Three things to know: Suns try to stay locked in as win streak reaches record 18

By Kurt HelinDec 3, 2021, 11:17 AM EST

Three Things 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 going that make the NBA great.

1) Suns try to stay locked in as win streak reaches record 18

No Suns team has won this many games in a row. Not Paul Westphal teams, not when Charles Barkley was leading the team to the Finals, not when Steve Nash was leading “seven seconds or less.”

With a win Thursday night over the rebuilding Pistons, the Suns’ win streak stretched to 18, a franchise record. They didn’t lose a game in November, carried that into early December (despite not having Devin Booker due to a strained hamstring), and now have the best record in the NBA. It’s an epic run that has the Suns locked in as title contenders out of the West.

After the game, the Suns were saying all the right things about taking it one game at a time and staying focused. Having a rematch with the Warriors Friday night looming will help with that, still these quotes, via Andrew Lopez of ESPN, are a good sign for Suns fans.

Coach Monty Williams: “Obviously it’s hard to win in this league. But we’re not satisfied. We talk about stretching it out but it takes the right things to do that. So we’ve taken it one game at a time.”

“But for us I think it’s always about the feeling of making sure we’re playing the game the right way,” Chris Paul said. “We always talk about we have a standard. We say this every night and a win is a win but we feel like we could have played better.”

“It feels good but at the same time, I don’t know, I guess it feels good but we got another tomorrow,” Cameron Payne said. “We have to keep going. It’s 1-0 today. That’s how I feel.”

Whether the Suns’ win streak ends tonight in Golden State or continues on and they challenge the ’72 Lakers for the longest streak all-time (33 games), this streak has put the Suns back at the top of the NBA, both in the standings and in people’s minds. That is where they belong.

2) Grizzlies set margin of victory record with 73-point win over Thunder

What was weird about this game is both teams went in short handed: No Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Josh Giddey for the Thunder, no Ja Morant for the Grizzlies. That meant no reason to watch for a lot of us.

The game became NBA history: The 152-79 Grizzlies win set a record for the largest margin of victory in NBA history.

To lose by 73, everything has to go wrong for Oklahoma City while everything goes right for the Grizzlies. The first part is very, very true — the Thunder shot 24.4% in the first half, 32.9% for the game (and that was with Tre Mann shooting a respectable 5-of-11 overall and 2-of-4 from 3). Nobody from OKC good, but Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was 0-of-7 and Paul Watson 1-of-8 shooting.

OKC had an 82.8 offensive rating in this game — and their offense was better than their defense.

The Grizzlies were hot — 52.8% from 3 as a team — but they also just got uncontested look after uncontested look. Especially in the paint. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting, but you can go down the list and get a sense it was a layup line: De'Anthony Melton 8-of-10, John Konchar 7-of-8, and it just goes on and on.

The Thunder aren’t this bad, the Grizzlies are not this good, this was just the Everclear extreme version of one of “those games.”

Here are the highlights, Thunder fans, look away.

3) LeBron returns Friday after missing one game due to COVID tests

Did LeBron James get sidelined by a false positive?

LeBron was put into the league’s health and safety protocols on Tuesday, had eight negative tests by Thursday, and is now out of the protocols and will play Friday when the Lakers take on the Clippers. That’s an odd turn, to say the least, and here is the NBA’s explanation:

“James was originally placed in the Protocols on Tuesday, November 30 after a series of tests delivered conflicting results, including an initial positive test that was collected on November 29. Additional testing confirmed that he is not a positive case.

“In accordance with the Protocols, and the consistent testing practice that has been in place since the 2019-20 Season Restart in Orlando, the sample that produced the initial positive test was re-run twice and returned one negative and one positive result on two different PCR instruments. As a result, James underwent additional testing on November 30, with one test returning a negative result and a second test resulting in a clinically inconclusive result.”

So… false positive? That would be the kindest way to put this. The Lakers beat the Kings without LeBron on Wednesday, so no harm done I guess, but still. Not a good look for the league.

Also of note: The NBA took the Clippers at Lakers battle of LA off ESPN Friday night and replaced with the Suns at Warriors rematch. This led to a lot of hand-wringing among Lakers faithful and writers about the diminishing power of the brand and why the sky is falling. My two cents: It’s not always about you. The Suns and Warriors are clear-and-away the two best teams in the NBA, these teams played a thriller just a few nights before, and the Suns are on an 18-game win streak. That is simply the better and more interesting game (especially with no Kawhi Leonard and, at the time the call was made, no LeBron). Don’t worry, the Lakers still have roughly 2,647 nationally televised games left this season.

Highlight of the Night: Alex Caruso

Bulls teammates praise Alex Caruso because he does the little things: Sets good picks, gets steals, serves as a floor spacer, etc.

