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Larry Bird, Jabbar and Magic Posts on Bill Walton

Here are some but not all of the tributes and posts on Bill Walton, who passed away at 71, after prolonged battle with cancer.

NBA Legend Bill Walton Passes Away at 71

NBA Hall of Famer and Basketball legend Bill Walton, has passed away at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Walton, a two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, died on Monday surrounded by family in a statement released by the NBA.

Bill Walton is a two-time NBA champion; 1976–77 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, also named Finals MVP, and 1984–85 season with Boston Celtics, earning the sixth man award. Walton is a member of both the NBA’s 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. For his college career, he is a two-time champion at UCLA and a three-time national player of the year.

Tributes are pouring in from across the basketball community. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Walton “truly one of a kind,” while former teammate Larry Bird described him as a “great friend” and “a thrill to play with.”

It’s the Conference Finals of the NBA 2024

It’s the semifinals of the NBA 2024 and it comes down to just 4 teams; the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves for the Western Conference, as for the East Conf. we have the Boston Celtics and the Indian Pacers.

Minnesota and Indiana advanced to the Conf. Finals after a grueling Game 7. Dallas needed 6 games to advanced, while Boston just took care of the business in just 5 games and have been waiting on the sideline.

  • Game 1 of the WCF between Minnesota and Dallas will be this Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 3:00 AM (Saudi time)
  • Game 1 of the ECF between Boston and Indiana will be on Thursday, May 23, 2024 3:30 AM (Saudi time)

USA Basketball officially announced the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team

The USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster of the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team for this year’s Summer Olympic bound for Paris. The team was selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

  1. Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
  2. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
  3. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
  4. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
  5. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
  6. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
  7. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
  8. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
  9. Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
  10. Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
  11. Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers)
  12. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

The 2024 USA Men’s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.

The team boasts of 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions, as for their international experience, the team brings a combined 11 Olympic appearances and owns 10 Olympic gold medals as well as three FIBA World Cup titles. Talent-wise, we can say that the 2024 Dream team can be compared to the 1992 Dream Team, as for their performance, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

If you want to see the team in action, USA Basketball will commence training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas. Following the game vs. Canada, the Americans will embark on an international training window that begins when the USA hosts Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Australia and Serbia will also face off on July 18 in Abu Dhabi.

Source: USA Basketball

Watch the Steph Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu Three Point Challenge

If you missed the Steph Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu Three Point Challenge, then just hit the PLAY button from the video bellow to watch the entirety of the contest. Spoiler alert, Steph Curry barely won the event after rallying at the end.

Sabrina Ionescu, who won the WNBA’s 3-point shootout at its All-Star Weekend last year with a record 37 points, breaking Curry’s NBA shootout record of 31 points. Since then the challenge was issued and a plan to meet at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend was made.

Since the Three Point Challenge was positively received, it’s not surprising if the NBA and WNBA keep the event for next year.

Klay Thompson drops 35-points coming off the bench to lead the win against the Utah Jazz (140-137)

After a disappointing performance against the LA Clippers, Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season, scored a season high of 35 points, knocking down 7 three-pointers in 13 shots, and lead the Golden State Warriors to win against the Utah Jazz, second time this week.

Draymond Green helped on both ends of the court scoring a season high 23 points, with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Steph Curry was having another off-night, scored 16 points but was 2 of 8 from three-point line. Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 and 13 points, respectively. Brandin Podziemski, who replaced Klay in the starting lineup, chipped-in 13 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 8 assist. As a team, six players from Warriors scored in double figures and shot 53.3% from the field.

The Warriors win is also the 500th win of Steve Kerr as a Warriors Head Coach.Here’s what HC Steve Kerr has to say about his 500th win;

For the Jazz, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George lead the Jazz, scoring 35 and 33 points, respectively, while John Collins scored 18 points but made a critical turnover by throwing the ball away ball after rebounding the ball and could potentially gave Utah the lead with just 3 seconds remaining in the game.

This is Utah and Golden State last game before the All Star break, that will take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 16-18, 2024. Next for the Warriors will be against the LA Lakers while Utah will face Charlotte Hornets both games will be on the 23rd after the All Star Break.

Watch the last 5 mins ending of the Warriors versus the Jazz;.

