Three Things to Know: Latest NBA championship, MVP odds

By Kurt HelinJan 25, 2022, 9:02 AM EST

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

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) Here’s the latest NBA championship, MVP odds

Everyone still fears the potential of the Brooklyn Nets.

Despite the recent slump (and Kevin Durant being out), despite Kyrie Irving being in and out of the lineup, despite the fact we have seen the “Big Three” for just two games, when it comes to betting on winning the championship, it’s still all about the Nets.

Let’s look at the latest championship odds via our official sports betting partner PointsBet.

Brooklyn Nets +250
Golden State Warriors +475
Phoenix Suns +650
Milwaukee Bucks +700
Utah Jazz +1000
Miami Heat +1400
Los Angeles Lakers +1600
Philadelphia 76ers +2000
Los Angeles Clippers +2200
Chicago Bulls +2500

The smart and safest bets right now would be the Suns and Bucks — Phoenix is the best team in the NBA right now, and the Bucks are putting together a run in the East that makes them the most likely to advance (at least in my eyes). Those two teams have proven they will be there in the end.

My favorite bet on the board is the Heat at +1400 — that is a team built for playoff basketball. They have the star who can get them there in Jimmy Butler, a versatile and athletic All-Star big in Bam Adebayo, the veteran point guard who has a ring in Kyle Lowry, plenty of shooting, and a large cast of versatile and outstanding role players that allows Erik Spoelstra to match up with anyone. With the Bucks and the Nets not blowing our doors off yet, the Heat look like a team with a legitimate shot to come out of the East and win it all.

If you’re thinking of betting on either Los Angeles team to win a title, donate that money to charity where it can do some good.

Let’s take a look at the latest MVP race odds, here are the top five:

Giannis Antetokounmpo +275
Stephen Curry +275
Joel Embiid +375
Nikola Jokic +400
Ja Morant +1600

Jokic at +400 seems a good bet among those if he and the Nuggets can win enough games to get voters — some of whom consider team wins a factor — to consider him for the top spot.

The best bet is not on that board: LeBron James is +4000. That seems high. It will be hard for him to win it with the Lakers hanging around .500, but if you’re in the Kevin Love “they can turn this around” camp then LeBron’s odds look very good because he has played at an MVP level.

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PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

2) Kevin Love makes his Sixth Man of the Year case against Knicks

Speaking of betting, the Cavaliers’ Kevin Love is a long shot at +8000 at Points Bet to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Those odds are too long, he has played himself into the conversation at the very least. (Tyler Herro is the runaway favorite at PontsBet at -601, and while he should be the betting favorite, he’s not running away with it to the point there are no other good options on the board).

Love made his case at Madison Square Garden scoring 20 — including nine straight in a 3-point barrage at one point — to lead the Cavaliers to a 95-93 win over the Knicks Monday night.

Runaway Rookie of the Year favorite Evan Mobley scored 15 points with 12 rebounds, and Isaac Okoro added 14 points for the Cavaliers. Don’t look now, but Cleveland is hot again and has won 7-of-8.

The Knicks were down by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied to make it a game and give themselves a chance with a Julius Randle long 3 at the buzzer, but it fell short.

3) Zach LaVine returns, Bulls hang on for win against Thunder

While there are legitimate concerns about the Bulls and their defense with Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball both out, there was good news Monday night:

Zach LaVine was back.

He scored 23 after missing five games with a bruised knee, and he looked comfortable out there.

Welcome back, Zach!@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/JMVUnP5RNL

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 25, 2022

Zach looking like Zach.@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/CC1l5zThIN

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 25, 2022

Well, at least until the fourth quarter. LaVine was part of a late-game meltdown by the Bulls that made this a game late. The Thunder upped their defensive pressure and it was evident how much the Bulls missed Ball and Caruso as ball handlers (plus DeMar DeRozan had the night off for rest).

OKC had trailed by 28 in the third but got it to the point Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to tie it in the final seconds with a 3 but missed the shot.

The Bulls had lost 6-of-7 and needed that win, and the spark LaVine brings.

Highlight of the Night: Javonte Green dunks over two Thunder defenders

This dunk by the Bull’s Javonte Green is impressive, but it’s Stacy King’s reaction on the broadcast that makes this awesome.

Last night’s scores:

Cavaliers 95, Knicks 92
New Orleans 117, Indiana 113
Chicago 111, Oklahoma City 110
Phoenix 115, Utah 109

Three things to watch in Game 7 between Miami Heat, Boston Celtics

By Kurt HelinMay 29, 2023, 10:24 AM EDT

After three games, the Boston Celtics looked done — not only did they get blown out in Game 3, they dropped the rope. They quit. This looked over. But Boston found their pride and won Game 4, then won Game 5 at home, and finally came the insane Derrick White Game and a Game 6 win to become only the third team ever to go down 0-3 and force a Game 7.

