Category: Basketball

‘Nico Harrison was right': Fans react as Timberwolves stun Lakers in first round originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Was Nico Harrison…right?

The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.

Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.

Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.

The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:

‘Nico Harrison was right': Fans react as Timberwolves stun Lakers in first round originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Was Nico Harrison…right?

The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.

Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.

Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.

The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:

Rockets attack Steph's tender thumb with ‘idiotic' rules on their side originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen Curry’s swollen right thumb looks as if it would be uncomfortable holding a toothbrush or tying shoes, much less pulling the Warriors through the NBA playoffs.

There is no doubt the Houston Rockets have noticed the wrap that extends from Curry’s thumb to his wrist. They sense a possible weakness, and every team hunts vulnerabilities once in the playoffs. Coincidentally, basketball is very much a contact sport for the Rockets.

The Rockets appear to be targeting Steph's thumb early on 🤔 pic.twitter.com/wT2bvvCOCw

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

They’re making plenty of contact with Curry’s right thumb, which is at the base of the release of his jump shot, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr is more annoyed by it than Curry.

“I don’t think it’s impacting him,” Kerr told reporters in Houston after the 131-116 Game 5 loss to the Rockets. “Players are going to do whatever they’re allowed to do. And, so, on every release Steph’s getting hit.

“But it’s basically within the rules. So that’s how the league wants it right now. I know we’ve got 30 coaches who all think it’s just idiotic that we allow this.”

"It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but we have to take it through the league process to get that changed."

Kerr wants to see rule a change after the Rockets went at Steph's thumb all night pic.twitter.com/U2GmUF3ZmD

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

The NBA rulebook allows “minimal contact” from a defender once a shot is released. Officials are allowed to use discretion on the definition of “minimal contact.” The Rockets – particularly Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengun – generally don’t operate with a minimal contact approach.

“There’s a pattern of when it’s full extension, when it’s the full point of release, because it’s hard for a ref,” Curry said. “I get it. You’re trying to look at the body, look at the release, where contact is. There’s a subtle difference in how certain people do it. When I say it’s a foul, it’s a foul. But other than that, as a player, you can’t worry about it too much.”

“As a player, you can’t worry about it too much … you can complain, but if you dwell on it and get distracted by it, then you’re not worried about making shots. I’m trying to do both. Make shots and if I get fouled, like, let them know I got fouled.”

Curry played 24 minutes in the Game 5 blowout, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 9 from distance and 2 of 3 from the line. He added three rebounds and seven assists, with three turnovers.

Kerr and Curry both said the tender thumb, initially sprained on New Year’s Day and aggravated countless times, is not having an impact on his performance. He’s averaging 23.4 points per game in this first-round series, shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 39.6 beyond the arc and 90 percent from the line.

In short, Curry is playing well enough for observers to forget about the sore thumb.

But it is sore.

“I do believe [officials] are allowed to call a flagrant if they want,” Kerr said. “The refs can call a flagrant if the guy winds up and takes a takes a shot. It’s been happening across the league all year long. It’s a dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

“But we have to take it through the league process to get that changed, and that’ll probably happen this summer.”

That thumb will be an issue for as long as the Warriors remain in the postseason. Curry is determined not to let it become the issue that impacts his performance.

It would surprise no one, however, if the Rockets try to have a few more whacks at it. The rule says they can.

“You don’t think about it,” Curry said. “And if it’s a foul, they should call it. That’s it. If it’s a foul, they should call it.”

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‘Nico Harrison was right': Fans react as Timberwolves stun Lakers in first round originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Was Nico Harrison…right?

The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.

Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.

Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.

The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:

Timberwolves stunningly eliminate Lakers, await Warriors-Rockets series winner originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t fall into the same trap as the Warriors on Wednesday night.

Given the chance to pull off a first-round NBA playoff series upset, the Timberwolves seized the moment, beating the No. 3-seeded Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 in Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.

Minnesota, the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed, advances to the conference semifinals, where it awaits the winner of the Golden State-Houston series.

The Warriors lost Game 5 131-116 at Toyota Center and now lead the Rockets 3-2. Game 6 is set for 6 p.m. PT on Friday at Chase Center.

If the Warriors beat the Rockets in Game 6, they would travel to Minneapolis for the start of the Western Conference semifinals, which could begin as early as Sunday.

If the Rockets force a Game 7 with the Warriors, the second-round series likely wouldn’t begin until Tuesday night.

Should the Warriors advance to face the Timberwolves, their regular-season record should benefit them, as Golden State took three of the four meetings this season.

But the Warriors have to take care of business against the Rockets first before they can think about the Timberwolves.

