The Nuggets didn’t bring in free agent guard Austin Rivers just to “hang out,” according to coach Michael Malone. A day after the Nuggets signed Rivers to a 10-day contract, Malone insisted the former Knicks guard was going to play. “His role is to come in and help this team in any way that he…
Nuggets’ plan for G Austin Rivers: “We’re going to throw him out there” — The Denver Post
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Austin Rivers made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:23 left and finished with 15 points to help the New York Knicks rally past the Indiana Pacers 106-102 on Saturday night.The Knicks have won three of four to pull to .500 after six games under new coach Tom Thibodeau. R.J. Barrett scored a team-best 25 points. Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with a career-high 33 points but had his shot blocked with less than a minute to go, which led to another basket by Rivers during an 11-0 run that helped seal the win. Indiana has lost two of three.It certainly had the sluggish feel of a post-holiday game.The Pacers struggled all night and New York couldn’t put it away until the closing minutes. But the Knicks did just enough in the second half after trailing 51-50 at halftime.The Knicks opened the second half on a 16-5 scoring flurry to retake the lead and extend it to 66-56 with 7:35 left in the third quarter.Indiana answered with eight straight points to make it 75-73 with 2:31 left in the period and when Justin Holiday made a 3 to end the quarter, the score was tied at 82.Julius Randle broke the tie with a 3 to open the fourth, and the Knicks quickly pulled out to a 92-87 lead only to watch the Pacers charge back into a 96-93 lead, courtesy of Victor Oladipo’s 3 with 6:35 left.Mitchell Robinson’s basket started the 11-0 spurt that included Rivers’ go-ahead shot and his crucial basket following the block with 35.3 seconds left.TIP-INSKnicks: Barrett apparently likes playing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where he shot 4 of 5 on 3s in this one and is 7 of 8 from long range on the Pacers’ home court. He is 0 for 21 on 3s in every other venue. … Randle had his second straight double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. … Robinson had 16 points and nine rebounds. … New York had a 51-32 rebounding edge and only allowed five offensive rebounds.Pacers: Brogdon was 6 for 6 from the field in the first quarter. The rest of his teammates made just four first-period baskets. He finished 7 of 10 on 3s. … Domantas Sabonis had his sixth straight double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. … Myles Turner had 17 points and one block. … Indiana was 19 of 50 on 3s.HOLIDAY STARTPacers guard Aaron Holiday made his third start of the season and his second straight in place of injured forward T.J. Warren. Holiday didn’t score, had two rebounds and one assist, but could see significant playing time with Warren out indefinitely. Indiana announced Thursday night that Warren, the team’s top scorer last season, would have surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.UP NEXTKnicks: Complete a four-game road trip Monday at Atlanta.Pacers: Play their second road game of the season Monday at New Orleans.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Rivers helps Knicks rally late to get past Pacers 106-102 — The China Post, Taiwan
Kyrie Irving apparently isn’t on board with the idea of restarting the NBA season, believing it will divert attention from the protests against police brutality and racial inequality dominating the national conversation. But a few players disagree. LeBron James reportedly thinks he can play basketball again while simultaneously inspiring societal change, and Houston Rockets guard…
Rockets’ Austin Rivers Counters Kyrie Irving’s Argument Against Restarting NBA — NESN.com
Kyrie Irving apparently isn’t on board with the idea of restarting the NBA season, believing it will divert attention from the protests against police brutality and racial inequality dominating the national conversation. But a few players disagree. LeBron James reportedly thinks he can play basketball again while simultaneously inspiring societal change, and Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers also had a counterargument against Irving. Rivers made the point that the NBA coming back puts money in players’ pockets, which they could then turn around and donate to the Black Lives Matter movement. Not to mention, Rivers brought up that, “99 percent of the NBA hasn’t made the money a guy like Kyrie has,” and those players need that money. “NBA basketball is predominately African American … and a lot of our audience is too,” Rivers’ said Saturday on Instagram, via ESPN. “Us providing entertainment and hope for kids is important. Also keeping SOME kids indoors and watching basketball games on TV instead of maybe going out and getting into trouble, (due to the unfair and unequal environments a lot of African American kids are placed in) is important too. “NOT saying basketball is a cure for that but basketball can maybe provide a distraction.” Austin Rivers responds to Kyrie Irving being opposed to resuming the NBA season in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/D7A7jbpUE2 — ESPN (@espn) June 13, 2020 Rivers also made note of the ramifications of not playing this year and how it will impact the CBA, money from television networks and a number of other economical factors. “I love Kyrie’s passion towards helping this movement,” Rivers said. “It’s admirable and inspiring. I’m with it … but in the right way and not at the cost of the whole NBA and players careers. We can do it both. We can play and we can help change the way black lives are lived.”
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/06/rockets-austin-rivers-counters-kyrie-irvings-argument-against-restarting-nba/
The view from left field 