Miami was in control of this series, but some cold shooting nights — particularly from their stars — and a lot of turnovers opened the door for the Celtics. Miami and its vaunted culture, find itself in the exact place it was a year ago, having to win a Game 7 against these Celtics to advance to the Finals — if Jimmy Butler hit an open 3-pointer late a year ago the Heat would have advanced. Can they take that one more step now?

Game 7. The sweetest two words in sports, and we get one Monday night from the TD Garden.

Here are a couple of things worth watching, plus some betting advice from Vaughn Dalzell of NBC Sports Edge.

1) Butler/Adebayo or Tatum/Brown? Which stars show up?

The last time we saw Jayson Tatum in a Game 7 was just two weeks ago, when he dropped a record 51 points on the 76ers in that deciding game. A season ago in a Game 7 against these same Heat, Tatum scored 26 points and hit 4-of-7 from 3, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points.

This item really isn’t about them. While the Celtics’ stars have to have good games, it’s reasonable to expect them to.

This is all about Jimmy Butler, and to a lesser extent Bam Adebayo. For the first 43 minutes of Game 6 these two shot a combined 7-of-35 and were not good enough. Butler had 14 points and was a non-factor in Game 5. For the last three games he has looked tired, he’s lacked some of his explosion, and he has struggled with the Celtics length as they have packed the paint and taken away his easy shots inside for buckets.

“Like I told the guys on the bench, I told the guys in the locker room, that if I play better, we’re not even in this position, honestly speaking,” Butler said after the Game 6 loss. “And I will be better. That’s what makes me smile, because those guys follow my lead. So when I’m playing better, I think we’re playing better as a whole.”

Butler turned things around in the final minutes of Game 6 — sparking a 15-4 run — mainly by attacking and drawing fouls, although he hit a 3-pointer in there as well. That Butler needs to show up Monday night in Boston, they need his points and they need his defense (he will draw Brown or Tatum as his assignment for much of the game).

If Miami is going to win, Butler has to be the best player on the floor. It’s that simple. If he struggles again, the rest will not matter.

2) Are the Celtics hitting their 3-pointers

Among the many ways the Heat have to feel they let a great opportunity slip away in Game 6 was this: Boston shot 7-of-35 from 3. The Celtics’ offense this season has been much more dependent on the 3-pointer, and the Heat did not take advantage of a bad 3-point shooting night from the Celtics.

Boston’s shooters — particularly role players such as Grant Williams and Derrick White — tend to be more comfortable 3-point shooters at home, and if this team gets rolling and hits 15 or more 3s and is shooting 40% or better on those, it’s lights out. Especially if they are breakMiami, even on a good Butler day, will have trouble keeping up.

It’s simplistic to say it’s a make-or-miss league, but when it comes to the Celtics shooting from beyond the arc it applies

3) Vaughn Dalzell’s betting recommendation for Game 7

In the last 16 Game 7’s when the total moved at least five points lower than the previous Game 6 total, the Under is on a 14-2 winning streak (87.5%), which is in play here. The total for Game 6 opened at 213.5 and closed at 209.5. Game 7 opened at 206.5 and is down to 203.5, so the trend is in effect with a 10-point or 6.0 point-move depending on how you look at it.

(Check out more from Dalzell and the team at NBC Sports Edge.)

NBA says Horford foul on Butler correct call, as was added time

By Kurt HelinMay 29, 2023, 1:30 AM EDT

While Game 6 will be remembered as the Derrick White game, a series of controversial moments on the previous play set the stage for the winning shot.

There was the Heat’s Jimmy Butler driving left, getting bumped by Al Horford and fumbling the ball, recovering it and starting to dribble again (which appeared close to earning a double-dribble call). Then Butler drew a shooting foul on Horford initially called inside the arc with :02.1 seconds left, but after Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla challenged and it was ruled a 3-point attempt (it clearly was) at the :03 second mark. The referees added 0.9 seconds to the clock, ultimately enabling White to get the game-winning putback with O.1 left.

The referees got all that right, the NBA said in its Last Two Minute Report from Game 6. The report found just two incorrect calls in the final five minutes:

• Caleb Martin should have been called for a lane violation on Jaylen Brown‘s missed free throw with 1:01 left in the game.
• Gabe Vincent should have been called for a foul on Jayson Tatum‘s stumbling layup attempt with :31 remaining.

None of that changes the results, the Celtics escape Miami with a 104-103 win to force a Game 7 on Monday night. Even though that is a Game 7, it will be hard for that game to surpass the drama of Game 6.

Nick Nurse reportedly enticed by idea of working with Morey again with 76ers

By Kurt HelinMay 28, 2023, 8:20 PM EDT

Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

When news came out about the Milwaukee Bucks hiring Adrian Griffin to be their new coach, one part of that was a report that Nick Nurse pulled himself out of consideration for the job. That felt a little chicken and egg — did he pull out because he realized he would not get the job?

Either way, he is interested in the Philadelphia 76ers and particularly working again with Daryl Morey, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inqurier. Morey was the GM of the Rockets when Nurse was the coach of their G-League team, the Rio Grand Valley Vipers.

