Giannis Antetokounmpo has been every bit the top five NBA player in the postseason — 32.5 points per game on 63.2 percent shooting, plus with 11 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.
Yet the Bucks are down 0-2 to Boston.
The Celtics have had a strong series from Al Horford and Terry Rozier, but the real difference is in the discipline this team has shown all season — Boston knows who it is. Clearly, Milwaukee does not. They turn the ball over too much and make too many mistakes.
I get into all of that in this PBT Extra, and I wonder if that’s something the Bucks can really turn around mid-playoffs.
Sixers play ‘Mo Bamba’ song after Joel Embiid dunks on Magic rookie (VIDEO)
No one will ever claim that Joel Embiid doesn’t have fun while playing the game of basketball. The Philadelphia 76ers big man is a world-class follow on various social media platforms, and has a keen sense of humor.
Perhaps that is what led to the Sixers sound crew playing a very specific song after Embiid dunked on Orlando Magic rookie big man Mo Bamba this week.
On Saturday, Embiid gave Bamba a little jab step drive to the left side of the baseline, finishing with a dunk as the rookie recovered. Game Operations in Philadelphia immediately played a song titled “Mo Bamba” by rapper Sheck Wes.
Via Twitter:
Embiid took Mo Bamba to the rim and the arena immediately started playing "Mo Bamba" 😬 pic.twitter.com/lxOVGR5QbK
Embiid used to be the young gun on the block, but he is now moving into veteran territory and his propensity for snark will only become more biting as his skills improve.
Who knows if Embiid had a hand in arranging this audio cue, but whoever was responsible deserved a slap on the back.
Kemba Walker sets NBA record with 19 made 3-pointers in first three games
MIAMI (AP) There was a stretch last season spanning four games when Charlotte’s Kemba Walker missed 16 consecutive attempts from 3-point range.
That seems unfathomable now.
Walker might have been the surprise of the NBA’s first week by averaging 35.3 points per game, a big number fueled by making 19 shots from 3-point range – more than any player in the league has connected on in the first three games of a season. So in a year when Walker insists he won’t be speaking about his looming free agency, his numbers are doing plenty of talking.
“I always felt that I’ve been always put under the radar,” Walker said. “Underrated, of course.”
That might be changing.
Walker understands there’s a direct correlation between stardom and winning. He’s been an All-Star, he’s probably going to get a monster contract next summer, he played in two NCAA Final Fours at Connecticut and led the Huskies to the 2011 national championship. But if he’s going to reach the level of NBA respect that he’s perpetually seeking, it’s going to take more than 3s.
He’s going to need W’s as well. Walker has played in 537 games with the Hornets, and his team has won only 211 of them. That’s not all his fault, not even close, but Charlotte needs to be better if Walker’s stock is going to soar to that super-elite level.
“It comes with wins,” Walker said. “I know I’m in a small market and things like that, but at the end of the day, I just go out there and I try to do what I need to do to win. That’s really it.”
So far, so good.
The Hornets are 2-1 after an eventful stretch to start the season – rallying from 20 points down only to lose by one to Milwaukee, rolling past Orlando by 32 and then wasting a 26-point lead before hanging on to beat Miami by one point Saturday night. Walker delivered the game winner against the Heat, getting a foul call with a half-second left and making a free throw for a 113-112 victory.
“Our team starts with him,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “He controls the game, but he also understands that he needs trust in his teammates. When he misses a shot, I want him to take the next one.”
That’s been the message Borrego has been hammering into Walker’s mind for weeks.
That’s also been part of the teachings of Walker’s new backup.
Tony Parker‘s influence on Walker cannot be underestimated. Parker won four NBA championships with San Antonio before signing with the Hornets this summer, and he has been part of more wins – 1,001 and counting, including playoffs – than all but six other players in league history. Having Borrego telling him to shoot more, having Parker offering him a different view of the point guard position, it’s all played a role in Walker’s confidence soaring.
“Tony’s helping me read the game in a whole different light,” Walker said. “What to look for, what not to, he’s amazing with that kind of stuff. It’s an honor to have him around.”
The Hornets are 2-0 so far on their current four-game road trip, the first time they’ve started a multigame swing away from home with consecutive victories in two years. They go to Toronto on Monday, and Walker says his approach for that game and every other that awaits this season won’t deviate much.
“Just go out there and leave it all on the court,” Walker said. “That’s all I’m trying to do. And I think that’s where the respect comes from, the way I play each and every night. That’s my number one goal, regardless of if I have zero or if I have 30, I’m going to go out there and leave it all on the floor.”
Every day in the NBA there is a lot to unpack, so every weekday morning throughout the season we will give you the three things you need to know from the last 24 hours in the NBA.
1) Luka who? Trae Young blows up with 35 points, 11 assists. Fun bit of trivia courtesy Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated: Since 2000, name the two rookies who have put up at least 35 points and 10 assists in a game. Answer: Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
Now, add Atlanta’s Trae Young to the list. He dropped 35 points and 11 assists on the Cavaliers to get the Hawks a win (and Lloyd Pierce his first W as an NBA coach).
After a “meh” game against the Knicks to open the season then a solid one against the Grizzlies, Young lit up the Cavaliers (and torched their rookie point guard Colin Sexton). Young has shown an impressive catch-and-shoot touch already, but Sunday night he showed off what a threat he can be using the pick-and-roll. Young used his impressive handles to create space for his shot, or to get into the lane and then create for others. More than just scoring, he’s showing an ability to command the game, which is impressive for a one-and-done rookie.
