Category: Basketball

The Knicks went up 1-0 against Detroit in the first round of the playoffs behind a dominant 21-0 fourth quarter run that turned the game around.

New York will be looking to defend home court in Game 2 on Monday, but the Pistons will come ready for revenge.

Here are the three biggest questions going into the next contest:

How will the Pistons adjust?

Detroit taking the first game on the chin likely means they’ll come back with some adjustments for New York to work through. Their first objective should be getting Cade Cunningham some breathing room.

The Knicks started their best defender on him, and threw a mix of aggressive pick-and-roll coverages, especially in that fourth quarter run. Cunningham was held to 8-for-21 shooting and forced into six turnovers, a rough outing for the engine of his team’s offense.

Detroit’s surrounding vets picked up the slack with some hot shooting, but expect the coaching staff to switch things up. More slipped screens that Cunningham can target can catch the Knicks defense off guard, and expect him to be better prepared for the aggression and less susceptible to turnovers.

They can also screen him with wings, and especially Jalen Brunson’s man, more. It was an effective strategy in the regular season and made Brunson work at the level at times in Game 1, but they could’ve pressed that button much more.

Cunningham could also get more off-ball plays run for him. If they get him going downhill off the catch with Anunoby screened and help in the blender, scoring should come much easier.

New York didn’t deal with much Ausar Thompson in Game 1 as he struggled with foul trouble. It’s not an “adjustment” per se, but expect more of an impact from him on Monday.

They also couldn't really adjust anything. If they’re of the belief the fourth quarter was an inexperience-fueled meltdown and the game plan is solid, they could walk into MSG with an identical approach to Game 1.

Whatever direction they go, the Knicks will need to respond on the fly if they want to keep home court secure. 

Will Mikal Bridges get more involved?

One hot button issue for Knicks fans after the win was Bridges’ play. His defense was outstanding, but his offense was a quiet eight points and two assists on 4-for-9 shooting, leading to a prolonged benching during New York’s comeback run. 

In his defense, he hit a timely bucket with under two minutes to play and created a lot of early offense even if it didn’t result in a big presence on the box score. Bridges had a good if uneventful game, just not a five-first-round-pick trade package game, which is the unfortunate standard he’s held to.

Still, even if Game 1 just wasn’t his scoring night, he could’ve been more aggressive in offensive creation during some of the team’s lulls, and the Knicks need him in rhythm to go far. Will they or Bridges make any changes for him to have a bigger role in Game 2?

New York can be more targeted in running some sets for Bridges, like when Cunningham is off the floor and he can target the diminutive and pesky Dennis Schroder. Bridges should generally take the reins more if the offense is in a rut, especially with Brunson off the floor, and call for picks to make something happen.

Will we see more Mitchell Robinson-Karl-Anthony Towns lineups?

One thing the Knicks have up their sleeve these playoffs -- should they choose to use it -- is creative lineup constructions, and enough of them to deal with anything an opponent throws their way. Many hoped New York would avail themselves of the Towns-Robinson frontcourt lineups in this series, given the Knicks' size advantage and defensive concerns with Towns in the middle.

It saw sparse regular season minutes and head coach Tom Thibodeau can often need his hand forced before turning to big changes, but we saw it in its full glory during Game 1. Granted, all nine minutes came in the first half, with Josh Hart in foul trouble.

Does Thibs still bring it out in Game 2 if Hart is foul free? It was only a +2 in that stretch, but looked dominant on the glass and defensively for the most part.

If the Pistons swing back hard, the Knicks may need a silver bullet to pull out Game 2. This lineup could be the answer. 

Warriors' Butler drops fire Steph bar after win vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There are two words that best describe the Warriors’ big win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

‘Organized chaos.’

The phrase was uttered time and time again by Golden State’s star forward Jimmy Butler after its 95-85 win over Houston at Toyota Center, and perhaps is the thematic representation of Warriors teams past, present and future, as long as there is one common denominator: Steph Curry.

“I’m great in the organized chaos, because I know when I can see it coming and [I’m thinking] ‘Let’s get back just in case.’ But he’s (Curry) incredible out of that organized chaos,” Butler told reporters postgame. “I think he gets an incredible shot, or he makes an incredible shot for himself, or he gets it for somebody else.

“I love the organized chaos, I’m not going to lie to you, because nobody knows what to expect. Not even myself, not even coach. The only person that knows what’s coming out of the organized chaos is the person that’s creating it.”

Even Jimmy's in awe of Steph 😮 pic.twitter.com/aB3W3PjNG1

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 21, 2025

The Warriors led Houston by as many as 23 points in the third quarter before the Rockets stormed back to make it a one-possession game midway through the fourth. As it oftentimes is in the NBA, turnovers were contagious on Sunday night, but it was the Warriors who did a better job at course-correcting mid-chaos.

“[Warriors coach Steve Kerr] hates [bad turnovers] as much as I hate it as well, but sometimes good things come out of this organized chaos, that one player in particular loves and thrives in,” Butler added. “So you’ve got to take the crooked with the straight sometimes. It’s not going to be all good and it’s not going to be all bad either.”

