Dane Moore: Anthony Edwards on how he’s feeling physically… “I’m all right. I’m good. I’ll be ready to go tomorrow… I don’t make excuses. Just an off night.”
Source: Twitter @DaneMooreNBA
Dane Moore: Rudy Gobert on the impact the scuffle with he and Kyle Anderson had on their relationship: “I still love Kyle. He’s still my brother. I tell people, sometimes you fight with your family. Sometimes you fight with people that you have a lot of love and respect for. It’s life.”
Source: Twitter @DaneMooreNBA
Kevin Durant defends himself when he thinks he’s inaccurately criticized. While some view that as being overly sensitive, Durant believes he’s being honest and controlling his own narrative, even though it has led to him being singled out. “I don’t see this talked about — I see Damian Lillard, I see LeBron [James], I see Draymond [Green], I see lots of great players in our league speak up on social media, but they don’t get that ‘sensitive’ rep,” Durant told FOX Sports last week.
Source: Melissa... Читать дальше...
Kevin Durant believes he wears a scarlet letter of sorts for being sensitive, while other athletes who engage with critics aren’t perceived in the same manner. Durant unequivocally cleared that up. “Hell, no,” he said. “I don’t regret anything I do. I don’t regret my time in the league because I feel like I maximize every day as a player. I feel like I get the most out of myself every time I step on the floor. “So, it’s like regardless of the results and the wins and losses, I can live with that part of it. Читать дальше...
Michael Grange: “I think so, ya … obviously, summer in the NBA, who knows what is going to happen … but I enjoyed my time here. The way it ended leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I want [the Raptors] to do better than that” — Jakob Poeltl on coming back to Raptors.
Source: Twitter @michaelgrange
Jon Krawczynski: Chris Finch said Rudy Gobert is still going through some things with the back spasms. Status uncertain for tomorrow but they hope he can go.
Source: Twitter @JonKrawczynski
Will Guillory: Along with his injured thumb, CJ McCollum played the final seven games of the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, sources tell @TheAthletic. It’ll be a long offseason for the Pels’ veteran guard.
Source: Twitter @WillGuillory
NBA Central: Brian Windhorst labels the Miami Heat as a team to watch in a potential Damian Lillard trade “The Heat are ready to go to their next star window” (Via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Csm3KpUQyo
Source: Twitter @TheNBACentral
“So that’s why I stay out of it. This year I’ve made a commitment to not put myself out there, talking about I’m the MVP, or saying I want to win. For the guys that keep saying, ‘it’s whatever, I don’t care about winning it, doesn’t matter.’ But it’s all bulls—. You want to be the MVP. That means a lot being the MVP of the league. There are only certain guys that get the opportunity to have their name on it. It would be a great honor. But I’m the point now where I’m used to [the MVP talk]. If it happens, it happens. Читать дальше...
Aaron Rose: Scottie Barnes says he “for sure” heard DeRozan’s daughter. We went “18-for-36 so it had to have an effect. She did a great job”
Source: Twitter @AaronBenRose
Ryan Wolstat: Pascal Siakam said he’d love to be in Toronto long-term. “It’s a part of who I am as a person. This feels like home.”
Source: Twitter @WolstatSun
Brian Lewis: Spencer Dinwiddie on Kyle Kuzma: “At the end of the day, I spoke truth and I got rebutted with 10 year old insults.” #nets pic.twitter.com/BeuaZZxnef
Source: Twitter @NYPost_Lewis
Josh Lewenberg: Pascal Siakam, asked if he could hear DeMar DeRozan’s daughter when he was at the free throw line last night: “I think so, yeah.” Was she a distraction? “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell. We’ve played enough games where people do stuff while you’re at the free throw line, so I don’t think so.”
Source: Twitter @JLew1050
Josh Lewenberg: VanVleet doesn’t think this season, as disappointing as it was, will affect his free agency decision this summer: “I think the relationship is in a good place. We’ve built something special here. My whole NBA life is here, I think that holds some weight… That hasn’t changed.”
Source: Twitter @JLew1050
Following a fiercely debated MVP discussion towards the end of the season between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, with Giannis Antetokounmpo hoping to play spoiler, Embiid is the frontrunner to win the MVP award for the first time in his career and end Jokic’s quest for a three-peat. Embiid, who led the NBA in scoring for the second straight season at 33.1 points per game, admitted during an interview with Rachel Nichols on Showtime’s Headliners that he cares about winning the award.
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The 2nd Team is headlined by Nikola Jokic, who, despite having forward eligibility, was left off the 1st Team. Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard – who hold the top single-game scoring mark this season with 71 points – are projected to earn 2nd Team honors. Miami’s Jimmy Butler is projected to earn 2nd Team honors as well, which would mark the first time in his career. New York’s Julius Randle rounds out the 2nd Team.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
The 3rd Team is headlined by a pair of Kings, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, which coach Mike Brown has been clamoring for during pre-game media press conferences towards the end of the season. The NBA’s all-time three-point shooting leader, Stephen Curry, is projected to earn All-NBA honors, while Boston’s Jaylen Brown is on track to earn All-NBA honors for the first time in his career. Anthony Davis and Lauri Markkanen tied for the final All-NBA spot.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
Jaren Jackson Jr. is the projected Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in defensive rating (105.3) and blocks per game (3.0) while anchoring Memphis’ to a 110.7 defensive rating, which ranked third across the NBA.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award is separated by the thinnest of margins and will come down to the wire between Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon and New York’s Immanuel Quickley.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
Utah’s Lauri Markkanen transformed himself into an All-Star this season by becoming the first NBA player to record over 100 dunks and 200 threes (most by a 7-footer) in a season. He’s the only player this season averaging over 25 points on 50 percent from the field and over 39 percent from beyond the arc.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
Brandon Rahbar: Josh Giddey is the youngest player in NBA history to score 30+ points in a postseason game. Giddey breaks the mark in a play-in game at 20 years and 184 days old. Derrick Rose holds the playoff record at 20 years and 196 days.
Source: Twitter @BrandonRahbar
Amid the NBA play-in tournament, we’ve obtained the official NBA awards ballots from media members who disclosed their votes privately with HoopsHype, and others made public via social media and stories. We’ve tabulated 16 ballots.
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The collapse started when the team traded for Kyrie Irving. Among the players involved in the trade was Spencer Dinwiddie. The point guard admits that seeing his former team miss the playoffs while he and Brooklyn clinched six-seed was partly satisfying. “I ain’t gon lie… there’s a certain level of happiness from the pettier side of my psyche,” Dinwiddie said. He also added that is friends with the Mavs players and wishes them the best.
Source: TalkBasket
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Dame dropped yet another massive hint at his potential Portland exit this summer. According to Lillard, he’s going to have a lengthy conversation with the organization about the steps they need to take in the immediate future: “It ain’t a threat. I ain’t gonna say I’m putting them on the clock, I’m just saying if those things can’t be done, (if) we can’t do something significant like that then we won’t have a chance to compete on that level,” Lillard said. Читать дальше...