Sources have said that reuniting with Morey is very much enticing to Nurse…

A source has confirmed that Nurse pulled out of being considered for the Milwaukee Bucks head-coaching job, leading to the team hiring his former Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin on Saturday. Nurse interviewed with the Sixers on Monday before meeting with the Suns on Thursday. The 55-year-old coach is pondering the best destination for him, according to sources. However, a source would not say if the Sixers offered him the gig.

Nurse makes intuitive sense for the 76ers or Suns, an out-of-the-box coach who won a championship four years ago to teams with title aspirations next season and beyond. His connection to Morey has had some around the league thinking that would be his ultimate destination from Day 1.

However, the stars of those teams will have a say, as Giannis Antetokounmpo did in the Bucks hiring Griffin (a former player, something Antetokounmpo reportedly prioritized). How does Joel Embiid feel about Nurse? What about Kevin Durant and Devin Booker? Marc Stein reported that Booker endorsed Suns assistant Kevin Young for that job.

Both teams are reportedly getting close to deciding on their next head coach, but for contending teams that need to get this hire right they do not want to be rushed.

Report: Mavericks have no interest in Irving sign-and-trade with Lakers that brings back Russell

By Kurt HelinMay 28, 2023, 12:59 PM EDT

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Kyrie Irving may say he doesn’t want to be in the middle of NBA free agency speculation, but when he sits courtside in Los Angeles at a couple of Lakers’ playoff games he has to know that will spark talk.

LeBron James has sent his not-so-subtle message he wants more help, and the rumors he’s open to a reunion with Irving are nothing new.

All of that has driven a lot of speculation in recent weeks of a Lakers’ sign-and-trade to reunite the core of the Cavaliers’ 2016 title team. While Irving is a free agent, the Lakers have made clear they intend to re-sign Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura as restricted free agents, making signing Irving directly off the table (unless he wants to take a massive pay cut and play for the midlevel exception, which his actions indicate he does not). If Irving comes to the Lakers, it’s on a sign-and-trade.

Then who goes back to Dallas in this trade? The speculation centered on free agent D'Angelo Russell signing and trading to play next to Luka Dončić. However, the Mavericks have no interest in that, reports Marc Stein in his latest newsletter.

A popular topic all week, in the wake of Denver sweeping the Lakers out of the Western Conference finals, was the notion that L.A. could emerge as a potential sign-and-trade destination for Dallas’ free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving.

While we await a clear indication about the Lakers’ intentions there, with no verifiable signal to date that pursuing Irving is among their offseason priorities, league sources say that the Mavericks would have no interest in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers that features D’Angelo Russell as the primary Dallas-bound player. All indications are that the Mavericks remain intent on re-signing Irving

While one could argue that is early off-season posturing by the Mavericks, don’t bet on it. They want Irving back.

While the questions of fit between Dončić and Irving remain, when the Mavericks traded for Irving they committed to this path, both financially and on the court. If Irving walks in free agency Dallas has no way to replace him, and they are better off with him than without him. Irving is a much better player than Russell and with Dončić on the roster the Mavericks are a win-now team. Their preference is clear.

As for Irving, he wants to get paid (remember he opted in with the Nets rather than leave to play for less, then pushed for a trade when Brooklyn would not give him the extension he wanted). Dallas can pay him more than anyone, and beyond that is more willing to pay than most. There is logic for both Dallas and Irving to work out a new contract and, if this marriage doesn’t work out, trade him down the line. The only questions are money, years, and does Irving really want to be in Dallas (he has said he does).

League sources have told NBC Sports that the Lakers’ front office’s primary focus is not on Irving. While the Lakers could clear as much as almost $30 million in cap space, free agency is not the path the Lakers appear to be walking. Re-signing Reaves and Hachimura and putting them next to LeBron and Anthony Davis — both of the Lakers stars make more than $40 million next season — plus rounding out the roster has the Lakers quickly pushing above the cap and into the tax, and the second tax apron is within sight. The Lakers are more likely to make moves like picking up the $16.5 million team option on Malik Beasley and trading him and or other players for the shot creation and shooting they want. A Russell sign-and-trade is certainly in play, or they could bring him back, just not on anything near the max Russell likely wants (more likely a deal starting around $20 million a year). Russell was good for the Lakers in the regular season and had a 31-point playoff game to close out the Grizzlies, plus a 21-point game against the Warriors, he just was in a bad matchup against Denver.

Irving to the Lakers is a long shot. But if LeBron wants it, and Irving wants it, nothing is off the table.

1) Here’s the latest NBA championship, MVP odds

2) Kevin Love makes his Sixth Man of the Year case against Knicks

3) Zach LaVine returns, Bulls hang on for win against Thunder

Highlight of the Night: Javonte Green dunks over two Thunder defenders

Last night’s scores:

1) Butler/Adebayo or Tatum/Brown? Which stars show up?

2) Are the Celtics hitting their 3-pointers

3) Vaughn Dalzell’s betting recommendation for Game 7

Here is more in the Celtics

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Here's more on the 76ers

Check out more on the Lakers