Category: Basketball

The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic hit a career-high 61 points as he recorded the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history.

The Serb, a three-time MVP, claimed 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 140-139 overtime defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.

The previous record was held by Nuggets team-mate Russell Westbrook, who scored 57 points and made 13 rebounds and 11 assists for Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.

Westbrook, who joined the Nuggets in 2024, missed a lay-up with 10 seconds remaining in overtime with the Nuggets leading 139-138.

He then fouled Nickeil Alexander-Walker in trying to block a three-point attempt with 0.1 seconds on the clock.

Alexander-Walker made two of the three free throws to seal a dramatic Timberwolves victory.

They were without Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo, who were serving one-match bans for their part in a brawl with the Detroit Pistons this week.

The Timberwolves are seventh in the Western Conference and the Nuggets third.

Curry shines for Warriors

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry hit 12 three-pointers in a 52-point haul as the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 134-125 at FedEx Forum.

"The guy's 37 years old - it's incredible," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

"I can't believe he's still doing this at this age. But he's put the work in and he's still got it.

"Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief. It's incredible to watch Steph at work."

Victory lifted the Warriors above the Grizzlies and into fifth in the Western Conference.

Mitchell Robinson had his best game of the season on Tuesday, putting up 14 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in the Knicks’ win over the Sixers.

His rhythm and conditioning seem to be trending in the right direction.

“Still got a lot of work to do,” Robinson said late Tuesday night.

When asked to elaborate on where he wants to be conditioning-wise, Robinson chuckled and said, “I need to be able to play like seven minutes straight. But, been working on the conditioning stuff still so, we rollin’.”

The rust is understandable. Robinson missed 10 months while rehabbing from ankle/foot surgery.

The Knicks took a cautious approach with their backup center. They held him out until they felt he was 100 percent healthy and able to sustain that health.

Robinson has played well over his past three games. Tuesday’s performance against the Sixers was his best yet. He is playing this season at a much lighter weight than in past years.

“Way lighter now,” Robinson said. “…. All that extra weight that I was carrying last year and the year before that was just keeping me down. But now, (I’m) lighter, and I feel better.”

The Knicks will rely on Robinson to play rotation minutes off the bench in the postseason. They clearly feel confident about Robinson’s ability to fill the role; they passed on any opportunity to acquire a backup center at the deadline, essentially betting that Robinson could be healthy and productive by the time the playoffs rolled around.

Robinson on Tuesday said that he hopes to have his conditioning all the way back by the time the playoffs start.

“The way I’ve been working, I feel like I can. That’s the goal,” he said. “I’m just going to continue to keep working, work on my conditioning and keep going.”

Robinson hasn’t played in both games of a back-to-back this season. It’s unclear if the Knicks will hold him out of Wednesday’s game against the Cavs.

BRUNSON WEEKEND?

Also on the injury front, I think this weekend is a realistic timeframe for Jalen Brunson’s return from injury. Brunson has been out with a right ankle sprain since March 8. The Knicks play at Atlanta on Saturday and host Phoenix on Sunday. Based on the current trajectory, I’d expect Brunson to return during one of those games.

SHAMET STREAKING

Landry Shamet had 20 points and hit six threes against the Sixers. He’s made 19 of his last 40 three-point attempts. This is a welcome sign for a Knick team that needs Shamet’s scoring and defense off the bench.

Late last month, Shamet said he was comfortable with whatever the Knicks needed from him on a given night.

“I think you just lean into the fact that - I’ve said this before - it’s going to be something different night to night,” Shamet told SNY late last month. “That’s just how it’s going to be. And that’s OK. I think a lot of people maybe fight that – not saying here, but just in general. There’s kind of two choices: you can fight the variability of what’s going to be needed of you night to night or you can just accept it, welcome it and I think choosing the latter is a better approach.

“So that’s what I’m trying to do; just be OK with the fact that it’s going to look different night to night. Might get one three up, might get four or five. Might be all cutting and guarding. Being defensive-minded. It’s going to look different night to night. Minutes, all that. It’s going to change. And that’s OK. That’s part of it. That’s why we have to sacrifice and be willing to do.”