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Spencer, Warriors' bench set tone for Game 6 as bright spot in loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – He wears a black shirt underneath his jersey and sports a mustache that makes him resemble your local mailman more than a backup point guard in the NBA, yet Pat Spencer, with four minutes remaining in the Warriors’ Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, showed exactly why he’s revered inside the locker room. 

Spencer was walking away from a play where he and Moses Moody tried to wrestle a rebound from Dillon Brooks. The Rockets’ agitator flew to the floor like a tornado made its way into Toyota Center and immediately took exception to Spencer, who turned his back and brushed him off, giving a gesture that explains how Golden State has long felt about Brooks. 

That’s when tempers flared and fireworks followed, making what was once a blowout Warriors loss extremely interesting. 

Alperen Şengün bumped Spencer and got in his face, but Spencer didn’t back down and found himself nose-to-nose with the Rockets center who stands eight inches taller than him. As Spencer headbutted Şengün in the eyes, Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis came to his aid and shoved Şengün in the chest as he already was falling backwards. 

Pat Spencer was ejected after headbutting Alperen Şengün pic.twitter.com/eGSjdqvpeQ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

TJD WANTED ALL THE SMOKE 😳 pic.twitter.com/jW6M6lVRWD

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

Jackson-Davis, Şengün and multiple other players had to be held back. Spencer was ejected, and both Jackson-Davis and Şengün were given offsetting technical fouls. 

“Obviously it’s basketball, we get in the heat of the game, but I’m not going to let someone that’s twice the size of Pat try to go at him like that,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area in the Warriors’ locker room. “I don’t know what he was thinking.”

The headbutt actually wasn’t seen by Jackson-Davis in real time, but he said when he saw Spencer afterward he saw a little red mark on his forehead, laughing about the incident.

“That was the lacrosse coming out of him,” Jackson-Davis says.

Draymond Green called it “beautiful” to see Spencer and Jackson-Davis getting into it with Şengün. 

“We don’t back down from anybody, and they didn’t,” Green said. 

Though his back was turned to what was going on, Moses Moody gave the perfect answer to how the Warriors feel about Spencer. 

“Pat a dog,” Moody said. 

The Warriors had a chance to close out the series and get some rest before the next round, but lost 131-116, forcing a Game 6 on Friday at Chase Center. Warriors coach Steve Kerr essentially called it a night when he emptied his bench, putting in Spencer, Moses Moody, Kevin Knox, Gui Santos and Quinten Post with a little under six minutes left in the third quarter and the Warriors down by 29 points, 93-64.

If it already wasn’t obvious by then, the game was a wrap. Warriors stars like Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Green already were discussing adjustments that needed to be made for Game 6. But that wasn’t the focus for the Warriors on the court, or the rest of their reserves. 

They were given a chance to show what they’re made of and seized their opportunity. 

The Warriors’ reserves outscored the Rockets 16-14 the rest of the third quarter, entering the fourth quarter still down by 27 points, 107-80. Jackson-Davis and G League Defensive Player of the Year Braxton Key joined Spencer, Moody and Knox to begin the fourth quarter, and the unit made the Rockets sweat so much the end of the game became a mini win for the Warriors in what otherwise was a near wire-to-wire loss. 

Houston once held a 31-point lead. But after Golden State went on a 10-2 run with that lineup to open the fourth quarter, the deficit was cut to 17, prompting Rockets coach Ime Udoka to bring his starting five back in with eight minutes remaining. 

“That was our goal,” Jackson-Davis said of the bench. “Just having [the Rockets’ starters] play a little extra, and it was just us trying to enforce and bring some energy back to the Bay.” 

Even with the Rockets’ starters back in the game, the Warriors’ backups weren’t slowing down. Before Spencer was ejected, in a stretch that lasted nearly four minutes, the Warriors outscored the Rockets 9-5 and Houston’s lead at one point was cut down to 11.

Through the first four games of the series, Moody had scored a total of 29 points on 38.5-percent shooting and 31.6 percent from deep. The extra playing time allowed him to get in a groove offensively, finishing as the Warriors’ leading scorer with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, and he grabbed nine rebounds. Knox was a team-high plus-14 with 14 points. Spencer in 14 minutes scored 11 points and was a plus-13. Jackson-Davis and Key were all over the glass, and both finished as a plus-12. 

Between Curry and Butler, the Warriors only got 21 points from their dynamic duo. The starting five scored a combined 40 points, 36 fewer than the bench’s 76, which is the most in franchise history for a playoff game since the NBA began tracking starters in the 1970-71 season. 

