Category: Basketball

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Xavier hopes NCAA bubble doesn’t burst after tough loss to No. 25 Marquette at Big East tourney

If the Xavier Musketeers get left out of the NCAA Tournament, they'll look back at Thursday as a missed opportunity. With a chance to earn a quality win over No. 25 Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals, Xavier coughed up a 14-point lead in the second half and wasted a sensational performance from Ryan Conwell. The fourth-seeded Musketeers (21-11) fell just short in an 89-87 loss to the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles at Madison Square Garden, leaving Xavier's fate uncertain heading into Selection Sunday.

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Knicks owner James Dolan lauds original turnaround plan from Leon Rose: 'We're kind of there'

When the Knicks hired longtime player agent Leon Rose as their president in March 2020, the on-court product wasn't the least bit appealing. They were in the midst of their seventh straight losing season, beset by a reputation known for instability and a constant struggle to attract star talent.

But it didn't take long for Rose to lay the foundation of a winning culture and meet the team's desperate expectations. In five years at the helm, the once-super agent has built a playoff contender, as the current Knicks are well on pace to achieve consecutive 50-win campaigns for the first time in three decades.

The Knicks believed that Rose's relationships and experience in the league would yield positive results in a front office role, and according to team owner James Dolan, their initially-shared vision is being realized.

"We're kind of there. [Karl-Anthony Towns] was sort of the last piece. I'm not expecting any significant changes," Dolan said on the latest episode of the Roommates Show podcast with Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. "Now it's all up to these guys, the coach, to make it happen. I don't know. Do you think we're missing any pieces?...

"It feels like it's kind of a puzzle, where you change one piece, it changes all the other pieces. We've got to figure all that out, figure it out on the court. I think the fans, as much as they want it every day, they're on this journey with you. They do see it. I feel it. I feel the team is growing, growing, growing. I think the fans see the same thing."

While the Knicks haven't played at full strength for prolonged periods of time this season -- Brunson is the latest starter sidelined due to injury -- adversity isn't exactly impeding progress. Their record of 42-23 is best for third in the Eastern Conference, and they rank sixth in the NBA in average points, fifth in offensive rating, and third in field goal percentage.

It's no secret that Brunson is the catalyst. Entering the All-Star break, he ranked first in points, assists, and minutes among all 28-year-olds in the league this season, and in late January, he became the fastest player in Knicks history to score 5,000 points. Brunson has blossomed into a superstar in New York, and his family's ties with Rose are strong.

Now, consider the two-way impact of Towns, who has been averaging 24.2 points since joining the Knicks via trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in October. The veteran center is averaging a career-best double-double this season, despite nursing thumb and knee injuries for months. New York's deal for Towns also required sacrifice -- they were forced to say goodbye to veteran Julius Randle, who played a pivotal role in the franchise turnaround.

With a healthy two-headed monster of Brunson and Towns, along with reliable contributions from Hart, OG Anunobdy, and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have a starting lineup that can instill fear in opponents and hope in fans. Of course, only time will tell if the gas left in their tank can take them on a deep playoff run this spring. But Dolan is pleased with the process and Rose's efforts.

"The hardest thing to do, particularly in the NBA, is to attract talent," Dolan said. "So who would be the best guy you could find in order to bring talent to your team? At that time, who was the No. 1 basketball agent? Leon Rose. I knew Leon. I'm going to get Leon to do this.

"[The conversaion] was short. He was ready... One of my favorite things we used to say in sales was, 'You can't fall off the floor.' At that point [hiring Rose], we were on the floor. He's been doing a great job."

New York will look to extend its win streak to three games in a must-see road matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. This time, they'll be riding momentum from Mikal Bridges, who drilled a last-second three to give the Knicks an overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

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Paul George done for season? He's consulting with doctors on options for groin, knee injuries.

Paul George has missed the last four 76ers games with a groin injury. Combine that with George's ongoing knee issues, and he has been limited to 41 games total this season (15 games where George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey all played).

George is meeting with doctors this week to come up with a treatment plan for his groin and knee, "including a possible procedure," reports Shams Charania of ESPN. A decision is expected early next week.

Considering that Joel Embiid is out for the season and the 76ers are tanking, trying to hold on to their top-six protected pick, it would be stunning if George stepped on an NBA court again this season.

In the wake of the Utah Jazz getting fined $100,000 for not playing Lauri Markkanen in violation of the league’s Player Participation Policy, you can be sure teams are ensuring they follow the appropriate guidelines in sitting star players. This has the feel of the 76ers making sure they don't get hit with a fine.

