Category: Basketball

Ranadivé, Kings face critical offseason after NBA play-in loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Beyond sitting in his courtside seats for every home game at Golden 1 Center, Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé has preferred to mostly stay out of the spotlight since he purchased the team from the Maloof brothers in 2013.

That is almost certain to change in the coming months.

With his organization facing a litany of critical decisions, Ranadivé holds all the cards and will have to step up front and lead the way in whichever direction he sees fit for the Kings.

First and foremost, Ranadivé had to figure out whether to keep general manager Monte McNair around — and the decision came immediately after Sacramento’s 120-106 NBA play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, when the Kings and McNair mutually agreed to part ways, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported, citing league sources.

The 2022-23 NBA Executive of the Year, McNair publicly accepted responsibility for firing coach Mike Brown early in the 2024-25 season and watched as the Kings responded with spirited play, only to see them wilt during the homestretch of the regular season before they melted under the pressure of the Mavericks in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 seed play-in game at G1C.

The Kings have yet to release an official statement on McNair’s reported departure.

Ranadivé also has to decide whether he plans to keep Doug Christie around and remove the interim from his title. The Kings responded very positively to the coaching change, and Christie has had a great relationship with Sacramento’s players.

Yet as good as things felt shortly after Christie inherited the reins from Brown, they turned equally sour toward the end of the season when it counted most.

There’s also the situation with Domantas Sabonis, the Kings’ three-time NBA All-Star center who is set to earn $95 million in base salary over the next two seasons.

Will Ranadivé stick with Sabonis and try to build up the pieces around him, or will the Kings owner try to swing a trade to send Sabonis and possibly another player to a team in exchange for a number of draft picks that will be vital to Sacramento moving forward?

Two years ago, the thought of a rebuild in the state capital seemed absurd.

The Kings had ended the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 years, had the unanimous Coach of the Year with Brown and a nucleus of players that seemed on the verge of taking Sacramento to the next level.

Firing Brown after only 31 games provided a little jolt of energy and enthusiasm that have long since dissipated.

Now it’s on Ranadivé to get the ship back on track.

He avoided speaking with the media following Brown’s firing, but the situation with his team is a lot more dire now than it was then.

And now that McNair reportedly has been let go, Ranadivé won’t have a buffer between himself and the media anymore — and he’ll have to answer the questions that undoubtedly will surface this offseason.

Hearing the boos rain down on the crowd at G1C on Tuesday, there almost certainly will be a lot of questions, too.

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(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

As the NBA playoffs approach, one of the more surprising storylines has been the betting odds favoring the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors over the second-seeded Houston Rockets.

On the most recent episode of "The Kevin O’Connor Show," guest Esfandiar Baraheni and host Kevin O'Connor examined the playoff matchup and why oddsmakers are favoring Golden State — and whether the Warriors deserve that status.

Ezra Shaw via Getty Images

Oddmakers believe in the Warriors, but should they?

While playoff intensity and game-planning do tend to favor experienced teams, and that might explain why Golden State is a -190 favorite to win the series at BetMGM, Barahini suggests that Houston’s defensive versatility and depth might give it more than a puncher’s chance — especially when it comes to slowing Steph Curry.

“I'm a little surprised that Golden State's so heavily favored as a 7 over 2," Baraheni says. "I feel like Houston has played Golden State very well this season.” 

But a number of reasons for the Warriors’ favored status are laid out: their reputation for playoff poise, the clutch brilliance of Curry and, now, Jimmy Butler, and their much-improved defense since acquiring Butler midseason.

“You have a guy [Curry] who you can rely on every single time," O'Connor says. "I think this will be one of those series where every game is going to go down to the wire. Every game is going to be very close.”

There’s a certain comfort in betting on established champions, especially in late-game situations.

The Rockets’ case: Defense, depth and matchups

The discussion didn't shy from the reasons to be bullish on the Rockets, either. Houston finished the year as one of the NBA’s best defenses, with plenty of size in Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams and disruptive perimeter players in Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. In fact, Baraheni specifically mentions Thompson as someone who has "shut the water off" on Steph in previous matchups and Houston’s team defense as capable of supporting its big men on the perimeter — unlike some of Golden State’s previous opponents.

