA4rWl

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 7, 2025

Beforehand, Draymond Green praised Butler and Hield for elevating their play after Curry left the game in the second quarter. Hield led all players with 24 points and a plus-22, while Butler contributed 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

“Robin turned into Batman … Alfred turned into Robin,” Green, whose role in the metaphor remains unclear, explained in his presser.

"Robin turned into Batman … Alfred turned into Robin."

Draymond praises Jimmy and Buddy for stepping up after Steph's injury 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9qVJnKcNBi

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 7, 2025

Hield evidently wanted to one-up Butler amid their ongoing back-and-forth, which hasn’t shown signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Butler, meanwhile, desired to maintain the status quo in the developing Warriors cinematic universe.

“I’m still Robin, and Steph is still Batman,” Butler replied after Hield’s flamboyant claim, “and [Buddy] is still who he is.

“But you had another good game, man,” he concluded with a pat on Hield’s shoulder.

And that wasn’t even the full story of this duo’s shenanigans during an all-time postgame presser.

Nevertheless, with a major question mark around Curry’s injury status, the Warriors might need several Batmans to rise to the occasion throughout this series.

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