Category: NBA

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Wins 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year
7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Wins 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year

San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama enjoyed a tremendous first season in the NBA after being selected with the No. 1 pick back in June's NBA draft.

Now, the 20-year-old has been awarded for his standout play, taking home this year's NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes for the award, making him a unanimous selection for the Rookie of the Year. The Frenchman becomes the first unanimous Rookie of the Year winner since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015-16, and the sixth all-time.

During his rookie campaign, Wembanyama made league history by becoming the first player to ever record 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks and 100 threes in a single season. He posted season averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks per game. His 3.6 blocks per game were the most by a player in a single season since Hassan Whiteside averaged 3.7 blocks in 2015-'16.

Wembanyama joins Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the only players in Spurs' franchise history to win Rookie of the Year.

Finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting was Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, who received 98 of 99 second-place votes, followed by Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski and Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II.

NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama
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NBA World All Made the Same Joke Over Ben Simmons' Met Gala Outfit
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

NBA World All Made the Same Joke Over Ben Simmons’ Met Gala Outfit

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons wowed attendees and media on the Met Gala carpet on Monday night, but NBA fans instantly began making the same joke about the player's outfit.

Simmons wore a Thom Browne piece, which appeared to be a black suit with sequins and plaid design near the top. He wore an overcoat mimicking the same pattern as the suit.

But the part of the look that fans joked about was Simmons's bag, which was a briefcase with a giant clock shown on it.

Notably, Simmons has missed a lot of time during his NBA career thus far due to various injuries and mental health issues. Many fans consider him a bust of sorts as he was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft.

Because of this, fans all started tweeting jabs at him regarding his missed "time" and very little time on the "clock" in his NBA career. Take a look at some of the responses.

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets, NBA
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Jalen Brunson Gets NYC Nike Billboard With Spot-on Message
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jalen Brunson Gets NYC Nike Billboard With Spot-on Message

The New York Knicks are preparing for an Eastern Conference semifinals tilt against the Indiana Pacers, with the series getting underway on Monday. Ahead of Game 1, a new Nike billboard featuring star guard Jalen Brunson was plastered in the middle of New York City.

The billboard, which pictured Brunson from behind with one arm in the air, had a short but sweet message written above the Nike logo.

"Don't sleep."

It's a fitting message for the once underrated guard who has found an NBA home in "The City That Never Sleeps."

Despite an excellent college career, in which he won a national championship at Villanova, Brunson fell into the second round during the 2018 NBA draft. After four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, the team who drafted him, Brunson was offered a contract vastly below market value, which he declined before signing with the Knicks.

Being slept on is nothing new to Brunson, who, coming off his first-ever All-Star campaign, just became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1993 to score 37 or more points in four consecutive playoff games.

With Games 1 and 2 set to be played at Madison Square Garden, Nike capitalized on a prime opportunity to recognize Brunson's postseason dominance with the remarkable billboard right in the heart of the city.

Jalen Brunson, NBA, NBA Playoffs, New York Knicks
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NBA Playoff Schedule: Full Rundown for Conference Semifinals
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

NBA Playoff Schedule: Full Rundown for Conference Semifinals

The first round of the 2024 NBA postseason had some great matchups, and things will only get better from here on out. Saturday marked the start of the second round of the playoffs, when true contenders battle against one another in an effort to reach the final four of their conference. Iron sharpens iron, after all, and this year's slate of Round 2 contests look pretty great across the board.

Fewer games means fewer overlapping broadcast times, too. After two weeks with up to three NBA games on every night, we're more or less back to the standard of an Eastern Conference tip-off around 7 p.m. ET and a Western Conference tip-off around 10 p.m. ET.

For your viewing habit purposes, here is the full schedule for the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, organized by series.

NBA Playoff Schedule for Second Round

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics v. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

ā€¢ Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Tuesday, May 7 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Thursday, May 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
ā€¢ Game 3: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Saturday, May 11 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
ā€¢ Game 4: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Monday, May 13 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 5 (if necessary): Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Wednesday, May 15 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 6 (if necessary): Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Friday, May 17 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 7 (if necessary): Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

(2) New York Knicks v. (3) Indiana Pacers

ā€¢ Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 (8 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
ā€¢ Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
ā€¢ Game 5 (if necessary): Pacers vs. Knicks, Tuesday, May 14 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 6 (if necessary): Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 17 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 7 (if necessary): Pacers vs. Knicks, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder v. (5) Dallas Mavericks

ā€¢ Game 1: Mavericks vs. Thunder, Tuesday, May 7 (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 2: Mavericks vs. Thunder, Thursday, May 9 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
ā€¢ Game 3: Thunder vs. Mavericks, Saturday, May 11 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
ā€¢ Game 4: Thunder vs. Mavericks, Monday, May 13 (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 5 (if necessary): Mavericks vs. Thunder, Wednesday, May 15 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 6 (if necessary): Thunder vs. Mavericks, Saturday, May 18 (8:30 p.m. ET)
ā€¢ Game 7 (if necessary): Mavericks vs. Thunder, Monday, May 20 (8:30 p.m. ET)