“Loved our bench group,” Kerr said. “They came in, they forced Houston to bring their starters back in. They set a tone that we’re going to need for Game 6. Even though we lost the game, I thought it was crucial that we fought the way we did in the fourth quarter.” 

Teammates and Kerr alike loudly commended their effort. Curry even asked for his ankle braces back when the Warriors were down 14 points with six and a half minutes to go. Butler said he was ready to get back in the game, but Kerr was going to ride with his guys. 

Those guys also allowed Butler to only play 25 minutes, Curry to play 23 and Green to play 18.

The Rockets took control of the game before the Warriors could regain it. Every ounce of fight the Warriors will need to celebrate Friday on their home floor was displayed by their backups, proving they’ll never back down when it’s their moment to shine.

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Why Butler believes Warriors are ‘fine' despite blowout Game 5 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite a lopsided 131-116 Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Toyota Center, there’s no reason for the Warriors to panic. 

At least that’s what wing Jimmy Butler shared after the Rockets forced a Game 6 set for Friday night at Chase Center.

“We’re fine. Our confidence isn’t going to waver any,” Butler told reporters.

If anyone has experienced the extremes of a seven-game NBA playoff series, it’s Butler. 

During the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, Butler and the Miami Heat gave up a three-to-nothing series lead to the Boston Celtics. The Heat, ultimately, dodged humiliation after winning the series in Game 7.

A year earlier, specifically on May 11, 2022, the Warriors were thumped by the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of their second-round series, losing by 39. Golden State responded and won the series in Game 6.

Although Golden State ended up losing by 15 against the Rockets on Wednesday, Butler and Co. were down by as much as 31 points before the inexperienced Warriors bench battled back in the second half.

The bench balled out 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/BufHUovVe1

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

The similarities between what both the Warriors and Butler experienced a few years back are striking, but the six-time NBA All-Star is confident he and his teammates have what it takes to seal the deal on Friday. 

 “We’re going to start out better,” Butler added. “We’re going to play a better overall game because we know how good of a team we are as a unit.

“We know how good our players are as individuals. So, as starters, we got to kick us off better, which we know that we will do. We will be fine.”

Butler, who went 2 of 10 overall and missed all three of his 3-point attempts on Wednesday, will need to do his part to close out what has been a feisty series back in the Bay.

If not, it’s for certain that the Warriors won’t be in a “fine” situation then.

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Steph Curry has hilarious reaction to viral image of thumb after Warriors' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry sees everything, and apparently, the internet sees everything, too, much to the amusement of the Warriors’ superstar.

Following the Warriors’ 131-116 Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center, Curry was asked about a viral image on social media showing his swollen right thumb.

“I got the Feds on me?” Curry asked, laughing. “What are you talking about?”

"You got the feds on me?"

Steph delivered a hilarious response when asked about a viral image of his thumb 😂 pic.twitter.com/epBgx2WhwO

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

The image in question was posted by the Warriors on Tuesday as the players were boarding the team plane to Houston.

Internet detectives zoomed in on Curry’s right hand and noticed the swelling.

Look at the swelling on Steph’s injured thumb 😳 pic.twitter.com/JDPu6TC7ZO

— japtaa⚡️ (@DubsBetterr) April 30, 2025

Curry found the whole scenario entertaining.

“I love this league so much,” Curry said. “I love it so much.”

Curry has been dealing with a right thumb injury for several months and wears a heavy wrap for each game.

In Wednesday’s game in Houston, the Rockets were attacking Curry’s thumb. At one point early in the game, he argued with a referee after Dillon Brooks appeared to whack it while contesting a 3-point attempt.

Curry brushed off concerns when asked how his thumb is feeling.

“I don’t even know how to answer that,” Curry told reporters. “Just something you’re dealing with and you keep it moving. As long as I can play. You’ve got a wrap for a reason but that’s it.”

The two-time NBA MVP is confident his injured thumb isn’t impacting how he’s playing.

“No,” Curry said. “Not at all.”

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Warriors' Game 5 no-show a familiar scene, but makes Game 6 imperative originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With the Houston Rockets playing less like men than a pride of lions, the Warriors on Wednesday absorbed a Game 5 mauling so thorough the starters were dry and seated before the fourth quarter.

The Warriors raised the white flag early and were waving it more furiously with each trifling possession before watching the subs crank up the intensity late to forge a more palatable final score of 131-116.

“It was just a slow start for us on both sides of the ball. We missed some shots, turned the ball up early and didn’t make them miss at all,” Jimmy Butler III told reporters at Toyota Center in Houston.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, sworn to the wisdom of always having Stephen Curry or Butler on the floor, was so desperate that he deviated less than two minutes into the second quarter. With the Warriors trailing, 46-24, Butler headed to the bench for Gui Santos, who joined Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Draymond Green and Quinten Post.