It’s early, and Young is going to have a lot more ups and downs his rookie season, but this was a promising outing. Young and the Hawks have a soft opening to the season on the schedule and it will give him a chance to gain some confidence early.
Next up is the rookie showdown with Dallas and one Luka Doncic (the guy he will forever be linked to because of the draft night trade, fair or not). They won’t be matched up on one another, and it’s too early to draw genuine comparisons, but it’s worth watching.
2) Russell Westbrook is back, put up a near triple-double, and even that couldn’t get the Thunder a win. Everyone tuned into this game expecting one thing: Iman Shumpert to go off and score 26 points and leading the Kings to a win. Am I right?
Westbrook, in his first game back since having surgery to clean up his knee in the offseason, scored 32 points, and 12 rebounds and eight assists, and shot 13-of-23 overall — a very Westbrook night. While there were a few moments of rust, he looked like vintage Westbrook.
OKC still lost, at home, to the Kings, 131-120.
The Thunder are off to a 0-3 start and there are two key reasons why. One is that they cannot knock down threes — they were 9-of-39 against the Kings (23.1 percent) and on the season are shooting 23.9 percent from deep (worst in the NBA). They are taking more threes than a season ago (36.3 a game, top 10 in attempts in the league) but the shots just aren’t falling. The Thunder were not a prolific three-point shooting team last season, but they hit 35.4 percent and their shooting should improve this season.
The second, and larger, issue is their defense has been average, and at times awful. They struggled to slow the Kings, who put up 34 points in three of the four quarters, and on the season the Thunder are allowing 110.5 points per 100 possessions, which is middle of the pack in the league (for a team expected to be top 10 like last season). They really miss Andre Roberson on that end of the floor, and he’s likely not back until December.
It’s far too early to say either of those stats are trends — the Thunder should have one of the better defenses in the league by the end of the season — but they are off to a slow start, and it’s costing them wins, which in the deep West is not ideal.
On the other side of the ball — the Kings have looked solid this young season. The kids are alright. They played Utah tight in the season opener, fell to the Pelicans and now have beaten the Thunder. De’Aaron Fox is averaging 20.3 points and 7.7 assists per game, Willie Cauley-Stein is playing for that contract averaging 18.7 points and 7 rebounds a game, Buddy Hield is knocking down shots, Marvin Bagley is finding his way, and Shumpert went off against the Thunder. The young core in Sacramento is taking a step forward this season, and it’s something to watch.
Adam Silver has been lighter on punishment of players for these incidents than his predecessor David Stern, and that continued here. Ingram’s four games — costing him $158,817 in salary — is the longest the league has handed out for fighting since 2012 (Metta World Peace), but if the league wanted to send a message that throwing punches is verboten, they needed to come in with a heavier hand. Especially considering we are not out of the first week of the season.
The biggest surprise to me was Rondo — spitting in another player’s face is unacceptable. The league needed to do more. (And don’t try to sell me the mouthguard/unintentional line, that’s just spin, Rondo meant to do it). The only suspension that felt right was CP3, and I’m with D’Antoni in that I don’t know what else anyone expected him to do.
The Lakers get hit harder by this — while we get to see more Lonzo Ball they don’t have the depth to replace Rondo and Ingram easily, and their games are harder (Spurs, improving Suns, then the hot Nuggets).
Physical fights with actual punches are rare in the NBA, but when they happen I’m not sold this was near enough of a deterrent. We’ll see if this situation was a one-off or if we see more of these incidents.
Mike D’Antoni on Chris Paul suspension: ‘What is he supposed to do?’ (VIDEO)
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni took exception to Paul’s suspension, saying that he thought it was “not equitable” that Paul had to face suspension.
The NBA determined that Rondo indeed did spit in Paul’s face, or at least in the direction of him, directly preceding Paul’s eye poke on Rondo. That kicked things off into full force, and it devolved from there.
Via Twitter:
“At least they didn’t suspend Boris Diaw again,” Mike D’Antoni strongly disagrees with the decision handed down by the league suspending Chris Paul for two games. pic.twitter.com/nATdU8XVgy
All the suspensions were fairly weak. Ingram got just four games for his initial instigation and giant, loping punch toward Paul. Rondo received three games for spitting on Paul and landing punches. Paul received two games for punching Rondo.
It’s unlikely that anybody was going to be happy with the result of the discipline just because of the bad blood involved. However, the league made comment about the suspension afterward, with the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe taking to television later on Sunday.
The NBA’s Executive VP of Basketball Operations, Kiki VanDeWeghe joins #GameTime to discuss how the league determined suspensions for players involved in Saturday's Lakers/Rockets altercation pic.twitter.com/mX5tvd64YB
VanDeWeghe’s explanations don’t satisfy me, and they certainly wouldn’t if I were a Rockets fan. Guys going chest-to-chest and having tensions rise as one thing. Spitting at somebody is another. It’s a level of actionable disrespect that directly influenced and raised tensions during the incident.
Ingram looked childish for shoving James Harden, but his punch came after Rondo got Paul wound up by spitting on him. It’s hard for me to understand how Rondo didn’t get a matching sentence with Ingram at the very least.
For reference, Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games in 2006 after he clocked a player on the New York Knicks during a fight as a member of the Denver Nuggets. Given that precedence, something approaching double digits for both Ingram and Rondo seems like it would have been more appropriate.
