Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Green, Lottery
Steve Kerr’s new two-year contract with the Warriors was the result of rediscovering his passion for coaching, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Kerr expressed doubts about whether he wanted to continue in the profession following a difficult season that ended with a play-in loss to Phoenix last month. He told reporters after that game that he wasn’t certain if he would be back, noting that “these jobs all have an expiration date” and suggesting it might be time for “new blood and new ideas.”
Sources tell Slater that Kerr took a week off before beginning talks with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. He then went on a golf trip and returned with a new excitement about leading the team.
Kerr would have plenty of media opportunities available if he wanted to transition to a lower-stress environment, but he loves the highly competitive atmosphere of being on the sidelines and was never really happy with front office work, Slater states.
There were other obstacles to reaching a new deal that went beyond Kerr’s desire to return, Slater adds. The discussions with Lacob and Dunleavy went deep into possible changes regarding playing style and staffing as well as the state of the roster following a 37-45 season. The Warriors already know that Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody won’t be available for much of next season as they recover from serious injuries.
Slater cites a “consensus” that Kerr might not have been brought back if management was ready to commit to rebuilding. He adds that there’s an “internal understanding” that the team may not be able to return to title contention with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green nearing the end of their careers, but keeping Kerr is a sign that an effort will be made this summer to become more competitive.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Slater hears that Curry preferred to keep playing under Kerr as his career winds down, but didn’t make any demands from management. Team sources tell Slater that Curry would likely have been part of the search for a new coach if that had become necessary. There’s also an expectation that keeping Kerr in place will simplify extension talks with Curry when he becomes eligible in August. Curry has one season remaining on his current deal and can be extended for one or two more years.
- With a $27.6MM player option, Green’s future with the team is less certain, but Slater views Kerr’s return as a “beneficial development” toward Green staying. Team sources told Slater that they don’t plan to shop Green this summer or try to force him out, as he’s still seen as an elite defender who raises the team’s chances to be successful. Management believed he had “a positive season as a leader” and essentially became an extra assistant coach, according to Slater. The benefits of opting in or out will be discussed, Slater adds, but a long-term extension at a lower number is only likely if it creates enough cap room to make a significant roster addition.
- The results of today’s draft lottery could play a major role in setting the course for the offseason, Slater notes. Landing a top-four pick would provide a valuable asset that could be used in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard or another star, but it could also deliver an infusion of youth for a team filled with veterans. The Warriors are slotted at No. 11 and have a 9.4% chance of moving up.
Hawks Could Be Among Suitors For Jaylen Brown
The Celtics and Hawks had a “brief conversation” last offseason about Jaylen Brown, according to Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (video link), who expects them to revisit the idea of a trade this summer (hat tip to BasketNews).
Mannix adds that initial talks between the teams were only exploratory because Atlanta was “leery” about taking on Brown’s $53.1MM salary and wasn’t “really in a position to go all in” with a developing roster. He states that Boston wasn’t “looking to give Jaylen Brown away” so there wasn’t much common ground to work out a deal.
Brown wound up posting the best statistical season of his career as the team’s primary scoring threat while Jayson Tatum was recovering from an Achilles tear. However, the season ended in disappointment with a first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia, so Mannix believes the Celtics could consider moving on from Brown’s pricey deal, which still has three years remaining at more than $183MM.
A late-season surge propelled the Hawks to the No. 6 seed, so they could be more open to taking on salary this offseason in hopes of becoming a serious contender in 2026/27.
In addition to the Hawks, Mannix states that several other clubs could make a run at Brown if he becomes available. He mentions the Heat, Rockets and Warriors as teams that are expected to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo and suggests they could turn their attention to Brown if they fail to land the Bucks star.
As Mannix notes, it has been a tumultuous week for Brown since the Celtics were eliminated last Saturday. He blasted series officials on his Twitch stream, claiming they had “an agenda” against him that resulted in an unusually high number of offensive fouls, and singled out Sixers star Joel Embiid for flopping. His remarks on the referees resulted in a $50K fine from the league.
There was also a backlash from Boston fans after Brown called this his “favorite season” even with the early playoff exit. NBC’s Tracy McGrady, who has served as Brown’s mentor, claimed that he has “frustration” with the Celtics behind the scenes, leading president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to tell reporters at his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday that Brown hasn’t expressed any unhappiness to him.
