Category: Basketball

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Klay Thompson blasts Ja Morant, invokes Gary Payton II 2022 playoffs injury

Klay Thompson blasts Ja Morant, invokes Gary Payton II 2022 playoffs injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Dallas Mavericks might have lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, but in the case of Klay Thompson vs. Ja Morant, the four-time NBA champion got the last laugh.

First, Thompson actually played in Memphis’ 102-96 win over Dallas at American Airlines Center, and played well, scoring a team-high 22 points.

However, after the final buzzer, Thompson and Morant were seen jarring at each other under the basket before they had to be separated.

It’s unclear exactly what was said, but some online might have deciphered Morant’s message to Thompson.

Thompson, speaking to reporters after the game, was asked what Morant, out with a right calf strain, told him. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)

“Nothing of intelligent depth,” Thompson said. “It was really just him running his mouth and he’s been running his mouth for a long time. It’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. Kind of the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more. We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that.

“We need that in the NBA, we need our best players out there, and when you’re a star it comes with a great responsibility and I hate to see that go to waste.”

Thompson has a point, as evidenced by this wild stat:

The 35-year-old Thompson has played in 269 games since making his return to the court on Jan. 9, 2022, while the 26-year-old Morant has played in 139 games.

Memphis’ star guard has missed a lot of time, for a variety of reasons. But we don’t have time to get into all of that.

Morant’s trash talk didn’t stop after his on-court incident with Thompson, and the Grizzlies star had one final message when he crashed teammate Cam Spencer’s postgame interview.

“Tell ’em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn’t bro from Golden State,” Morant said in the background, referencing Thompson.

Spencer scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

Thompson scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.

But who’s counting?

Well, Morant is.

The incident between Thompson and Morant appeared to spark after Thompson expressed his frustration with Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, who appeared to grab Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s lower left leg on a play under the basket.

That play, or the dirty nature of it, reminded Thompson of a play involving former teammate Gary Payton II in the Western Conference semifinals series between the Warriors and Grizzlies in 2022. (h/t ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta)

“Well, with the tall guy, that’s just not cool,” Thompson said of Aldama’s grab of Flagg. “I’ve seen them do dirty stuff before. I remember in the playoffs 2022, they broke my teammate’s elbow, a dirty hit. That made me think of that. I don’t like seeing that done to a rookie, that’s not cool. I’ll compete with you all day on the basketball court, but don’t be dirty. That’s not it.”

Thompson then re-focused his comments back on Morant.

“And then with Ja, he’s a funny guy,” Thompson added. “He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes accountability. But you know what, that’s for another day.”

Mic drop.

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Harden sets Clippers record with 55 points in win

James Harden smiles
James Harden was part of the USA team that won Olympic gold at London 2012 [Getty Images]

James Harden set a Los Angeles Clippers record with 55 points in the team's 131-116 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

The 36-year-old guard surpassed the previous Clippers record of 52 points in a game, which had been jointly held by Bob McAdoo and Charles Smith.

Harden's efforts helped the Clippers improve their record to five wins and 11 losses this season, and he said: "The work I put in individually, I do it for the entire team. I'm just trying to find ways to win games."

Elsewhere in the NBA on Saturday, Nikola Jokic put in a fine individual performance of his own, but the Serb's 44 points could not prevent the Denver Nuggets losing 128-123 to the Sacramento Kings - who ended their eight-game losing streak.

Detroit Pistons remain top of the Eastern Conference, having extended their winning run to 12 games - their best sequence since 2004 - with a 129-116 victory against Milwaukee Bucks.

But the Washington Wizards slipped to a 14th consecutive defeat, losing 121-120 to the Chicago Bulls.

NBA results in full

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Mike Brown remains confident Knicks can be good defensive team after loss to Magic

The Knicks were in a back-and-forth bout against the Magic on Saturday until the fourth quarter started.

New York entered the final frame down just five points and cut it to three in the opening minutes of the fourth when the Magic put an end to the comeback with an offensive explosion. Orlando picked apart the Knicks defense, cutting to the basket for easy buckets and hitting their threes. At the same time, the Knicks' offense became stagnant, allowing the Magic to build a lead as large as 18 points.

