OAKLAND, Calif. "31?"Clippers guard Landry Shamet told Sporting News with his eyes wide in near disbelief. "31? Biggest in playoff history?"Shamets shock mirrored the feelingof the entire Oracle Arena crowd. While the Warriors faithful slowly trudged outside with their heads down,the Clippers rushed the floor to celebrate the most unlikely postseason victory the league has ever seen.NBA PLAYOFFS 2019:| The Clippers, down 31 points in the second half, managed to complete the largest
Minnesota Twins Jersey comeback in NBA playoff history Monday night to even their best-of-seven series with Golden State at one game apiece. It was a victory that not a soul in Oraclesaw coming. That is, except for Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers." I told the team that we were going to win,"Rivers said, explaining what he shared with his players in the locker room afterthe Clippers faced a73-50 halftime deficit. "Just hang in there. Just hang in there long enough. I was honest with them. I said, 'I dont know how. Were going to figure this out, but just hang in there with each other.' I thought they did that."It was a night that began with the expectation of a playoff romp, but Game 2 wasn'tjust a terrible collapse for the Warriors.Early in the first quarter, after intercepting a pa s at half court, starting center DeMarcus Cousins stumbled to the ground and clutched his left quad. It was a non-contact injury, similar to the torn Achilles he suffered in the same leg as a member of the Pelicans more than ayear ago.As a hushed Warriors crowd looked on, a visibly frustrated Cousins headed to the locker room. Golden State fears Cousins tore his quad, according to , and Warriors coach Steve Kerr did little to quell those concerns after the game."Theres a pretty significant quad injury
Phil Hughes Jersey ," Kerr said. "Well get an MRI tomorrow. But hes going to be out for, Ill just say awhile, because I think its unclear right now how long hell be out. Its significant."After Game 2 collapse against LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said DeMarcus Cousins suffered a "pretty significant" quad injury. "He's going to be out awhile." Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) MORE: Cousins' injury didnt seem to faze the Warriors for nearly two-and-a-half quarters. In fact, it almost seemed to galvanize them as their lead swelled to 31 in the third. Stephen Curry was putting on a show on his way to a team-high 29 points, and Oracle went into celebration mode. The party started a little early.As the Clippers trimmed the deficit to 14 before the start of the fourth quarter, the thought that they could complete the largest comeback in playoff history still seemed far-fetched. But the Clippers had been there before all season really. Back in February, they completed an improbable 28-point comeback to beat the Celtics on the road."It kept popping into my head," said Shamet, who finished with
Jorge Polanco Jersey 12 points, four rebounds and three a sists against the Warriors. "Boston. Think of Boston. Because it definitely felt identical."That beliefhelped Shametstick the dagger in Golden State when his name was called. Shamets go-ahead 3-pointerwith 15.
Jose Berrios Jersey 9 seconds left put the Clippers up, 133-131. After a key defensive stop, Shamet tipped a reboundto Montrezl Harrell, who was fouled andwent on to knock down two free throws, clinchingthe 135-131 victory.Shamet DRAINS a for the Clippers to take the LEAD! | NBA TV (@NBATV) OFFSEASON PREVIEWS:| | | | Game 2was a testament to what the Clippers have been all year long: gritty, resilientunderdogs.Led by Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, the Clippers continue to exceed expectations. Williams, who led the Clippers with 36 points and 11 a sists, made improbable shot afterimprobable shot to continue chipping away at the deficit. Beverley, always known for his swagger and propensity for trash talk, never allowed the Clippers to lose faith." Beverley is so important for us. I think people get lost in some of his antics and stuff," Rivers said. "But his spirit and his soul is so important for our team. He was encouraging everybody. I thought him and Lou in particular in the timeouts, when we were down, they kept going to the young guys. I thought they were really important for us."The
Kirby Puckett Jersey Warriors will regroup, of course. In all likelihood, Golden State will take care of busine s against the Clippers andcontinue their run towarda third consecutive title. But choking away a 31-point leadwill not be forgotten easily, especially with a lo s that highlighted all of the Warriors' problems.Theres a very real chance that Cousins will not be there to help in their quest. Kevin Durant and Draymond Green , leaving their teammates to explain what happened and opening the door to speculation about internal strife. The bench depth has been a concern all season long.This is a team so good it can build a 31-point lead in a playoff game, seemingly without breaking a sweat. It can also fall apart against a significantly le s talented opponent. The gap between another championship and the end of a dynastyhas never felt thinner.For the Clippers, Monday nights victory was the icing on the cake of a season that few expected. For the Warriors, it should serve as a major wake-up call.
