In the last two games, Danny Green if 5-of-8 from three. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is 5-of-12. The Lakers have found their touch
Three Things to Know: The Lakers have found their shooting touch — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
The Warriors might not be in the NBA bubble, but drama is in central Florida and that should help Golden State build another super team.
The Deets: NBA chaos plays right into the Warriors’ hands — Santa Cruz Sentinel
10:56 PM ET Miami Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler has been dealing with a left shoulder strain over the last few days, but he does not expect the injury to limit him as the Heat continue to move forward in the NBA Playoffs. Butler’s acknowledgement came after Monday’s 99-87 Game 4 win over the Indiana […]
Butler helps Heat sweep despite shoulder strain — VOICE OF THE HWY
Toronto made quick work of Brooklyn in the first round for a variety of reasons, but one of them was the best playoff series of Norman Powell’s career. Powell, the second-longest-tenured Raptor after Kyle Lowry, has had a handful of brilliant individual post-season games for the club — some good enough to turn entire series…
RAPTORS BLOG: Powell’s outstanding season continued as he lit up Brooklyn — Toronto Sun
LOWRY INJURY UPDATE
The Toronto Raptors announced Monday that guard Kyle Lowry has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain.
Lowry underwent an MRI on the NBA Campus in Orlando after the injury, which occurred in the first quarter of Sunday evening’s game. His condition will be updated as appropriate.
Lowry averaged 19.4 points, a team-high 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 36.2 minutes in 58 games with the Raptors this season. In six games during the NBA restart at Disney, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.7 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 32.9 minutes.
In the first round of the NBA Playoffs vs. Brooklyn, Lowry posted averages of 12.5 points, 4.8 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 29.9 minutes. He scored in double figures three times, including 21 points in Game 2, and had one double-double against the Nets.
Kobe Bryant would have celebrated his 42nd birthday on Sunday, August 23. The 18-time NBA All-Star won five championships throughout his 20-year career, spent entirely with the Los Angeles Lakers, and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation. Former Laker Kobe Bryant holds the Larry O’Brien championship trophy and the NBA Finals…
Kobe Bryant: 42 photos for the Laker legend’s 42nd birthday — Press Telegram
Warriors president Rick Welts has publicly apologized to Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri for the incident that occurred at Oracle Arena after the deciding game of the NBA Finals in June 2019. Ujiri and an arena security officer had an altercation as Ujiri attempted to join the Raptors on the court to celebrate their championship.…
“Heartbroken” Warriors exec apologizes to Toronto Raptors president — Times-Standard
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is helped off the…
LeBron James scores 38 as Lakers knock out Blazers in Game 3, take 2-1 series lead — Daily News
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. >> Lakers and Clippers eating together? In the bubble, it happens almost every morning. Makieff and Marcus Morris Sr. wouldn’t do it any other way. They stroll down to Three Bridges Bar and Grill and order bacon and eggs, or sometimes pancakes, every morning their schedules allow. They talk about their…
Markieff and Marcus Morris carry brotherly love into the bubble, hope for Lakers-Clippers series — Press Telegram
NURSE NAMED NBA COACH OF THE YEAR
The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday that Nick Nurse has been named the NBA’s Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 season. Nurse guided the Raptors to a 53-19 record during the regular season (second best in the NBA) and set a franchise-record with a .736 winning percentage.
“When you see Nick on the sidelines, that’s who he is as a person. Relaxed, but so hard-working. Creative and dynamic. Always setting the tone for our team – attacking our next championship, rather than defending our last,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “That is who Nick is, that is why we believe in him. His journey to this tremendous honour has been a long one – we are so happy to see him recognized this way.”
Highlighting Toronto’s season was a franchise-record 15 straight victories (Jan. 15 – Feb. 10). During this stretch, the Raptors averaged 121.2 points and shot .504 (672-1333) from the field. The winning streak was the longest in Canadian sports history (NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and CFL).
Nurse earned Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honours twice during the 2019-20 campaign – January and games played in October/November – and coached Team Giannis at the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
The Raptors finished the regular season leading the NBA in points allowed (106.5 ppg) and opponent three-point field goal percentage (.337) and ranked second in opponent field goal percentage (.428). Toronto also held its opponent to fewer than 100 points in 22 games – most in the NBA.
On the offensive end, the Raptors averaged 112.8 points (second most in team history) and a franchise-record 13.8 three-point field goals per game. This despite their top five leading scorers all missing at least 10 games due to injury or illness. Toronto had three players average at least six more points this season than they did in 2018–19: Norman Powell (+7.4 ppg, 8.6 to 16.0), Fred VanVleet (+6.6 ppg, 11.0 to 17.6) and Pascal Siakam (+ 6.0 ppg, 16.9 to 22.9).