Even though Jalen Brunson tried to will a comeback, cutting the deficit to 12, it was too little too late as the Knicks waved the white flag and took a 133-121 loss.

Digging deeper into the numbers of the game, the Knicks' defense allowed 64 points in the paint as the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from three for the game. And the Magic made it look easy.

"We got to do a better job of taking care of the paint," head coach Mike Brown said after the loss. "We didn't do a great job of taking care of the paint tonight, 64 points in the paint, that's what they do. Thirty free throw attempts. That's what they do, so we have to do a better job in that area while trying to take care of the ball, but give those guys a lot of credit for stepping up and creating some separation late in the ball game."

The Magic are known for their physical style on offense and defense. It was that physicality that dominated the Knicks the first time they played each other this season, that time at MSG. Brown made his disappointment in his players known after that loss, saying the Magic "kicked our a--", but this time was different for the first-year Knicks coach.

Brown pointed out how it was just a one-possession game in the fourth quarter when he took out Jordan Clarkson and Magic forward Franz Wagner went on a heater. 

"As a group, we got a little deflated, and like I said, you got to give Orlando credit, they pounced on us," Brown said. "We needed to do a better job of playing through their run during that time."

Wagner put up a game-high 37 points, which was also his season-high. On Saturday, the Magic scored a season-high in points while three players had their individual season highs. Wagner's 37 to go along with Desmond Bane's 27 and Jalen Suggs' 26 points. 

"For us, we gotta be better," Brunson said of the run that put the game out of reach. "They were getting offensive rebounds, kickout threes. We didn't close that third quarter well. They just went on their run, and then it was too late until we kind of adjusted to it. We gotta start quarters better, we gotta end quarters better. Just not a good showing for us in the second half."

Although the teams matched each other in total rebounds, the Magic had a slight lead on the offensive glass, 11-9, but the players kept going back to the disparity in paint points.

"That’s just a bad job on us," Josh Hart said. "Obviously, there's guys who are out there that we probably could have played off a little bit, and we didn’t do that and we let guys drive across the paint... We gotta watch the film and get better."

Brunson said the team has to do a better job of keeping the ball in front of them on defense, and that starts with him. However, he says the Knicks have to be better at helping each other on defense.

Despite the bad defensive performance, the Knicks remain 9-6 but fall to 1-5 on the road. Brown was asked if he's confident the Knicks' defense can be better, and the coach believes it's possible.

"I'm confident we can be where we need to defensively," Brown said. "We played well in some instances, and we haven't played well, and that's what you kind of go through, especially during this part of the year. So, I do think we can be a really good defensive team. But again, no matter who we throw out there, we gotta have a feel and understanding what we're trying to do on that end of the floor to get things done."

What makes him so confident? Brown says he's seen the defense they want in the two prior games.

In Wednesday's win against the Mavericks, the Knicks held Dallas to 41 percent shooting and held them to 111 points. Against the Heat -- a loss -- Miami shot 45 percent and scored 113 points.

"We're going to be fine at the end of the day because our guys want it, and they have been better," Brown said.

The Knicks will look to improve their defense and get back in the win column when they travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Monday.

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Watch James Harden drop 55 on Hornets; Chris Paul plays likely final game in native North Carolina

Chris Paul drew the headlines — and a warm welcome from the Charlotte crowd — after he suggested he is going to retire after this season and this could be his final game in his home state.

However, it was James Harden who carried the Clippers, scoring 27 points in the first quarter on his way to a franchise-high 55 in the game.

Behind Harden, the Clippers picked up a 131-116 win on the road, something much needed for a team that had lost 9-of-10. Ivica Zubac added 18 points for Los Angeles.

It was a rough night for Charlotte fans watching their team drop its fifth straight, but they gave a huge ovation to Paul in what might be his final game in his native North Carolina.