Last summer George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract to come to Philadelphia, however, injuries have held him back from playing at the level he did last season for the Clippers. George is averaging 16.2 points a game (his fewest since 2012) and has struggled defensively and across the board. With his contract and the massive extension that Joel Embiid got — two nearly untradable contracts right now — the 76ers are pot committed to this core. They are better off getting the high draft pick (lottery gods willing), getting healthy with their stars and players like Jaren McCain (who was having a standout rookie season until he tore a meniscus), and making a run at things again next season.

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What we learned as Kings can't stop Warriors in third straight loss

What we learned as Kings can't stop Warriors in third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Turns out that 29-point loss to the New York Knicks wasn’t rock bottom for the Kings. Three days after getting shellacked at home, Sacramento’s 2024-25 NBA season reached a new low in Thursday’s 130-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Losing to the four-time NBA champions wasn’t the worst part, especially with center Domantas Sabonis again not able to play due to his hamstring injury.

It was the aesthetics that made it so bad.

The Kings’ season-long defensive issues were on full display in a bad way at Chase Center. Time and time again, Warriors’ shooters were given uncontested, wide-open looks. Even when Sacramento tried to D up, Golden State’s offense was too much to handle.

It wasn’t Stephen Curry doing the majority of damage. Although the NBA icon reached another mercurial plateau with his 4,000 career 3-pointer, it was the Warriors’ all-around effort that wore the Kings down.

On the positive side, DeMar DeRozan remained hot with 23 points and seven assists. Keon Ellis added 18 points off the bench while Zach LaVine scored 14. Jake LaRavia had 13 points.

The Kings (33-32) don’t have much time to lick their wounds. They head to Phoenix for a key game against the Suns on Friday. Despite the loss to Golden State, Sacramento remains the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference while Phoenix is on the outer edge of the NBA play-in round.

The Kings came out against the Warriors a little sluggish on offense but seemed intent on preventing Curry from going off. That worked for a while, but the domino effect was what really hurt Sacramento.

With all that attention on Curry, the Kings were out of position when it came to defending Golden State’s other players. Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield made four 3-pointers apiece. Quinten Post and Gary Payton II each made three 3-pointers.

Sacramento trailed bv 23 in the first half before a late run in the second quarter to make things respectable at the break. Those good vibes went away shortly after halftime, as Golden State increased its lead in the third quarter then coasted in the fourth.

Here are the takeaways from Thursday’s game:

Where’s The Closeout?

Sacramento’s perimeter defense might as well have been on the back of a milk carton. It was missing most of the night, one of the key reasons that enabled Golden State to control the flow and rhythm of the game.

Warriors shooters repeatedly were left wide open, either from the corner or at the top of the arc, and made good on their attempts when given space to operate.

Perimeter defense has been an issue for the Kings all season and was one of former coach Mike Brown’s biggest pet peeves. If they can’t get it corrected before the NBA playoffs, it will be a short but tiring postseason for the Kings.

No Domas, No Interior

With Sabonis still sitting out with a grade 1 hamstring strain, the Kings basically had zero presence on the inside, offensively and defensively.

Sacramento, which had four shots blocked in the key within the first 10 minutes of the game, did OK early without their big man in the middle and scored nearly a dozen points in the paint before settling for contested jumpers and distance shots.

Jonas Valančiūnas continued to start at center in Sabonis’ absence and finished with five points and nine rebounds.

Sabonis’ unique ability to score from inside and outside makes him a perennial NBA All-Star contender, and those elements clearly were a sore spot against the Warriors. The good news is that Kings interim coach Doug Christie is optimistic that Sabonis would return soon.

Monk’s Off Night

Making his second consecutive start after missing a trio of games with a toe injury, Kings guard Malik Monk had a frustrating night. Although his offensive numbers were low – seven points on 3-of-13 shooting (0-for-5 from distance) Monk grabbed four boards and dished out six assists.

Monk obviously has earned a strong reputation for coming off the bench, but he has been very good as a starter for the Kings. Keeping him with the starters, despite his off night against Golden State, is a must for Christie.

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Jones scores 28 as No. 25 Marquette rallies past Xavier 89-87 in Big East quarterfinal

Kam Jones scored 28 points and No. 25 Marquette rallied past Xavier 89-87 on Thursday in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. After trailing by 14 early in the second half, the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles (23-9) took the lead for good at 81-80 on Jones' layup with 1:16 remaining. David Joplin connected on a pivotal 3-pointer with 26 seconds left, and Marquette held on to earn a semifinal matchup with sixth-ranked and top-seeded St. John's on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

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What we learned as Steph makes history in Warriors' win vs. Kings

What we learned as Steph makes history in Warriors' win vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors on Thursday night at Chase Center began with back-to-back booms by Draymond Green, who hit threes from the right corner on Golden State’s first two possessions, but all eyes were on Steph Curry’s countdown to 4,000 career 3-pointers. 