That quintet might never again be seen, nor should it be. It certainly will not be in the plan Friday night for Game 6 of this first-round Western Conference playoff series.

The Warriors played Game 5 in Houston as if they were longing to return to the Bay Area for Game 6 at Chase Center. It represents their second opportunity to advance to the conference semifinals and bounce the richly loathed Rockets into the offseason.

“They got in the bonus in four and a half minutes,” Curry said. “They were the aggressor. First three fouls were … I guess they were fouls. And it kind of set the tone. And then they got confidence, went on a run, got the crowd into it early, and the desperate team set the tone.

“We understand how to negate that going into Game 6 and come out with a better effort in that first six minutes to set the tone our way.”

Winning Game 6 is the only way the Warriors can offset this stinker.

The Warriors fell behind by as much as 30 in the first half, with the regular rotation playing as if it were looking ahead to Game 6. When Kerr summoned the subs midway through the third quarter, they played as if money were on the table in Game 5.

“They came in and they forced Houston to bring their starters back in,” Kerr said. “They set a tone that we’re going to need for Game 6. I thought even though we lost the game, I thought it was crucial that we fought the way we did in the fourth quarter.”

This is not unfamiliar territory for Golden State’s veterans. Kerr, Curry, Green, Kevon Looney and Moses Moody can recall the 2022 NBA playoffs, when they took a 3-1 conference semifinals series lead over the Grizzlies before heading to Memphis and taking a 134-95 beating in Game 5. The Warriors returned home and posted a 14-point win in Game 6.

That preceded a conference finals series in which they took a 3-0 lead on the Mavericks, lost Game 4 by 10 in Dallas and came home to win Game 5 by 10 at Chase.

“At this point in our careers,” Green said, “we’ve seen it all. Had all the experiences. So, you’ve got something to draw back from. Yeah, they played a good game. But whether they win by one or by 50, it’s a playoff series. Counts as one.”

After Fred VanVleet, invisible in the first three games but cooking in Games 4 and 5, scored on a layup, putting the Rockets up 93-64, Kerr pulled all five starters and turned to the bench. Led by Pat Spencer and Moody, the reserves outscored Houston 52-38.

As Curry, Butler and Green watched the last 18 minutes from the bench, they already were in Game 6 mode.

“We turned the page quick,” Green said. “Just start talking about possible adjustments that we can make, things we see, stuff we can get into. We have. We flipped the page really fast.”

Game 5 didn’t linger. Rarely does. Only once in Golden State’s history under Kerr has a series been lost after taking a 3-1 lead. There have, however, been numerous earlier closeout games that ended in defeat, including each of the first three rounds preceding the NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics.

The 2018-19 Warriors, with Curry and Green joined by prime Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, built a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, lost Game 5 at Oracle Arena, but recovered to win Game 6 at Staples Center behind 50 points from Durant.

The environment will be more favorable this time around.

“There’s definitely something you can look back on as part of the journey,” Curry said. “That’s all well and great to talk about. [But] you have to go do something about it on the court. We’ve talked about our group is trying to do this for the first time together. And I love that challenge, because we have an opportunity to write our own story and how we bounce back.

“We’ve had a pretty resilient group over the last two months, and it has to show on Friday.”

Indeed, it does, for going back to Houston for Game 7 would be appreciably more daunting than Game 5.

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What we learned as Warriors blown out by Rockets in Game 5, forcing Game 6 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

HOUSTON – Exactly two years ago to the date, Steph Curry scored 50 points in Game 7 of the Warriors’ first-round NBA playoff series against the Sacramento Kings, lifting Golden State to the second round. 

Wednesday night in Houston was nothing like that. Instead, it resembled a night to forget on May 11, 2022, when the Warriors were waxed by the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of their second-round series, trailing by 55 points and ultimately losing by 39. 

Holding a three-games-to-one series lead, as they did in that Memphis series, the Warriors were mostly dominated by the Rockets, losing 131-116 in Game 5 at the Toyota Center on Wednesday. They were down by as much as 31 points before the bench battled back in the second half.

After leading 8-7 two minutes into the game, the Warriors never led the rest of the way. The Rockets played like a team with their backs against the wall, and the Warriors couldn’t match their energy. Early foul trouble hurt the Warriors mightily, helping put them in a hole far too wide to climb out of. 

Steph Curry (13 points) and Jimmy Butler (eight points) combined to score a lowly 21 points. Curry was 4 of 12 from the field and 3 of 9 on threes. Butler went 2 of 10 overall and missed all three of his 3-point attempts. Yet through the first three quarters, Curry still was the Warriors’ leading scorer.

