Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Indiana Pacers knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA playoffs Tuesday with a gentlemen’s sweep, and emotions ran high not long after.

Milwaukee held a 118-111 overtime lead and looked to extend the series in the first game after Damian Lillard’s Achilles tear.

But Doc Rivers’ side stunningly blew the cushion and lost 119-118, ending the Bucks’ season and potentially Giannis Antetokounmpo’s final game with the franchise that drafted him.

After the game, Antetokounmpo got into heated conversations with some Indiana players — and the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.

The two were forehead to forehead for a few seconds exchanging words before being separated.

Shortly after the clip went viral on social media, new angles emerged on Haliburton’s dad appearing to provoke Antetokounmpo before they exchanged words.

Haliburton addressed the incident involving his father in his post-game conference, saying his dad was in the wrong and that he’ll reach out to Antetokounmpo to ensure there’s no bad blood.

Antetokounmpo detailed what happened when Haliburton’s dad provoked him, but Antetokounmpo didn’t know who the fan was until later and showed respect to Haliburton.

“Losing the game. The emotions run high,” Antetokounmpo explained. “Having a fan, which at the moment I thought he was a fan, but then I realize it was Tyrese’s son, which I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. It was his dad, sorry. Coming in the floor and showing me his son, a towel with his face, this is what we do. This is what we F-ing do. This what the F we do. This… I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”

Antetokounmpo also mentioned being “humble in victory,” as he has won a championship in his career while the Pacers have not.

Haliburton’s father, John, later posted to social media apologizing to Giannis, the Bucks and the Pacers.

Haliburton scored the game-winning layup in the closing seconds to avoid a Game 6, with a series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers up next.

Meanwhile for Milwaukee, the future could get dark if Antetokounmpo chooses to leave via a trade. The Bucks don’t have a competitive roster and Antetokounmpo turns 31 in December.

With Lillard’s Achilles tear and Kyle Kuzma not providing help after Khris Middleton faded away, Antetokounmpo’s best shot at winning may lie elsewhere. Milwaukee’s pool of young talent and draft picks are both stark, too.

Tatum makes more NBA playoff history with dominant Game 5 vs. Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

There’s consistent excellence, and then there are Jayson Tatum’s last three playoff games with the Boston Celtics.

Tatum delivered a brilliant all-around performance Tuesday night in Game 5 of Boston’s first-round playoff series with the Orlando Magic, racking up a game-high 35 points on 10 for 16 shooting (4 for 5 from 3-point range) to go along with eight rebounds and 10 assists. Tatum also went a perfect 11 for 11 from the free-throw line to help the Celtics rout the Magic 120-89 and win the series 4-1.

That effort earned Tatum a place in the record books, as he’s the first player in NBA history to make 10-plus free throws without a miss in three consecutive playoff games. Here’s a look at Tatum’s stats in his last three games:

• Game 3: 36 points, 12 for 12 FT
• Game 4: 37 points, 14 for 14 FT
• Game 5: 35 points, 11 for 11 FT

That’s right: Tatum went 37 for 37 at the free throw line over a three-game span and missed just four free throws in the entire five-game series (37 for 41).

The Magic, who allowed the fewest 3-pointers per game to opponents this season, made a concerted effort to limit the Celtics’ 3-point attack. But Tatum countered by aggressively getting to the basket and drawing fouls, then making them count at the charity stripe.

“He did a great job of staying patient and going through his progressions,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Tatum after the game. “At the end of the day, every game is different. Every team is different. You have to be ready to answer the call. And I thought he did that.”

Tatum’s history-making wasn’t limited to his free throws, either: According to Celtics stats guru Dick Lipe, the All-Star forward is the first player ever to have at least 35 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, four 3-pointers and a shooting line of at least 60 percent from the floor, 80 percent from 3 and 100 percent from the line in one game — regular season or playoffs.

As for Tatum’s three straight playoff games with 35-plus points? He’s only the second Celtics player to accomplish that feat, joining Hall of Famer Larry Bird (1987 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Detroit Pistons).