(2) Denver Nuggets v. (3) Minnesota Timberwolves

ā€¢ Game 2: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Monday, May 6 (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 3: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Friday, May 10 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
ā€¢ Game 4: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Sunday, May 12 (8 p.m. ET, TNT)
ā€¢ Game 5 (if necessary): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Tuesday, May 14 (TBD)
ā€¢ Game 6 (if necessary): Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Thursday, May 16 (8:30 p.m. ET)
ā€¢ Game 7 (if necessary): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

Key Dates for the 2024 NBA Playoffs

Aside from the all the above, the NBA postseason generally has a few key dates.

The first have already passed in the form of the play-in tournament, as well as the start of the first round. The Nuggets and Timberwolves kicked off the second round on Saturday, May 4. Below are several other key dates to look forward to.

ā€¢ Conference Finals start dates: May 19-22, depending on the length of the second-round series.
ā€¢ NBA Finals start date: Thursday, June 6 will be Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Sunday, June 9 will be Game 2. Game 3 will take place on Wednesday, June 12. Friday, June 14 will be Game 4.

First Round Results

Below are the full results for the first round of this year's postseason.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics def. (8) Miami Heat in 5 games

(2) New York Knicks def. (7) Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers def. (5) Orlando Magic in 7 games

(6) Indiana Pacers def. (3) Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder def. (8) New Orleans Pelicans in 4 games

(2) Denver Nuggets def. (7) Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games

(3) Minnesota Timberwolves def. (6) Phoenix Suns in 4 games

(5) Dallas Mavericks def. (4) Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games

And that's everything you need to know about the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Enjoy watching!

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Heat's Pat Riley Had Blunt Message for Jimmy Butler About Trolling Celtics
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Heat’s Pat Riley Had Blunt Message for Jimmy Butler About Trolling Celtics

Pat Riley isn't thrilled with Jimmy Butler's public comments about the Boston Celtics.

Butler missed the first round of the NBA playoffs while dealing with an MCL injury, and his Miami Heat were outclassed by the Celtics. Miami was ousted in five games while playing without their six-time All-Star forward. Over the weekend, Butler said, "If I was playing, Boston would be at home." Riley was not happy.

On Monday, the Heat president said Butler should keep his mouth shut because he wasn't on the court. Video is below.

Riley certainly seems annoyed with Butler, but reading too deeply into those comments may be taking things too far. That said, he also claimed the Heat wouldn't just give Butler a new max contract extension if the star asked for it and would instead consider if he was going to be available every night.

Butler is owed $48.8 million for the 2024-25 season, then holds a $52.4 million player option for the the 2025-26 season. He'll be 35 at the start of next season and his numbers declined across the board during the 2023-24 campaign. He finished the season averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.0 minutes over 60 games.

The Heat and Butler need to get on the same page about the team's future. Having their star publicly trolling rival teams after washing out of the playoffs likely isn't helping that relationship.

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, NBA, Pat Riley
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Klay Thompson Linked to Orlando Magic Ahead of Free Agency
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Klay Thompson Linked to Orlando Magic Ahead of Free Agency

Klay Thompson is coming off arguably the worst season of his NBA career, but he's still expected to get plenty of interest once he hits free agency this offseason. On Monday, the basketball world got the first hints of that interest.

Shams Charania reported for The Athletic that Thompson and the Orlando Magic are showing "mutual interest" as the offseason rapidly approaches. The Magic were eliminated from the NBA playoffs on Sunday by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Thompson's season ended in the play-in tournament at the hands of the Sacramento Kings.

Thompson and the Magic have made sense as a pairing for a while now. The former All-NBA shooting guard is no longer the player he was and regularly hurt the Golden State Warriors' chances to win throughout the 2023-'24 season. However, even in a down year by his standards, Thompson still shot 38.7% from three point range on 9.0 attempts per game.

That level of shooting would transform Orlando's offense. The only Magic player anywhere near Thompson's accuracy and attempts per game last season was Jalen Suggs, who made 39.7% of his 5.1 three point tries per game. The organization's two stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both shot below 34 percent from beyond the arc. The fact that the Magic managed to take the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the opening round of this year's postseason despite shooting 30.9% from three as a team throughout the series is, frankly, pretty remarkable.

The fit makes perfect sense. The question, of course, is whether Thompson would really leave the Warriors. He made $43.2 million this past season and will struggle to find any team willing to pay him that much going forward. From the sounds of reports like Charania's, teams like Orlando will be willing to pay more than Golden State in order to steal Thompson away from the only team he's ever known.