The reigning NBA champions may be without their MVP leader for the next two games.Warriors point guardStephen Curry has a right calf strainand is questionable for their game at Dallas on Wednesday. Interim Golden State coach Luke Walton said that Curry, who did not practice Tuesday,
Jackie Robinson Jersey could alsomi s the team's contest Thursday night in Houston.MORE: |
Matthew Boyd Jersey JOSEPH: "There's a chance that he won't play in one or both," Walton said, . "That's probably going to be a game-time decision or at least determined on how he's feeling (Wednesday)."He hasn't said anything except for he wants to play. Even (Monday)night in
Shane Greene Jersey the game (a victory overthe Kings) when I saw him in the game limping, and I tried to take him out, he gave the wave-off and said that it was fine."MORE: Curry, who is averaging 30.5 points per game,isn't the only Warriors player injured. Backup guardLeandro Barbosa (shoulder) did not make the trip to Dallas. That means reserve pointguard Shaun Livingston could be running
Daniel Norris Jersey the offense in Texas.The Warriors (29-1) will also be without third-year forward Harrison Barnes and his 13 points per gamebecause of an ankle injury. Startingforward Draymond Green also has a tender ankle, but heon Tuesday that he'll be OK.The Warriors will
Kirk Gibson Jersey return home to Oracle Arena for a Jan. 2 game against the Nuggets. They hope to have Curry and some of his ailing teammates back in the lineup then.
Determined to make the postseason, the Charlotte Hornets have made yet another trade to acquire shooting, adding Mo Williams and Troy Daniels in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to the team. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!
Cory Spangenberg Jersey Sports first reported the deal.Charlotte has acquired guards Mo Williams and Troy Daniels for Gary Neal and a second-round pick, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) MORE: | | The Hornets originally added Gary Neal to solve their shooting woes and
Yu Darvish Jersey create space for big man Al Jefferson on the block. Their problems from the perimeter continued, however, as Neal faced injury and took on ballhandling duties because of the team's widespread health i sues.In return for the decision to move Neal and a second-round pick, the Hornets will receive a more comfortable ballhandler in Mo Williams,
Tony Gwynn Jersey which became a priority due to injury i sues for Kemba Walker and Brian Roberts. Long-term, the real prize is Daniels because he is deadly shooter
Ian Kinsler Jersey from deep.In discu sing the reasoning behind the deal, Wojnarowski confirmed that the Hornets made the move to remain in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. While he has faults, Williams is a veteran who can step in and get the Hornets into their offense and knock down open looks. They lack that at the moment.Charlotte's determined to make playoffs. Williams gives them chance to bridge until Walker return -- and no longer play Stephenson
Jake Cronenworth Jersey at point. Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA)
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas for hitting the Hawks' Dennis Schroder in the head during their playoff game Friday night.Late in the firstquarter, Thomas appeared to take a swing atSchrder as the Hawks guard ran up the court after a layup.. joins the crew to discu
Kansas City Royals Jersey s the po sibility of a suspension for Isaiah Thomas... NBA TV (@NBATV) MORE: | Schroder turned around in disbelief, looking for an official, but did not get a call.Schrder then hip checked Thomas on the ensuing po se sion, and when Thomas had to be restrained by teammates, both players were whistled for technicals. The play was ruled a Flagrant 1, meaning no suspension, Saturday by the NBA.Following the game, Thomas hedidnt mean to hit Schrder in the head."ButStu Jackson, the former head of player discipline for the
Bo Jackson Jersey NBA, told NBA TV he believes the incident warrants a suspension."I can't predict what the outcome will be although when you look at the play, it clearly is not a basketball play," . "There's no reason for Isaiah Thomas to extend his arm, swing it and make contact with Schrder's head in that situation, and the rule on this is very clear: if a player
Brian Flynn Jersey swings with an open hand or a closed fist whether or not he makes contact or not two things are supposed to happen. One is the player's supposed to be ejected from the game, and then secondly the player is subject to an automatic one-game suspension."The rule here is very clear," Jackson continued,"and it's a very bright line, albeit that you're making a decision on a very key player in this playoff