The Warriors’ offense, even at the peak of its powers during the dynastic run with Curry, Kerr and Draymond Green, has been turnover-prone at times. However, there usually is a signature Curry Flurry that emerges from the chaos and helps fuel an eventual win.

That still is part of the recipe for success in Year 16 of the Warriors’ Curry-led offense.

“We’re living or dying with that organized chaos,” Butler concluded.

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Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

Playoff Jrue returns at perfect time for Celtics: ‘I like to win' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Our working theory has been that, since arriving in Boston, Jrue Holiday spends pretty much the entirety of the 82-game regular season exploring all the different ways he can impact winning, shunning his own counting stats so that the rest of his teammates can pile up theirs. Then when the postseason begins and the games really matter, he goes into turbo mode.

When we presented this theory to him recently, Holiday had a much simpler explanation for his knack for giving games exactly what they need, particularly on the playoff stage.

“I like to win,” said Holiday.

And for the better part of the past half decade, all he’s done is win. Two NBA titles. Two gold medals. He’s the glue that holds together whatever collection of talent you pair him with.

In Sunday’s Game 1 against the Orlando Magic, Holiday limited his opponents to five points on 2-of-10 shooting with three forced turnovers. Holiday changed the entire tenor of the game with his third-quarter defense on the Magic tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, helping the Celtics pull away.

Banchero finished with 0 points on 0-for-4 shooting and a turnover in five minutes, 15 seconds of matchup time, per NBA tracking. Wagner managed two points on 1-of-3 shooting with 2 turnovers.

In maybe the defining sequence of the game, Holiday forced Wagner to turn the ball over at midcourt then drilled a 3-pointer in transition.

Holiday, typically stoic and composed, had a little extra bounce as he did his trademark Dr. Evil pinkie finger celebration and bounced toward a euphoric Celtics bench.

Holiday finished with nine points while knocking down a trio of 3-pointers. He added five assists, three rebounds, and three steals over 33:13. And his defense was a game-changer yet again. Just like it was throughout last year’s playoff run.

So back to that theory on Playoff Jrue.

“I like to win and I feel like, when it comes to winning, you have to do whatever is necessary,” said Holiday. “Sometimes if you want to and sometimes if you don’t. A lot of the time, you get a certain gratification if you’re the handyman or doing the dirty work. Or even just seeing your teammates succeed. Like, that’s a big smile put on my face.”

Holiday insists he gets more gratification from watching Derrick White and Payton Pritchard do their thing — whether that’s combining for the first 40/40 game in Celtics history, or propelling the offense in Sunday’s Game 1 win over the Magic — than he does in chasing his own counting stats. He’s secure in what he brings to the team.

It was easy to fret about Holiday’s inconsistent 3-point shooting during the 2024-25 season. One year after being the best corner 3-point shooter in the NBA, his efficiency literally halved, dipping from 60 percent (55 for 92) in the corner last year, to 30 percent (32 of 105) this year.

At age 34, was Father Time finally catching up to Holiday? Would the Celtics regret the big-money extension they delivered at the end of last season?

A late-season surge, even as he battled a rare mallet finger injury, calmed those concerns. And to the surprise of no one, Holiday shifted to another gear at Sunday’s start to Boston’s latest postseason adventure.

“He just does so much for our team,” said White, praising the havoc Holiday created on the defensive end while taking on the challenge of defending Banchero in the third quarter. “And [Holiday] just doesn’t care about the numbers and whatnot. It’s great to have him as a teammate.”

Holiday and the Celtics kicked up their defensive energy throughout Game 1. The Celtics averaged 13.9 deflections per game during the regular season, but that number spiked to 26 deflections in Game 1, the highest mark of any team in the weekend’s opening games.

The Celtics posted a defensive rating of 88.5 during Holiday’s court time. They had a +24.6 net rating overall in his court time.

That’s the Playoff Jrue we know. When the lights are the brightest, Holiday is ready to give the game whatever it requires.

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

Experienced Warriors prevail in battle of lessons vs. young Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors spent most of three quarters Sunday night dragging the young Houston Rockets down a path of self-destruction. Their postseason experience was teaching lessons. They were cooking up a rout.

This first-round playoff series was going to be over in four or five games.

But prosperity is fleeting for this season’s Warriors. After building a 23-point lead (66-43) with 6:28 left in the third quarter, Houston pulled within three (76-73) over the next 12 minutes.

Under threat, the Warriors recalled the formula that served them so well earlier, taking charge over the final six minutes and escaping with a 95-85 victory in Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Golden State over the final 6:33 limited Houston to four field goals and forced four turnovers to walk out of Toyota Center with the W and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It took everything,” Draymond Green said on “Warriors Postgame Live.” “We know that’s a great ball club. They’re the No. 2 seed for a reason. They’re a great defensive team. They never back down. We got up 23 points, and they continued to fight. That’s what we expect. It just takes a consistent effort for 48 minutes.

“And we can be a lot better.”

That’s true, and it’s not something the Rockets want to hear. The Warriors shot 47.4 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from distance. Stephen Curry (31 points) and Jimmy Butler III (25) carried an offense that otherwise was ordinary.

