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Knicks Notes: What went wrong for NY in Game 5 loss; Pistons growing confidence going into Game 6

Jalen Duren was probably one of the happiest people in Manhattan on Tuesday night.

“This is amazing. Being here, in this atmosphere, playing against this team, there’s nothing like it,” Duren said late Tuesday in the visitor’s locker room at MSG. “This is what you dream of as a basketball player.”

Duren’s dream was obviously a nightmare for the Knicks. New York let a chance to close out this series slip through their fingers on Tuesday night.

What went wrong? New York’s top two options on offense didn’t shoot the ball well. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns missed a combined 21 shots on 30 attempts. The other Knick starters shot a combined 22-for-42 from the field.

The Knicks also seemed to botch a late-game situation.

Brunson (leg) and Josh Hart (wrist) both had left the game late in the fourth quarter due to injury. The Knicks traded water with Hart and Brunson. But both were ready to return, standing at the scorer’s table with under a minute to play and the Knicks down four. New York could have called timeout to get Hart and Brunson in the game (they had one timeout to use). The club also could have stopped the clock with a foul. But Tom Thibodeau decided against both options. He let play continue with Hart and Brunson standing at the scorer’s table. Cade Cunningham found Ausar Thompson for a layup on the ensuing possession, expanding the Pistons’ lead to six with 27 seconds to play.

“Just coach’s decision,” Thibodeau said after the game when asked about the sequence.

What factors go into the decision?

“You look at the time, score, penalty, timeouts, all of the above,” Thibodeau said. “What’s happening in the game. The next possession, we’re weighing — there’s a lot that goes into it.”

Hindsight is 20/20 but the coach’s decision late in Game 5 turned out to be the wrong one.

Detroit finished the Knicks off with two Cade Cunningham free throws.

Now, New York faces a Pistons team that’s loose and brimming with confidence entering Game 6 on Thursday. This is a Pistons team that doesn’t shrink in tough moments.

“When you’re back is against the wall, you might be stuck in the corner, the only way to get out is to keep swinging,” Duren said. “That’s what we did, just kept swinging. Got out that corner.”

The Knicks aren’t quite on the ropes entering Game 6 on Thursday. But a loss would put all of the pressure on the Knicks in Game 7. The Pistons are playing with house money; New York needs to win the series.

Will the Knicks be able to close it out on Thursday?

Cade Cunningham doesn’t think so. He plans to return to the Garden for Game 7.

“We’ll be back,” he said.

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Clippers falter against Nuggets and are one loss away from end of season

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, left, drives the lane as center Nikola Jokic, front right, blocks Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell in the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball playoff series Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver guard Christian Braun drives the lane as center Nikola Jokic blocks Clippers guard Norman Powell in the first half. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

For the Clippers, Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets meant being one more win away from advancing in the playoffs or one more loss away from going home.

From the start, the Clippers walked a tightrope that had them teetering all game, falling behind from the very beginning, putting stress on their defense. They were unable to contain Jamal Murray in falling behind by 22 points in the fourth quarter and unable to muster enough energy in losing 131-115 on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.

“I don’t think [it’s] sense of urgency. I think they kicked our butt,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They played well. Game 4, like I said, I didn’t think we came out with a sense of urgency. But tonight I thought we had the right intent and they just took it to us.”

With Murray cooking the Clippers for a series-high 43 points, they trail the best-of-seven series 3-2 and are on the brink of being eliminated in the first round for the third straight season.

“The tough start was Jamal Murray,” Lue said. “I thought he came out being aggressive, which we knew he would. That’s why we started off with a blitz against him, just to try to slow him down. We knew in Game 5 he would come out aggressive. He made every shot.”

Win Game 6 on Thursday night at the Intuit Dome or the season is over for the Clippers. If they win, then the winner-take-all Game 7 is Saturday in Denver.

But history does not favor the Clippers. The team that wins Game 5 of a tied series has gone on to win the series 81.3% of the time.

Read more:Kawhi Leonard isn't surprised Clippers and Nuggets are locked in playoff showdown

Ivica Zubac was solid with a playoff career-high 27 points. Kawhi Leonard was one rebound shy of a triple-double with 20 points, a playoff career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds.

But the Clippers had no answer for Murray, who was efficient with his shooting, going 17 for 26 from the field and eight for 14 from three-point range. He also had seven assists and five rebounds. The Nuggets also got a triple-double of 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds from Nikola Jokic.

“I’m just glad we got a win, man, to be honest with you,” Murray said. “Shots are going to miss, they are going to make. I’m still going to play my game. I’m still going to be aggressive. I’m going to shoot the shots that I shoot. But like I said, it was a team win.”

After Murray drilled a three-pointer and assisted Aaron Gordon on a three-pointer for a 17-point Nuggets lead, Lue called a timeout with 2:35 left in the game and removed his starters.

“I just thought Jamal Murray was excellent tonight,” Lue said.

Lue had implored his group to get off to a better start, to not have to play catchup in this road game, to not get “bored with the process.”

But the Clippers struggled in the first quarter, putting themselves in a hole from the start. They fell behind 35-23 at the end of the first. They shot just 39.1% from the field and just 14.3% (one for seven) from three-point range.

“We’re trying to figure it out,” Zubac said about the Clippers’ slow starts. “They are more physical to start. I don’t think it’s a tactical thing, or strategies. It’s just we got to play harder.”

Jamal Murray works the ball to the basket against Clippers guard Kris Dunn in the first half.
Jamal Murray works the ball to the basket against Clippers guard Kris Dunn in the first half. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Russell Westbrook, the former Clipper, hurt his former team with his energy and effort.

Westbrook missed Game 4 because of left foot inflammation and was sharp in his return, scoring 11 of his 16 first-half points in the second quarter and finishing with 21.

And when Westbrook scored, he frequently glared at the Clippers’ bench.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Defending champion Celtics close out Magic 120-89 for 4-1 playoff series win

NBA: Playoffs-Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics

Apr 29, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after a three point basket by Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) (not pictured) against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

David Butler II-Imagn Images

BOSTON (AP) — When Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls, the Boston Celtics pulled away and cruised into the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and the Celtics abandoned their usual 3-point barrage to beat Orlando 120-89 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

The defending NBA champions will play either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the second round. The Knicks lead their series 3-2 despite falling 106-103 earlier Tuesday in New York.

“You just have to find different ways,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, whose team set NBA records in the regular season for the most 3-point baskets but made none at all in the first half - a first in almost four years.

“That’s what this series called for. Every series calls for different things,” Mazzulla said. “You have to be able to win in different ways on both sides of the ball.”

Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Banchero had 19 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have not won a playoff series since Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and coach Stan Van Gundy led them to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.

Boston fell behind by nine in the first half, and Orlando still led 51-47 early in the third quarter when Banchero picked up his fourth foul; just 79 seconds later, he picked up his fifth, a call that sent an apoplectic coach Jamahl Mosley to the officials, demanding a review.

The replay showed Banchero stepped into Jaylen Brown as he shot, and the Magic forward went to the bench, where he stayed for the rest of the quarter. In that time, Boston scored 31 of the next 40 points to open an 83-62 lead.

“It definitely swung the series. It definitely swung the game,” Mosley said. “All I saw is Paolo getting an elbow to the face or back into the face - and he got the foul. That was a game-changer right there. Your best player picks up his fifth foul in the third quarter. It’s tough to come back from that moment.”

Brown scored 23 points for Boston.

Tatum, who injured his wrist on a hard foul in Game 1 and missed Game 2, returned with three straight games of at least 35 points. He was 11 for 11 from the free-throw line - he has not missed a foul shot since Game 1 - and 10 for 16 from the field, making four of five 3-point attempts.

The Celtics attempted only six 3-pointers in the first half and made none. It was the first time they went into halftime without a 3 since 2021.

Tatum made their first 3-pointer early in the third quarter, but it would be another seven minutes before he made their second. During the regular season, they made one, on average, every 2 minutes, 42 seconds.

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Cunningham, Pistons beat Knicks 106-103 in Game 5 to stay alive in first-round series

NEW YORK (AP) The players the Pistons put together to turn a 14-win team into a playoff squad aren't ready to split up for the summer.

Instead, they're going back to Detroit together - and maybe back to New York after that.

Cade Cunningham had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Pistons stayed alive in their first postseason appearance since 2019 by beating the Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The Pistons insisted they felt no extra pressure when they talked Tuesday morning on what could have been their last shootaround of a season in which they went 44-38 in one of the biggest turnarounds from one season to the next in NBA history.

“Everybody’s got a back’s-against-the-wall type of mentality, but the group really loves being around each other and I think that was one of the biggest things,” forward Tobias Harris said. “Like, we don’t want this thing to stop. Like, we’ve got to keep on fighting.”

Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Harris had 17 for the Pistons, who will have a chance to even things up Thursday night at home in Game 6. If they win that, the deciding game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Detroit, though, has lost an NBA record-tying nine straight home games since 2008.

But the Pistons seem comfortable in New York, where they were 2-0 in the regular season and now 2-1 in this series, including their Game 2 victory that snapped their 15-game postseason losing streak, the longest in NBA history.

Not surprisingly, they still like their chances in the series.

“Confident," Cunningham said. “We'll be back.”

OG Anunoby scored 19 points for the Knicks, who were trying to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight season but never fully recovered from a poor start. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 17, but Jalen Brunson had his worst game of the postseason with 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

“We just put ourselves in a deficit early,” Towns said. “All series we’ve been fighting back.”

The game was tied at 95 before Jalen Duren made consecutive baskets and Cunningham scored for a six-point lead. The Pistons got a good break when Brunson and Josh Hart both left the game with injuries with 2:57 remaining and play went on for a while without a stoppage when they were ready to return. By the time they could, there were only 27 seconds left.

Brunson had scored 30 or more points in every game of the series and was averaging 33.3 through four games before not even getting halfway there Tuesday, when the Knicks were trying to win a series on their home floor for the first time since the 1999 Eastern Conference finals.

Now they will try to do it in Detroit, where they won Games 3 and 4.

Duren finished with nine points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

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Knicks done in by missed free throws to lose Game 5 to Pistons, 106-103

The Knicks lost Game 5 to the Detroit Pistons, 106-103, on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways...

-With the chance to close out a playoff series at home for the first time since 1999, the Knicks looked a little discombobulated in the first six to seven minutes, scoring just seven points before Josh Hart's corner three with 4:57 left in the quarter got New York closer and made it 12-10 Detroit. The triple was the Knicks' only made three of the quarter as they shot 16.7 percent (1-for-6) from deep.

-Hart led all scorers after 12 minutes with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting while usual scoring suspects Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson combined for just five points in the opening quarter. Brunson went 0-for-3 from the field and had two of New York's six turnovers in the quarter. He also uncharacteristically missed two free throws, but had four assists in a low-scoring period where the Knicks shot 37.5 percent from the floor.

-The Pistons weren't much better, shooting 29.2 percent from the field. Cade Cunningham had an abysmal quarter with two points and two fouls, including an offensive foul against Hart while bringing the ball up the court with 1:33 left in the first. The foul was initiated by the cagey veteran Hart after scoring a layup and seemed to give New York the momentum to finish the quarter on a 9-2 run and go into the second quarter with a 23-22 lead.

-Mitchell Robinson had seven of his 11 rebounds in just six minutes in the first quarter, five of them on the offensive glass.

-After a few misses to start the second quarter, the offense began clicking for both sides. For the Knicks, Towns came alive and scored nine while OG Anunoby had seven in just over a minute.

-On the Pistons' side Tobias Harris became a man on a mission after getting poked in the eye early in the quarter and scored seven points on three straight makes. He cooled off after that but Ausar Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. made up the difference with Cunningham still hardly a factor.

-Coming out of the break with a 50-49 advantage, New York quickly lost its lead as Cunningham started to come around and Detroit's role players continued to hit shots. The Knicks' deficit grew to as big as 10 points with 4:29 left in the quarter as Thompson knocked down a couple of free throws to make it 71-61.

-From that point on it was a total team effort to get back into the game as New York went on a 9-0 run to cut the Pistons' lead to one. Malik Beasley put an end to his team's scoring drought with a couple of made shots and Detroit, desperate to keep its season alive, went into the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.

-Mikal Bridges, quiet for most of the game, gave the Knicks their first lead since early in the third quarter with a three-pointer with 10:03 left in the game. 13 of Bridges' 17 points came in the fourth as he did his best to keep his team alive.

-After Robinson knotted things up at 90 with a two-pointer with 5:15 remaining and Towns tied it again with a deep three nearly two minutes later that sent the crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy, the Pistons retook the lead and did not relinquish it, surviving multiple huge shots by New York down the stretch to cut the lead.

Bridges made his second three of the quarter with 25.1 seconds left to make it 103-100 and Anunoby somehow saw a contested shot from downtown go in to get the Knicks to within one with seven ticks left. But with ice in his veins, the 23-year-old Cunningham calmly hit two free throws and New York couldn't get a final shot off, losing 106-103.

-Neither Brunson nor Cunningham shot the ball well at all in this one, but they both made their money by getting to the free throw line. Cunningham, who finished with 24 points, went 11-for-12 at the stripe while Brunson had 16 points and went 7-for-10 from the line.

-As a team, the Knicks went 16-for-27 (59.3 percent) from the free-throw line which cost them the game.

Game MVP: Cade Cunningham

With just four points at halftime, Cunningham stayed with it in the second half and finished with a game-high 24 points.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will have another chance to close out the series at home on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Indiana comes from 7 down in final 40 seconds of OT to beat Bucks, win series on Haliburton bucket

NBA: Playoffs-Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers

Apr 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts during a time out during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Bucks were up by seven and just needed to hang on for 40 more seconds of overtime to keep their season alive and force a Game 6 back in Milwaukee.

Then came the Andrew Nembhard 33-foot 3-pointer. Then the Bucks’ Gary Trent Jr. — who was brilliant all game and scored 12 points in overtime — threw a pass right to Nembhard that he intercepted. Which set up Tyrese Haliburton getting to the rim for the and-1, and suddenly the seven-point lead was just one with 17.1 seconds left. That’s when the wheels came off the Milwaukee express. Trent Jr. was all alone and fumbled a pass from AJ Green out of bounds, which led to this game-winner from Haliburton.

Throughout the series, Milwaukee struggled to stop the Pacers from scoring, and that ultimately came back to bite them in Game 5, ending their season. Pacers center Myles Turner summed it up best.

It was such an intense game that a minor postgame scuffle broke out on the court, where players were separated, reportedly with some friction between Antetokounmpo and Haliburton’s father (Haliburton said he had told his father postgame that he was in the wrong).

Indiana won 119-118 in overtime and takes the series 4-1. The Pacers advance to take on the No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the next round.

“I’m still trying to process it. That’s one of the craziest games I've been a part of,” Myles Turner said.

Milwaukee heads into a summer where Antetokounmpo and the franchise will stand at a crossroads.

That crossroads is all about getting Antetokounmpo the help he needs to win — he was brilliant in this game as he has been all series, racking up a 30-point, 20-rebound, 13-assist triple-double.

He got help in this one. Trent Jr. hit eight triples on his way to 33 points, while Green added six more and 19 points. He got help early when Milwaukee raced out to a 13-0 lead to start the game and pushed that lead as high as 20 in the first half.

The reason for that fast start was Milwaukee turned up the defensive pressure, played with desperation, and the Pacers wilted in the face of that shooting 5-of-20 to start the game (and 1-of-8 from 3).

However, like all series, the Bucks could not sustain that defense. The Bucks' lead was six at the half, and it was tied going into the fourth.

It was a brutal series for Milwaukee. Not just this loss, but also losing Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles, which likely keeps him out of most or all of next season as well.

Which gets to the crossroads Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo faces. This team has been eliminated in the first round for three consecutive years, the last two by the Pacers, and because of a lack of draft picks (don’t control theirs until 2031) and cap space, there is no clear path to build a contender around Antetokounmpo. He has never asked for a trade, and when he has pressured the team in the past to upgrade the roster they have, including landing Lillard. Now Antetokounmpo faces the personal question of what matters most to him.

It’s going to be a wild summer in Wisconsin, either way.

Indiana isn’t thinking about the summer, it is thinking about the Cavaliers.

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C's overcoming 3-point woes is great sign for title chances

C's overcoming 3-point woes is great sign for title chances originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics often lived and died by the 3-point shot throughout the regular season. The Orlando Magic forced the reigning NBA champions to play a different style out of the gate in the playoffs, and they passed their first test with flying colors.