After finishing the season restart in Orlando with a 7-1 record, Toronto also extended its streak to 24 consecutive calendar months with a winning record (Feb. 2017 – Aug. 2020). The streak is the longest in franchise history and the longest current streak in the NBA.
A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nurse was named the ninth head coach in Raptors history on June 14, 2018, taking the job after five years as an assistant coach with the team. On June 13, 2019, he became just the ninth rookie head coach in league history to win an NBA Championship. Nurse has led the club to a 111-43 (.721) regular season record in two seasons.
Coach of the Year voting from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters was based on games played from the start of the regular season through March 11 and did not include “seeding games,” which took place July 30 – Aug. 14 for the 22 teams participating in the season restart.
Nurse is the third coach in franchise history to win the award, joining Dwane Casey (2017-18) and Sam Mitchell (2006-07).
-RAPTORS-
The legend of Fred VanVleet continues to grow. His struggles at points of last year’s playoffs seem a long, long time ago now. Read More
RAPTORS BLOG: The legend of Fred VanVleet continues to grow — Toronto Sun
The legend of Fred VanVleet continues to grow. His struggles at points of last year’s playoffs seem a long, long time ago now.
– VanVleet is now shooting 42.6% on three-pointers in the playoffs since the start of last year’s run. Incredibly, that includes his low point, 1-for-14 struggles from beyond the arc in the seven game series against Philadelphia.
– How scorching is VanVleet right now? Only Stephen Curry and Paul George had hit more threes over the first two games of a playoff series over the last 10 years and VanVleet nailed six more in Game 3.
.@FredVanVleet is just ridiculous pic.twitter.com/MDyUyV1Sru— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 21, 2020
– Minnesota and the Los Angeles Clippers are now the only NBA franchises to never go up 3-0. Toronto also improved to 10-10 all-time in the third game of a playoff series.
– Serge Ibaka had his second 13-rebound game off the bench for the Raptors in the playoffs. Only Bismack Biyombo (16) has grabbed more without starting. Ibaka also had his third 20-point or more game off the bench with the Raptors, more than any other player (VanVleet has done it twice).
Ibaka had his fourth playoff double-double as a Raptor, tying Charles Oakley and moving one behind Chris Bosh. Jonas Valanciunas had 17 for the franchise lead.
Chef is feasting – 18p / 12r pic.twitter.com/OXofWcdVqh— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 21, 2020
– You have to feel for interim Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn who has done what he can with such an undermanned lineup. Brooklyn lost Joe Harris, adding to the long list of unavailable talent, and looked completely overmatched by the deep Raptors in the third game of the series.
– Brooklyn didn’t even manage to score on two straight possessions until nearly midway through the second quarter. And just when the Nets seemed to have some life — like their late in the half three-pointer — VanVleet had to completely take the wind out of their sales by banking in a ridiculous heave to end the half.
“Overall, when you don’t have all the components of your card, it puts stress on different parts,” Vaughn said.
“It put extra stress on individuals to make plays that they might not have had to make if Joe (Harris) was here.”
– Credit too to Nets big man Jarrett Allen who worked his butt off all game despite not getting to see much of the ball on offence. Allen only took two shots all game (leading to four free throw attempts), but still chased down 17 rebounds. Only Giannis Antetkounmpo, Dwight Howard (three times), Ben Wallace, Marcus Camby and Draymond Green have had more rebounds against the Raptors in the post-season. Each of those guys attempted at least 10 shots in their big rebounding games.
“They pack the paint. They force you to kick it out to guys,” Nets guard Tyler Johnson said of Toronto’s elite protect the paint defence. “They’re usually bringing three or four guys into the paint. We got into a timeout in the third quarter and I looked at J.A. (Jarrett Allen)and told him how unselfish he was being throughout the entire game because a guy of his caliber could easily be frustrated and angry and be more demonstrative about not getting field goal attempts, but the guy continued to screen, continued to get guys open, continued to get offensive boards. You know, you can find yourself just going up and taking shots off of those, (but) he continued to kick it out, continued to make the right basketball play,” Johnson said.
Allen is a very good young player and it’s going to be a shame when politics put him on the bench so that Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving pal DeAndre Jordan, who is no longer close to the player Allen is, gets to be the guy in the middle.
Lowry could have been given a star for his strong outing, just as Ibaka could have gotten one last game. We’re evening things up by going Ibaka for this one.
THREE STARS
1 — Fred VanVleet
2 — Pascal Siakam
3 — Serge Ibaka
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (77) grabs his left leg after being injured during the second half of an NBA basketball first round playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool) Los Angeles Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell, center, and Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (77) exchange…
Clippers hold off hobbled Mavericks as Luka Doncic injures ankle — Press Telegram
The view from left field 