This was a triumph of intellect over athleticism, discipline over zeal. The Rockets dominated rebounds (52-36), second-chance points (22-12) and attempted 11 more field goals than the Warriors. Those wins were rendered irrelevant because Golden State’s execution of its defensive game plan kept nudging their offense out of rhythm.

“They’re the best team in the league in the possession game,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Houston. “They got 11 more shots than we did tonight as a result of all those offensive boards. Now we’re going to turn them over, too. Our defense is excellent. We just held a hell of a team to 85 points on their home floor, so our defense is big time and we’re going to count on that.”

Houston’s top scorer, Jalen Green, managed seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0 of 4 from deep. His backcourt mate, Fred VanVleet, was 4 of 19, including 2 of 13 from beyond the arc. Aside from center Alperen Şengün’s 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, the Rockets’ offense was MIA.

The game plan was to keep the Rockets in the half court, where their offense tends to stagnate. It’s a lesson the Warriors learned two weeks ago in a 106-96 loss to Houston at Chase Center. They committed 20 turnovers, mostly of the live-ball variety, and that allowed the Rockets to launch into transition buckets.

“If we can keep them in the halfcourt,” Moses Moody said after that game, “their offense is basically whatever Şengün can get or step-back 2-pointers by Jalen Green.”

When the Warriors took care of the ball, they were in command. When they got sloppy, as they did late in the first half and early in the second, they opened Houston’s transition game, which narrowed the margin.

“We’ve got to recognize that we don’t need to take chances in this series,” Kerr said. “We need to be clean with our execution and transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic. We don’t need to throw a lob passes to try to get a dunk. We’ve got to be rock solid. And if we’re smart and tough, we’re going to be in good shape.

The Warriors had some trouble with the Houston’s twin-towers lineup, featuring Steven Adams and Şengün, who combined for 21 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass. But Golden State’s defense exposed the Rockets’ mediocre shooting.

“We just flew around,” Green said. “We didn’t give up any easy looks. We followed our defensive game plan. Just make them take tough shots. Be a lot better off if we could get some rebounds.”

The Rockets learned that forcing turnovers and pounding the glass is their only route to success against Golden State. They’re not built to win any other way.

The Warriors learned that they’re able to navigate Houston’s physicality barely well enough – only 20 assists – but their offense is what will dictate the direction of this series. 

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Stephen Curry scored a game-high 31 points as the Golden State Warriors began their play-off campaign with a 95-85 win at the Houston Rockets.

The seventh-seeded Warriors made it successive wins in Houston, with Curry also adding six rebounds and three assists.

Jimmy Butler chipped in with a further 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists to hand Golden State a 1-0 series lead - with Game 2 scheduled for Thursday.

"Steph was incredible. He was incredible," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"With that type of pressure on him from [Amen] Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays and, obviously, carried us offensively along with Jimmy."

The Rockets, seeded second in the play-offs, endured a disappointing end to the regular season with three successive defeats and have lost back-to-back games at home.

Ime Udoka's side are featuring in the play-offs for the first time since 2019-20, when they lost against the Los Angeles Lakers in the semi-finals.

"I wouldn't say the moment, I would say the physicality at times, going after guys, and just play-off basketball," Udoka said when asked if a lack of experience cost his side.

"It's not really about the moment. Going into the lane, trying to shoot over too many and not finding your outlets is a big thing and a big key for us all year."

Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers sealed a 121-100 win against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points with Ty Jerome adding 28 points and Darius Garland scoring 27.

Jerome, who picked up 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, was making his play-off debut.

They call him Captain Clutch for a reason. 

Knicks PG Jalen Brunson has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. 

The nomination is very deserving, as Brunson has stepped up for the Knicks time and time again -- putting the team square on his back often down the stretch in games when they need him the most.

The latest example: Saturday’s Game 1 playoff victory. 

With the Knicks trailing by eight entering the fourth, Brunson went on another one of his vintage runs -- scoring 12 of his game-high 34 points in the final 8:30 of the quarter to help pullout the come-from-behind win. 

During the regular season, the All-Star point guard averaged 5.6 points while shooting a stellar 51 percent from the field during the “clutch,” which is defined by the NBA as the last five minutes of the game. 

Overall, Brunson averaged 26 points and a career-high 7.3 assists on the year. 

The other finalists for the award that was introduced during the 2022-23 season are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Pistons are trailing the Knicks in their first round matchup, and now one of their big pieces appears to be banged up. 

Sources have told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley that center Isaiah Stewart had to undergo imaging on his right leg following Saturday night’s Game 1 Knicks win at the Garden.

The big man is officially being listed as questionable due to right knee inflammation heading into Game 2.  

Stewart was laboring for most of his 19 minutes as he finished with just two points and five rebounds while also picking up five fouls -- and he was subbed out at the beginning of New York’s fourth quarter comeback.

The 23-year-old NY-product has found himself relegated to more of a reserve role this season, but he’s still served as one of the Pistons’ toughest front-court options, setting the tone off the bench night in and night out.

He averaged 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the regular season.

Even if Stewart isn't forced to miss any time, the injury could potentially have an impact on the remainder of the series since he plays such a physical game down in the paint.