The good news for Charlotte was that Brandon Miller returned after missing the last 13 games due to a shoulder injury, and he dropped 21 in the loss. Rookie Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with 26 points.

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Knicks' Landry Shamet to be evaluated in next few days after suffering shoulder injury vs. Magic

Knicks guard Landry Shametleft Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic early due to a shoulder injury.

Shamet, starting with OG Anunoby injured, collided with Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. midcourt. Shamet immediately grabbed at his right shoulder and ran to the locker room with a trainer. 

The Knicks announced Shamet suffered a shoulder injury before the start of the second quarter and ruled him out for the rest of the game. Following the Knicks' loss to the Magic, coach Mike Brown gave a short update on Shamet's next step, saying the guard will get a full evaluation in the next few days, but he didn't know more than that.

Shamet will travel with his team back to New York as the Knicks' next game is against the Nets in Brooklyn on Monday.

In less than three minutes on the court, Shamet had two assists and was a plus-six before his injury.

This is the same shoulder Shamet dislocated during the 2024 preseason. He was later signed by New York in December and helped the Knicks as a key bench player.

This season, Shamet has had some great moments. Entering Saturday, Shamet is averaging 9.9 points on 45 percent shooting. He made some key threes in the Knicks' win over the Mavericks and scored a career-high 36 points in the Knicks' win over the Heat last Friday.

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Knicks' defense no-shows fourth quarter in 133-121 loss to Magic

Despite a double-double from Jalen Brunson, the Knicks defense collapsed in the fourth quarter in their 133-121 loss to the Magic in Orlando on Saturday.

Coming off their first road win of the season, the Knicks could not duplicate their performance as the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from three to defeat New York for the second straight time this season.

The last time these two teams met (Nov. 12 at MSG), the Magic outmuscled the Knicks and ended New York's five-game winning streak, 124-107. It was arguably the team's worst loss of the season. This one is probably their second-worst.

Brunson, who injured his ankle the last time he faced the Magic and missed two games, led New York with 33 points on 12 of 21 shooting with 11 assists and three rebounds. 

Unfortunately for the Knicks, they lost two rotation players in this one. Miles McBride was questionable before the game with an illness, but was good to go after shootaround. However, the guard never saw the floor and was not seen on the bench for the whole game. Landry Shamet, who started alongside Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, left early in the first quarter after a midcourt collision led to a shoulder injury.

The Knicks (9-6) are now 1-5 on the road this season.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Knicks, led by Brunson, got off to a quick 11-2 start, but the shots stopped falling and the Magic got out to a 12-0 run of their own once the bench started coming in. 

The Villanova trio of Brunson (14), Bridges (9) and Josh Hart (2) accounted for 25 of the team's 29 points in the quarter. However, Hart picked up three fouls in the first in extended time with Shamet out. Towns was 0-for-4 (0-2 from three) in the first quarter.

The Magic ended the opening frame up 31-29, thanks to Desmond Bane grabbing a rebound on a missed free throw by his teammate and flipping the ball up and in for an and-one. Bane (10) and Franz Wagner (12) led the way for the Magic in the first quarter as they shot 53 percent. 

-Orlando got out to a quick 6-0 run to start, but some big threes from Jordan Clarkson helped cut the deficit in what was a back-and-forth quarter. The Knicks were up 66-64 at the half. The Knicks shot 61 percent through two quarters with Brunson doing most of the heavy lifting, scoring 23 in 18 minutes. Towns finally got on the board with six points in the second but he was a non-factor on the offensive end. Wagner led the Magic with 23 in his 17 minutes at the half, and no matter who was defending him, the Knicks had no answer. 

-Clarkson began the third quarter with the starters, but it was Towns who found his offensive game. The big man scored 11 points, thanks in large part to free throws. But the Magic found offense from everyone as the Knicks found themselves down five points after three quarters. 

The same was the case in the fourth as the Knicks had a hard time keeping up with the Magic, getting down by as many as 18 points in the final frame. After sitting out most of the third due to foul trouble and being ineffective against the athletic Magic forwards, head coach Mike Brown brought in his big man but it was more of the same as Wagner continued his torrid scoring. 