Warriors captures 5th straight win against the Jazz (129-107)

The Golden State Warriors are on a roll, securing their 5th straight win and 7th in 9 games, which is enough for the team to move up the standings to 10th place.

It was a slow scoring night for Warriors’ leading scorer Steph Curry, scoring only 10 points in the first half and after a scoreless 3rd qtr, Curry made five 3-pointers in the fourth to capped a 14-5 Warriors run with 4:47 remaining in the game.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points with 5 rebounds, to help get the win even without Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr who when to Serbia for the funeral service for Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who had a heart attack at a team dinner in Salt Lake City on Jan. 16 . Kerr was with assistant coaches Chris DeMarco and Ron Adams, general manager Mike Dunleavy, team liaison Zaza Pachulia, and team vice president Rick Celebrini.

Together with the Splash Brothers, 6 other Warriors scored double figures; Kuminga and Wiggins scored 14 points and 17 points, respectively, while Draymond Green anchored the defense and was flirting with a triple-double game with his 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, with one steal and a block.

After the trade deadline, the Utah Jazz have a very different starting line up after trading Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji. Colin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson both scored 22 points for the Jazz, with Lauri Markkanen adding 19 points.

Golden State Warriors will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday then go to Utah to play the Jazz again Thursday night. The Utah Jazz will host the LA Lakers on Wednesday evening.

Warriors Game Highlights;

Steph Curry makes end-of-regulation 3-Pointer to carry Warriors past the Suns (113-112)

Steph Curry made a last-second three-pointer to lift the Warriors against the Suns in an epic showdown with Devin Booker and former-teammate Kevin Durant.

It was a close game from start to finish and the largest lead by either team was just 7 points. The game got intense in the final quarter with 6 lead changes.

Steph Curry, the leading scorer for the Warriors, secure the lead for Golden State with 3.3 second remaining in regulation, received an inbound pass from Brandin Podziemski and made the three from 29 feet and with the out stretch arms of Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.

Jonathan Kuminga added 21 points and 5 rebounds, while Draymond Green chipped-in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists.

Suns’ big 3 were running on all cylinders, with Ken Durant, a former-Warriors, scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists; Devin Booker, score a team high 32 points and 6 assists, and Bradley Beal added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Golden State Warriors will visit the Utah Jazz on Monday evening, while the Phoenix Suns will host the Sacramento Kings this Tuesday night.

Here’s the final 5 minutes of Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns;

Los Angeles Lakers unveil 19-foot bronze statue of Kobe Bryant

Just hours before their game agains the Denver Nuggets, the LA Lakers unveil the 19-foot bronze statue of Kobe Bryant, honoring the late superstar outside their downtown arena.

The 4,000-pound statue depicts Bryant wearing his white No. 8 jersey with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.

Here’s a side-by-side image from FIBA’s official X/twitter account;

Kobe Bryant’s 20-year career with the Lakers in a nutshell;

Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star, retired as the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single franchise. Known for his ‘Mamba Mentality,’ he helped guide the Lakers to five NBA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) and earned Finals MVP honors in 2009 and 2010. Voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008, Bryant earned All-NBA honors 15 times, including 11 First Team selections, and was named to 12 All-Defensive Teams throughout his career, including nine All-Defensive First Team honors.

The Hall-of-Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist stands as the purple and gold’s all-time leader in regular season games played (1,346), points (33,643), 3-pointers made (1,827), steals (1,944) and free throws made (8,378), while owning franchise playoff records for games played (220), points (5,640), 3-pointers made (292) and free throws made (1,320). A two-time scoring champion, Bryant scored a career-high and franchise-best 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006, at home versus Toronto. The Lakers retired Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys on Dec. 18, 2017.

Kobe’s will be the 7th Laker immortalize in a statue that’s on display outside the Crypto Arena.

NBA to use LED Court at the NBA All-Star 2024

NBA just announced that they will be using the recently introduced LED Court by International Basketball Federation (FIBA) last year. The LED court was developed by ASB GlassFloor, that will be used for NBA All-Star 2024 events taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The events includes the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 16th, and all the events happening on the All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 17th, consisting of the Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Contest, the “Stephen vs. Sabrina,” the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge and Slam Dunk.