Brown tried to diffuse the situation later in the week by reaffirming his commitment to the organization and stating that he would like to finish his career in Boston. He also denied any friction with Stevens, saying they have a “great relationship.”
While Brown is an all-NBA talent and won’t turn 30 until October, his contract could make some teams think twice about making a deal. He’ll earn $57MM next season, $61MM in 2027/28 and nearly $65MM in 2028/29 before becoming a free agent that summer.
Thunder Notes: Mitchell, SGA, Wallace, Joe, Lottery
With the Lakers holding reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check, a new star is emerging for the Thunder, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell, who wasn’t part of OKC’s rotation during its march to the title last season, had 24 points, 10 assists and no turnovers on Saturday as his team grabbed a 3-0 series lead with another dominant victory.
“I think the biggest thing for me was just going out there and being confident,” Mitchell said. “I know what I can do. When I go out there, I just want to compete and help this team win and play freely.”
Mitchell, who finished fifth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, is only starting because Jalen Williams is sidelined with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. He has been a difference-maker in the first three games of the series, averaging 20.7 points, 6.7 assists and 1.0 turnovers while connecting at 53.3% from the field. He has also been the primary defender on Austin Reaves, who hasn’t shot well for most of the series.
“He’s just finding his footing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s obviously his first run in the playoffs. It’s obviously a different ballgame. He’s just getting more and more comfortable as the game goes on, as the series goes on. I said this before, he had a rough [Game 2 in Phoenix], but he was so confident out there. I was never worried that he was going to figure it out, and he’s showing that.”
There’s more on the Thunder:
- L.A.’s focus on controlling Gilgeous-Alexander has been effective, even though Oklahoma City is finding other ways to win, MacMahon adds. SGA finished with 23 points in Game 3, but was uncharacteristically inefficient, making just seven of his 20 shots. The Lakers are using former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to deny him the ball and then employing double teams whenever it does come to him. “Obviously, I haven’t been my best in performances, but I think I’ve been able to help the team win and that’s most important,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “As long as we win. If the rest of the playoff run or the rest of my career look like what it looked like the past few games, I’d be OK with it because we won games.”
- Mitchell could become one of the league’s biggest bargains over the next couple of years, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. As the 38th pick in the 2024 draft, he’s already the lowest-paid player on the roster at $3MM, and his salary falls to $2.85MM next season with a team option for the same amount for 2027/28. He’ll be extension-eligible by that point, and Mussatto expects the Thunder to reward him with a long-term contract that’s more in line with his production.
- Cason Wallace, who posted the highest-scoring playoff performance of his career with 12 points in Game 2, nearly exceeded it in the first quarter on Saturday, notes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. The third-year guard scored 11 points in the quarter by hitting all four of his shots, including three from beyond the arc, before finishing with 16. Isaiah Joe, who was losing playing time to Jared McCain earlier in the series, added 12 points and went 4-of-6 from three-point range.
- The Thunder, who already have the deepest roster in the league, could get even better with some lottery luck Sunday afternoon. They own the Clippers’ selection at No. 12, giving them a 1.5% chance to land the top overall pick and a 7.1% chance to finish in the top four, as we outlined in our lottery primer.
Celtics Notes: Gonzalez, Tatum, Williams, Mazzulla
Hugo Gonzalez turned in a surprisingly strong rookie season after being selected with the 28th pick in last year’s draft, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the Celtics‘ playoff rotation, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez made three brief appearances before playing 13 minutes in the Game 7 loss to Philadelphia, ceding time to Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh. Gonzalez went scoreless in the series, missing all three shots he took from the field and two from the line.
“He didn’t separate himself from those other guys,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said. “As a front office person, I can’t sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another. There wasn’t enough separation. I knew Jaylen (Brown) should be playing. I knew Derrick (White) should be playing, I knew Payton (Pritchard) should be playing. At the end of the day, that’s part of a team, but I’m encouraged by all of them, but there wasn’t a lot of separation.”
Gonzalez finished second on the team in plus/minus rating during the regular season, and Stevens indicated that the Celtics still have confidence in him to be part of their future. Robb views Gonzalez as likely to work on his skills in the Las Vegas Summer League.