This always felt like a series bound to go at least six games, and now the Warriors will look to close the door Friday night at Chase Center in Game 6. 

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 5 loss.

Offense Goes Awry 

No Batman, no Robin and no Alfred either. It was that kind of night for the Warriors’ offense.

Curry didn’t score his first points until he made a three halfway through the second quarter. Those three points cut the Warriors’ deficit to 23 points, 55-32. Butler’s first points came from a free throw with four and a half minutes left in the first half, making it a 22-point game. He missed his first six shots, finally getting a layup to fall on a three-point play late in the second quarter.

Steph knocks down his first bucket of the night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/2fV6pQb34R

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 1, 2025

The only Warriors starters to even score in the first quarter were Draymond Green with five points and Brandin Podziemski with three. Buddy Hield remained scoreless on three shot attempts going into halftime. 

For the second straight game, the Warriors struggled to find any offensive flow against the Rockets’ two-big lineup when they went to a zone defense. Their lack of players who can dribble through it was clear, as was Butler being hampered by his pelvic injury. It’s a problem the Warriors will have to fix in a hurry.

Flipping The Free-Throw Line 

Within the first four-plus minutes of the game, the Warriors already were whistled for five fouls, including two on Curry, putting the Rockets in the bonus and at the free-throw line. Through the first four games, the charity stripe was a nightmare for Houston. Not Wednesday night back on its homecourt, though. 

The Warriors found themselves in a 16-point hole after the first quarter, largely because of the difference in fouls and free throws. While the Rockets were only called for three fouls and went a perfect 13 of 13 on free throws in the first quarter, the Warriors were called for nine fouls and didn’t attempt a single free throw. Steve Kerr used eight players in the first quarter, and Podziemski was the only one who didn’t have a foul to his name. 

At halftime, with the Warriors down 76-49, the Rockets had twice as many free throw attempts and had scored 10 more points at the line. But Golden State at that point also only had two more fouls than Houston – 14 to 12. The Rockets in the first four games of the series were shooting 63.2 percent (60 of 95) on free throws, and shot 84.2 percent (32 of 38) in Game 5.

Blaming the referees is a waste. The Rockets came out as the more desperate team, and simply made their free throws this time. 

Silver Linings

Were there any? Let’s take a look. 

As the starting five couldn’t buy a bucket, the Warriors’ bench in the first quarter outscored the Rockets 16-0. Quinten Post came in and immediately made a three. Same with Gui Santos. 

Halfway through the third quarter, Kerr waved the white flag for the Warriors, bringing in Pat Spencer, Moses Moody, Kevin Knox, Santos and Post. That certainly isn’t a silver lining, but there quickly were positives to the matter. 

Moody wound up as the Warriors’ leading scorer with 25 points off the bench. The Warriors’ reserves absolutely played their tails off, forcing Rockets coach Ime Udoka to bring his starters back in when it was a 17-point game with a little under eight minutes remaining in the game. They showed a resilient amount of effort and fight, literally — as Spencer was ejected for headbutting center Alperen Şengün — finishing with 76 bench points – the Warriors’ most ever in a playoff game since 1970-71.

In that 2022 Game 5 loss to the Grizzlies, Curry played 25 minutes and Green played 23. In Wednesday’s Game 5 blowout loss, Curry only played 23 minutes and Green played 18. Butler’s night was done after 25 minutes. 

The Warriors three years ago regrouped, came home and beat the Grizzlies by 14 points. They’ll have to hope that rest for their Big Three is exactly what’s needed for history to repeat itself in a positive way.

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Hawks guard Dyson Daniels wins NBA's Most Improved Player award originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels has been voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

The 22-year-old Daniels beat out fellow finalists Cade Cunningham of Detroit and Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Daniels’ first season in Atlanta was nothing like either of his first two NBA seasons with New Orleans. His numbers soared with career-bests in points (14.1, more than double his 5.8 average last season), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.4), steals (a league-leading 3.0) and his field-goal shooting went from 43.5% in his first two seasons to 49.3% this year. The Hawks made him a full-time starter, something Daniels hadn’t been with the Pelicans.

The Most Improved Player award, like several other NBA honors, was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season.

The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already had their results unveiled: San Antonio’s Stephon Castle winning Rookie of the Year, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley winning Defensive Player of the Year, New York’s Jalen Brunson winning Clutch Player of the Year, and Boston’s Payton Pritchard winning Sixth Man of the Year.

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

Awards that will be announced later in the playoffs include MVP (either Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic or Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo), Coach of the Year (either Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson or Houston’s Ime Udoka), plus the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.