This will be the first time that the NBA will using a different kind of materials for the courts, they previously use a different design of the recently concluded Play-In Tournament but the materials are still wood, compare to the glass and LED that will be use at the NBA All-Star 2024.

The league even published a 22 seconds video showcasing the LED court that they will be using at the NBA All-Star 2024;

The NBA today unveiled the state-of-the-art full video LED court that will be used for #NBAAllStar 2024 events taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium, which include the #RufflesCelebGame (Feb. 16, 7pm/et on ESPN) and #StateFarmSaturday Night (Feb. 17, 8pm/et on TNT), consisting of #KiaSkills, #Starry3PT, “Stephen vs. Sabrina,” the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge and #ATTSlamDunk.

The high-performance, immersive sports floor is designed to enhance the fan experience in-arena and on broadcast through its interactive displays. During each event, visual effects displayed on the court will include the following:

▪️ Design and color changes
▪️ Live replays and other video content
▪️ Real-time game stats
▪️ Location-based player tracking animations
▪️ Interactive games for fans during timeouts
▪️ Immersive animations following key plays and moments

Golden State Warriors win over Philadelphia 76ers behind Wiggins’ 21 point game (127 – 104)

Golden State Warriors routs the Embiid-less 76ers behind the most unlikely trio of Wiggins, Kuminga and Thompson. When we talk about the Golden State Warriors, we immediately associate Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, for this particular game, it was Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Klay Thompson, the trio scored a total of 57 points, which helped the team since Steph Curry was having an off-night scoring only 9 points with just 2 of 7 from the field.

Even though the 76ers were without Joel Embiid, they kept the game close in the first half, but in the 2nd half the Warriors broke the game open by going on a 27-9 run, that extended their lead to 25 points.

Andrew Wiggins scored a team high of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr have nothing but positive things to say about Wiggins’ performance;

At the same time, Jonathan Kuminga scored 18 points to helped seal the win for the Warriors, he also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished 5 assists. Klay Thompson bounced back from a bad game against the Nets and scored 18 points, shooting 50% from the field and making 4 of his 5 three-points shots.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, 6 players scored in double-figure led by Ricky Council IV who scored 17 points. Followed by KJ Martin with his 15 points and 5 rebounds. Pat Bev and Tobais Harris both scored 13 points apiece. It also did not helped that the 76ers missed 24 of 32 3-point shot and only grabbing 40 rebounds compared to 52 rebs from the Warriors.

This is the second consecutive win by the Warriors and second win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Here are some highlights;

The Warriors will visit the Pacers this Thursday evening, while the 76ers will hosts the Hawks on Friday.

NBA Officially announced the 2024 NBA All-Star Game reserves

Seven days after announcing the 2024 NBA All-Star Game Starters, the league unveil the 7 All-Star Game reserves for each conferences.

Eastern Conference reserves

  • Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
  • Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
  • Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
  • Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
  • Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Julius Randle, New York Knicks

Western Conference reserves

  • Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
  • Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
  • Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Paul George, LA Clippers
  • Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
  • Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

Just like with the starters, the 2024 NBA All-Star Game reserves were selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel. Fans accounted for 50% of the vote, while players and media accounted for 25% each.

Here are your 2024 NBA All-Star Game Starters

NBA has finally announced this year’s All-Star Game Starters. The TNT crew (Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson) even had a segment in their show to announce the 10 All Star starters.

Eastern Conference starters

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo*
  • Joel Embiid
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Tyrese Haliburton
  • Damian Lillard

Western Conference starters

  • LeBron James*
  • Kevin Durant
  • Nikola Jokic
  • Luka Doncic
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

* = denotes team captain

Starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game were selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel. Fans accounted for 50% of the vote, while players and media accounted for 25% each.

This year, the league will revert back to the EAST vs West format, which means that title CAPTAIN will just be for formality and each players will team up for their respective conference in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home court of the Indiana Pacers.

Watch the Chicago Bulls’ Inaugural Ring of Honor Ceremony 2024

For those who missed the ceremony, here the inaugural class to Chicago Bulls’ Ring of Honor on Friday, January 12th. According to NBA, “The Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor will recognize and celebrate past players, coaches and front office members who made outstanding contributions and helped define the organization throughout its history.”