“Hugo has had a great rookie year and I think is a critical part of us moving forward because his athleticism can beat the moment in the big games,” Stevens said. “That’s a real thing. You can see it, you know it. His strength is off the charts. He’s probably the strongest, he’s one of the strongest guys on our team pound for pound right now as a 20-year-old, so he’s got a bright future.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Stevens told reporters that the decision to hold Jayson Tatum out of Game 7 came after watching him work out last Saturday morning, per Souchi Terada of MassLive. It became clear that the stiffness in Tatum’s left knee wouldn’t allow him to participate. “It’s not like a long-term concern, but it certainly didn’t look right when he was working out and didn’t feel right,” Stevens said. “So it made sense to be smart about that. I think the obvious answer is anytime you’re coming back from an injury like he was coming from, there’s a tendency to overcompensate, and there’s probably a little bit of that there.”
- The Celtics promoted Amari Williams from a two-way deal to a standard contract in early February, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be part of the main roster moving forward, Robb states in a mailbag column. Robb notes that Williams will be given plenty of opportunities to prove himself during Summer League, but he’s already 24 and doesn’t offer much shooting range or strength around the rim. Robb suggests that Williams might come back on another two-way contract next season.
- In the same piece, Robb observes that Stevens offered only a tepid endorsement of head coach Joe Mazzulla while saying that everyone in the organization has to be better. Robb points out that Mazzulla didn’t do a good job of incorporating Nikola Vucevic after he was acquired at the deadline, and some of the rotation decisions in the playoff series were puzzling. Robb expects Mazzulla to be “under the microscope” in next year’s playoffs, especially if Stevens is able to improve the roster.
Cavaliers Notes: Harden, Mitchell, Bickerstaff, Merrill
James Harden has tried to ignore the doubts raised by his checkered playoff history, but those concerns became louder after a pair of subpar performances in Detroit. Harden may have silenced his critics for at least a little while by hitting several clutch shots in a Game 3 victory on Saturday that kept the Cavaliers‘ playoff hopes alive, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story.
“It was the James Harden I’ve seen for how many years we’ve been in the NBA,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “That’s the James we know. We needed it tonight. We were searching and he went to work.”
After a 16-point halftime lead slipped away, the Cavs found themselves in another clutch-time battle with the top-seeded Pistons. With less than two minutes remaining, Harden sank a step-back jumper that extended the lead to four. After a Cade Cunningham dunk, Harden responded with a floater in the lane to make it a four-point game again. Cunningham drilled a three-pointer, setting the stage for Harden’s biggest shot of the afternoon. Closely guarded by Tobias Harris, Harden maneuvered his way for a step-back shot from beyond the arc that effectively put the game out of reach.
“It’s not even about anybody else,” said Harden, who was acquired from the Clippers in February in hopes of bringing a title to Cleveland. “I’m literally here to find my spots, figure out what needs to be done and try to contribute in the best way possible. Chatter is going to be chatter regardless, whether you do something good or you do something bad. For me, you give me opportunities in this fourth quarter, and I take advantage of them. I’ve done an unbelievable job throughout the course of my career just understanding what the job needs to be, especially as I get older and doing whatever it takes to win the game. That’s the most important thing.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- A loss on Saturday would have resulted in a 3-0 series deficit and likely set up a summer of change for the franchise. Atkinson talked about the importance of fighting through adversity in the third quarter and staying in position to pull out the victory, Fedor adds. “You know how important it is to get this first win to make it a series,” he said. “I felt like that third quarter we had great looks and the ball wasn’t falling. That’s the spirit of this team. They don’t get down. We’re not like, ‘Oh man, they came back.’ It’s like, it’s a veteran team. They kind of know that’s how this goes.”
- Donovan Mitchell‘s role in the dismissal of Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff as Cavaliers coach two years ago is one of the overlooked subplots of the series, contends Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Vardon reports that Mitchell was one of the first players to get frustrated by Bickerstaff’s refusal to trust his veterans and by a simplistic offensive approach that often relied on Mitchell to bail the team out. Vardon adds that Mitchell was negotiating a contract extension at the time, so he was in position to demand that Bickerstaff be retained if he had wanted to.