The choice, then, will likely come down to whether Thompson wants to stay in the Bay or get paid. As noted above the Magic will have oodles of cap space to utilize and could pay the four-time NBA champion quite a bit. Probably more than what his output calls for, but still worth it because the Magic need shooting and veteran leadership more than anything. But sometimes no amount of money can pry a player from his longtime home. Thompson may flirt with other teams in free agency in order to secure some leverage over the Warriors.

Free agency will not begin until July so there is plenty of time for things to change. But with the season over this feels like the first sign we've gotten that Thompson might truly leave the Warriors for a team like the Magic. Weird to imagine.

Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson, NBA, Orlando Magic
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SI:AM | Donovan Mitchell Saved the Cavs in Game 7
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

SI:AM | Donovan Mitchell Saved the Cavs in Game 7

Good morning, Iā€™m Dan Gartland. Iā€™m not surprised Tom Brady didnā€™t love all the jokes at his Netflix roast. 

In todayā€™s SI:AM: 
šŸ€ Cavs win Game 7
šŸ’ Stars win Game 7
šŸŽ Mystik Dan wins by a hair

He always steps up in the playoffs

When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded a kingā€™s ransom for Donovan Mitchell in 2022, it was with games like Sundayā€™s Game 7 against the Orlando Magic in mind. 

Few players in the NBA can score in bunches like Mitchell can. Since he entered the league in 2017, only eight players have had more 40-point games (regular season and postseason) than Mitchell. He has had 32 40-point games in that span, more than LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis. The unfortunate thing for Mitchell is that his elite scoring ability has never translated to team success. In five seasons with the Utah Jazz, his teams never advanced farther than the second round of the playoffs. In his first season in Cleveland last year, the Cavs got bounced in the first round in five games by the New York Knicks. 

But Mitchell stepped up again with two memorable performances in the series against the Magic. In Game 6, he dropped 50 points on 22-of-36 shooting. Yes, the Cavs lost the game, 103ā€“96, but Mitchellā€™s big game was the only reason it was close. Cleveland got out-rebounded 48ā€“38 and took just 10 free throws as a team, compared to 26 for Orlando. It wouldnā€™t have been close if Mitchell hadnā€™t gone off. 

The Magicā€™s win at home in Game 6 forced a Game 7 in Cleveland, and at halftime it looked like Mitchellā€™s team was destined for another early postseason exit. The Cavs trailed by as many as 18 in the first half as their offense fell completely flat. Cleveland shot 35% from the field as a team, including a dismal 2-for-11 from three. And Mitchell struggled just as badly as the rest of his teammates in the first half, hitting just three of his 13 shots, although he did go 9-for-10 from the line. 

But after halftime, the tide turned. Mitchell erupted for 17 points in the third quarter on 7-of-9 shooting and out-scored the Magic (15 points) all by himself. Max Strus, who was held scoreless in the first half, scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the third quarter. 

The big quarter from Mitchell and Strus (who accounted for 28 of Clevelandā€™s 33 points) turned a 10-point Cavs deficit into an eight-point lead. The Cavs never looked back and maintained their lead for the rest of the game, eventually winning 106ā€“94. 

Mitchell finished with 39 points, giving him 89 points combined in the last two games of the series. Thatā€™s the second most ever in Games 6 and 7 of a playoff series, according to ESPN, trailing only the 90 scored by Allen Iverson in the 2001 Eastern Conference finals. The win also marked Clevelandā€™s first playoff series victory without LeBron James since 1993. 

ā€œIā€™m tired of losing in the first round,ā€ Mitchell said after the game. ā€œYou work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset ... for me, just be in attack mode. Iā€™m battling through what Iā€™m battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out, or rehab it for the next three or four months. Thatā€™s where I'm at mentally.ā€

Mitchell may be tired of losing in the first round, but heā€™ll be a longshot to advance past the second round for the first time in his career. The Cavsā€™ win over the Magic set up a second-round matchup against the mighty Boston Celtics, the best team in the regular season by a wide margin. Cleveland will have a better chance of pulling off the upset if it is able to get center Jarrett Allen back on the floor. Heā€™s missed the last three games with bruised ribs. Allen is an elite defender and rebounder who will be sorely missed if he isnā€™t able to go against Boston. The silver lining is that his absence on the interior wonā€™t be felt as significantly if Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis isnā€™t able to return from his calf injury. Regardless of whether Allen plays, though, the Cavs need Mitchell to keep up his historic scoring pace. 