The inaugural class of Ring of Honor are the following;
Artis Gilmore, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker, Tex Winter, and the 1995-96 team, which went 72-10 and won the 1996 NBA Championship.

They’re the players, coaches and staff from the 1995-96 team:
Players: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, and Bill Wennington

Coaches: Jim Cleamons, Phil Jackson, John Paxson, Jimmy Rodgers, and Tex Winter

Staff: Ivica Dukan, Clarence Gaines, Jr., Erik Helland, Jerry Krause, John Ligmanowski, Chip Schaefer, Jim Stack, and Al Vermeil

Here’s the Chicago Bulls’ Inaugural Ring of Honor Ceremony 2024;

Warriors win over Bulls behind the Splash Brothers

The Golden State Warriors got a much needed win to stop their two game losing streak. The Warriors were carried by the Splash brothers, scoring 57 of their 140 points. Both started slow; Steph Curry was scoreless in the 1st qtr and just 6 points in the entirety of the first half, while Klay Thompson scored just 5 points, he 2 of 8 from the field in the 1st half.

But in the 3rd qtr, Thompson made all of his 5 shot from beyond the arc, helping the Warriors build a 16 point lead early the 2nd held, he ended the game with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Steph Curry on the other hand took over in the 4th, scoring 13 points, 3 from the three-point line and made 9 assists with just one turn over. He finished the game with 27 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists.

Together with the Splash Bros; Saric, Wiggins, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis played a big part in the game. Saric started the game and scored 12 points, 7 rebs, 6 assists and 2 steals; Wiggins added 17 points, 5 rebs and 8 assists; Kuminga and Jackson-Davis, added 24 points and 13 points, respectively. It was a total team effort for the Warriors.

The Chicago Bulls was lead by Demar DeRozan who scored a team high of 39 points, 7 rebs and 5 assists, while Coby White and Zach Lavine added 25 points a piece.

During the halftime break, Chicago Bulls recognized 13 franchise luminaries as well as the 1995-96 championship team during the inaugural Bulls Ring of Honor class. The Bulls said that will add to the Ring of Honor every two years, with the next class being revealed in 2026.

  • Golden State Warriors will continue their four-game road trip in Milwaukee on Saturday night.
  • Chicago Bulls will face the San Antonio Spurs at on Saturday night.

NBA reinstate Draymond Green are being suspended for 12 games

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green have been reinstated by the NBA after being suspended for 12 games. The announcement was made from the league’s PR account (NBA Communications.

Last 14th December, Draymond Green was “suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face”, prior to the suspension, Green already received a 5-game suspension for “headlocking” Minnesota center Rudy Gobert.

Green can be back in the lineup during their Toronto game this Sunday but according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, he will “need approximately a week to ramp up for a game return.”

The Golden State Warriors are 7-5 without Green and it’s been a rollercoaster ride for the team considering he is the leading defensive and facilitator of the team. The reinstatement of Green is a welcoming news for the Warriors as well as its fans, as we approach the half-way mark of the season and a chance of Golden State to make a run for the playoffs.

Steph’s 36 points powers the Warriors win over Magic (121-115)

After three straight losses, the Golden State Warriors got a timely win from the Orlando Magic before they face the defending champs, the Denver Nugget, in a rematch for their Christmas day Matchup.

It was a close game until the last 4 minutes of the game, no team has lead for more than 10 points in the game, until Steph took over late in the game. Curry scored and helped the Warrior score 13-straight-points in a span of four minutes late in the game to secure the win for the Dubs. Steph Curry lead the team in scoring with 36 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points, with his 6 rebs and 4 assists, Klay Thompson chipped-in 15 points, 3 of which are from beyond the arc.

Sophomore Paolo Banchero lead the Magics with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, while Franz Wagner added 25 points and Goga Bitadze with his 13 points.

The Warriors will host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, 4th of Jan, while the Magic will go to Sacramento on Wednesday, 3rd Jan.

Stephen Curry scores 33 points, to carry the Warriors over Celtics in OT (132-126 )

Steph Curry even with 5-personal fouls and being targeted by the Boston offense, he played the entirety of the 4th qtr and OT, in those 17 mins, he scored a total of 20 points, on his way to scoring 33 points with 6 assists and helped the Warriors overcome a 17-point deficit middle of the 3rd qtr.

Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, scored 24 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists, he also hit a timely three-point to tie the game with 2:18 remaining in regulation. Jonathan Kuminga also made a number of hustle plays to give the Warriors the lead in OT. Boston on the other hand couldn’t make any basket even if the Warriors gifted them 3 offensive rebounds and four shots at the end of the 4th qtr.

Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski left the game in the second half due to a strained lower back and did not return to the game. Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul were able to play off the bench, Paul scoring 9 points but was instrumental in the Warriors run after making 7 consecutive points, late in the 3rd, he finished with a team high 12 assists and 7 rebds. Rookie Trayce Jackson Davis also played big making the most of the playing time that Coach Steve Kerr is giving him. Jackson-Davis finished with 10 pts, team high 13 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Boston Celtics have multiple opportunities to secure the game but could not make any bucket; missing 4 shots by the end of regulation that could have given them the lead and key plays in the final minutes of OT.

Boston starters are all in double-figures, with Derrick White scoring a team high of 30 points, making 7-of-18 from beyond the arc, he also grabbed 7 rebounds. Followed by Jalen Brown’s 28 points, 8 rebs and 7 assists, while Jason Tatum added 15 points, 8 rebs and 7 assists.

Warriors will improved their standings to 13-14, a game behind the Suns for the 10th place in the West, while the Celtics will fall 20-6, still the number 1 team in the East and 2nd in the league.

Boston will go to Sacramento on Wednesday night, while the Warriors will host Washington on Friday night, while will be Jordan Poole’s first game back to the Chase Center after being traded to the Wizards in the off season.

Lakers officially hangs 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Banner

The Los Angeles Lakers has officially hang the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament (IST) Championship banner, the new banner will join the 18 NBA Championship banner, that can also be seen hanging from rafters of Crypto.com arena.

You can watch the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Award-Ceremony below;

Lebron James was named the MVP of the IST and each member of the team received cash price of $500,000.

Klay Thompson scores 28 Points to help Warriors Edge Past Trail Blazers (118 – 114)

Klay Thompson was on fire for the Warriors, pouring in a game-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 10-of-10 from three-point line. He kept the Warriors afloat in the first half then helped build a 22-point lead in early in the 3rd qtr.

This is the 3rd game where Thompson scored more than 20 points; 30 points against the Clippers, 24 pts on the Nets and then 28 points tonight. Klay’s scoring prowess came at a time where Stephen Curry’s 3-pointer streak ends. It was a bad shooting night for Curry, scoring omly for 7 points, 2 of 12 from the field and 0-8 from beyond the arc, he did managed to dish-out 8 assist to help setup his team-mate.

Warriors also got a much needed help from Andrew Wiggins, who scored 25 points and 7 rebounds. Podziemski, who started his 3rd game of the season, added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Not to be outdone by the Warriors, Portland made things interesting by erasing the 22 point lead (82-28), on a Matisse Thybulle three pointer with still 2:14 remaining in the qtr, then tied the game (91-91) again in the 4th qtr when Anfernee Simons made a 8-foot jumper.

Golden State was just hanging on a 5 point lead with still 2 mins remaining in the game but the Trail Blazer could not get over the hump to steal the win. Jeremy Grant lead Portland with 30 pts, 7 rebs and 6 assists, Anfernee Simons added another 24 pts and 7 assists, which Shaedon Sharpe chipping-in 12 pts.

Golden State Warriors improved to a 12-14 standing, while Portland are now 6-19, who are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with the Spurs.

The Warriors will travel Boston while the Blazers will face the red-hot Suns at home both games will happen on the 20th, Wednesday night.

Splash Brothers had a 3-point historic night in Warriors’ win over Nets (124 -120)

After losing 3 straight and what appears to be an imploding Golden State Warriors, they finaly got a much needed win with scoring explosion from the Splash Brothers. Steph Curry scoring a team high 37 points on 14-for-22 shooting, this includes an efficient 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. He also scored 12 straight points in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter to seal the victory, Curry also made his 3,500th triple in the process.