- Sam Merrill was back in the lineup after sitting out Game 2 with a minor left hamstring strain that he suffered early in the series opener. He played 14 minutes off the bench and finished with seven points.
Thunder Notes: Holmgren, Hartenstein, McCain, Mitchell
The Thunder‘s big man combination of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein didn’t get off to a promising start, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. OKC added Hartenstein in free agency in the summer of 2024 after being badly outrebounded by Dallas in the conference semifinals. but because of injuries to both players, they weren’t able to get on the court together until February of that season. When they did, Mussatto describes their fit together as “clunky.”
“The first couple games, we didn’t think it was really going to work out,” Hartenstein said.
At 7’1″, Holmgren had been a center all his life, but he moved to power forward to accommodate Hartenstein’s physical presence inside. Although the team was initially more effective using one big man at a time, they eventually figured out how to work together, leading the Thunder to the NBA title last year and a 6-0 mark in this year’s playoffs following a 64-win season.
Coach Mark Daigneault, who oversaw the partnership, always believed it would be successful.
“We were pretty confident it could work, because the goal is to get your best players on the court, and they’re two of our best players,” Daigneault said. “It’s our job to figure out how to make that work, and we have a team that dances with us on that. And ultimately their heart being in it is important. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing — if they’re not fully invested in it, it’s not gonna work.”
There’s more on the Thunder:
- Jared McCain has been a perfect addition to Oklahoma City’s backcourt since being acquired from Philadelphia at the deadline, Mussatto adds in another Oklahoman story. The second-year guard has posted career playoff scoring highs in the past two games, and his 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting on Thursday helped the Thunder pull away. “I just think there’s certain qualities a player has that resonate with this particular locker room,” Daigneault replied when asked about McCain’s ability to adapt to the team in midseason. “Professionalism is one of them. Commitment to your craft is another one. Competitiveness, the willingness to compete and the willingness to play inside of the team. If you do those things on this team, you earn pretty immediate respect.”
- Ajay Mitchell has scored 18 and 20 points in the first two games of the series while filling in for the injured Jalen Williams, per Mussatto and Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. Williams is dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring strain that has sidelined him since Game 2 of the first-round series with Phoenix, and he was ruled out for tonight’s contest.
- Meeting with reporters before Game 3, Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about the challenge of matching up with the Thunder’s depth, relays Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). “The (Nikola) Topic kid has dealt with some health stuff, and their rookie (Thomas Sorber) is dealing with coming back from his offseason surgery,” Redick said. “Literally the other 13 guys are all top seven or eight rotation players in the NBA on any team. So they can just hit you with bodies. Just the nature of how they built that team.”
Steve Kerr To Remain With Warriors On Two-Year Contract
Steve Kerr has agreed to a two-year deal to return as Warriors head coach, agents Dan Eveloff and Rick Smith of Priority Sports tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). No details on the new contract have been released, but Charania hears that Kerr, who made $17.5MM this season, will continue to be the NBA’s highest-paid coach (Twitter link).
The agreement comes after prolonged negotiations that began shortly after Golden State was eliminated from the play-in tournament on April 17. Kerr expressed uncertainty after that loss about whether he wanted to continue coaching, and Warriors management had several conditions for him to meet before committing to another deal.
In a full story, Charania, Anthony Slater and Ramona Shelburne report that Kerr had multiple meetings with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. over the past two weeks. Topics of discussion included changes in offensive philosophy, the makeup of the roster, the long-term direction of the franchise and the contract terms necessary for Kerr to keep coaching.
“It was never going to be about money,” a team source told the authors. “We had to make the best basketball decision.”
Kerr’s intentions to return have “generally known” inside the franchise since the beginning of the week, according to Charania, Slater and Shelburne. Team sources told them that the loose ends were finalized Friday night and Saturday morning.
They note that Kerr began signaling in training camp that he might be entering his final season of coaching. He announced in October that he wouldn’t seek a contract extension and planned to let his deal expire before addressing his future. The season didn’t go as planned, as the Warriors dealt with multiple injuries to rotation players and finished as the 10th seed at 37-45.
There was some speculation after the season ended that a coaching change might be best for everyone involved, and the Warriors engaged in some “light information management” to identify possible successors, according to the authors. However, they add that keeping Kerr was always the preference of Lacob, Dunleavy and Stephen Curry.