Tatum’s dominance in Games 3, 4 and 5 is all the more impressive considering he missed Game 2 with a right wrist injury after suffering a bone bruise in Game 1. The ailment clearly didn’t impact him the rest of the series, however, as he was the catalyst for Boston overcoming a physical Orlando team and advancing to the second round.

The Celtics await the winner of the New York Knicks-Detroit Pistons series, which the Knicks lead 3-2. Game 6 of that series is set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Indiana Pacers knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA playoffs Tuesday with a gentlemen’s sweep, and emotions ran high not long after.

Milwaukee held a 118-111 overtime lead and looked to extend the series in the first game after Damian Lillard’s Achilles tear.

But Doc Rivers’ side stunningly blew the cushion and lost 119-118, ending the Bucks’ season and potentially Giannis Antetokounmpo’s final game with the franchise that drafted him.

After the game, Antetokounmpo got into heated conversations with some Indiana players — and the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.

The two were forehead to forehead for a few seconds exchanging words before being separated.

Shortly after the clip went viral on social media, new angles emerged on Haliburton’s dad appearing to provoke Antetokounmpo before they exchanged words.

Haliburton addressed the incident involving his father in his post-game conference, saying his dad was in the wrong and that he’ll reach out to Antetokounmpo to ensure there’s no bad blood.

Antetokounmpo detailed what happened when Haliburton’s dad provoked him, but Antetokounmpo didn’t know who the fan was until later and showed respect to Haliburton.

“Losing the game. The emotions run high,” Antetokounmpo explained. “Having a fan, which at the moment I thought he was a fan, but then I realize it was Tyrese’s son, which I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. It was his dad, sorry. Coming in the floor and showing me his son, a towel with his face, this is what we do. This is what we F-ing do. This what the F we do. This… I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”

Antetokounmpo also mentioned being “humble in victory,” as he has won a championship in his career while the Pacers have not.

Haliburton’s father, John, later posted to social media apologizing to Giannis, the Bucks and the Pacers.

Haliburton scored the game-winning layup in the closing seconds to avoid a Game 6, with a series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers up next.

Meanwhile for Milwaukee, the future could get dark if Antetokounmpo chooses to leave via a trade. The Bucks don’t have a competitive roster and Antetokounmpo turns 31 in December.

With Lillard’s Achilles tear and Kyle Kuzma not providing help after Khris Middleton faded away, Antetokounmpo’s best shot at winning may lie elsewhere. Milwaukee’s pool of young talent and draft picks are both stark, too.

Why Mosley ‘absolutely loves' coaching against Mazzulla originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — The first-round NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic has featured two entirely different coaching philosophies. Despite trailing 3-1 heading into Tuesday’s Game 5, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has enjoyed the “chess match” against Joe Mazzulla.

Mosley was asked before the matchup about taking on the reigning champion Celtics coach.

“I absolutely love it,” Mosley said. “Joe is an incredible coach. He does a great job of putting his guys in the right position, the right spaces after time-outs, finding different situations to put guys in that have you constantly thinking throughout the game.

“This is the part of coaching that you love, that chess match of trying to figure out what you can do without overthinking it, and putting yourself in a situation where you have to worry about not doing what you’re capable of doing because you’re chasing something that they’re doing.”

The Mazzulla-led Celtics are the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA. The Magic are the worst from beyond the arc, but no team has been better all season at defending the 3-point shot.

“It is our identity,” Mosley said, noting the importance of Orlando sticking to its game plan even on the brink of elimination.

Although it hasn’t translated to a series lead, the Magic have succeeded in limiting Boston’s 3s. The C’s made only nine 3s in their Game 4 win, nine in their Game 3 defeat, and 12 in their Game 2 victory. They averaged 17.8 3-pointers per game during the regular season.

Mosley’s defensive-minded Magic will have to keep Mazzulla’s high-powered Celtics in check from deep again in Game 5 to bring the series back to Orlando. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

Spurs' Stephon Castle named NBA Rookie of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Stephon Castle made no secret about it: He wanted to be rookie of the year.

And he got it done — by a wide margin.

The San Antonio Spurs now have back-to-back winners of the award, with Victor Wembanyama last year and Castle this season. Castle was the fifth rookie in Spurs history to score more than 1,000 points.

