NBA schedule release: 11 games we can’t wait to watch

By Kurt HelinAug 20, 2021, 11:00 PM EDT

History. Star power. Return games.

Those are some of the games we circle when the NBA schedule is released, as it was on Friday. Below are some of the games we can’t wait to watch as they come up this season.

First, two notes on this season:

• Travel is down. Unlike the condensed schedule of last season, the league was back to building some rest into the schedule. No team is scheduled to play four games in five nights, and the number of single-game road trips is down 28% from the last full NBA season. Overall, the average miles traveled by a team this season is 43,000 per season, which is down 3,000 a team compared to the last full season.

• What about COVID? What happens if a team is unable to field enough players for a game due to the coronavirus? Will the games be rescheduled, or will the NBA follow the path of ACC football and say that a franchise that can’t field a team forfeits? The league doesn’t have an answer for that yet. The NBA is still formulating its COVID protocols for the coming season, and those will be announced at a later date.

Now, on to the games you can’t miss:

Oct. 19, Nets at Bucks.

Watch the first banner go up in Milwaukee since 1971, watch Giannis Antetokounmpo and company get their rings, then watch Kevin Durant try to spoil the party. The ring ceremony is always worth watching (the second game that night, the Warriors at the Lakers, is worth tuning into, also).

Nov. 1, Raptors at Knicks.

The first game in NBA history was the New York Knickerbockers vs. the Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946. In celebration of that moment, the Knicks will host the Raptors on Nov. 1, 2021, the official 75th anniversary of the start of the NBA.

Nov. 10, Pistons at Rockets.

They faced each other in Summer League and put on a show, but the real first NBA game between No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and No. 2 pick Jalen Green comes in the fourth week of the NBA season (and on national television, of course).

Nov. 21, Mavericks at Clippers.

Luka Doncic putting up ridiculous numbers but not beating the Clippers in a playoff series has become a postseason tradition, and Luka will be looking for some revenge. These games are always entertaining.

Dec. 25, Nets at Lakers.

Does it get any more high profile than this? Kevin Durant. LeBron James. James Harden. Anthony Davis. Kyrie Irving. Russell Westbrook. Christmas is the day for the NBA to break out its biggest stars and best matchups, and this could well be a start-studded Finals preview (*knock on wood everyone stays healthy*).

The rest of the Christmas Day slate is strong as well: Knicks at Hawks (Trae Young vs. the Knicks is always entertaining), Bucks at Celtics, Suns at Warriors, and Jazz at Mavericks.

Jan. 7, Hawks at Lakers.

The longest winning streak in NBA history is 33 games by the 1971-72 Lakers (Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, the team that won the franchise’s first L.A. title), a run snapped by the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 7, 1972. In honor of that, the Hawks will fly to take on the Lakers on Jan. 7, 2022, the 50th anniversary of the streak being snapped.

Jan. 21, Nets at Spurs.

Patty Mills was the ultimate San Antonio development project, brought along slowly by Gregg Popovich and company, who helped turn the Australian guard into a quality NBA point guard. Mills has one NBA ring from San Antonio and will return for the first time to the city in a Nets uniform, in which he is chasing another ring.

Feb. 3, Heat at Raptors.

Kyle Lowry, the face of the Raptors’ franchise for nine years and a key part of the 2019 championship, returns to Toronto in a Heat jersey for the first time.

Feb. 10, Bucks at Suns.

The last time Milwaukee played Phoenix, it hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy and soaked a locker room in champagne. The Suns would like some revenge for that. It’s surprisingly late in the season, but this is the first Finals rematch of this coming season. Phoenix visits Milwaukee on March 6.

March 2, Knicks at 76ers.

This game takes place on the 60th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, a contest between Philadelphia and New York. I wouldn’t bet on Joel Embiid equaling that feat.

March 19, Lakers at Wizards.

Russell Westbrook makes his return to Washington wearing the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers. He probably shouldn’t expect a warm and loving embrace from the fans.

Watch Isaac Okoro drain game-winning 3-pointer, Cavaliers top Nets

Associated PressMar 24, 2023, 12:41 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Isaac Okoro hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 0.7 seconds remaining and finished with 11 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Brooklyn 116-114 Thursday night and closed in on their first playoff berth since 2018 with a two-game sweep of the Nets.

“It was a lot of pressure put into the shot, of course,” Okoro said. “You always feel good with a game-winner. For me, it was my first one.”

ISAAC OKORO FOR THE WIN 😱

WHAT A FINISH. pic.twitter.com/21XgHBFyRB

— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2023

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points, Evan Mobley had 26 points and 16 rebounds and Jarrett Allen finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds against his former team. Cleveland, which beat Brooklyn 115-109 on Tuesday, won for the eighth time in 10 games and reduced its magic number to clinch one of the Eastern Conference’s top playoff spots to two.

“It was ugly at times,” Mitchell said. “There’s just so much going on (in the playoff race), and at the end of the day all we can do is control what we can control and winning these games instead of praying that other teams lose or win, we just gotta go out there and do what we do, and it’s great to have a win like this tonight.”

Mikal Bridges scored 32 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 25 points and 12 assists and Joe Harris hit five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points as the Nets lost their fifth straight game.

“It’s frustrating,” Bridges said. “Obviously, we’ve got to keep the energy and morale high, but it’s devastating losing like that.”

Cleveland trailed 112-104 with 2:13 left before closing the game on a 12-2 run, with the help of three crucial Nets turnovers. Trailing by one, Mitchell missed a second free throw that would’ve tied the game, then he missed a put-back, and three different Nets had their hands on the ball for the potential rebound before it bounded to Cleveland guard Caris LeVert.

“I thought we did a great job of getting some stops to put ourselves in that position,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You miss the free throw, we had multiple opportunities at it, but guys didn’t quit on the play, and we talk about winning 50-50 balls and winning the scrap.”

LeVert, who spent his first four seasons with Brooklyn, found Okoro in the corner, and he drained the 3-pointer to give Cleveland the lead.

“The ball goes out to Caris, and I’m just running to the corner and going to my spot, and Caris trusted me,” Okoro said. “Once it left my hand, I knew it was going in.”

Bickerstaff said Okoro had no fear of taking the big shot.

“But I think what was most important is Caris saw that he was open and got him the ball, and that speaks to this team,” Bickerstaff said.

A heave from half court by Bridges at the buzzer fell short.

Bridges secured his eighth 30-plus point game as a member of the Nets through three quarters with 14 points in the third quarter. Then Harris heated up with four fourth-quarter 3-pointers in a sub-five-minute span, helping Brooklyn build a 10-point advantage.

“I felt like we deserved to win that game because we did a lot of good things throughout the course of the night,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. “This is an opportunity for us to learn who we are.”

The Cavaliers rank first in the NBA in points-against per game and defensive rating, but had no answer for the Nets offense, which shot 56% in the first half. Dinwiddie had 19 points, including 11 in the second quarter, and seven assists, helping Brooklyn take a 61-60 lead into the break.

Mitchell and Bridges each scored in double figures in the first quarter, seeming to trade baskets in the early going. Mitchell scored 12 in the first, including nine in the first 2:17. Bridges had 10, helping the Nets build a 33-31 lead after one.

Malone says Jokić turned off by ‘ugly, nasty turn in the MVP conversation’

By Kurt HelinMar 23, 2023, 11:24 PM EDT

There has always been some element of “if you don’t see things the way I do you’re an idiot” in the NBA MVP conversation. Between sports talking heads and fevered fans on social media, there have always been some pushing the edge in the MVP debate.

However, something about Nikola Jokić looking like he would win a third-straight MVP around the All-Star break — fueled by Tim Bontemps straw poll at ESPN — turned the conversation much more intense much earlier this season. And it got nasty — again driven by ESPN on-air personalities. Some past MVP votes were re-litigated through the lens of this season, while other fans and media equated backing their guy with tearing down someone else (often Jokić, but sometimes Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo, the other frontrunners). That has turned Jokić off from the conversation, Nuggets coach Mike Malone said after his team beat the Wizards Wednesday.

"I think this year unfortunately has just taken a really ugly, nasty turn in the MVP conversation, and I think it's really turned a lot of people off, including [Nikola Jokic]… We have great players. Celebrate them. Don't criticize. Don't tear them down. pic.twitter.com/Qb3HFTJ17v…

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 23, 2023

Here’s the full quote:

“I think this year unfortunately has just taken a really ugly, nasty turn in the MVP conversation, and I think it’s really turned a lot of people off, including [Jokić]. And what’s happening now is there’s so many guys that could win the MVP this year. Great candidates. Joel Embiid is a great candidate, Luka Doncic is a great candidate, Jayson Tatum, whoever you want to put in that mix, those are all deserving. But what happens in today’s society is that everybody, it’s like when I was a college coach and all the negative recruiting. It’s not promoting my guy, it’s ripping down every other guy. And that’s just ridiculous.

“This game, as Adam Silver told us at the All-Star break, the game is in a great spot. The league’s in a great spot. We have great players. Celebrate them. Don’t criticize, don’t tear them down. Build them all up, and whoever wins it, good for them. And that’s one thing that’s been really disappointing this year with the whole MVP conversation and all the hot takes. It’s really just gotten ugly and nasty, and I really don’t care for it.”

Malone isn’t the only person saying this. Jeff Van Gundy talked about this on the Lowe Post Podcast.

