Tag Archives: Finals

BOSTON — Miami Heat longtime forward Udonis Haslem took exception to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green stating the Western Conference champs would end up facing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Led by Jimmy Butler’s 47 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals, the Heat shocked the basketball community by stealing Game 6 on Friday to extend the series to a Game 7 on Sunday in Miami. Green made the remark on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” postgame show Thursday… Source link

For the fourth time in as many games in the Eastern Conference finals, one team blitzed the other, and one of the strangest best-of-seven series in recent NBA memory is somehow headed back to Miami tied, 2-2. The Miami Heat missed their first 14 shots on Monday night, scored the fewest points (one) through the first nine minutes of a playoff game this century and could not recover in a 102-82 loss to the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum led five Celtics in double figures with 31 points, eight… Source link

MIAMI — The 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been fuming since Tuesday. Sidelined with a right foot sprain in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Marcus Smart was going to force his way into the lineup for Game 2 whether he was ready or not. “I couldn’t miss tonight,” Smart told Yahoo Sports after Game 2. “Couldn’t do it. I know Game 1 wasn’t us. I had to get out there.” Celtics players privately described Game 1 as being “punked out of a win,” sources said,… Source link

How about that cackle? How about Luka Doncic just straight laughing in the face of whatever poor Phoenix Sun was assigned to stop him on Sunday? Over and over the Dallas Mavericks‘ star would step back and drain a three-pointer — or occasionally take it to the hoop — and then promptly back-peddle down the court where he’d try to catch his opponent’s eye and break into an almost sinister, knowing laugh. Basketball has a long and colorful legacy of trash talk. It’s part of the game…. Source link

Even Galileo would be shocked at how many bet slips are revolving around the Suns as we begin the NBA playoffs. Nearly 30% of all money wagered on championship futures is on Phoenix, who’s also seeing 55.2% of the Western Conference champs handle on BetMGM. If they rise from the ashes of last year’s Finals defeat to avenge themselves with a title, the sportsbooks are going to get burned by everyone who jumped onboard the Suns bandwagon. The cream of the NBA After Phoenix started this season… Source link

Dirk Nowitzki’s journey from unique foreigner to ostracized loser to conquering hero reached a crescendo in the hours leading to Game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals. Miami Heat stars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James walked through the hallways of Dallas’ American Airlines Center with mock coughs following the morning’s shootaround, making light of Nowitzki battling illness in Game 4. Nowitzki found it “disrespectful,” he said in an interview with Yahoo Sports recently, while discussing the… Source link

The Clippers had nothing against the Suns defense. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) It wasn’t pretty, but the Phoenix Suns are one game away from the NBA Finals. The Suns defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 84-80 in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The series hasn’t exactly been a highlight reel overall, but the ugliness reached another level in Game 4, with both teams posting their lowest scoring output of the playoffs. The… Source link

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are encouraged with the progress of Chris Paul and are hopeful that he will clear the COVID-19 health and safety protocols at some point early in the Western Conference finals, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Paul is quarantining in Los Angeles and has been symptoms-free since testing positive for COVID-19 last week, sources said. The Suns took care of Game 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers without Paul on Sunday, winning 120-114. Devin Booker elevated his game… Source link

It’s Kevin Durant and everyone else in the race for NBA Finals MVP. Yes, the Finals haven’t even started yet. Heck, the conference finals haven’t even started yet. But Durant is now down to +150 at BetMGM after his Brooklyn Nets took a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night in their second-round playoff series. “Kevin Durant is the betting favorite to win NBA Finals MVP. BetMGM has received the most tickets and handle on Durant to win the award moving his odds from +700 to… Source link

Jalen McDaniels of the Charlotte Hornets could be a steal to add into your fantasy team. (Getty Images) I hope your fantasy playoffs are going well. If they are, the fight isn’t over, and if you are trailing, you’ve come to the right place to claw back some ground.  ‘JUSTICE SERVED’: Sporting world reacts to Derek Chauvin verdict ‘HEARTBROKEN’: NBA legend rocked by son’s tragic death After Thursday’s big 12 game slate, we have four days left in the week. That means you need to work the… Source link