Tom Thibodeau was strongly in favor of keeping Shamet coming out of training camp. That decision has paid off, as Shamet gave the Knicks solid minutes for much of the season. Even when he wasn't hitting shots, Thibodeau praised Shamet for playing strong defense.

Shamet wears No. 44 in New York; it’s a tribute to late NBA legend Jerry West. West was an executive with the Clippers when the club drafted Shamet.

“Pre-draft, my interview with [West] was probably the most memorable one I had,” Shamet told SNY late last month. “To a young kid trying to make it into the NBA, he was giving [me] all this advice. I didn’t know Jerry was like that. Just a great dude, willing to give information. [I] had the luxury of being there [with the Clippers] for a couple years, spending time with him. For the rest of my career when we’d go play them he’d always be sitting in his seat on the baseline in LA and we’d just wink at each other.”

Another Shamet anecdote I found interesting? The role Patrick Beverley played in a Shamet three-pointer last month. Beverley was sitting behind the basket for a Warriors-Knicks game in early March. He was interacting with fans and players throughout the game. At one point in the fourth quarter, he was talking to Shamet about the best way to approach the Warriors’ zone defense.

“He was coaching me from the corner. He was forecasting the game. He was talking to me and I was like, ‘Is that Pat talking to me?’” Shamet recalled with a laugh, telling his version of an anecdote that Draymond Green relayed on his podcast.

Beverley helped Shamet recognize the right play against a Warriors zone defense in the fourth quarter.

“The guy guarding the corner was stepping up and it looked like you could cut from the corner – I went to go cut then I pulled back out and [Beverley] was like ‘Yeah, be patient, be patient. It’s gonna come, be patient.’ And sure enough, it was right in front of him in the corner [where Shamet got the pass from Cam Payne and knocked down a three]. It was funny.”

Credit Beverley with an unofficial assist this season.

The Knicks won for the fifth time in their last six games, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, 105-91, on Tuesday night at The Garden.

Here are the key takeaways...

-The Knicks came into the game shorthanded in the backcourt, with Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne, and Miles McBride all out, but they ended up being without a key piece up front as well, as Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out just before tip-off due to left knee soreness. Mitchell Robinson got the start at center, just his second of the season.

-Early on, it was aggressive play from Robinson and OG Anunoby that set the pace. Robinson caused his typical havoc on the glass, pulling in five rebounds and adding six points in his first seven minutes before getting a breather. Anunoby led the way offensively, attacking the rim early and often and stepping outside for a pair of threes as he scored 13 points in the quarter.

In the second, Robinson picked up a loose ball around midcourt, galloped down the court and threw it down, sending the Garden crowd into a frenzy. Robinson scored 14 points and added eight rebounds and a block in the first half.

Anunoby, who had a monster and-one slam early in the fourth quarter, would go on to lead the Knicks in scoring, finishing with 27 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Robinson, meanwhile, finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks in 21 minutes.

-Tom Thibodeau said before the game that he knew the Sixers -- in the midst of a lost season and playing without stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey,and Paul George – would look to shoot a lot of threes, but it was the Knicks who gave them a taste of their own medicine in this one. As a team, the Knicks hit seven of their first 16 three-point attempts.

The Knicks led by 17 points at the half, but the Sixers clawed their way back in the third, as Quentin Grimes threw down a dunk to bring the Sixers within five. Mikal Bridges quickly answered with a three-pointer, which helped New York get back into rhythm, and Landry Shamet hit another from long range to push the lead back to double digits. By the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the Knicks' lead had ballooned to 21 points, thanks in part to their prowess from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Knicks shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from three-point range, with Shamet going 6-of-9 from three, finishing with for 20 points.

-The Knicks were down to only Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek at the point guard spot, and Wright had a strong game, pushing the pace, driving the lane, and finding open teammates.

Wright finished with 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

Who was the game MVP?

The trio of Anunoby, Robinson, and Shamet combined to score 61 points, but we'll give MVP honors to Anunoby.