O’Connor also highlights Houston's rebounding advantage.

“If you look at the way those Şengün/Adams [lineups] perform, the reason that thing works offensively is because they generate so many offensive rebounds," O’Connor says. "They crash the glass.”

With Golden State’s relative lack of size on the interior, this presents a crucial potential swing factor.

Is experience everything?

What tips the scale for those picking the Warriors? According to O’Connor and Baraheni, it’s the question of late-game offense and experience. 

Golden State has thrived in the clutch this season, while Houston, for all its defensive prowess, has struggled to create clean looks and score consistently in fourth quarters.

“I just trust Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler more than I do Jalen Green or Şengün or Fred VanVleet,” O’Connor says.

Prediction: It's closer than the odds suggest

While O’Connor picks the Warriors in seven and Baraheni slightly favors Houston in six, it's going to be a closer matchup than many believe. “I think people are discrediting the Rockets a little bit too much,” O’Connor says.

Both agree that Houston might be underrated, not just for its defense and rebounding but also for its potential to disrupt Golden State’s offensive flow with its physical style.

To hear the full discussion, tune into "The Kevin O'Connor Show" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

The joy for the game of basketball remains strong for Kawhi Leonard.

The injuries that have robbed him from playing time have not taken away Leonard’s passion for the game. The inability to play this season because of a right knee injury he had to manage has not lessened Leonard’s happiness for basketball.

He’s 33 and has spent the last five of his 13-year NBA career with the Clippers, and his “love” for the game has only grown.

That is what has motivated Leonard through it all and it’s what he will lean on when the Clippers face the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs starting Saturday afternoon in Denver.

“I love the game. I love the game and I have a passion for it still. I love to compete out there. So, that's pretty much what drives me back,” Leonard said after practice Wednesday. “You know, everything has its ups and downs. You got to go through those in life and you just keep going, really.”

This was yet another up-and-down season for Leonard.

Read more:How do the Clippers match up against the Nuggets entering their playoff series?

He missed the first 34 games and played in just 37, including only one set of back-to-back games.

Yet Leonard never wavered.

That didn't surprise teammate Norman Powell. The two were teammates on the Toronto Raptors team that won the NBA championship in 2019.

Powell saw how Leonard handled things then and now.

“I think we all have love for it,” Powell said. “I think everybody’s journey and path is different and what they face and what they see and how they feel about it. It’s not just him. I feel like it happens a lot with different guys.

“But with him, I know he’s a very level-headed person and he understands things that aren’t under his control and he just controls the controllable. That’s the best attribute about him. He’s a gifted basketball player, but his mental fortitude and toughness, on and off the floor, all the things he’s been through in his life, everything that he’s been through on the floor, makes him who he is. So, I don’t think it takes away from his love or enjoyment of the game. I think he sees it as another obstacle he’s going to get through and figure it out and that’s what I like best about him. He’s always figuring it out.”

Leonard averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 assists and 3.1 assists per game this season. He shot 49.6% from the field, 41.1% from three-point range.

Read more:'We are here': Tyronn Lue knew the Clippers could exceed expectations

In the Clippers’ two must-win games to close the regular season, Leonard was a force. He averaged 30.5 points and played 44.5 minutes in wins at Sacramento and Golden State.

In the eyes of Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, that was just another sign of the competitor Leonard is and how much the game means to his star forward.

“Yeah, I mean, it just says a lot about him, about his dedication to the game,” Lue said. “I said he’s a hard worker. But like I said, we'll continue to keep giving our medical staff a lot of credit. They put him through a lot of stuff and didn't let him shortcut, checked every box before he came back and he's been feeling good. So, I'm happy about that as well.”

Leonard missed the final eight regular-season games last season and played in just two of the Clippers' six playoff games against the Mavericks because of right knee inflammation.

He didn’t play in his first game with the Clippers this season until Jan. 4 and it has been a slow build-up to get Leonard to this point.

But he’s back in the playoffs and ready to play the game he loves.

“I'm just happy that I was able to get here, and my teammates did a great job down that last stretch,” Leonard said. “And yeah, just like I said, just don't take the opportunity for granted and try to play my best and that's it. I’m just having fun.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

What we learned as Kings' season ends with brutal play-in loss to Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO – There were cheers. There were boos. But at the end of the night, there was no beam shining above Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.

The Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season came to an end after a 120-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA play-in tournament.

Dallas led by as many as 26 points, and while Sacramento made a predictable third-quarter run, the game never really was close beyond the first quarter.

It was a matchup between two teams with franchise-altering changes this season, including trading away their stars midseason. But even after the turbulent season Dallas endured, it managed to outperform Sacramento in a do-or-die game.

No Luka Dončić. No Kyrie Irving. No problem for Dallas.

In just his 10th game with the Mavericks, Anthony Davis led the way for his new squad with 27 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks in 35 minutes. Klay Thompson added 23 in a sweet, sweet revenge game. P.J. Washington contributed 17, and Brandon Williams added 17 off the bench.

For the Kings, DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 33 points. Zach LaVine added 20.

It’s all over, but here are three takeaways from the season-ending loss:

Rollercoaster Season Ends

After a coaching change, trading their franchise player and all the ups and downs in between, the Kings’ 2024-25 season officially is over.

It is their earliest postseason exit in three years.

Just two seasons ago, the Kings snapped their 16-season NBA playoff drought as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Just one season later, they won two fewer games and dropped to the No. 9 seed. They defeated the Golden State Warriors in the first of a win-or-go-home play-in game but fell to the New Orleans Pelicans in the second play-in game.

They’ve now made a playoff appearance just twice in the last 20 seasons.

The season ending had less to do with Wednesday’s game specifically and much more on the larger picture of the team’s roster flaws that must be addressed this offseason.

Which, for Sacramento, now begins Thursday morning.

Klay’s Revenge 

The last time Thompson stepped foot into Golden 1 Center for a play-in game, he went scoreless as the Kings ended the Golden State Warriors’ 2023-24 season.

The sharpshooter had an unusual performance through 32 minutes last year, shooting 0 of 10 from the field and 0 of 6 from beyond the arc.

A large part of his unforgettable night, which wound up being his final game in a Warriors uniform, was the defense from Keon Ellis. Ellis said before Wednesday’s game that he anticipated Thompson would want to bounce back from last year’s showing. 

So did Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. 

Both were correct. Thompson had 16 points at the half and finished the game with 23 points and five 3-pointers.

BUILT DIFFERENT 👀 pic.twitter.com/NhCMmmKgwS

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 17, 2025

A much more memorable game for the four-time NBA champion.

Keegan’s (Very) Tall Task 

The Kings have faced Davis plenty while he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. But Wednesday was their first meeting with the 6-foot-10 star big man since he was shipped to the Mavericks at the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Davis played just nine regular-season games with the Mavericks due to a left adductor strain he suffered in his first game with the team. Over the last five games with Dallas, the 32-year-old averaged 21.8 points on 50.6-percent shooting with 11.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 blocks in 29.6 minutes.

And his presence was impactful as ever Wednesday night.

The Mavericks wisely utilized their two-big lineup, with Davis playing the forward position alongside 7-foot-1 Derek Lively at the 5. This meant 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward Keegan Murray had the large task of defending the 6-foot-10, 253-pound Davis for a vast majority of the game.

Murray has done a decent job guarding up this season and is one of the Kings’ better defenders, but there’s only so much one can do to limit someone of Davis’ stature.

Davis finished with 27 points on 9-of-23 shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, with nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks in 35 minutes.

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Kings' tumultuous 2024-25 NBA season ends with play-in game loss to Mavericks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings’ rollercoaster 2024-25 NBA season came to a screeching halt.

Sacramento was blown out by the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 in the Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, capping a season that saw the Kings fire their coach and trade their franchise star.

Forward DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 33 points, while guard Zach LaVine finished with 20 points and center Domantas Sabonis added 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Five Mavericks finished in double figures, led by 27 points from center Anthony Davis and 23 points from guard Klay Thompson.

The Kings head into the offseason with questions regarding who will coach the team next season and which stars want to stay and which want to leave.

The Mavericks head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Friday at FedExForum in the 8-seed game. The winner faces the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a best-of-seven first-round West playoff series.

Sacramento entered the season with high hopes of returning to the NBA playoffs, but a slow start dampened those expectations.

By mid-December, coach Mike Brown was on the hot seat and a five-game home losing streak resulted in his dismissal on Dec. 27.

Doug Christie was elevated to interim head coach and the Kings received an initial boost, winning seven consecutive games.

But the good vibes didn’t last.

NBA All-Star De’Aaron Fox grew frustrated with the situation and eventually was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a deal that brought Zach LaVine to Sacramento.

But all the changes weren’t enough for the Kings to secure a playoff spot. Instead, they secured the No. 9 seed and needed to win two games to earn the No. 8 seed.

But Sacramento couldn’t get the job done Wednesday night, and now a pivotal offseason begins.

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The Knicks find themselves back in the playoffs for the third straight season as they get ready to face off against the Detroit Pistons in the first round starting on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Facing one of the league's youngest teams, spearheaded by superstar Cade Cunningham, will pose a unique challenge as New York will have to match or even exceed the physicality the upstart Pistons have established as their identity this season.

However, the Knicks have been in this position before and have the experience and toughness of their own to match up against Detroit.

"We all know what the playoffs takes and we’re picking up the preparation mentally and physically," said Josh Hart after practice on Wednesday.

Hart, now in his third season in New York, which coincides with his team's current playoff appearance streak, is no stranger to physicality as the Knicks' do-it-all guard of sorts.

In fact, head coach Tom Thibodeau referred to Hart as a "unique" player because of his rebounding and playmaking prowess.

"I think he’s unique because he rebounds the ball at really an elite level and he’ll go get them when it matters the most, in traffic," Thibodeau said. "And then it’s what he does after he gets it – his ability to push the ball, play with pace and he can out-quick most guys that are guarding him."

In 77 regular season games, Hart set career-highs in rebounds per game (9.6), assists per game (5.9) and steals per game (1.5) while averaging 13.6 points in 37.6 minutes per game, another career-high. Only Jalen Brunson (7.3 assists, also a career-high) was better on the Knicks at getting his teammates involved.

"I take that onus of getting guys involved pretty seriously," Hart said.

In regards to the Pistons' physicality with players such as Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and others, Hart knows New York will need to go above and beyond to be able to outwork them.

"We have to not just match that physicality, but exceed it," he said. "I think there are times when you can use that to your advantage and to be able to get to the free throw line and draw fouls and do those kind of things.

"We know what kind of game it’s gonna be, we know what we have to be prepared for physically and mentally and obviously that physicality for the series is gonna be, you know probably one of the more physical series in the playoffs."

OG Anunoby also chimed in, saying, "We’re a physical team as well, I think we just have to show it."

But it's not just Detroit.

According to Thibodeau, he's noticed that the league is trending back towards allowing more physical play which is only heightened during the playoffs.

"I think that’s where the league is right now, there’s been a lot more physicality and so I think you have to embrace that and I think most teams have," he said. "And then you step it up into a playoff [series] where you’re playing the same opponent over and over again, the intensity does get high and the physicality will be ramped up."

One advantage that the Knicks will definitely have is home-court advantage. And it's not just any home court, it's Madison Square Garden where New York went 27-14 this year. For what it's worth, the Pistons went 22-19 at home and on the road this season.

While Hart has experienced playoff atmosphere inside MSG in recent years, some of the Knicks players like starters Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges have yet to discover what it's like playing inside The Mecca during the postseason. They will soon enough.

"They’ll get a feel for The Garden and how electric it is in the playoffs," Hart said. "... [I'm] excited to see how they are with that Garden, because that Garden come playoff time is one of the best arenas in the world."

"I think you don’t know until you experience it," added Anunoby who got his first taste of it last postseason.

Wright writes off Warriors in series vs. Rockets with suggestive post originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Fox Sports 1 host Nick Wright on Tuesday made a bold declaration about the Warriors’ upcoming first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets.

“After watching this Warriors performance the past week, I’d like to be the first person to congratulate the Los Angeles Lakers on beating the Houston Rockets to advance to the Western Conference Finals,” Write wrote on X after Golden State’s 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday.

Interesting. 

Wright indirectly is saying that Golden State will lose to Houston and that Los Angeles will win their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, ultimately giving fans a Western Conference finals between the Rockets and Lakers that the LeBron James gang would triumph in. 

As if the Warriors, featuring leaders such as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, needed any more motivation.

Wright, who Dub Nation probably hopes will be wrong, appears confident in his take. However, the Warriors objectively shape up well against the Rockets.

Golden State won three of its five matchups with Houston during the 2024-25 NBA season and enters the series riding a 24-8 record in the 32 games since six-time All-Star Butler made his Warriors debut.

The Rockets went 20-12 in the same span but might be rusty after losing their final three regular-season games while resting key players.

And for what it’s worth, the Warriors are 4-0 against the Rockets in all-time playoff series matchups and own a 16-7 record against them in 23 postseason games.

Wright could end up being extremely wrong.

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Draymond reveals TJD's ‘selfless' act for Post in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors veteran Draymond Green noticed second-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis made an honorable sacrifice for rookie center Quinten Post in Golden State’s 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday night.

And Green made sure to highlight it when talking to reporters postgame.

“I want to mention something that I saw today that no one will give a s–t about,” Green prefaced. “Trayce Jackson-Davis did something on the bench today. He didn’t play in the game. There were no seats on the bench, Quinten Post said, ‘Trayce, can I get that seat?’ and Trayce just got up. And a part of me was baffled that he got up for the rookie. Because the rookie – if there’s no seat, you sit on the floor. [Jackson-Davis] just got up and gave him the seat. 

“And I walked over to [Jackson-Davis] and said that’s one of the more selfless things I’ve ever seen. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’re going to be like, ‘You going to go sit on the floor, rook. Go find a seat somewhere else.’ But [Jackson-Davis] knew he wasn’t part of the rotation, and yet the rookie was. They’re playing the same position, and [Jackson-Davis] got up and went and stood in the tunnel because there were no seats.”

Jackson-Davis, 25, has the class of a pro’s pro.

It isn’t easy to be out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation during the Warriors’ biggest game of the 2024-25 NBA season. It also isn’t easy to give up your seat for a less-experienced player who is playing crucial minutes over you.

Yet, Jackson-Davis did exactly that for Post – who finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, five rebounds and tied with Green as a game-high plus-12 – and the respectful moment clearly helped Golden State reach its first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets, even if he didn’t find his way onto the court.

“I just wanted to put that out there because that to me – that’s why you win games,” Green told reporters. “It’s chemistry, selflessness, togetherness, and I just thought that was a huge moment. Nobody else saw it except us three. And so I wanted to share that. I thought that was a really big moment for our bench. 

“You know, you can make [Post] sit on the floor and nothing happens, or you can get up and boost confidence in him and he’ll go back out there and hit a [three-point shot]. And I thought that was special.”

Green has seen it all over his illustrious 14-year Warriors career. And even he was “baffled” by Jackson-Davis’ willingness to give up his seat for the fellow 25-year-old.

The type of honorability displayed by Jackson-Davis is exactly what Golden State needs moving forward in the postseason.

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JJ Redick had validated Austin Reaves all season, publicly and privately praising the Lakers guard as a key player of the roster.

It was a topic in Redick’s first news conference as Lakers coach, a topic in the preseason and, as the season began fittingly against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a topic an entire regular season ago.

“I’ve mentioned this a few times. We’ve talked a ton throughout the offseason. We’ve seen it already in the gym. He’s had a specific sort of pie to choose from, a menu to choose from so far in his career,” Redick said in October. “We’re going to try to give him a little bit more on the menu. Just make him a little more dynamic.”

Yet no piece of praise, no late-game play call, no moment more than any cemented how the Lakers felt about Reaves then their decision in Memphis in late March when Redick gathered LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Reaves together to talk about how the Lakers’ best players could make things work together.

“Just in terms of Austin being included, of course he's been included,” Redick said.

For Reaves, there’s rarely been a doubt. Since he played his way from a two-way contract onto the Lakers roster and, eventually, into the starting lineup, he’s never thought anything asked of him has been too much.

Yet as he’s gained responsibility on the court throughout his first season with Redick coaching the Lakers, the team has sought more from him, trying to harness his ability as a connective personality in the locker room into a more vocal presence on the court.

Stunningly, the Lakers kept him from being included in the deal for Doncic, giving them a massive advantage in any series they’ll play this postseason — the ability to have three highly intelligent, creative playmakers. And, if trends continue, all three can lead the Lakers through the tough moments that are guaranteed to arise between now and their championship goals.

It’s has been a process, Reaves navigating shifting roles and the Lakers’ ever-fluid roster as he’s been one of the most consistent performers for the last three seasons.

But he and former Laker guard D’Angelo Russell often got in each other’s way on the court — and not in any combative way. The two are close friends. But the presence of one meant the sacrifice of the other, and Reaves couldn’t feel fully empowered until the Lakers totally bought in to him.

That happened just before the Lakers’ decision to trade Russell in late December, Reaves hitting a game-winner on Christmas Day against Stephen Curry and the Warriors to add to his growing list of Lakers moments.

Read more:How do the Lakers match up against the Timberwolves entering their playoff series?

He reminded everyone, again, of what he could do when James and Doncic missed a game in Los Angeles against the Indiana Pacers — Reaves led the Lakers to a big win thanks to a career-high 45 points.

Late in the season, James loudly touted Reaves as the league’s most improved player, echoing his yearlong praise of a player he says is an “ultra-competitor, makes big-time shots and doesn't shy away from the moment.”

He quickly earned James’ trust after joining the team because of his high IQ and competitiveness, which are the same qualities that have helped him bond with Doncic early in his time with the Lakers.

“It doesn't surprise me,” Doncic said of Reaves’ level of play. “I've been watching him a lot.”

People outside the organization first really notice two years ago in his first playoff game, when he led the Lakers to a road win against Memphis and shouted “I'm him” after a fourth-quarter bucket iced the game. Yet greatness in the NBA comes with more responsibility than counting stats, and Reaves is starting to fully embrace that part of the job.

“We're asking a lot out of him and he's performed and lived up to everything we've asked him to do. So I think the next step is him just being more vocal cause a lot of times he has stuff to say,” Jarred Vanderbilt said.

And this season, it’s been one of the areas Redick has encouraged him to grow.

In meetings with Reaves this season, Redick has encouraged better decision making. “You gotta allow the Pistol Pete s— to some degree because it's what makes him Austin,” the coach said. He’s worked with him on handling his added on-court responsibilities and challenged him to be more vocal.

Reaves has done that — even embracing his part in the meeting with Redick, James and Doncic when the Lakers’ coach leaned on his stars to solve the biggest remaining riddle for the team.

“Them being able to accept that challenge of figuring something out on the fly in the middle of a season — we challenged all three of those guys on that. And Austin's great to coach, awesome to coach. And, he's accepted every challenge and exceeded any sort of baseline level of response that we could expect from him.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

How many NBA teams have never won a championship? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Last season, the Larry O’Brien trophy returned to Boston, a city that has won more NBA championships than any other.

It was the 18th title for the Celtics, which is 18 more than many teams in the league.

There are 10 NBA franchises that have never won an NBA championship, and as many as five of them will be competing in the first round of the playoffs that begin Saturday.

Two of those teams — the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers — reached their respective conference finals last season. They were each attempting to become the fourth NBA team over the last decade to capture their first NBA championship — joining the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets, the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors and the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Which teams have never won an NBA championship?

There are 10 active NBA teams that have not yet won an NBA championship: the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.

The Pacers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Magic have secured their spot in the 2025 playoffs, and they could be joined by the Grizzlies if they win their play-in game on Friday.

Perhaps you thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would be on this list. The Thunder, who had the best record in the league this season at 68-14, won the NBA championship in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics. Since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008, the team has not yet won a title but did reach the NBA Finals in 2012.

As the NBA playoffs near, let’s look at each of the title-less teams and see how close each has come to winning that elusive championship:

Brooklyn Nets

Joined NBA: 1976

NBA Finals appearances: 2 (2002, 2003)

The Nets have not won a title since joining the NBA in 1976. But they did win two ABA titles!

Charlotte Hornets

Joined NBA: 1988

NBA Finals appearances: None

Neither the Hornets nor the Bobcats have won a title. In fact, they are one of two teams to have never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs. Probably why Michael Jordan sold the team.

Indiana Pacers

Joined NBA: 1976

NBA Finals appearances: 1 (2000)

The Pacers, a three-time ABA champion, pushed a Los Angeles Lakers team led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to six games in the 2000 Finals.

Los Angeles Clippers

Joined NBA: 1970

NBA Finals appearances: None

The Clippers’ postseason history is well documented, as is the organization’s past dysfunction. There’s even a television series about it. But the Clippers enter this season’s playoffs having won 18 of their last 21 games. Perhaps this is the year they finally reach their first NBA Finals?

Memphis Grizzlies

Joined NBA: 1995

NBA Finals appearances: None

The Grizzlies have more international relocations than NBA championships, having shifted from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Joined NBA: 1989

NBA Finals appearances: None

The Timberwolves came within three wins of their first NBA Finals appearance last season after Anthony Edwards led the team to the Western Conference Finals.

New Orleans Pelicans

Joined NBA: 2002

NBA Finals appearances: None

The Pelicans, along with the Hornets, are the only teams in the league that have never reached the conference finals. Perhaps one day we’ll get the Pelicans-Hornets NBA Finals matchup we deserve.

Orlando Magic

Joined NBA: 1989

NBA Finals appearances: 2 (1995, 2009)

The Magic have made it to the Finals twice and lost both. But they will forever be the last team to eliminate Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, so there’s that.

Phoenix Suns

Joined NBA: 1968

NBA Finals appearances: 3 (1976, 1993, 2021)

The Suns have been two wins away from winning a title on three occasions, including in 2021 when they held a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks. They are the only current team in the league to have reached three NBA Finals without winning a championship. 

Utah Jazz

Joined NBA: 1974

NBA Finals appearances: 2 (1997, 1998)

Thanks, Michael Jordan.

Which teams have never been to the NBA Finals?

Five current NBA franchises have still yet to play in the Finals with one team in the midst of a half-century drought.

• Los Angeles Clippers – 55 seasons
• Minnesota Timberwolves – 36 seasons
• Charlotte Hornets – 35 seasons
• Memphis Grizzlies – 30 seasons
• New Orleans Pelicans – 23 seasons

Stephen A believes Grizz likely beat Warriors if Morant wasn't injured originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Could the Memphis Grizzlies have walked away with a win against the Warriors on Tuesday at Chase Center if star guard Ja Morant hadn’t sustained an ankle injury during the third quarter?

Without discounting Golden State’s merit in its 121-116 win over Memphis, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes so.

“But in the same breath, let’s make sure we understand partially anyways what happened,” Smith said Wednesday on “First Take.”  “Ja Morant did get hurt. And if Ja Morant, considering some of the plays that he was making, had remained healthy throughout…” 

In the dying minutes of the third quarter of Tuesday night’s pivotal NBA play-in tournament game, Morant landed awkwardly on the foot of Warriors guard Buddy Hield. 

Soon after Memphis’ medical staff attended to Morant, the 25-year-old limped to the charity line and sank a free throw before hobbling back to the bench. 

Morant scored a team-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting before sustaining the injury. He returned with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter and finished with 22 points.

As Smith argued, the Grizzlies, despite experiencing noticeable ups and downs throughout the game, fought until the end behind the likes of its star players. 

“You look at Desmond Bane and what he was doing,” Smith added. “Jaren Jackson looked alive a little bit late. You saw Ja Morant and how he tried to play through the obvious pain from that ankle injury.”

In sports there’s no shortage of what-ifs, and, merely, that’s what Smith is proposing. 

“I would just look at it from that standpoint – not taking anything away from the Golden State Warriors,” Smith concluded.

“But you did find yourself saying, especially in the end, if Ja Morant had not gotten hurt, we might be saying something different this morning.”

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Porzingis talks helping Brown manage injury: ‘He looks good' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Kristaps Porzingis can relate to what Jaylen Brown is dealing with as the Boston Celtics prepare for the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

A knee injury limited Brown late in the regular season and sidelined him for three of Boston’s seven games in April. Brown played through the ailment on multiple occasions, but the C’s ultimately decided to rest the 2024 NBA Finals MVP despite him being only two games short of All-NBA eligibility.

Porzingis, who has his fair share of experience with knee injuries throughout his career, was in favor of resting Brown until the playoffs.

“I think we just have to urge him to make sure he does everything he needs to prepare, to get it healthy and to prepare for what’s going to come,” Porzingis said last week. “And I think he’s a smart guy. So he will. It just shows his heart and how bad he wants to be out there even for games that don’t mean super much for us right now. But that’s who he is and I appreciate him for that.”

On Wednesday, Porzingis told reporters he advised Brown on managing the injury so that he’s a full-go for the postseason.

“We definitely talked about it. Just because of my history also with some of the knee stuff that had bothered me in the past,” Porzingis said. “So definitely talked and gave him my point of view and what I thought could help him.

“He did the things necessary, I think, to be as healthy and as feeling good as possible for this run that we’re about to have. He looks good. He’s always saying that he feels good, but he actually looks good, and that’s the most important.”

Porzingis joined C’s teammates Jrue Holiday and Al Horford in downplaying Brown’s injury. Both spoke highly of Brown’s performance in practice, with Holiday noting that “nobody is worried about him.” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he is “100 percent confident” Brown will be ready for the playoffs.

The optimism should help Celtics fans breathe a sigh of relief ahead of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. While Boston should be able to get past Orlando even with a hobbled Brown, it will need its star to be at full strength for tougher matchups on its road to a repeat.

Game 1 of Celtics-Magic at TD Garden is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Dray shares admirable message to Ja after star's injury vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors star Draymond Green had a sportsmanlike message for Grizzlies star Ja Morant after the guard admirably played through a tweaked right ankle in Golden State’s 121-116 win over Memphis in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday night at Chase Center.

“The dog that always is Ja,” Green told reporters postgame. “I think he may struggle to play in [Memphis’ play-in game] Friday. He came back tonight off straight adrenaline. But that’s who he is. That’s why this franchise has been in the position that they have been in over the last few years, and you’re kind of like, man, they may make a run.”

Morant hurt his ankle after landing on Warriors guard Buddy Hield’s foot when attempting a shot with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter. Morant went to the bench desperate for treatment and ultimately returned to finish the close game.

The 25-year-old finished with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting with two rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes, though he had a Grizzlies-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting before landing on Hield’s foot.

As Green mentioned, Morant was able to play through the pain and rely on adrenaline to carry him to the finish line. And for that, the four-time NBA champion has even more respect for the rival, high-flying guard.

“Ja is special,” Green told reporters. “He’s one of the more special players in this league, and has the heart of a lion. So I wasn’t surprised at all. That’s who he’s been. That’s who he is going to be. His saying: ‘I’m going to run up the chimney,’ he live[s] by that. 

“You know, I respect it because he never not run up the chimney.”

Like Green, Morant has never been afraid of smoke.

So Green wouldn’t be surprised if the Grizzlies were to make noise in the NBA playoffs – if they handle business against the winner of Wednesday night’s Sacramento Kings-Dallas Mavericks play-in game – on Morant’s back and tweaked ankle.

“I’m playing,” Morant told reporters Tuesday night about the Grizzlies’ upcoming game. “That’s basically the answer I’m giving. It ain’t nothing different.”

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