Klay Thompson on the otherhand was also shooting the lights-out, scoring 12 of his 24 points from 3-point range, making 4 three-points in 9 shots, he also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Thompson also moved-up to 9th place on the NBA’s career 3-point leaderboard, passing Jason Terry. Depending on how Klay shot from the 3-points line this season he can jump over Vince Carter and Lebron James in the rankings.

The Splash Brothers also got a lot of help from the team; GSW rookie Brandin Podziemski scored 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, with Andrew Wiggins coming off the bench added 14 points and 5 rebounds. Saric and Kuminga also chipped-in 12 points and 10 pts, respectively. Chris Paul facilitated the team with 11 assists. This is the second missed game of Draymond Green after receiving an indefinite suspension from the league after hitting Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

Nets almost spoiled the Splash Brothers historic night, after erasing the 18-point lead that the Warriors have in the 3rd qtr. Six Nets players scored in double figures with Cam Thomas scoring a team high 41 points on 15-for-24 shooting with five 3-pointers, he also grabbed 5 rebounds, Claxton and Bridges scored 19 points and 18 points, respectively, and Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 points, 5 rebounds and a season-best 14 assists. Brooklyn Nets even grabbed the lead 99-97 on a Mikal Bridges made 3-points with 9:12 remaining in the game. That’s when the Splash Brothers took over the game.

Warriors will improve their standings to 11 – 14, but are still 2 games behind the Suns for #10 in the Western standings, to qualify for the Play-In. The Nets on the other hand will fall to 13-12 and will go down to #9 in the Eastern Conference standings.

Golden State Warriors will go to Portland this Sunday to complete their home-road back-to-back, while the Nets will visit Utah Jazz Monday night before going back home.

Phoenix Suns defeats Golden State Warriors behind Booker’s 32 points with Green ejected from the game

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Phoenix Suns once again, with Devin Booker scoring 32 points and Bradley Beal’s 16 points, his first game from a back injury and just his 4th game this season. Suns are also without Kevin Durant who is missed his second game because of a left ankle sprain.

It was actually a close game in the first half, where the Suns largest lead was only 7 points then Golden State took a 13 points lead early in the 2nd qtr. In the second half, that’s where things took a bad turn for the Warriors when Golden State’s Draymond Green was ejected for receiving a Flagrant 2 foul after hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

All but one Warriors starters are negative (-) in the +/- column and it was the Warriors bench that kept them in the game. Brandin Podziemski was able to cut the lead to just 1 point with 15 seconds remaining but Booker and Beal were able to make all their free throws to give them a 5 points cushion to secure the win.

Steph Curry lead the scoring for the GSW with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists but was 4 of 15 from the 3-point, Klay Thompson was just 7 points and 5 rebounds after playing for 27 minutes. Five Warriors bench players scored in double figure lead by Brandin Podziemski with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Kuminga added 16 pts and 6 rebounds with Saric’s 15 points.

Aside from Booker, Suns got a lot of production from their starters including Jusuf Nurkic’s 17 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists, as well as Bradley Beals’s 17 points and Metu’s 14 points.

The Golden State Warriors will travel to LA to face the Clippers on Thursday, while the Suns will stay at home to host the Nets on Wednesday.

Lebron James named 2023 NBA In Season Tournament MVP

The Los Angeles Lakers are undefeated in the 2023 In-Season Tournament, big reason for that is because of Lebron James, that is why its not surprising that he is named the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.

This is his stats for 7 games;
Games Played: 7
Mins: 30.7
Pts: 26.4
3-pts%: 60.6
Rebounds: 8
Assists: 7.6
Steal: 1.6

This could be a sign for things to come this season for the LA Lakers and after the tournament, the Lakers may be one of the team that we can consider as a title contender!

Los Angeles Lakers are the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Champions

The Los Angeles Lakers are the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Champions, this is after a dominant performance the Lakers Stars Anthony Davis with his 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. Lakers also had a lot of help from Austin Reaves, who came off the bench, he scored 28 points, Lebron James also helped with his 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers controlled the tempo of the game, even though Indiana are in striking distance until Los Angeles went on a 15-3 run late in the fourth quarter to secure the win for good. Lakers went old school by scoring in the paint at will, exploiting Indiana’s lack of size. This was also evident in the Rebounds, where the Lakers grabbed 55 rebounds versus Pacers 33 rebounds.

