Category: Basketball

By HoopsHype | April 23, 2024

Kendra Andrews, ESPNApr 22, 2024, 08:22 PM ET

CLEVELAND — Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs was able to return to Monday night’s Game 2 at Cleveland after being carried off the court in the first quarter with a left knee strain.

Suggs was injured with 4:02 remaining in the opening period of Orlando’s 96-86 loss, when his left knee made contact with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell‘s left leg as Suggs attempted to steal the ball.

Suggs immediately fell to the ground, and the Magic called timeout to check on him.

As his teammates stood around him, Suggs continuously shook his head. After being checked by team trainers, Suggs needed help getting off the court, unable to put any weight on his left leg and walk off on his own power.

The 2023-24 regular season is complete, and the postseason is underway. We

Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff WriterApr 23, 2024, 08:00 AM ET

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

RUDY GOBERT NEEDED to go soul-searching after the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ first-round playoff exit last spring.

It had been a difficult and stressful year for Gobert. He had hoped to spend his entire career with the Utah Jazz but was traded to Minnesota when the Jazz opted to rebuild, jump-starting that process by receiving five first-round picks in the deal. The massive return, normally reserved for superstar scorers, resulted in heavy scrutiny toward the 7-foot-1 defensive anchor.

The Timberwolves struggled as Gobert dealt with knee issues and a calf injury sidelined fellow 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns for much of the season. Minnesota went 42-40, needing the second play-in game to secure the Western Conference’s eighth seed. And Gobert didn’t

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Apr 23, 2024, 01:21 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions

DENVER — Jamal Murray sank a 15-foot step-back jumper at the buzzer and the Denver Nuggets wiped out a 20-point second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99 Monday night and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Murray’s fadeaway, falling-down winner provided the Nuggets with their first lead since 5-3 in the opening minutes and gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers. It was the third winning buzzer-beater in a 20-point comeback in the past 25 NBA playoffs.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night.

Murray’s winning shot came after LeBron James misfired from long range with 16 seconds left and the game tied at 99.

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Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound with 13 seconds left and the Nuggets

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Zaccharie Risacher, the projected No. 1 pick, has submitted paperwork to the league office making him eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Monday.

“It’s always been my dream to get to the best league in the world,” Risacher told ESPN. “I’ve been putting the work in for this since I was a kid. JL Bourg has given me an incredible opportunity to showcase what I can do. It’s been the perfect place to start my young career. I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to play for this organization.”

Risacher, 19, is in the midst of a productive season in France, as his JL Bourg team is in third place in Pro A and reached the EuroCup Finals. He is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 23 minutes per game, shooting 39% for 3.

“I’m proud of being part of this journey with my teammates and

Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff WriterApr 22, 2024, 08:56 PM 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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PLAYA VISTA, CALIF. — Clippers star Kawhi Leonard remains questionable for Game 2 of Los Angeles’ first-round playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Leonard participated in practice Monday, but coach Ty Lue said there would be no contact during what he described as a walk-through practice session designed to clean up things the team needed to work on.

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“He’s going to go through practice today and we’ll see,” Lue said when asked if Leonard will

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The defending champion Denver Nuggets will aim for their 10th straight victory over the Los Angeles Lakers when they meet on Monday night. It is Game 2 of their 2024 NBA playoffs series, with Denver leading 1-0 after an 11-point victory on Saturday. The Nuggets swept the three-game regular season series between the two, in addition to a four-game sweep in last year’s postseason. Both teams have 39 wins against the spread this season, with Denver at 39-42-2 ATS and L.A. at 39-45-1 versus the line.

Tipoff is at 10 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets are 7-point favorites in the latest Lakers vs. Nuggets odds, per SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 224. Before making any Nuggets vs. Lakers picks, be sure to check out the NBA predictions

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In May of 2020, ESPN polled a group of 600 NBA fans on the debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan for the title of greatest basketball player of all time. The fans picked between the two players in 17 different categories ranging from “better overall player” to “who would you rather have a drink with.” Jordan won all 17 categories, some by wide margins. On the “better player” front, Jordan received 65% of the vote.

A lot has changed since then. The poll was released at the height of Jordan-mania as The Last Dance aired on ESPN. Months later, James went on to win his fourth NBA championship. Since then, he’s become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, hit the 40,000-point mark and broken several other records. Now 39, James is playing in

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The Boston Celtics were 36-1 in the regular season when they shot 40% or better from 3. They’re now 1-0 in the playoffs after banking 22 triples at a 48% clip en route to a 114-94 Game 1 route of the Miami Heat in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as even the 20-point finishing margin would indicate. 

Everyone knows the Celtics live and (rarely) die by the 3. They led the league with 42.5 attempts per game in the regular season. They shot 49 in Game 1. When they’re making them north of 40%, it’s going to be almost impossible to beat them even for a top-shelf opponent. The Heat minus Jimmy Butler have zero chance. 

So now it becomes a question of repeatability. It’s unlikely the Celtics will shoot this well