Boston clinched the first-round series 4-1 despite struggling against Orlando’s stingy 3-point defense. After making only nine 3s in Games 3 and 4, the C’s prevailed with a 120-89 Game 5 victory after shooting 0-for-6 from distance in the first half.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla preached throughout the series about the importance of winning on the margins: rebounding, taking care of the basketball, and defending without fouling. Those proved key to Boston’s wins and were evident in the second half of Tuesday’s blowout.

“Yeah, we didn’t turn it over in the third quarter,” Mazzulla said. “It’s that simple. Occam’s Razor.”

Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving principle that suggests the simplest explanation is usually the best. In this case, that’s true.

The Celtics actually didn’t turn the ball over at all in the entire second half after tallying nine turnovers in the first. They outrebounded the Magic 20-17 and had seven fouls to Orlando’s 10 — including star Paolo Banchero’s game-changing fifth foul — over the final 24 minutes.

Boston ended up with more made more 3s (13) than Orlando (eight) but were -14 in 3-point attempts (24 to 38). That is by far the C’s worst margin of the season, with their previous worst of -8 coming against the Brooklyn Nets on March 15.

“Orlando did a good job of trying to make us play a different style of ball, and I think we adjusted to that well,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said. “They wanted to take away our 3-point shooting. … I think it was a great challenge for us, and I think it’s a great step for us moving forward.”

Brown capped off his solid series with 23 points (9-18 FG) and six rebounds. His co-star Jayson Tatum erupted for a game-high 35 points (10-16 FG, 4-5 3-PT) with 10 assists and eight rebounds, making NBA playoff history in the process.

The tandem will look to carry that momentum into the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will meet either the Detroit Pistons or New York Knicks. Regardless of who they face, Mazzulla is sticking with the same keys to victory.

“The margins,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to rebound. We’ve got to be able to defend without fouling. We’ve got to take care of the basketball.”

The Celtics may not be able to get away with poor 3-point shooting against the Knicks or the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom ranked top five in offensive rating. Still, it’s encouraging that they won’t have to rely solely on 3s falling to have a shot at their second straight NBA title.

The Knicks have a 3-2 series lead heading into Thursday’s Game 6 in Detroit. The Celtics will rest up with the second-round series likely to start early next week.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad

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.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad

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

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.

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Tatum makes more NBA playoff history with dominant Game 5 vs. Magic

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.

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Spurs’ Stephon Castle is runaway winner of NBA Rookie of the Year award

Stephen Castle was not the wire-to-wire winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year award, however, by the time the race neared the finish line, he had run away from the rest of his class.

Castle was the landslide winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year award, getting 92 of a possible 100 first-place votes on his way to becoming the second consecutive San Antonio player to win the award (Victor Wembanyama won a year ago).

The last team with back-to-back Rookies of the Year? The Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015 and 2016 with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher of Atlanta finished second, while second-round pick Jaylen Wells of Memphis finished third in the voting of a select panel of media members. The Wizards' Alex Sarr and the Grizzlies' Zach Edey rounded out the top five.

Castle was considered one of the leading candidates to win ROY from the moment San Antonio drafted him. However, he started the season as the No. 3 option (at best) in the Spurs offense, which meant he wasn’t putting up numbers. Castle averaged 5.6 points a game off the bench in October, and by December he was averaging an inefficient 10.3 points a game (with an unimpressive 46.6 true shooting percentage). What kept him playing was his defense, because from Day 1 he was asked to guard opponents’ top perimeter scorers and held his own for a rookie.

With Chris Paul as a mentor, Castle grew and evolved as the season progressed — he was named the Rising Stars MVP for All-Star Weekend and competed in the Dunk Contest. By the end of the season, when Victor Wembanyama was in street clothes, Castle had grown into the primary offensive threat in the Spurs' offense. After the All-Star break, with the ball in his hands, Castle averaged 17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5 assists a night (in March, Castle was averaging 19.5 points a night with a 54.6 true shooting percentage, close to the league average).

Like Castle (but even more so), Zaccharie Risacher started the season slowly and came on at the end, averaging 16.3 points a game in March. Jaylen Wells had a consistent year for the Grizzlies, playing in critical games throughout the season (his teammate, Zach Edey, came in fifth in the voting and could easily have made this list).

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Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad

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.