Pacers’ PG Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points and 11 assists, Bennedict Mathurin also scored 20 points and Aaron Nesmith had 15, but they could not contain AD for wreaking havoc in the paint. As for tournament awards.

Pacers will visit Detroit on Monday night to start a four-game road trip, while the Lakers will go to Dallas on Tuesday night for their three-game road trip.

Oklahoma City Thunder defeat Golden States behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s 38 points in OT (138-136)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) continue their impressive run, defeating the Golden State Warriors in overtime by a score of 138-136 on December 8th, 2023. This marks the second time in four matchups this season that the young Thunder squad has bested the defending champions in OT, highlighting their growing confidence and ability to compete with the league’s best.

The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams trading leads throughout the contest. Stephen Curry led the Warriors, pouring in 34 points and 6 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Thunder’s balanced attack. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge for OKC, dropping a game-high 38 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, he is 15-30 from the field.

Chet Holmgren, the rookie sensation, played a pivotal role in the Thunder’s victory. He dominated the paint, racking up 21 points, 7 rebounds and an assists with 3 blocks, making his presence felt on both ends of the court. His size and athleticism were too much for the Warriors’ frontcourt to handle, and his clutch free throws in the final seconds of regulation sent the game into overtime.

The Warriors is once again plague with turnovers, committing a 29 turnovers which the Thunders took advantage and converted to 35 points. This will be OKC’s 3 straight win over the Warriors and this will be the last game between the two teams in the regular season.

Warriors will visit KD and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, while OKC will host the Utah Jazz on Monday.

Steph Curry’s 31-points carries Golden State Warriors to a win over Trail Blazers in Tight Contest (110 – 106)

The Golden State Warriors emerged victorious in a thrilling matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, securing a 110-106 win at Chase Center. Stephen Curry led the charge for the Warriors, dropping a game-high 31 points, including a clutch three-pointer in the final minute to seal the deal.

The game remained close throughout, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage. The Trail Blazers held a 55-48 lead at halftime, but the Warriors were able to responded with a run in the third quarter, Portland 34-31. However, the Blazers refused to back down, and fueled by Anfernee Simons’ 28 points, they were able to hold on to the lead until the 4:40 mark of fourth quarter.

The Warriors are just hold on to a 1-point lead, Curry stepped up and delivered a step-back triple to give Golden State a 4-point with 9.2 left in the game.

Draymond Green also played a crucial role in the Warriors’ victory. He was flirting with triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, anchoring the Warriors’ defense with 2 blocks.

For the Trail Blazers, aside from Anfernee Simons’s performance, Shaedon Sharpe had a big game with 26 points, 6 reds and 5 assists, followed by Jabari Walker’s 12 points and 5 rebs.

This victory was crucial for the Warriors, who improved their record to 10-11, which will put them 11th in the Western Conference standings. The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, fell to 6-14 and they share the bottom of the standings with the Spurs.

Portland Trail Blazers will host Dallas on Friday night, while the Warriors will visit Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

These are the Trophies for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament

Now that we have the 4 team standing for the Semifinals of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, the league unveil the trophies as well as the awards that will be given to the winners for the tournament, this in addition to the cash prize that the team and players will receive from the league.

From NBA;

There are cash prizes for reaching the knockout round in the tournament, and the prizes will keep growing as a team advances. Each player gets $500,000 for winning the title, $200,000 for making the final, $100,000 for reaching the semifinals and $50,000 for making the quarterfinals. There is one caveat: two-way players on those rosters only get half as much as those on standard contracts.

NBA In-Season Tournament Champions

The NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Trophy will be called – ‘The NBA Cup’. This will be given to the team for winning it all for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.