There was originally pessimism about Kerr’s prospects of remaining with the team, but the outlook seemed to brighten as the process played out. Even so, Lacob said on Wednesday that the situation remained unpredictable.
Part of Kerr’s motivation to return was his desire to continue his partnership with Curry and Draymond Green, which has produced four NBA titles. Kerr said in a recent interview that he doesn’t want to abandon his players and he still enjoys the day-to-day work of being a head coach.
Hired in 2014 as a first-time head coach, Kerr has posted a 604-353 record and captured championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. He won Coach of the Year honors in 2016 and was named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history in 2o22.
With Kerr secured for the next two years, the Warriors will now have to address the roster to become serious playoff contenders again. Jimmy Butler will miss a large portion of next season while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in mid-January, and Moses Moody will also require a lengthy recovery period after a tearing a patellar tendon in late March. Additionally, there are concerns about Curry’s ability to stay healthy after he missed a large part of this season due to runner’s knee.
Kerr’s return likely means that Golden State will be aggressive in trying to add stars so the Kerr-Curry-Green era ends on a high note. The Warriors are among the teams expected to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, and Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James have also been mentioned as possible targets.
Knicks Notes: Clarkson, Shamet, Anunoby, Bridges
Jordan Clarkson signed with the Knicks last summer to play for a contender, but he had fallen completely out of the rotation by the trade deadline, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. It would have been understandable if he had asked to be dealt or bought out, but Clarkson said he didn’t consider either option.
“Never,” he stated. “I was just going with the flow, staying locked in. I don’t really think too far ahead. Whatever is in the moment is what’s going on. I got out the mud, bro. I was a second-round pick, damn near undrafted. I just stick with the grind and stick with the process, try to find ways to impact the game. I only care about winning. I came here for the opportunity to play winning basketball.”
Clarkson’s rejuvenation began during a game at Utah in mid-March when he scored 27 points in 26 minutes to spark a comeback victory. He also pulled down five offensive rebounds and played tight defense, exhibiting traits that have made him a valuable member of the Knicks’ bench as they’ve moved within a win of the conference finals.
New York’s reserves made the difference in Friday’s Game 3 win at Philadelphia as Clarkson combined with Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson and Jose Alvarado to score 28 points and collect 14 rebounds. Coach Mike Brown is gratified to see that his “stay-ready” approach to handing out playing time is working.
“As a coach, you love to see it,” Brown said. “That’s why you give different guys opportunities at different times. Sometimes you start Landry, sometimes you start (Mohamed Diawara), sometimes you start this guy. Hopefully, it shows, coming from me, that I have a confidence in them. And, not only that, your number can be called at any time, so be ready. Our guys have taken that to heart. A lot of good guys who are resilient fighters and done a good job of staying present.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Shamet scored 15 points off the bench, topping his total from the previous six playoff games, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. With OG Anunoby unavailable on Friday, Shamet played more than 26 minutes and was part of New York’s closing lineup. “You just stay ready,” he said. “It felt good, it felt good to get out there with my teammates, it felt good to get a win. We have one more.”
- Anunoby is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 as he tries to work his way back from a strained right hamstring, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Miles McBride replaced him in the starting lineup, but only played 21 minutes.
- Mikal Bridges‘ defensive effort against Tyrese Maxey has been a huge reason for the Knicks’ 3-0 series lead, Begley adds in a full story. The high-scoring Sixers guard is averaging 18.6 PPG during the series – nearly 10 fewer than his season average – while shooting 2-of-12 from three-point range and committing 12 turnovers. “He’s doing an amazing job. That’s a tough task, a tall order,” Josh Hart said. “The way he is able to maneuver and navigate screens, do all those things, and on top of that, give us good shots, good minutes and a good quality of executing on the offensive end is great.”
Chris Finch Calls Tony Brothers ‘Unprofessional’ After Game 3 Loss
Speaking to reporters following Friday’s loss to San Antonio, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch blasted crew chief Tony Brothers for confronting him during a fourth quarter stoppage in play, according to Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune (subscription required). The disagreement began when Finch tried to call a timeout, but Brothers didn’t acknowledge him right away.
“Pretty unprofessional, huh?” Finch said. “I wanted the time out. I had called it three seconds earlier, and I wanted the timeout. I said. ‘I want my three seconds back.’ Because he clearly heard me. He looked my way, ignored me, went on with the play, and then gave me it. It almost cost us the turnover.”
Brothers responded by walking toward Minnesota’s huddle with a heated retort for Finch, adds Anthony Slater of ESPN. Naz Reid stepped in to calm things down, but the argument didn’t end there.
Before the timeout ended, Finch approached Brothers to ask where the ball would be inbounded and claimed that Brothers “lost it” in response. Bones Hyland and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni intercepted Brothers again before the argument could escalate any further, and eventually tempers cooled (Twitter video link from Bleacher Report).
Wolves star Anthony Edwards, who was standing next to his coach during the final stages of the exchange, attributed it to the intensity of playoff basketball.
“Competition at the highest level,” he said. “We wanna win. Finchy wanna win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him.”
There’s no word from the league office yet on whether Finch will be fined for his remarks. Any disciplinary action will likely be announced before Game 4 Sunday evening.
As Slater notes, it’s the second straight night that featured harsh criticism of an official. Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed displeasure with how the game was called after losing to Oklahoma City on Thursday, and guard Austin Reaves claimed referee John Goble was “disrespectful” during an in-game interaction.
Spurs Notes: Wemby, Edwards, Bryant, Two-Way Players
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson made the “ultimate gamble” on Friday when he decided to leave Victor Wembanyama in the game after the star center picked up his fifth personal foul with six-plus minutes remaining, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Instead of backfiring, the decision paid dividends, as San Antonio defeated Minnesota by seven points to regain home-court advantage in the Western Conference semifinals.
Wembanyama put up incredible numbers in the victory, recording 39 points (on 13-of-18 shooting), 15 rebounds and five blocks in 37 minutes. The Spurs were plus-16 when he was on the court and minus-nine in the 11 minutes he didn’t play.
“It’s the feeling I get before games, I dunno, this excitement, this heat in my heart,” Wembanyama told “NBA on Prime Video” after the Spurs’ win. “It just gets stronger and stronger as the game goes on. I’m built for this. I love this more than anything else.”
According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com, Wembanyama became the fourth player since blocks became an official statistic in 1973/74 to record a 35-15-5 stat line in the playoffs, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The French big man also limited his opponents to 4-of-21 shooting on field goals he contested, Wright adds.
“He really imposed himself on the game,” Johnson said. “He established himself dominating the paint and rim on both ends. When he does that, it kind of feels like everything opens up for himself and his teammates. Then he gets some shots on the perimeter. He gets some closeouts. He gets the gravity in terms of teams trying to be physical with him. He did a good job of playing though contact and not expecting calls. [He] just met the physicality with the proper execution.”
Here’s more on the Spurs, who are now up 2-1 in the second-round series:
- After Anthony Edwards scored 27 points through three quarters, Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle helped limit the Timberwolves star to five points in the final frame, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “We know he likes to get to that left-hand step back for sure, so we just tried to pressure him and make him go right,” Vassell said. “And then sending doubles, and doing stuff like that. But ultimately it was to wear him down all through the game, so at the end of the game, he wasn’t feeling comfortable.”
- Rookie forward Carter Bryant only played eight minutes in Game 3, but he made the most of his opportunity, knocking down both of his three-point attempts in the second quarter, Orsborn notes in another story. “I think the biggest thing is just coming in and just doing my job,” Bryant told the San Antonio Express-News. “Sometimes it calls for me to hit those two shots. Sometimes I miss those two shots, but I’m playing spectacular defense on the other end. So it’s just understanding you can’t allow yourself to get out of the game. Just something as simple as that.”
- Two-way players aren’t eligible to compete in the postseason, but Emanuel Miller, Harrison Ingram and David Jones Garcia are viewing this playoff run as an opportunity to learn and improve their games, according to Orsborn. “It’s something you can’t really put into words, seeing what we’re doing (to prepare),” said Miller. “It’s been a blessing, a learning experience for sure, learning from the best coaches, learning from (president Gregg Popovich), learning from the players, learning how to attack each game, how to attack each series and how they attack, really, each day.”