Knicks Notes: Hart, Towns, Bridges, Payne, Thibodeau
Josh Hart has maximized his value to the Knicks by putting aside any personal dreams of stardom, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Throughout his career, which included stops with four teams in six years before he found a home in New York, Hart always believed he could be more than just a scrappy player who tends to make the right play at the right time.
He told Edwards that he adopted a new mindset this season and is now focused on finding ways to make his high-profile teammates better. That led to setting a franchise record with nine triple-doubles during the season and averaging career highs of 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists along with 13.6 points per game.
“I think it’s realizing … for me, I feel like I’ve grown in my faith more,” Hart said. “I’ve been trying to take on that servant mentality. I want to make sure I can cater to these guys and make sure that they’re successful and put in the right positions to blossom.”
Edwards states that Hart often points to Celtics guard Jrue Holiday as an example of sacrificing individual glory for the greater good. Holiday was a two-time All-Star who accepted a reduced role in Boston’s offense to help produce a championship, and he’s in a unique position to understand Hart’s value to the Knicks.
“Even though people might say, like, he doesn’t shoot the ball well enough or do whatever, he makes plays, and he makes the game easier for everybody else based off his play,” Holiday said. “And it’s not just his effort. He’s really smart. He gets to the basket. He offensive rebounds. Things that guys don’t really want to do, he’s excellent at it. Guys who really take that to heart and can really play that type of game, I feel like you can be in the league as long as you want to if you play that way.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Karl-Anthony Towns scored eight of the team’s final 10 points in Sunday’s win at Detroit, and one of the clutch shots was a fadeaway he developed while working with Kyrie Irving last summer, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns said Irving taught him the finer points of the shot, including where to hold the ball and how to launch it above the defender “It’s something that I never really had,” Towns said. “And it didn’t look as good. And I was able to iron my game out watching a great like him. One of the most talented players the NBA has ever seen and just did it as best I could to add my little flavor to it. It may not look as good as his — I ain’t going to lie, I think it’s pretty damn ugly — but it’s effective when I need it to be.”
- Mikal Bridges hit two late three-pointers Sunday after shooting just 1-of-10 from the field in the first three quarters, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Bridges said he drew inspiration from his teammates, particularly Cameron Payne, who has seen limited playing time since scoring 14 points in the series opener. “I think the biggest is Cam Payne,” Bridges said. “He’s big on voicing, helping me out. Sometimes, him calling me some not good names helps as well. It just feeds off that.”
- Coach Tom Thibodeau deserves more credit for the adjustments he has made throughout the series, including getting more shots for Towns after he was shut down in Game 2, contends Ian Begley of SNY. Begley notes that Thibodeau’s job might have been in jeopardy with a first-round loss, but he has responded with a high-level coaching performance.
Kevin Love Announces Death Of His Father, Ex-NBA Player Stan Love
Kevin Love, who has been away from the Heat for personal reasons, announced Sunday on Instagram that his father, former NBA player Stan Love, has died, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“The best last lesson one generation can teach the next: how to die with peace about how you’ve lived,” Kevin Love wrote. “This may be my Dad’s greatest gift. Teaching me that healing happens in your soul and that healing is there for the taking, even in the face of imminent death. Dad loved his family unconditionally and left his children with one of life’s great lessons.”
The elder Love, who was 76, was selected by the Baltimore Bullets with the ninth pick in the 1971 draft. He was traded to the Lakers in 1973 and played one year with San Antonio in the ABA before his career ended in 1975. He finished with career averages of 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 239 games. Stan Love is also famous for being the younger brother of Beach Boys singer Mike Love.
Chiang notes that Kevin Love missed Miami’s final 10 regular season games and 22 overall while caring for his father. He returned for the first play-in tournament contest on April 16 against Chicago, but then had to leave again. He has been ruled out for tonight’s home game against Cleveland as the Heat try to avoid a sweep in their first-round series.
“We could use his voice,” Bam Adebayo said following Saturday’s loss. “But K-Love is going through a lot right now. We text him here and there. But understanding we still got to play the game, still got to figure it out, still got to figure out how to get one win. And that’s what we’ll worry about on Monday.”
Love, 36, has moved into a veteran leadership role for the Heat in his 17th NBA season. He appeared in just 23 games, making nine starts and averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per night.
He has one year remaining on his contract at $4.15MM, and he’s expected to continue playing next season.
“We feel for him and what he’s going through right now,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So the thoughts are more about that, being there for him. We all know how much he means to us in our locker room, but this transcends that.”
Latest On Damian Lillard
Bucks guard Damian Lillard was on crutches and in a walking boot as he left Fiserv Forum Sunday night after suffering an apparent Achilles tear, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Lillard will undergo an MRI today to confirm the extent of the damage, but sources told Collier that a preliminary examination indicates an injury to the left Achilles tendon. In a post-game session with reporters, coach Doc Rivers admitted that the Bucks are fearing the worst, saying, “Just being honest, it’s not very promising.”
“I knew it right away,” Rivers continued. “I felt bad for him; the guy tried to come back for his team. I just felt bad for him.”
The injury occurred midway through the first quarter when Lillard was trying to control an offensive rebound by tipping it to a teammate. He collapsed to the court while grabbing his left leg and remained there through Milwaukee’s defensive possession. He wasn’t able to put any weight on the leg as he was helped to the locker room.
“When a guy just works as hard as he can to get back on the court, then those things like that happen, very sad for him,” Bobby Portis said. “Sad for us for real. We need him out there.”