  • Color: The gold reinforces the connection to the NBA’s trophy offerings and symbolizes the highest level of achievement, while the black coloring is unique to the league’s trophy collection, a new addition for the In-Season Tournament.
  • Material: Sterling silver trophy, coated in 24-karat gold vermeil and black ceramic.
  • Measurements: 23” high, 18” prong height, 5” base height, weighing 35 lbs.
  • Details:
    • Eight prongs flow into the channels of the cup, inspired by the prongs of a diamond ring.
    • The base, featuring net detail, is a blend of the design of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Championship Trophy bases.
    • The underside of the trophy features the NBA In-Season Tournament event logo.
  • Design Inspiration:
    • One trophy – Represents the one In-Season Tournament champion.
    • Three-tier base – Represents the three games that the champion must win in the In-Season Tournament Knockout Rounds.
    • Eight prongs – Represents the eight teams that advance to the Knockout Rounds.
    • 23” total height – Represents the inaugural year of the In-Season Tournament.
    • 30 net openings on the trophy’s base – Represents the 30 NBA teams.
    • 35 lbs. – Represents the three groups of five teams in each conference for Group Play in the In-Season Tournament.

NBA In-Season Tournament MVP Trophy

No special name the league will just straight up calling this The NBA In-Season Tournament MVP trophy. This will be awarded to the most valuable player in the In-Season Tournament.

  • Color: The black and gold colors match the championship trophy, with the two stems mirroring the championship prong design.
  • Size: 15” high, 6.5” width, 5” ball (17.5” circumference), 8” stem, 3” base height, weighing 11.5 lbs.
  • Representation:
    • 15” height – Represents 15 teams in each NBA conference.
    • 5” width – Represents the six groups and five teams in each In-Season Tournament group.
    • 3” base – Represents the three In-Season Tournament groups in each conference.
    • Two stems – Represents the two teams competing in the In-Season Tournament Championship Game.

NBA In-Season Tournament Medals

Each player on the In-Season Tournament championship team will receive the In-Season Tournament Medals. No special name for the medals as well.

  • “NBA In-Season Tournament Champions” is etched on the front of the medal, along with the year.
  • The back of the medal features a silhouette of the NBA Cup in the middle of two tournament brackets.
  • The four extruding balls on the face of the medal represent the four teams competing in the In-Season Tournament Semifinals.

NBA In-Season Tournament All-Tournament Team Trophies

This will be awarded to each player on the In-Season Tournament All-Tournament Team. This is the equivalent of the “All-NBA Team” awards that are given at the end of season.

The All-Tournament Team members will receive trophies, designed by Victor Solomon, composed of a solid black crystal basketball with gold channels, one of which features a bracket motif in a nod to the In-Season Tournament. Each trophy stands 7.5” in height and weighs 20 pounds.

Final 4 of the NBA In-Season Tournament are now Complete

We now have the Final 4 teams for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which will be held in Las Vegas this 7th of December.

Semis

For the West side, it will be between LA Lakers versus New Orleans Pelicans, then for the East Side, we have Indiana Pacers against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Finals

The two winners for games between; LA Lakers versus New Orleans Pelicans, and Indiana Pacers against the Milwaukee Bucks, will once again play for the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, which the league is calling ‘The NBA Cup’. Games will also be in Las Vegas and will be on Dec. 9th.

Clippers Edge Warriors in Thrilling Finish on a Paul George buzzer beater three (113-112)

The Los Angeles Clippers pulled out a thrilling 113-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday afternoon, avenging their 120-114 loss to Golden State two days earlier in Los Angeles.

Paul George hit the game-winning 3-pointer with just 9.2 seconds remaining to give the Clippers their first lead of the game. George finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while James Harden added 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists. Kawhi Leonard also had a solid performance with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who had 22 points and a season-high 11 assists. Draymond Green added a season-high 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Klay Thompson also contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Warriors big three; Curry, Thompson and Green all made four 3-pointers but the Warriors as a team made are 17-43 from beyond the arc and committed 13 turnovers, to which the Clippers were able to capitalize.

The Warriors led by as many as 22 points in the first half and appears to be walking away for the win, but the Clippers slowly chipped away at the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Clippers were able to cut the lead to just a point with still 2:04 remaining in the game then took the lead for the first time after George hit the game-winning 3-pointer to give the Clippers the victory.

The Clippers improve to 9-10, while the Warriors fall to 9-11.

Golden State will host the Portland Trailblazers while the LA Clippers will host the defending champs Denver Nuggets, both games will be this coming Wednesday.