But he can also get up and dunk, and he had the one of the night in Madison Square Garden.

CARUSHOW HITS BROADWAY pic.twitter.com/ucvu4xYL7v

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) December 3, 2021

Last night’s scores:

Chicago 119, New York 115
Toronto 97, Milwaukee 93
Memphis 152, Oklahoma City 79
Phoenix 114, Detroit 103
San Antonio 114, Portland 83

Brad Stevens confirms Joe Mazzulla will return as Celtics coach

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 6:27 PM EDT

Despite the sting of losing to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, don’t expect sweeping changes in Boston. Not to the Celtics’ coaching staff and not to the roster.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Steven made that clear in his end-of-season press conference. It starts with bringing back Joe Mazzulla, which was expected after he was given a multi-year contract extension during the season. Stevens was asked if Mazzulla was the right person to lead the Celtics after an uneven season (hat tip NBC Sports Boston).

“Yeah, I think he is,” Stevens said. “I thought he did a really good job with this group. Everybody’s going to overreact to the best players and coaches after every game. That’s always the way it is. We know that going in, so we have to be able to judge things on the whole.

“He’s a terrific leader, he’ll only get better at anything that he can learn from this year, because he’s constantly trying to learn. And he’s accountable. Those leadership qualities are hard to find. I know they’re easy to talk about, but when you can show all those through the expectations and the microscope that he was under, that’s hard to do. Our players, our staff, everybody around him believe(s) in him, and we’ve got to do our best to support him going forward.”

The expectation is that veteran coaches — ideally at least one person with NBA head coaching experience — will be added to Mazzulla’s staff to help with the maturation process of the young coach. But he will be back.

Stevens also was asked about Jaylen Brown, who is eligible for a supermax extension of around $295 million over five years (his making All-NBA made him eligible for 35% of the salary cap). Stevens was limited in what he could say due to (archaic) tampering rules.

"I'm not allowed to talk about the contract details, let alone the extension… but I can say without a doubt we want Jaylen to be here."

Brad Stevens on Jaylen Brown's contract extension pic.twitter.com/skLAyXEoAZ

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 1, 2023

“I’ve had nothing but great conversations with Jaylen, but we can’t talk about all that stuff,” Stevens said. “I’m not allowed to talk about the contract details, let alone the extension because it’s not of that time yet right now. His window is between July 1 and October or whatever it is.

“But I can say without a doubt that we want Jaylen to be here. He’s a big part of us. We believe in him. I’m thankful for him. I’m really thankful for when those guys (Jayson Tatum and Brown) have success, they come back to work. And when they get beat, they own it and come back to work. I know that’s what they’re about, and that’s hard to find. Kinda like what I talked about with leadership earlier. Those qualities aren’t for everyone. Jaylen had a great year, All-NBA year and he’s a big part of us moving forward in our eyes.”

Despite Brown’s struggles against the Heat, it’s a no-brainer for the Celtics to retain the 26-year-old All-NBA player entering his prime. They should offer him the full supermax, and his public comments made it sound like that’s what he expects. Mess around in negotiations and try to get Brown to take less than the full max and then the threat of Brown leaving becomes more real. Only one player has ever rejected a supermax extension: Kawhi Leonard when he was trying to force a trade. (If Boston puts the full 35% max on the table and Brown rejects it, then the game changes and they have to trade him this summer, but don’t bet on him walking away from more than a quarter of a billion dollars).

There will be changes on the Celtics roster, but expect Brown and Mazzulla to return.

Purdue’s Zach Edey headlines list of players to withdraw from NBA Draft

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 5:32 PM EDT

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award is headed back for another year in the college ranks. And it’s the right move.

Zach Edey headlines the list of 181 players who withdrew their names from the NBA Draft, and he is headed back to Purdue for another season. He confirmed it on Twitter in his own way.

RUN IT BACK🔄 pic.twitter.com/oJfQTbX6SP

— zach (@zach_edey) June 1, 2023

Edey averaged 22.3 points a game on 60.7% shooting and 12.9 rebounds a game last season for the Boilermakers, and his measurements at the NBA Draft Combine were hard to ignore — 7-3¼ barefoot, with a 7-10½ wingspan. However, his lack of elite athleticism, questions about his ability to defend in space, and an old-school, near-the-basket game are not natural fits with where the NBA is trending. He was expected to get picked in the back half of the second round (meaning no guaranteed contract), if at all.

With that, he made the right decision to return to college. If the Toronto native can arrange a new student visa that allows him to better capitalize on NIL money, a return to Purdue is likely the right financial decision as well.