History was made during the third quarter, and the Warriors held off the Kings for a 130-104 win to continue their successful homestand. 

Curry played 30 minutes and was held to 11 points on the Kings’ defense that looked to make anybody else beat them. 

The Warriors’ leading scorer, however, was a surprise. Green scored a season-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and was 4 of 7 on threes. He also added five rebounds and four assists.

The anticipation of Curry’s latest historic shot wasn’t the only storyline everyone was waiting to see unfold. Jonathan Kuminga returned from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 4 and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Kuminga was spry and active, scoring 18 points off the bench in 20 minutes, going 7 of 10 from the field and was a plus-8.

This was a group project aced by many. The Warriors had eight players score in double figures, from the starting lineup and four off the bench.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ season-best sixth win in a row.

4K Curry

Before Curry even took one three, the Warriors already had shot four and made half of them. But the first time Curry let it fly, he cashed in from the left wing. Curry then missed his first chance at making his 4,000th career three, clanking from the top of the arc. 

The next three Curry took again was unsuccessful, putting him one three away from his major milestone through the first half.

A little under four minutes into the third quarter, Curry hit 4K on his fourth attempt of the game. Curry used a pump fake to get Trey Lyles to fly past him, dribbled once to his left and again defied basketball history for the umpteenth time. 

During the next timeout, the Warriors played a special tribute video that began with former Warrior Andris Biedrins, who assisted Curry on his first career made 3-pointer as a Warrior on Oct. 30, 2009, his second game in the NBA. Curry made his 1,000th three in his sixth season. He made it to 2,000 early in his ninth season, 3,000 in his 13th season and now 4,000 in his 16th season.

Now, imagine if Curry played more than 26 games in his third season, and wasn’t held to five games in the pandemic-riddled 2019-20 NBA season. The record books will never be the same.

Kuminga’s Impressive Return

The wait finally ended at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter. Kuminga, after missing the Warriors’ previous 31 games, was back on the court following a Kings timeout. He replaced Jimmy Butler, joining Curry, Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post. 

His first shot attempt was a tough finish at the rim on Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas that didn’t fall through. Still, the Warriors loved Kuminga’s intent and decision. He also pushed the ball in transition and assisted Curry on his first three of the night. Then with a little more than three minutes left in the first quarter, Kuminga scored his first points in 68 days. 

Kuminga went coast to coast, hesitated for a second with his left and then blew by Malik Monk for a strong left-handed layup.

That’s exactly what the Warriors want to see out of Kuminga. His first stint was lively, lasting five minutes in which he was a plus-4. Kuminga in the first half played nine minutes and scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting, and also had three rebounds and one assist.

He played another 11 minutes in the second half, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Aside from Curry’s three, the best moment of the night was Kuminga throwing down multiple dunks in the fourth quarter, including an alley-oop from Green.

Kings’ 4-On-4 Strategy

If Keegan Murray was in the game when Curry was on the court, he face guarded Curry everywhere he went. The same goes for Kings guard Keon Ellis. The game turned to 4-on-4 to prevent Curry from making more history. 

Turns out that Curry guy is a pretty decent decoy. 

The Warriors in the first quarter shot 13 threes, with only two coming from Curry. They went 7 of 13 in that span. Going into halftime, the Warriors were shooting 57.1 percent beyond the arc, going 12 of 21, and Curry only was responsible for one made three. 

Before Curry made his 4,000th career 3-pointer, the Warriors as a team were 14 of 23, amounting to 60.1 percent. Green had made four threes. Post and Gary Payton II had made three, and Moody, Buddy Hield and Gui Santos each had made one. 

Kings interim coach Doug Christie’s strategy worked for stretches, taking Curry out of the game as a scorer. More often than not, however, the Warriors as a whole made him pay for it. They made 22 of their 39 3-point attempts while the Kings finished 14 of 37, giving Golden State a 24-point advantage from long distance.

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No. 2 Houston overcomes J’Wan Roberts’ ankle injury to beat Colorado 77-69 in Big 12 quarterfinal

Emanuel Sharpe scored 19 points before fouling out, and No. 2 Houston overcame an injury to veteran forward J'Wan Roberts in the second half to beat Colorado 77-68 on Thursday and advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan added 14 points apiece for the top-seeded Cougars (28-4), who will play No. 17 BYU — the No. 4 seed in the tournament — on Friday night for a spot in their second consecutive championship game. Houston's postseason run a year ago was derailed by injuries, so it made sense that the bench tensed up when Roberts went down right in front of it with about 18 minutes to go.