Category: Basketball

Baxter Holmes, ESPN Senior WriterApr 27, 2024, 03:16 AM ET

CloseBaxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.Open Extended Reactions

PHOENIX — The boos trickled down in the third quarter Friday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves began to pull away, just as they had in the first two games of the series. Soon, that trickle became a deluge, and by the end of the quarter, a steady stream of fans were pouring out of the Footprint Center.

And when Game 3 reached its final minutes, most of the sellout crowd had long ago departed into the desert might after their team’s disastrous performance.

The Timberwolves’ wire-to-wire 126-109 win placed the Phoenix Suns, a team that began the season with championship expectations, on the brink

Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff WriterApr 26, 2024, 06:25 PM ET

CloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.Open Extended Reactions

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — If the Los Angeles Lakers‘ season ends with a sweep in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, Darvin Ham is going down with the same guys who got them there.

“I’m not changing my starting lineup,” Ham said Friday after L.A. had a film session in lieu of practice.

Down 3-0 against the Nuggets a year ago in the Western Conference finals, Ham took D’Angelo Russell out of the starting lineup for Game 4, which L.A. lost 113-111.

This time, with Russell going scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting in Game 3 (0-for-6 from 3) and seemingly disengaged from the team in the fourth quarter

Apr 27, 2024, 12:11 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions

CAIRO – Thierry Darlan’s Bangui beat Khaman Maluach’s City Oilers 91-76 in the Basketball Africa League Nile Conference on Friday, to put the team from the Central African Republic team on the brink of qualification for the playoffs in Rwanda. Egypt’s Al Ahly defeated Libya’s Al Ahly Benghazi 87-76 in the second game of the day.

City Oilers started the opening encounter strongest, spreading the scoring in the opening minutes; Patrick Rembert, Robinson Opong Odoch, Randy Culpepper and Khaman Maluach were all on the scoreboard in the first seven minutes, with Maluach also making a big contribution on defence.

Bangui fought back to claim into the ascendancy late in the first quarter, with Darlan serving as a playmaker as Rolly Fula Nganga, Kurt Curry Wegscheider and Omega Ngaifei Komesse scoring to put the Central African champions 19-12 up.

Thierry Darlan posted 13 points and seven assists

Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff WriterApr 27, 2024, 01:35 AM ET

CloseJoined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas MavericksAppears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FMOpen Extended Reactions

DALLAS — A couple of heated confrontations during the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks‘ 101-90 Game 3 win over the LA Clippers on Friday night resulted in a pair of ejections and a boost to P.J. Washington‘s local popularity.

Washington, the power forward acquired by the Mavericks at the trade deadline, was ejected along with Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 6:10 remaining.

That confrontation began with Westbrook fouling Mavs superstar Luka Doncic by grabbing his right arm from behind and yanking on it, pulling Doncic backward. When Doncic approached Westbrook to object, Westbrook shoved him with his left arm. Washington and Westbrook then exchanged shoves before other players, coaches, officials and security prevented the

Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff WriterApr 27, 2024, 01:43 AM ET

CloseOhm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
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DALLAS — LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said the inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee did not respond the way he had hoped after Game 2, and after gutting out 25 minutes in Friday’s 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Leonard’s status for Sunday’s Game 4 is in question.

Leonard had nine points and nine rebounds but did not look like his normal self in Game 3 at American Airlines Center. With their franchise player limited,

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Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.

It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth.

Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23.

Mike Conley and Karl-Anthony Towns. Late in the third, Alexander-Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 95-73 lead.

The Wolves were also dominant on the glass, finishing with a 50-28 rebounding advantage.

Six Minnesota players scored in double figures. Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Alexander-Walker scored 16.

The listless Suns could never cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth. Now they’re one loss away from what would be a bitterly disappointing season after entering the year with championship aspirations.

Phoenix’s Josh Okogie was ejected late in the fourth after a hard foul on Gobert.

The Timberwolves led 59-53 at the halftime break following a competitive first half. Edwards led the Wolves with 16 points while Durant had 14 for the Suns. Eric Gordon gave Phoenix a spark with 10 points in the first quarter, but it was short lived.

The Suns played without starting guard Grayson Allen, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season. Allen’s dealing with a sprained ankle from Game 1 that he aggravated in Game 2.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

By HoopsHype | April 27, 2024

Jamal Collier, ESPNApr 27, 2024, 12:09 AM ET

INDIANAPOLIS — Injuries are beginning to pile up for the Milwaukee Bucks, presenting them with a new hurdle as they try to rally from a 2-1 deficit in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

Milwaukee has already been playing without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, sidelined with a calf strain. Khris Middleton was listed as questionable entering Friday’s Game 3 before scoring 42 points in 41 minutes. And near the end of the fourth quarter, Damian Lillard aggravated an Achilles injury that he said hindered him during overtime.

“We are just taking a lot of hits right now as far as injury-wise,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after his team’s 121-118 loss in overtime.

Lillard finished with 28 points on 6-of-20 shooting in 45 minutes, but he did not take a shot and went scoreless in

3rd Quarter Report

The Timberwolves are on the road but looking no worse for wear. After three quarters their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Suns 95-73.

If the Timberwolves keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 3-0 in no time. On the other hand, the Suns will have to make due with an 0-3 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who’s Playing

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Phoenix Suns

Regular Season Records: Minnesota 56-26, Phoenix 49-33

Current Series Standings: Minnesota 2, Phoenix 0How To WatchWhen: Friday, April 26, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. ETWhere: Footprint Center — Phoenix, ArizonaTV: ESPNFollow: CBS Sports AppOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Ticket Cost: $113.00What to Know

The Timberwolves have enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. On Friday, they will fight it out against the Phoenix