Highlights

OG in Q1 📈 13 quick points and a steal to sweeten the deal pic.twitter.com/ftE0IZPZ8p

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 2, 2025

HAPPY ‼️ BIRTHDAY ‼️ MITCHELL ‼️ ROBINSON ‼️ pic.twitter.com/qniuobRFGl

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 2, 2025

OG GOT THE GARDEN ON ITS FEET 🔥 pic.twitter.com/r5UWHuvvCX

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 2, 2025

What's next

The Knicks take on the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers in Cleveland for the second game of a back-to-back. Tip-off on Wednesday night is set for 7 PM.

How Steph avoids frustration over his foul call ‘reality' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even after an incredible night for Steph Curry in which he had 52 points and 12 3-pointers, it’s hard not to argue he deserved more in the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at FedExForum.

The discourse over Curry’s lack of foul calls isn’t new, but it resurfaced during a physical game in Memphis, which featured some debatable non-calls involving the Golden State star.

On “Warriors Postgame Live,” Curry explained how he avoids becoming frustrated over questionable officiating — and still manages to put up all-time performances in the meantime.

“It’s my reality. I’ve been in this situation for a long time,” Curry told Warriors broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike. “It’s like a playoff game. You have to adjust to how the game’s being called.

“You can have a reaction, but you don’t want to let it distract you from what the task is. So I think trying to stay as even-keeled as possible — that doesn’t mean you’re passive or giving into it — you’re kind of fighting through it and not looking to get bailed out even though you feel like it’s not going your way.”

"It's my reality. I've been in this situation for a long time."

Steph explains avoiding frustration over his lack of foul calls pic.twitter.com/TmKq9lrTeV

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 2, 2025

Curry went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line on Tuesday night, but as Azubuike noted, he arguably could have earned a few more trips to the charity stripe.

Nonetheless, the two-time MVP persisted with, arguably, his best game of the 2024-25 NBA season, adding 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals on top of his absurd shooting performance.

If there’s a bright side to the eternal Curry foul debate, it’s that the addition of forward Jimmy Butler has significantly helped Curry’s free-throw opportunities. Before Butler joined the Warriors on Feb. 8, Curry averaged only 3.4 free-throw attempts per game, per StatMuse.

But since then, that number has nearly doubled, as the veteran has earned six attempts at the line on average in his last 21 games. That mark would be a career-best for Curry over an entire season.

Of course, while it is positive progress, it probably is safe to say Curry (and Dub Nation) would like a few more calls to go his way, especially amid a tense playoff race.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

How Steph avoids frustration over his foul call ‘reality' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even after an incredible night for Steph Curry in which he had 52 points and 12 3-pointers, it’s hard not to argue he deserved more in the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at FedExForum.

The discourse over Curry’s lack of foul calls isn’t new, but it resurfaced during this physical game featuring some debatable non-calls involving the Golden State star.

On “Warriors Postgame Live,” Curry explained how he avoids becoming frustrated by officiating — and still manages to put up all-time performances in the meantime.

“It’s my reality. I’ve been in this situation for a long time,” Curry told Warriors broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike. “It’s like a playoff game. You have to adjust to how the game’s being called.

“You can have a reaction, but you don’t want to let it distract you from what the task is. So I think trying to stay as even-keeled as possible — that doesn’t mean you’re passive or giving into it — you’re kind of fighting through it and not looking to get bailed out even though you feel like it’s not going your way.”

"It's my reality. I've been in this situation for a long time."

Steph explains avoiding frustration over his lack of foul calls pic.twitter.com/TmKq9lrTeV

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 2, 2025

Curry went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line on Tuesday night, but as Azubuike noted, he arguably could have earned a few more trips to the charity stripe.

Nonetheless, the two-time MVP persisted with arguably his best game of the 2024-25 NBA season, adding 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals on top of his absurd shooting performance.

If there’s a bright side to the eternal Steph Curry foul debate, it’s that the addition of forward Jimmy Butler has significantly helped Curry’s free-throw opportunities. Before Butler joined the Warriors on Feb. 8, Curry averaged only 3.4 free-throw attempts per game, per StatMuse.

But since then, that number has nearly doubled, as the veteran has earned six attempts at the line on average in his last 21 games. That mark would be a career-best for Curry over an entire season.

Of course, while it is positive progress, it probably is safe to say Curry (and Dub Nation) would like a few more calls to go his way, especially amid a tense playoff race.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast