Three things to know: Knicks, Celtics remind us it’s about the game

By Oct 21, 2021, 8:55 AM EDT
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We’re back. NBC’s five-day-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA has returned with the start of a new NBA season Come by NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before in the NBA, plus some of the rumors, drama, and dunks going on.

1) Knicks outlast Jaylen Brown, Celtics in 2OT game of the year candidate

Insane.

Can the Game of the Year happen on opening night?

This is what Adam Silver wants — the focus on the game, not drama around who is not on the court for Philadelphia or Brooklyn or who is getting traded next. The Celtics and Knicks put on a show and reminded us just how amazing basketball can be and put the focus back on the court for a night.

The Knicks and the Celtics didn’t open the season with one game, they played four different games wrapped into one edge-of-your-seat (or walking along the sidelines, if you’re Spike Lee), garden-rocking, double-overtime opener that made a case for Game of the Year on opening night. It was impossible not to get sucked in, even if you were on the other coast.

The first game was all Celtics; they led 50-38 midway through the second quarter behind Jaylen Brown, who set a Boston record for points in a season opener with 46 on 16-of-30 shooting, including 8-of-14 from 3. In that same stretch, the Knicks looked terrible with poor defense, RJ Barrett was scoreless in the first half, and Kemba Walker returned to the Garden and started 1-of-4 from the floor.

The second game was the Knicks turning this around, going on a 71-48 run behind a monster night from Julius Randle — 35 points and nine assists — and the Evan Fournier revenge game, where he finished with 32 points and was 6-of-13 from 3 on the night (don’t forget he spent the second half of last season in Boston and was sign-and-traded to the Knicks). Fournier was huge in the OTs.

New York led by 11 with 3:45 remaining in the game, and were up four with :09 to go, all they had to do was close out regulation… then this happened.

Each overtime was like its own game. The first one, both teams threw haymakers, both got up off the mat and would not stay down.

In the second OT Randle, Fournier and Derrick Rose did enough to get the win for what was a raucous and exhausted Madison Square Garden crowd. The final score was 138-134 Knicks, but both teams can walk away from this game feeling good about their effort level and resiliency heading into the next 81 games.

A few other notes from this game:

• No post-Olympics bounce from Jayson Tatum in this one, he was 7-of-30 overall from the floor, 2-of-15 on 3-pointers. Obi Toppin had a strong game for the Knicks and played stretches of strong defense on Tatum.

• Kemba Walker had a rough return home to NYC, finishing with 10 points and more turnovers (4) than assists (3). That included a couple of ugly turnovers late and some defensive errors.

• Both young centers looked good — Mitchel Robinson for the Knicks and the Time Lord Robert Williams for the Celtics were each 5-of-5 shooting on the night. Williams added five blocks for the Celtics; they need that out of him this season.

• Barrett bounced back from the rough first half for the Knicks and finished with 19 points.

2) Sixers happy to focus on basketball, not Simmons, rout Pelicans

A lot of the media attention around this game was about who was not there. A suspended Ben Simmons was not with his 76ers teammates on the road. For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson is still recovering from the off-season foot injury he may-or-may-not have told the Pelicans about when it happened, and it sounds like he has some serious conditioning work to do to get back on the court.

The players, particularly the 76ers, were happy to just focus on basketball. Philadelphia reportedly had a team dinner on the road — it’s nice the vaccinated players could do that again — and then went out and picked up a comfortable season-opening win, 117-97. To be clear, the 76ers should beat a Pelicans team without Zion, but they seemed happy to focus on that end of the court.

“The main thing I’ve been preaching is just go out there and have fun,” Joel Embiid said after the game, via Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “By having fun, it’s sharing the ball, playing with each other. Like I said in practice, our attitude has been the same. We’ve been practicing hard. The same way we played today, that’s what we’ve been doing in practice.

“But it was good to get off to a good start, get a win, and kind of forget about the off-the-court stuff. Like I said, it’s not our job. Our job is to win games.”

Embiid set the tone early with 10 quick points and went on to score d 22, plus he had six rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey got the start at the point and had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists. However, the breakout star of the night was Furkan Korkmaz, who scored 18 off his 22 points in the fourth, including four 3-pointers.

The 76ers are not expected to practice on Thursday but will have shootaround on Friday before facing the Nets that night at home. Will Simmons play in that game? Doc Rivers hasn’t decided that yet, but it would be a surprise.