The best of Sports Illustrated

The top fiveā€¦

ā€¦ things I saw yesterday: 
5. Jonny DeLucaā€™s walk-off hit for the Rays. 
4. Shohei Ohtaniā€™s 10th home run of the season, which traveled a whopping 464 feet. 
3. Cole Anthonyā€™s block at the rim on Darius Garland. 
2. Radek Faksaā€™s goal early in the third period that proved to be the game-winner for the Stars in Game 7. 
1. The Rangersā€™ crisp passing on Mika Zibanejadā€™s power-play goal. 

Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, NBA, NBA Playoffs
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Mavericks Sign Jason Kidd to Multi-Year Contract Extension
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Mavericks Sign Jason Kidd to Multi-Year Contract Extension

The Dallas Mavericks are celebrating their first round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers by locking down the coach who helped them get there. On Monday, the franchise announced they had reached an agreement on a multi-year contract extension with Jason Kidd.

Kidd, fresh off his third series win as head coach in Dallas, has been with the organization since the 2021-'22 season. In his first year at the helm he got an unmatched level of defensive buy-in from Luka Dončić and it resulted in a Western Conference finals appearance; there, the Mavs would fall to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

Kidd's squad stumbled in his second season at the helm. They finished 38-44, 11th in the West, despite trading for Kyrie Irving halfway through the year. But it's safe to stay they bounced back. Doncic and Irving's partnership blossomed under Kidd and a series of moves at the trade deadline finally gave Dallas the ideal roster to surround the two superstars. The Mavericks wrapped up the 2023-'24 season with a 50-32 record, finished fifth in the West, and beat the Clippers in six games to move on to the second round of the postseason.

Extremely good vibes in Dallas, in other words. Great business sense by Kidd to negotiate his extension right now.

"We are excited to have coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension," team governor Patrick Dumont said in the release. "Kidd led our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons, and we are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and grow this already great franchise."

"I have known Jason for a long time, and I cannot think of a better, more qualified candidate to lead this team going forward," general manager Nico Harrison said. "As a former NBA Champion Hall of Fame player, Jason brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role which cannot be duplicated. He has earned the trust and respect of our players and that of so many across the league, and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to build upon the culture and foundation of success he's helped foster throughout his tenure as head coach."

Kidd's gone 140-96 in three seasons in Dallas and is now on board for a few more years. The pressure to deliver is always high when coaching a talent of Dončić's caliber, and Kidd has been rewarded for doing just that. He can now look ahead to the team's next series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with job security fully ensured.

Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd, NBA
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Charles Barkley Has Simple Reason for Wanting LeBron James to Retire Soon
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley Has Simple Reason for Wanting LeBron James to Retire Soon

As Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James mulls an uncertain future, there's one respected NBA voice who hopes he decides to call it quits soon.

TNT analyst, Inside the NBA personality and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, during an appearance on former NFL star and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe's podcast Club Shay Shay this past Wednesday, explained why he hopes James, who left his future up in the air following the Lakers' elimination from the playoffs this past week, announces his retirement sooner rather than later.

"I hope he retires soon because I hated the way I retired," Barkley said.

Barkley, to the amusement of Sharpe, then recalled his own realization of when it was time to stop playing professional basketball.

"I remember telling myself my last two years, 'Ok, I'm going to get myself in great shape, I'm going to have a good year, then I'm going to retire.'" "Then I figured out, like, playing against air... Everybody is good against air. Everybody is great against air," Barkley said, going on to explain that he just couldn't compete against younger players anymore.

Barkley finally explained that he hopes James "retires while he can still play."

James, who will turn 40 in December, declined to answer when asked about his plans for the 2024-25 season following the Lakers' loss to the Denver Nuggets last week. The four-time NBA champion surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list during the 2022-23 season, then proceeded to average 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field in 71 games played this season.

In short, James is still playing at a very high level. But Barkley's comments are undoubtedly food for thought for the Akron, Ohio native.

Charles Barkley, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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Cavaliers Rally Past Magic to Win First Playoff Series Without LeBron James in Over Three Decades
5 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Cavaliers Rally Past Magic to Win First Playoff Series Without LeBron James in Over Three Decades

To tell the story of the Cleveland Cavaliers isā€”with a few exceptionsā€”to tell the story of now-Los Angeles Lakers and former Cavaliers forward LeBron James. The NBA's longtime leading scorer was the architect of all five of the team's conference titles and every one of their playoff series wins since 1993...

...until Sunday. After going down by 18 during a nightmarish first half, Cleveland rallied past the Orlando Magic 106-94 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

Guard Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while forward Paolo Banchero tallied 38 points and 16 rebounds in defeat.

The last time Cleveland advanced in a playoffs without James, it defeated the New Jersey Nets three games to two in a best-of-five first round seriesā€”losing to guard Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the conference semifinals.

The Magic led the Cavaliers 49-31 with 4:17 left in the first half. Orlando's blown lead is the largest in a Game 7 since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1997.

Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic
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