Here are some of the biggest names among the 181 who withdrew from the NBA Draft (via Jonathan Givony of ESPN), with all projected to go after No. 40 or later:

Trey Alexander (Creighton)
Reece Beekman (Virginia)
Adem Bona (UCLA)
Jalen Bridges (Baylor)
Tristan da Silva (Colorado)
Zach Edey (Purdue)
Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
DaRon Holmes (Dayton)
Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee)
Dillon Jones (Weber State)
Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
Terrence Shannon (Illinois)

The NBA Draft takes place on June 22.

Lakers rumored to prefer sign-and-trade options for D’Angelo Russell, eye Fred VanVleet

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 1:52 PM EDT

Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

D'Angelo Russell helped the Lakers turn their season around after the All-Star break. He provided needed shot creation at the point, averaged 17.4 points per game while shooting 41.4% from 3, and generally fit nicely on the court. However, his limitations — particularly on the defensive end — were exposed in the playoffs, especially by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

Russell is an unrestricted free agent and the Lakers are faced with choices: Re-sign him, let him walk, or maybe find a sign-and-trade that can bring back a player who is a better fit for a Lakers roster with championship aspirations next season. The Lakers would ideally like the sign-and-trade option, suggests Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

My read on the situation is that the Lakers would prefer to use D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade, but I’m not sure the market is there.

Landing Kyrie Irving for Russell is shaping up to be a pipe dream, especially with Dallas unlikely to help Los Angeles out. Fred VanVleet, a Klutch client, looms as a possibility, but adding him would require Toronto to agree to terms with Russell (or take on the Beasley and Bamba contracts).

Forget about a Kyrie Irving sign-and-trade with the Lakers for Russell, that appears off the table (unless the Lakers add so many sweeteners Dallas can’t say no… and didn’t the Lakers just gut their roster for a guard in Russell Westbrook?)

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times adds this.

Fred VanVleet’s name has been mentioned since even before he joined Klutch Sports, though the Lakers could again be in a position where they’d be forced to part with one or more draft picks in a deal. Russell’s postseason struggles were probably a little overblown after a disastrous Western Conference finals, but expect the Lakers to look at upgrade options. There’s still a chance Russell returns on a good deal and the Lakers actually get the continuity they’ve spoken about building.

VanVleet has a $22.8 million player option he is widely expected to opt out of seeking more money and years. He averaged 19.3 points and 7.2 assists a game last season, is a respectable defender, and is a former All-Star and NBA champion.

The questions start with, what are Toronto’s plans? They have yet to hire a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse, and there isn’t a sense of whether they will try to re-sign VanVleet, extend Pascal Siakam and run it back, break the entire thing up, or travel a middle ground reworking the roster. Dreams of a sign-and-trade only work if the Raptors play along. And, if the Raptors come around to consider a sign-and-trade for VanVleet, do they want Russell in that deal? Plus, the Lakers likely have to throw in the last first-round pick they can trade to get Toronto even to consider it.

All of which is to say, it’s a long shot VanVleet is a Laker. Not impossible, but not likely.

The smart money is on the Lakers re-signing Russell and considering trade options at next February’s deadline or next summer, if they feel it’s time to move on.

Celtics’ Payton Pritchard reportedly wants a trade this summer

By Kurt HelinJun 1, 2023, 12:42 PM EDT

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Payton Pritchard saw his role as a reserve guard with the Celtics shrink this season, which may have had less to do with the changeover to Joe Mazzulla as coach and more to do with the addition of Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.

Either way, Pritchard doesn’t like it and wants to be traded this offseason, reports Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic (in a must-read breakdown of the Celtics’ season and where they ultimately fell short.

With the new onerous CBA rules looming after next season, the front office will likely have to decide in the next 12 months whether it can afford its expensive veteran depth. Payton Pritchard has made it clear he hopes to be traded this summer, according to multiple team sources, so will the Celtics move him if they trade one of their core guards?

Pritchard may not get his wish for the financial reasons mentioned by King and Weiss — Boston has some hard decisions to make coming up. For next season, the Celtics are already $4 million into the luxury tax with 12 people on the roster, and that is without re-signing Grant Williams (if they can) or thinking about the super-max contract Jaylen Brown is about to sign that will kick in for the 2024-25 season. With the draconian threat of the second “lead” tax apron looming in a year, the Celtics must trim salary. One way to do that this summer is to trade one of Marcus Smart, Derrick White or Malcolm Brogdon, which is what is widely expected to happen around the league.

With one of those three gone, minutes open up for Pritchard, who has a team option for $4 million next season. That’s a great value contract the Celtics likely want to keep.

Meaning Pritchard may not get his wish to be sent out of Boston, but if he ends up staying, he should see more run next season.

1) Suns try to stay locked in as win streak reaches record 18

2) Grizzlies set margin of victory record with 73-point win over Thunder

3) LeBron returns Friday after missing one game due to COVID tests

Highlight of the Night: Alex Caruso

Last night’s scores:

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