3) Hornets come from 23 down to beat Pacers behind confident Ball

Indiana was in control of this game, up 23 early in the third quarter despite not having  Caris LeVert or TJ Warren to start the season. Domantas Sabonis was dominating, and it looked like the Rick Carlisle return to Indiana was going to start with a comfortable win.

Then LaMelo Ball sparked a comeback. That man plays with incredible confidence? How much confidence, well, he pulled this off after the game.

Ball finished with 31 points, with nine rebounds and seven assists. However, the best sign for the Hornets season was the 27 points and from Gordon Hayward, and he was the guy who took over in a tight fourth quarter.

One positive sign for the Pacers: Rookie Chris Duarte started and scored 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting. It will be tough to take minutes away from him as the Pacers get healthier; this kid is ready to contribute now.

Highlight of the night:

Montrezl Harrell picks up a technical for trash-talking Drake (which is a foul in Toronto, apparently).

Last night’s scores:

Hornets 123, Pacers 122
Bulls 94, Pistons 88
Knicks 138, Bulls 134 (2OT)
Wizards 98, Raptors 83
Grizzlies 132, Cavaliers 121
Timberwolves 124, Rockets 106
76ers 117, Pelicans 97
Spurs 123, Magic 97
Jazz 107, Thunder 86
Nuggets 110, Suns 98
Kings 124, Trail Blazers 121

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Three things to Know: Win over Clippers shows Thunder future may be now

By Mar 22, 2023, 8:30 AM EDT
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Three Things To Know is NBC’s five-days-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA. Check out NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before plus the rumors, drama, and dunks that make the NBA must-watch.

1) Win over Clippers shows Thunder’s future may be now

If the playoffs started today, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be the No.7 seed in the West, only needing to win one of two play-in games — at home — to advance to the playoffs. They are only half a game back of the defending champion Golden State Warriors for the No.6 seed and not having to worry about the play-in.

The basketball world has talked about anything but the Thunder: When will those Warriors flip the switch? What happens when Dallas gets Luka Dončić back (or if the Mavs defend a little)? What will the Timberwolves look like when whole? When will LeBron James return and how big a threat are the Lakers?

Meanwhile, the Thunder quietly have been winning — 8-of-10 after beating the Clippers on Tuesday night 101-100, behind 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder have been solid all season — top half of the league in offense and defense, and the 10th-best net rating in the league — despite Chet Holmgren missing the year. SGA playing at an All-NBA level is a huge part of it, but Josh Giddey has developed into an impressive secondary shot creator averaging 16.2 points a night, Jalen Williams will be first-team All-Rookie because of his play, guys like Isaiah Joe and Tre Mann have stopped up, and Lu Dort is doing things like locking down Kawhi Leonard on the final play of the game to preserve the win.

OKC’s one-point win over the Clippers was aided by Kawhi Leonard getting a tight technical called on him, and when Terrence Mann complained about that call he got him ejected. Leonard said after the game the referee admitted he missed the foul call on the play where the technicals were handed out.

However, far more frightening for the Clippers than the loss was the injury to Paul George in the final minutes, a fluke collision with Dort that sent George to the ground and having to be helped back to the locker room. There are no details, but it didn’t look good.

It’s all more questions and injuries for the Clippers.

Meanwhile, the Thunder just keep on rolling and look every bit a playoff team ahead of schedule — and with a lot of draft picks coming in the next few years to stockpile that roster.

2) Knicks legend, Hall of Fame Willis Reed dies

Willis Reed is associated with one of the most iconic moments in NBA history — his dramatic entrance in Madison Square Garden minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. He scored only four points and was clearly in pain and hobbled, but playing even a little sparked the Knicks to blow out the Lakers and win the franchise’s first title.

Reed passed away at the age of 80.

“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s. He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.

“As a league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP and member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Willis was a decorated player who took great pride in his consistency. Following his playing career, Willis mentored the next generation as a coach, team executive and proud HBCU alumnus. We send our deepest condolences to Willis’ wife, Gale, his family, and many friends and fans.”

Reed won a second ring with the Knicks in 1973 and was a two-time Finals MVP and seven-time All-Star.

Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds a season over the course of his career, and he had his No.19 retired by the Knicks. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

3) Celtics get Robert Williams back, look like Celtics in win over Kings

Robert Williams was back on the court for the Celtics Tuesday night and the Celtics held the Kings and their best offense in the league to an offensive rating almost seven points below their league average. That is not a coincidence.

With Williams back, the Celtics were back to switching everything, which slowed the motion and passing of the Kings’ offense enough to earn the 132-109 Boston win. The 36 points from Jayson Tatum helped with that.