It was one-sided in the voting. Castle got 92 first-place votes, easily topping runner-up Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and third-place finisher Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Risacher got five first-place votes, Wells got the other three.

“Coming in with all the confidence that I had in myself as a player, that was definitely a goal of mine from Day 1,” Castle said on TNT, which broadcast the unveiling of the results. “I’m just happy I was able to execute it.”

Castle’s win marked the second time in more than a half-century that one franchise went back-to-back with the top-rookie honor. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins (now of Miami) and Karl-Anthony Towns (now of New York) were voted rookies of the year in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

The last instance of a team going back-to-back before that: 1973 and 1974, when Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio pulled it off for the Buffalo Braves.

“I get so excited watching him play,” said Chris Paul, Castle’s backcourt mate this season in San Antonio. “The first thing that I want to see in a teammate or anybody is how competitive they are. That’ll take you further than talent any day. And I saw immediately was that he was competitive. I was like, ‘OK, cool. This is going to be easy.’”

Castle led all rookies this season in points (1,190) and steals (74). Risacher finished strong, winning Eastern Conference rookie of the month for both February and March. Wells led all rookies in games started (74) and 3-pointers made (138, matching the total posted by Washington’s Bub Carrington).

Risacher — who hails from France, like Wembanyama — was looking to give the NBA the first instance of international players winning the award in consecutive years since Australia’s Ben Simmons and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic in 2018 and 2019. Wells was bidding to be Memphis’ first rookie of the year since Ja Morant in 2020.

The rookie of the year award was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.

The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already had their results unveiled: Cleveland’s Evan Mobley winning defensive player of the year, New York’s Jalen Brunson winning clutch player of the year, and Boston’s Payton Pritchard winning sixth man of the year.

On Wednesday, the most improved player — Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Dyson Daniels of Atlanta, or Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers — will be announced, also at 7 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award and Warriors teammate Draymond Green won the hustle award.

Spurs' Stephon Castle named NBA Rookie of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Stephon Castle made no secret about it: He wanted to be rookie of the year.

And he got it done — by a wide margin.

The San Antonio Spurs now have back-to-back winners of the award, with Victor Wembanyama last year and Castle this season. Castle was the fifth rookie in Spurs history to score more than 1,000 points.

It was one-sided in the voting. Castle got 92 first-place votes, easily topping runner-up Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and third-place finisher Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Risacher got five first-place votes, Wells got the other three.

“Coming in with all the confidence that I had in myself as a player, that was definitely a goal of mine from Day 1,” Castle said on TNT, which broadcast the unveiling of the results. “I’m just happy I was able to execute it.”

Castle’s win marked the second time in more than a half-century that one franchise went back-to-back with the top-rookie honor. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins (now of Miami) and Karl-Anthony Towns (now of New York) were voted rookies of the year in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

The last instance of a team going back-to-back before that: 1973 and 1974, when Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio pulled it off for the Buffalo Braves.

“I get so excited watching him play,” said Chris Paul, Castle’s backcourt mate this season in San Antonio. “The first thing that I want to see in a teammate or anybody is how competitive they are. That’ll take you further than talent any day. And I saw immediately was that he was competitive. I was like, ‘OK, cool. This is going to be easy.’”

Castle led all rookies this season in points (1,190) and steals (74). Risacher finished strong, winning Eastern Conference rookie of the month for both February and March. Wells led all rookies in games started (74) and 3-pointers made (138, matching the total posted by Washington’s Bub Carrington).

Risacher — who hails from France, like Wembanyama — was looking to give the NBA the first instance of international players winning the award in consecutive years since Australia’s Ben Simmons and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic in 2018 and 2019. Wells was bidding to be Memphis’ first rookie of the year since Ja Morant in 2020.

The rookie of the year award was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.

The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already had their results unveiled: Cleveland’s Evan Mobley winning defensive player of the year, New York’s Jalen Brunson winning clutch player of the year, and Boston’s Payton Pritchard winning sixth man of the year.

On Wednesday, the most improved player — Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Dyson Daniels of Atlanta, or Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers — will be announced, also at 7 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award and Warriors teammate Draymond Green won the hustle award.