Ryan O Hearn Jersey series. And in my mind, he will get suspended for one game."MORE: Schroder, who was called for a flagrant foul later in the game, later tweetedhis disbelief Thomas had not been called for a foul. He later deleted the post.Dennis Schrder tweeted and then deleted this: Sean Highkin (@highkin) Thomas finished the night with a career-high 42 points to lead the Celtics to a 111-103victory. The Hawks lead the series 2-1, with the two teams set to play again Sunday in Boston. Whether the Celtics will be without their leading scorer
Ryan O'Hearn Jersey for a one-game suspension remains to be seen.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert was arrested in August, the team announced Friday.Here
Martin Perez Jersey 's the team announcement regarding the situation:Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert was arrested by Fayette County (GA) Police outside Atlanta for suspicion of DUI following an August 10th traffic stop for a lane violation. The Cavaliers have discu sed the situation
Fred Lynn Jersey with Iman and will monitor the progre sion of the pending case. A court date has not been set at this point, and neither Iman or the team will have any additional comments while the matter progre ses through the
Luis Tiant Jersey legal proce s.MORE: Not often do you see a team
Enrique Hernandez Jersey reveal an arrest before a news outlet does. Not many details are known about the arrest, and as the Cavs state, there is currently no court date listed for Shumpert in the Fayette County Clerk's online database.The Cavaliers agreed on a four-year, $
Blake Swihart Jersey 40 million deal with Shumpert this summer after the guard helped them win an NBA championship last season.
NEW YORK Its not so easy as it sounds, apparently, the dividing of $24 billion. Not when half of it goes to 30 team owners who are quite sure fans show up because of the arenas
Jesse Winker Jersey , marketing and operational excellence they provide. And not when the other half goes to 400-plus athletes of varying skill who are certain that the fans are clicking the turnstiles to see them.Thats been the dynamic that has ruled the relationship between management and labor in the NBA since the advent of collective bargaining there has long been the notion that whats best for the game benefits all involved, but in the last two decades, theres only rarely been agreement on just how much benefit should go to each side.MORE: | | The league is contract-bound to ensure that out of all revenues, 51 percent goes to the players. That number is derived from the total basketball-related income of the NBA. So what happens when you take the primary source of those revenues the national television deal and, e sentially, triple them?The NBA is on a path to find out, and it could cause mayhem in front offices everywhere.League commi sioner Adam Silver had presented the NBA players union with a proposal that would have eased some of the shock expected to come from the sudden burst of income. Termed, smoothing, the idea was to artificially hold down the salary cap in the first year of the television deal in order to ramp up to the new level of income.Players would still get 51 percent, but the difference between the salary paid out under the artificial cap and what players should have been
Tom Seaver Jersey paid would be given to the union in a lump sum.On Friday in Manhattan, new NBPA director Michele Roberts said that the union after having the idea weighed by experts had flatly rejected that idea. After all, players who were in position to cash in with new deals in 2016 would find their contracts starting at a lower figure than without smoothing.The proposal that the league submitted was, frankly, lets call it proposal, it would artificially deflate the salary cap, Roberts said. And that, of course, meant that player salaries would not increase as much as they would otherwise were it
Jose Peraza Jersey not for smoothing. That pretty much was what killed it. It killed it in the eyes of the economists that made the recommendations, and it killed it in the eyes of the players.Without agreement from the players, the league can do nothing to change the situation Silver and the owners can only accept the new television money and let the numbers work out however they may. That will almost certainly open a wild free-agent period in which all teams will be handed a huge swath of cap space, and players will be eligible to bring in starting salaries unheard-of under the max-salary structure that came into play after the 1999 lockout.What if the Knicks suddenly had the opportunity to sign up two max-contract players? Or if the Lakers could sign three? Or if the already-stocked Bulls could add another All-Star? Where does that leave, say, Milwaukee or Minnesota or New Orleans?Its what our system is, Silver said on Saturday. The players receive, on a sliding scale, it ranges from 49 to 51 percent, and because of the revenue targets
Johnny Bench Jersey we hit, the players will receive 51 percent of the new television money. At the time we were negotiating the deal, we were not projecting that our television increases would be as large as they are. (Smoothing) is something we presented to the union, ultimately it is up to them to decide what is in the interest of the players a sociation. I have a feeling there will be additional discu sions.Its hard to see an easy way for the union and league to come to an agreement on this. The union has no particular incentive to help the leagues front offices out. At the same time, the union has to deal with the problem of players who are already under contract when the new money kicks in mi sing out on their share of the loot and with players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, potential 2016 free-agents, signing for an artificially lowered maximum salary.The Roberts-Silver relationship has, of course, just gotten underway Roberts was only hired over the summer, and Silver took over for Stern a year ago. Theyll keep talking about some mechanism that can reduce the shock to the NBAs system as the new money comes in, but its difficult to see a compromise there.I havent had a chance to negotiate with the unions directly since they had that meeting (Friday) night, Silver said. My sense is there will be additional discu sions, but ultimately that is what our system is under the current collective bargaining agreement. Its like a lot of things in busine s and in sports, you deal with the situation as it is presented to you. I dont want to act like it is a terrible problem to have were thrilled that based on the interest in the NBA, we are able to command these big increases in the television market.The NBAs new deal looms, and as things stand, the money from that deal will simply roll into team coffers and send the
Billy Hamilton Jersey player market into convulsions in two summers. Its not an ideal prospect from the leagues point of view. Its not ideal from the unions point of view, either.But no one ever said dividing $24 billion would be an easy task.
Its early January, and inmost years, a 15-22 record would have a Western Conference team in the lottery running.But not this year.MORE: | The Kings, who have won justfour of their last 10 games, wereninth in the Western
Tommy Pham Jersey Conference as of Tuesday afternoon. And superstar big man DeMarcus Cousins seemedto be in a good mood for once,that this Kings team has the best vibe of any
Michael Perez Jersey hes played on.Only six teams in the West had records above .500 before Tuesday. Contrast that with the Eastern Conference, where the 19-18 Celtics would be the odd team out if the playoffs started now.For Cousins and the Kings, this hasbeen an interesting season characterized by Cousins' frustration-filled tirades, Rajon Rondo'shomophobic slander towardreferee Bill Kennedy, and lo ses to the likes of the Sixers
Trevor Richards Jersey and Timberwolves. Add in a tension-filled relationship between Cousins and coachGeorge Karl, and things could really be a lot worse.MORE: But here we are, nearing midseason,and Cousins is having the best seasonof his career and the Kings have hope. Cousins, who's averaging 25.4 points and 10.8rebounds, says he owes much of his succe sto Rondo."His IQ at the defensive end. And it's not even just on the floor. His mindset coming in is helping mine grow
Mike Zunino Jersey as a profe sional," as he cited the reasons."He's helping me in more than just one way."Rondo, who leads the leaguewith 11.6 a sists per game, says the Kings aren't looking to just get into the playoffs. They want to play for seeding as well."Me, I've never said anything about (the) eighth spot," Rondo said. "I'm trying to get to five or six.
Mike Brosseau Jersey I'm not setting the bar so low that I just want to get in. Who wants to play Golden State (in the) first round?"
We can, at least,
Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey write the Rockets and Warriorsinto the Western Conference playoff slate, in ink. Therest, however, requires a No. 2 pencil.In evaluatinghow the final month will play out in the West, with four games separating the third seed from the 10th, let's start by sizing up where the teams stand now. The Trail Blazers arein the best situation, at 41-26, and havea reasonable schedule remaining. At the bottom are the Spurs, whose situation looks desperate but who are bolstered by a favorable, home-heavy schedule from here out.MORE: Here's a basic look at the way the schedule shapes up...SeedTeamRecordGamesHomeRoadB-to-BsOpp. %3Trail Blazers41-2615782.5384Thunder40-2913671.5735Pelicans*38-28161064*.5496Timberwolves39-2914773.4747Clippers36-29177103.5578Jazz37-3015962.4899Nuggets37-30155101.52910Spurs37-30151051.554(*New Orleans has twoback-to-backs, and one three-in-a-row stretch, which is counted as two back-to-backs.)Of course, nothing is that simple. Some teams have injured players coming back, some have players mired in deep slumps and some have terrible records on the road, or even at home. With that in mind, let's dig into all 10 playoff contenders beyond Houston and Golden State, and see howthe upcoming slate combined with recent performance should leave these teams when the regular season ends. Trail Blazers: Riding high into playoffsThe stakes: The Trail Blazers, after a slow start, are eager to build on the progre s theyve made in the last two years. It would take adrastic collapse in the final 15 games for the Blazers to mi s the playoffs. Instead, their focus is on maintaining one of the top fourseeds and earning the home-court edge.The key: Damian Lillard has been outstanding during the Blazers nine-game winning streak, ranking fifth in the league with a plus/minus of 11.0. He is leading the league in 3-point attempts in that span (10.2 per game) and making 4.4 of them, which also leads the league.Red flag: The schedule is deceptively difficult. At .538, the remaining opponents dont
Joey Gallo Jersey have an overwhelming winning percentage, and the remaining 15 games go seven at home and eight no the road. But among the home games are Cleveland, Houston, Boston, the Clippers and Utah. And the road games are not sprinkled throughout there are two extended trips, one of three games and one of four.Outlook: Starting with a four-game cushion and on a hot streak, its pretty safe to put the Blazersinto the playoffs. Even if they only won eight of their final 15, theyd still be at 49 wins and easily in the mix. Most likely, theyll win 10 games or so to finish the year, be in the 51-win range and earn the No. 3 seed.First-round matchup: No. 3 Portland vs. No. 6 Utah Thunder: The Paul George problemThe stakes: Well, we know whats at stake for this team. Paul George will be a free agent this
Elvis Andrus Jersey summer, and while there has been some hope that he can be talked into remaining with the Thunder, that all could change dramatically if OKC cant even make the playoffs as currently constructed.The key: A strong finish from George is going to be needed here, and thats never quite been his strength. In his career, Georges post-All-Star scoring drops from 19.3 points to 17.3 points, and his 3-point shooting goes from 39.0 percent to 35.0 percent. So far, George has disappointed, dropping from 22.5 points to 19.1, and seeing his 3-point shooting go from 43.3 percent before the break to 28.2 since.Red flag: The Thunder have an absolutely brutal schedule ahead. Its not just that their upcoming opponents have the best winning percentage among those teams fighting for these playoff spotsits that the schedule is bookended by games against Atlanta and Memphis. Other than those two,OKC has 11 games against teams in the playoff hunt, and those teams have a winning mark of .627. Outlook: The schedule is overwhelming. OKC will be lucky to win five of the 11 games against playoff teams, plus the two against Atlanta and Memphis. That would get them to 47 wins, which is probably good for the No. 5 or 6 seed, given that OKC has the tiebreaker over Utah (though not over New Orleans).First-round matchup: No. 4Minnesota vs. No. 5 Oklahoma City Pelicans: There's no place like home (unfortunately)The stakes: No team has more invested ina trip to the postseason than the Pelicans. The big trade for DeMarcus Cousins last year allowed a reset for coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps, and with Cousins out because of a torn Achilles, the Pels still need to find a way to hang onto a postseason slot.The key: Anthony Davis has been incredible for the Pelicans down the stretch, averaging 34.6 points and 13.4 rebounds with 3.7 blocks in his last 11 games. He mi sed a game with an ankle injury, though, and his health will be worth monitoring over New Orleans final 16 games.Red flag: Because of a roof problem at the Smoothie
Shelby Miller Jersey King Center, the Pelicans had to kick a game back to late March, which leaves them with a crowded schedule, including a run of three games in three nights from March 21-23. The happy news should be that 10 of their final 16 games are at home, but the Pelicans are a terrible home team, going just 17-14 at the Smoothie, and 21-14 on the road.Outlook: Theyve got to get some wins at home, or the whole thing falls apart. Even with Davis greatne s, theyre probably looking at a split of their remaining 16 games, or something close to it. That will put New Orleans at about 46 wins, and the bet here is that will get them the No. 7 seed.First-round matchup: No. 2Golden State vs. No. 7 New Orleans Timberwolves: Surviving without Jimmy ButlerThe stakes: In trading for Jimmy Butler last summer, the Wolves established the playoffs and perhaps even the second round as their goal. Thats a big one, since Minnesota has a postseason drought going back to 2004.The key: The Wolves win over the Warriors was big in that it stopped a four-game losing streak, as the team sets up for another tough week (at Washington and San Antonio, then home against the Rockets and Clippers). Minnesota just needs to
Taylor Guerrieri Jersey survive this stretch two wins would be great to get to the very soft part of the schedule, and hopefully get Butler back on the floor. Minnesota has the easiest remaining schedule of West contenders.Red flag: As always with Thibodeau-coached teams, its wear-and-tear. The Timberwolvesbench is easily the worst among all playoff teams, with a net rating of minus-4.8, 25th in the league. Andre Wiggins leads the NBA in minutes p
Whether it is on a basketball court or football pitch, Golden State Warriors starStephen Curry can do it all.He is a two-time NBA MVP and two-time champion,
Wei-Yin Chen Jersey but Curry took his skills to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.After watching Premier League champions Chelsea play
Jeff Locke Jersey out a goalle s draw against London rivals Arsenal, Curry showed he is handy with a ball at his feet as he scored a penalty.While he had some help from
Nick Wittgren Jersey the goalkeeper, Curry may have a career in football if that basketball thing does not work out.I'm nice with the right foot though...thanks to for having me at Stamford Bridge today. Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) Curry, who averaged 25.3 points, 6.6
Curtis Granderson Jersey a sists and 4.5 rebounds during Golden State's championship-winning 2016-17 campaign, has been
Lewis Brinson Jersey enjoying football in the off-season.The 29-year-old was in attendance to watch Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last month the French giants defeating Saint-Etienne 3-0. Related Articles
Draymond Green didnt touch a basketball Monday after being , but he probably got more love than any Warriors player regardle s
Richard Rodriguez Jersey .Green spent the evening acro s the parking lot from Oracle Arena at O.co Coliseum to watch the Athletics play the Rangers. And to ease the pain he must have felt for mi sing a
Josh Bell Jersey potential Finals-clinching matchup, Oakland baseball fans gave him some extra love as he left the bathroom to return to his suite with Free Draymond and MVP chants.MORE: Draymond was just trying
Gregory Polanco Jersey to go to the bathroom during halftime. And this happened 95.7 The GAME (@957thegame) Fans cheering MVP as Draymond
JB Shuck Jersey comes out of the restroom. Damn, MVP of taking a leak. DeMarcus Davis (@DeMarcusRFNET) Usually a trip to a stadium bathroom isn't cause for celebration. It's usually best to run in, ignore how sticky the floor is and hope there's still soap and paper towels left at the sink. All things considered, maybe Monday wasn't all that
Melky Cabrera Jersey bad for Green.