For the Kings, it was their fifth game in seven nights in four different time zones and it showed. Still, that loss dropped the Kings 1.5 back of the Grizzlies for the two seed in the West (and the Grizzlies may get Ja Morant back Wednesday).

Boston went 4-2 on their recent road trip. While they have slumped in recent weeks, they looked like their contending selves again with Williams back, who had missed the last eight games with a hamstring issue. He played 21 minutes off the bench.

Nobody should have written Boston off after this recent slide, even if those losses did make their path through the East rougher.

Bonus thing to know: Donovan Mitchell threw down a Dunk of the Year candidate in the Cavaliers’ win.

Paul George has to be helped off court after fourth quarter leg injury

By Mar 22, 2023, 2:38 AM EDT
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Hopefully this is not serious, not something that changes the playoff picture in the West.

The Clippers’ Paul George went down with 4:38 left in the game Tuesday night after a collision with Lu Dort going for a rebound.

George had to be helped back to the locker room and struggled to put any weight on his leg.

After the game, Tyronn Lue said George was still being evaluated and had no update on his status. George was seen exiting the arena on the back of a cart with his right leg extended, according to the AP.

George had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists before exiting the game. On the season he is playing at an All-NBA level averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game, and the Clippers are 6.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

The Thunder went on to win 101-100 in a game filled with drama, including a technical foul for Kawhi Leonard, an ejection of Terrence Mann, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 31 points, and Lou Dort locking up Leonard in the final seconds.

Here is more on the Clippers

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Grizzlies Ja Morant: ‘My job now is… to be more responsible’

By Mar 22, 2023, 1:39 AM EDT
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While his coach said he anticipates Ja Morant will return to the court Wednesday for the Grizzlies, Morant downplayed expectations and said things are “still in the air.”

Whether the official return is Wednesday or a few days later, Morant is back practicing with teammates and spoke to the media for the first time since his suspension. He once again was apologetic.

“I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant said, via the Associated Press. “So, you know, my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”

Morant was suspended eight games by the NBA after flashing a gun in a club and broadcasting it on social media, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called “irresponsible” and “reckless.” Morant used that time to go into counseling at a facility in Florida but added he “never had an alcohol problem.”.

“I went there to counseling to learn how to manage stress,” Morant said. “Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”

Morant said that his treatment is an “ongoing process,” adding that he was getting off social media and letting his actions speak for him.

Morant and his associates had incidents before that caught the attention of people around the league — including a run-in with Indiana Pacers security — however, this incident in a Colorado club was the first one that hit him in the wallet. The suspension cost him $668,659 in game pay, plus one of his major sponsors — Powerade — pulled an ad campaign featuring him that would have run heavily during March Madness.

The biggest hit is Morant possibly missing out on an All-NBA guard spot. Morant could make $39 million more over the five-year extension that kicks in next season if he makes one of the three All-NBA teams. However, the guard spot is especially crowded with deserving players this season and this incident and the missed games do not help his cause.

Check out more on the Grizzlies

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Hart will be free agent this summer seeking new contract, ‘would love for it to be New York’

By Mar 21, 2023, 6:36 PM EDT
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Josh Hart‘s play since coming to the Knicks has made him a lot of money.

Already a darling of many front offices, Hart has been a seamless fit in New York, averaging 11.1 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Tom Thibodeau, playing quality defense, and being the kind of plug-and-play wing every team can use. He’s quickly become a fan favorite in New York, but the Knicks will have to pay up to keep him. Hart has a player option for $12.9 million next season that he is widely expected to decline — there’s a lot more money and years available to him on the open market.

Hart told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape he wants to find a home, and he hopes that it is in New York.

“I want bigger things for my wife and myself,” Hart said. “Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York. I would love for it to be New York and hopefully the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I’m making sure my family’s fully taken care of. So, I’ve also got to take that into account, too.”

That is the polite way of saying, “I like it here but you’re not getting a discount.”

While Hart will have made a tidy $33 million in his career when this season ends, his next four-year contract will be worth more than double that amount — this is the deal that sets up generational wealth for Hart’s family. This is a business and he has to make the decision best for him, as much as he may love the Knicks.

Expect the Knicks to pay up, especially as long as Thibodeau is around. This is a deal that should come together.

But first, Hart and the Knicks are headed to the playoffs, and Madison Square Garden will be rocking. It’s going to be the kind of experience that makes a guy want to stay with a team.

Check out more on the Knicks

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