“Can we stop trying to put people down?” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said recently. “We should be celebrating our guys in the league. Giannis, Jayson Tatum, Joker, all of them are great. We don’t need to push one down to elevate the other guy. They all are completely different players.”

The NBA may not always like the tone but it LOVES the debate — it does not want everyone hugging it out. They want drama and tension. They want an argument. And in an online world where tearing someone down gets more clicks/eyeballs than lifting someone up, the debate was always going to get ugly at times.

[Side note: What grates on voters (*raises hand*) is when people jump in our mentions or timelines saying that this stat or style of play – clutch points, defense, some advanced stat, head-to-head play — makes it clear and obvious that it has to be Player X. The NBA goes out of its way to get a very diverse group of voters in terms of background, and everybody brings their own criteria to the table. As it should be.]

There is no single NBA-sanctioned definition of MVP for a reason — the league wants the arguments.

Which this race is providing. You can make a legitimate argument for Jokić, Embiid and Antetokounmpo. It’s boring (and bad sports talk) to say there is no bad choice among them… but there is no bad choice among them.

That said, some passion and a little edge are welcomed in the conversation. Ideally, people just know where the line is.

PBT Podcast: Kings a playoff threat? Plus some summer free agent talk.

By Kurt HelinMar 23, 2023, 5:43 PM EDT

The last time the Sacramento Kings were in the playoffs, there was a Bush in the White House and Pixar released the first “Cars” movie.

They are back with a vengeance this season, going into the playoffs with a top-three seed and an elite offense, but how far can they go once in there? Maybe a long ways if things break right, and Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports get into all of that.

They discuss the passing of Knicks legend Willis Reed, then Corey’s Jukebox compares Jayson Tatum to Eddie VanHalen’s “Eruption.”

Finally, they focus on some possible free agents this summer maybe making their final runs with teams — will Draymond Green be back with the Warriors? What about Kyrie Irving with the Mavericks? The Knicks want Josh Hart back but are not getting a discount, and don’t be surprised if the Heat and Trail Blazers try to make some big moves.

You can always watch the video of some of the podcast above (the Christmas games segment) or listen to the entire podcast below, listen and subscribe via iTunes at ApplePodcasts.com/PBTonNBC, subscribe via the fantastic Stitcher app, check us out on Google Play, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

We want your questions for future podcasts, and your comments, so please feel free to email us at PBTpodcast@gmail.com.

LeBron James begins on court work, shoots down report of return before season’s end

By Kurt HelinMar 23, 2023, 4:58 PM EDT

Lakers fans’ dreams of their retooled roster — one that was impressive for the three games everyone was together just after the trade deadline — getting healthy and making a surprise run through the Western Conference start with one simple premise:

LeBron James getting back on the court.

There was good news on that front Thursday following his evaluation. The Lakers announced that LeBron started “on-court activity” and a “gradual basketball movement program” to return from a foot tendon issue that has sidelined him for 12 games. However, no official timeline was given for LeBron to return to the court.

At almost the same time that news broke, it was leaked to multiple reporters that LeBron was targeting a return for the final week of the season. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin summed it up well on SportsCenter:

“A league source familiar with LeBron James’ thinking told me that he believes LeBron will push for sometime over the final three games the Lakers play in Los Angeles — April 5 against the Clippers, April 7 against the Suns, April 9 against the Jazz — to target that range so long as there are no setbacks in his rehab to make his comeback. Get back onto the court, get a little bit of a dress rehearsal before either the play-in tournament or a playoff berth for the Lakers.”

Within an hour after the reports of a LeBron return timeline broke, he shot them down on Twitter.

There wasn’t an evaluation today and there hasn’t been any target date for my return. I’m just working around the clock, every day(3X a day) to give myself to best chance of coming back full strength whenever that is. God bless y’all sources. 🤦🏾‍♂️ I speak for myself!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 23, 2023

There is zero chance word of LeBron targeting the final week of the season was leaked to at least four well-sourced NBA and Lakers’ reporters randomly or by someone that all of these people did not trust. Choose to read between the lines what you will, or who you think is pressuring whom, but this did not get out on accident. There is unquestionably a desire to get LeBron back on the court in Los Angeles before the end of the season. The Lakers need LeBron for any kind of playoff run and they don’t want to just throw him in the mix for a play-in game.

The Lakers are currently tied for 9/10 in the West with Dallas, just half a game back of the Thunder and Timberwolves for the 7/8 seeds, and 1.5 games back of the Warriors as the No. 6 seed (although they will be difficult to catch, especially with Golden State having now won two in a row on the road — the Lakers would need a record two games better than the Warriors the rest of the way). Los Angeles is also half a game up on the Pelicans and Jazz for falling out of even the play-in. The Lakers need wins.

LeBron would help with that, but he says there still is no timeline for his return.