OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to a play during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the LA Clippers on April 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors has words with Patrick Beverley #21 of the LA Clippers during Game One of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. Both players were ejected after the play. NOTE
4:20 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — After a deflating 114-94 loss Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2, the Oklahoma City Thunder are heading back home in an 0-2 series hole with Russell Westbrook taking responsibility for the team’s poor performance and vowing to play better in Game 3. “Starting with myself, I’ve
The opening week of the March Madness tournament yielded some entertaining games, but in the end, the “chalk” won out, setting the stage for all “Blue Blood” sweet sixteen. There were a few notable performances – Temetrius “Ja” Morant put on a show, showing why he may be the second player drafted overall in 2019.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 14: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket in the second quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on April 14, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and
8:21 AM ET The No. 7 seeds in each conference enter Tuesday’s Game 2s having stolen home-court advantage — for now. Here are the key adjustments and matchups to watch in Raptors-Magic and Nuggets-Spurs. Raptors-Magic Traditions must be honored. And so it is that sphincters will be a-tightening for Game 2 of a first-round series
The arrival of the postseason was supposed to engender the end of Golden State’s regular season bouts of disappointment. Instead, just two games in, they suffered a historic meltdown and more than one major loss. Word on the NBA streets is that teams aren’t as intimidated by the Warriors as they once were. That was
It was a crazy first weekend in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. With all the Game 1 upsets, it felt like the typical first round of the NCAA tournament. We had a few underdog teams vying for the role of Cinderella as the Nets, Magic, and Spurs all won Game 1 on the road. While the
Welcome to The Whiteboard, catching you up every morning on what’s good around the NBA. Find The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you by email. When the NBA handed out its first-ever Most Valuable Player award to Bob Petit 63 years ago, the league probably thought it was
James Harden stood, camouflaged head to toe, in the middle of the visitor’s locker room in Sacramento. The Houston Rockets had just bulldozed the Sacramento Kings, tying the all-time record (which they set) for made 3s in a game in the process (they broke that record only a few days later). For these Rockets, it
3:39 PM ET Virginia star Kyle Guy announced in a statement Tuesday that he is declaring for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent. “I set a goal with my brothers when we committed to UVA. Three years later we accomplished that goal of winning a National Championship,” Guy said. “I also set
Zion Williamson has become the latest Duke player to play a season for the Blue Devils as a way station to the NBA Draft and Coach K is OK with it all. To the surprise of absolutely no one in the basketball world, Duke University freshman Zion Williamson declared Monday for the NBA Draft. Williamson
The NBA Playoffs are finally here, but at what cost? This week, the community said goodbye to two certain Hall of Famers — Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. Beyond their cemented statuses as adored fan favorites for nearly 20 years, the pair also boast an insane amount of professional achievements. Wade finishes his career with
OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 13: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors stretches before the game against the LA Clippers during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or
The Golden State Warriors had it all working, building a 31-point lead against the Clippers in Game 2. And then they blew it. It took back-to-back 40 point quarters, building to an 85-point second half. It took 22 Warriors turnovers, nine from Kevin Durant. It took Durant fouling out and 85 points from Danilo Gallinari,
1:40 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA postseason history Monday night when they rallied from a 31-point deficit to win Game 2 135-131 over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Previously, the largest comeback in NBA playoff history was when the Lakers rebounded from
It was a matter of time, and a mere formality, but Zion Williamson has officially declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. The NBA Draft Lottery is just less than a month away (May 14) and the draft will take place in June. A bunch of college players have declared early, but the one everyone has
As the Detroit Pistons try to get an upset bid off on the right foot, they look likely to be without Blake Griffin for Game 1 against the Bucks. The Detroit Pistons needed a win in their regular season finale to earn a playoff spot, and they easily dispatched the New York Knicks 115-89 without Blake
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 7: Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 7, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
7:07 PM ET DENVER — The San Antonio Spurs held Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to just nine shot attempts and 10 points with timely double teams in Game 1 yet Jokic still became the fourth player ever to record a triple-double in his first playoff game, adding 14 rebounds and 14 assists in Saturday’s
The Jazz had become a trendy upset pick but the Rockets made clear in Game 1 that they’ll have their work cut out for them. The greatest downside of the first round of these NBA playoffs is that one of Houston or Utah – the two most dominant teams in the entire league since the
The NBA Playoffs are finally here, but at what cost? This week, the community said goodbye to two certain Hall of Famers — Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. Beyond their cemented statuses as adored fan favorites for nearly 20 years, the pair also boast an insane amount of professional achievements. Wade finishes his career with
After securing the second seed in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets are looking to make a deep playoff run, here is why they can do it. The Nuggets impressed many this season as they played their way to the second seed in the West, and the fourth-best record in the NBA. They were able
1:58 AM ET HOUSTON — The desperate 36-footer by Donovan Mitchell sailed over the backboard, a miserable moment that epitomized the Utah Jazz’s offensive woes in their 122-90 Game 1 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Mitchell had no choice but to toss up a prayer after receiving a pass so far from
Texas Tech star Jarrett Culver took his team to the National Championship game this season, but will he look to head to the NBA Draft after finishing up his sophomore year as a Red Raider? The decision on whether or not to enter into the NBA Draft is almost never an easy one—affiliations with schools,
MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 14: Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks smiles against the Detroit Pistons during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 14, 2019 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User
When it finally happened, I was happier for him than I was myself. We may as well start there, because that isn’t how the social contract between athletes and the people who watch them tends to operate. Ordinarily, the former are compensated with large sums of money and the latter pay decidedly smaller figures to
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 08: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on during the game against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on January 08, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms
8:48 PM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — Some 50 minutes before tipoff, Paul George walked onto the floor at the Moda Center on Sunday with black tape canvasing both shoulders and picked up two basketballs. As is his pregame routine, standing on the baseline, he pounded both balls into the floor, shifting them between hands. He
The Nets weren’t supposed to be this far along this fast. Even Coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t foresee a playoff berth so soon after bottoming out. “Never envisioned it. Not in my wildest dreams.” But as we enter the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Nets season will continue on into the postseason for the first time since