But it was the Knicks' defense that let this one get away. The Magic were shooting 77 percent halfway through the fourth quarter (finished 54 percent), and three starters had season highs for points with Wagner (37), Bane (27) and Jalen Suggs (26) leading the way for Orlando. With less than three minutes remaining, Brown emptied the bench down 12 points, putting a bow on the loss.

The Magic outrebounded the Knicks for most of the game until the benches cleared, but finished 11-9 on the offensive glass.

-With the injuries and foul trouble,Brownsearched for answers off the bench. He called on Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara at times, but he leaned heavily on Hart, Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.

Here's how the Knicks bench performed:

  • Hart: 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes (fouled out)
  • Clarkson: 15 points, two rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes
  • Diawara: zero points (0-3), two assists and one rebound in 10 minutes
  • Yabusele: Four points, one rebound in 13 minutes
  • Kolek: Eight points, one assist, two steals in 17 minutes

Even Ariel Hukporti came in for a play before halftime, before the benches were emptied. Pacome Dadiet came in for the final three minutes.

Game MVP: Franz Wagner

Could go to Bane, who did it on both sides of the ball, but Wagner was unstoppable and rendered Robinson unusable. Wagner finished with 37 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will continue their road trip, heading across the river to take on the Nets on Monday night at 7:30 p.m.

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Russell Westbrook delivers in clutch to help Kings snap eight-game losing streak

Russell Westbrook delivers in clutch to help Kings snap eight-game losing streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the first time since Nov. 5, the sky in downtown Sacramento is graced with a purple hue that can only mean one thing. The Kings won a basketball game.

Sacramento snapped an eight-game losing streak with a gritty 128-123 comeback win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night at Ball Arena, getting a vintage Russell Westbrook performance that was capped off with an exquisite fourth quarter showing against his former team.

Westbrook has 21 points, six rebounds and 11 assists on 9-of-16 shooting, with the majority of those buckets coming down the stretch as Sacramento valiantly stormed back from a 13-point deficit to snag a much-needed victory.

15 of those 21 points came in the fourth quarter, including a timeless sequence that saw Westbrook snag a rebound at one end before racing up the court for a layup. Even at 37 years old, Westbrook’s burst still is among the NBA’s best.

Westbrook’s hustle and effort were on display during a pivotal sequence with just over a minute remaining, battling on the boards with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, before making the heady decision to throw the ball off his former teammate to ensure Sacramento would gain possession of the ball.

Westbrook then followed that up with a tough fadeaway shot along the baseline, effectively sealing the win for Sacramento.

While Westbrook stole the show with his fourth-quarter heroics, the nine-time NBA All-Star was quick credit his teammate’s faith in each other as the key to pulling out a win that ended a couple weeks of basketball misery for the Kings.

“You lean on each other. You don’t look out, you look within,” Westbrook said on “Kings Postgame Live. “You have each other’s back. This is a brotherhood, and I think through all the ups and downs all we have is each other. Going on the road, especially against a championship-caliber team, this is a big win for us.”

Westbrook’s teammates still wasted no time heaping praise on the former NBA MVP.

“How many years has he been in the league? 18? He has been doing this for a long time, nothing surprises me,” Malik Monk told reporters after the win when asked about Westbrook.

Keegan Murray also echoed praise for the 18-year veteran, citing the difficult shots Westbrook drained down the stretch to help secure the win.

“He mad some really tough shots. Obviously he played here last year, so that was big for him,” Murray said. “He’s a super confident guy, been around the block a couple times. It was a big moment for him and it helped us get the win.

Murray dropped in 19 points of his own, and more importantly made his presence felt on the defensive end, an area where the Kings missed him dearly during a prolonged injury absence.

While the win only improves the Kings to 4-13 on the season, it was the first step toward any chance at turning Sacramento’s abysmal start to the season around. The Kings have a chance to continue building momentum on Monday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.

But for now, they can take a moment and enjoy the spoils of victory. A feeling they haven’t been able to cherish for almost three weeks.

“Like I’ve said many times, this league is hard to win in every night,” Westbrook said. “Tonight we fought as a team, this is a big win for us going back home.”

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Multiple defendants in NBA gambling case are discussing plea deals

The sweeping gambling indictment that has engulfed the NBA, bringing two separate scandals together, could soon be streamlined.

Via NBCNews.com, court records show that multiple defendants are discussing plea deals. The case includes three NBA figures: Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and ex-NBA player and coach Damon Jones.

The documents do not specify which of the 31 total defendants are discussing a potential plea bargain. During a hearing earlier this month, Jones's lawyer said that he and the government may be engaging in plea negotiations.

All defendants are due in court next week for a status conference. The cases involves allegations regarding the misuse of inside information for betting purposes, and the existence of a poker games that was rigged with various high-tech mechanisms.

It's unclear whether guilty pleas will result in more charges. Usually in such cases, the prosecution tries to parlay guilty pleas into getting people higher in the operation. Here, the objective could be to go lower — and to ensnare recognizable names.

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Kawhi Leonard expected to return to struggling Clippers Sunday vs. Cavaliers

The Los Angeles Clippers, losers of 9-of-10, needed some good news.

They got it Saturday: Kawhi Leonard will return to the rotation on Sunday, when Los Angeles visits Cleveland, a story broken by NBA insider Chris Haynes, and since confirmed by other sources. At that point, Leonard will have missed 10 games due to a foot and ankle sprain.

That means Leonard should be available when the Clippers take on the Lakers in a critical Group B NBA Cup game, which you can watch on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock.

Leonard averaged 24.4 points on 50.5% shooting, plus grabbing 5.7 rebounds a game in the six games he played before his injury.

Coach Tyronn Lue has been preaching patience in Los Angeles as the team has fallen to 4-11 on the season and 13th in the West. (The Clippers don't own their first-round pick, it goes to Oklahoma City as the last piece of the Paul George trade, so there is no reason for them to tank.)

"Just stay with it..." Lue said recently when asked his message to Clippers fans. "It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. And so then we get some more guys back, it could be a different story."

He's getting one guy back, and a critical guy in Leonard. However, the Clippers remain without Bradley Beal (hip surgery, done for the season) and Derrick Jones Jr. (sprained MCL).

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Chris Paul to retire after this season, his 21st in NBA

Chris Paul is ready to hang up his Nikes after 21 NBA seasons. Next stop: Hall of Fame.

Paul posted this on social media Saturday morning, while with the Clippers in his native North Carolina to take on the Hornets, saying he was "grateful for this last one."

Shams Charania of ESPN and other sources confirmed that this will be Paul's final NBA season and that he will retire at the end of it.

Paul, the best pure point guard of a generation, is an unquestioned first-ballot Hall of Famer. A member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, he is a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA player who made nine All-Defensive Teams, was the league assist leader five times and the steals leader six times, and was the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year.

For his career, he averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 assists a game, plus shot 36.9% from 3-point range. While his best statistical seasons may have come with the Hornets, his best play came as the point guard of the Lob City Clippers in the early 2010s with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Those Clippers teams were not only highly entertaining to watch but also consistently won 50+ games and were a playoff threat (a threat that never materialized due to a combination of injuries and a couple of meltdowns).

Because CP3 played one of the highest-IQ, smartest games in the league, he had a long and productive career, leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 in his age 35 season. His play and his mentorship have influenced countless players over the years.

"Give my credit to Chris Paul, man," former CP3 teammate Deandre Ayton said of how he learned the short roll and how to adjust and play at a high level. "Chris Paul definitely taught me the short man role, and that high-level basketball because [the Suns] went straight to the finals with him, his first time with us."

However, father time caught up with Paul this season, where he was back with the Clippers, coming off the bench and racking up a lot of DNPs for a team that could use a steady hand. With that, Saturday's announcement was not a big surprise.

Paul will and should be celebrated the rest of this season, and then it is on to Springfield, Mass.