It’s a tragic ending for Lillard’s comeback story after missing more than a month with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. He reached the point where no longer required blood-thinning medication and was able to return in Game 2 after missing the series opener.
Collier notes that Lillard’s injury was deflating for a Bucks team that was hoping to even its first-round playoff series. Milwaukee trailed 15-12 when he left the game with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter, but Indiana quickly went on a 10-3 run, led by 11 points at halftime and eventually won by 26, pushing the Bucks to the brink of elimination when the series resumes Tuesday night.
An early playoff exit would mark the third straight year that Milwaukee has been ousted in the first round, and it could lead to major offseason changes for the team, which only has one playoff series victory since capturing the 2021 championship.
Trade speculation is already building around franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has two seasons left on his contract, along with a $62.8MM player option for the 2027/28 season.
“I think everybody in the locker room knows what the deal is,” Antetokounmpo said. “The next guy got to step up. We got to do what we got to do, move the ball, play together, try to win the game and come back.”
The shock of Lillard’s injury even shook up the Pacers, who have been engaged in back-and-forth verbal battles with the Bucks since the series began. Myles Turner attributed that to the intense rivalry while saying Lillard is part of “the brotherhood” and expressing best wishes for his recovery. Tyrese Haliburton, who had several exchanges with Lillard during the series, began his post-game remarks with a message regarding the injury (Twitter video link).
“Before you all ask any questions, I want to send my thoughts and prayers to Dame,” Haliburton said. “What you see between us is competing, and you hate to see that happen, especially to a guy who’s went through a lot, and he’s given it his all to come out here and play after a scary health issue. It’s well documented the love I have for that guy. Hate to see that happen to anybody and wish him the best moving forward.”
Pistons Notes: Hardaway Jr., Missed Call, Inexperience, Cunningham, Game 5
Game 4 of the Knicks–Pistons series on Sunday afternoon ended in controversy, with a missed call potentially costing upstart Detroit the victory. Crew chief David Guthrie admitted afterward that a foul should have been called against the Knicks’ Josh Hart on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s missed three-point try just before the final buzzer. The Knicks came away with a 94-93 win and a 3-1 lead in the series.
“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” Guthrie told the pool reporter, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “After post-game review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”
Hardaway said the missed call was “blatant” and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was equally frustrated.
“You go back and look at the film, the guy leaves his feet and there’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” he said. “I don’t know any other way around it. There’s contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy. And repeat, there was contact on his jump shot.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- The game shouldn’t have come down to the last play, Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press notes, as the Pistons gave away a double-digit lead in the final eight minutes. The true difference in the series has been poise, and the ability to make the small plays, according to Windsor. Detroit’s 3-1 deficit can largely be chalked up to a lack of playoff and overall experience in these moments.
- Cade Cunningham racked up a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists along with four blocks. However, Cunningham also made seven turnovers and missed a mid-range shot seconds before Hardaway’s attempt. “He got to his shot, and had the shot that he liked and that we all like,” Bickerstaff said. “I trust Cade to take that shot 100 times in a row.”
- The Pistons are now on the brink of elimination heading back to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday. “We have to get ready for the next game, ready to play, bring it back here,” sixth man Malik Beasley said. “That’s all we can do. That’s the message.”
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Perry, LaVine, Young, Jones, Dumars, Graham, Horst
New Kings general manager Scott Perry won’t engage an offseason teardown even though De’Aaron Fox was dealt at the trade deadline this season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report in their latest newsletter.
While the roster is lacking a true starting point guard and requires more length and athleticism, as he told the media in a recent press conference, Perry isn’t looking to hit the reset button.
However, there is speculation that Zach LaVine could be on the move again. Perry questioned LaVine’s ability to elevate his teammates a couple of years ago in a podcast. LaVine has two years and approximately $96.5MM remaining on his contract and becomes eligible for an extension on July 7.
Here are several more tidbits from Stein and Fischer:
- Trae Young‘s name has been bandied about in trade rumors in recent years but it appears unlikely Atlanta will look to deal its franchise player this summer. Former Hawks GM Landry Fields broke up the backcourt duo of Young and Dejounte Murray last offseason and one of the players acquired in return, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, meshed well with Young. Moreover, Hawks personnel members have spoken often about Young’s growth as a leader and being a more willing passer. Coach Quin Snyder’s praise regarding Young’s improved effort and defensive commitment also speaks to the likelihood of the Hawks continuing to build around him.
- While there has been speculation regarding James Jones‘ status as the Suns GM, given that his contract expires in June, he’s been tasked with leading the search for a new head coach. Phoenix would ideally determine its new front office structure before hiring a head coach but Jones could be asked to remain in the front office in a different role.
- New Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars has already made several front office changes, including the addition of former Pistons GM Troy Weaver as senior VP. However, Dumars has decided to retain GM Bryson Graham. The latter has been credited with unearthing underrated talent in the draft, such as Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.
- The Bucks’ decision to give GM Jon Horst an extension had been in the works for weeks. Front office openings in Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix further pushed the negotiations to fruition. However, Horst’s new deal won’t quell the hope of rival executives that another early playoff exit could lead to a trade request from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Point Guards
The 2025 NBA free agent point guard class features three veterans who have earned maximum-salary contracts and have combined to make 21 All-Star teams. And while all three of those players will be among the best options available at the position this offseason, the point guard who signs the most lucrative long-term contract may be a player who has never been named an All-Star or averaged more than 17 points per game.
Let's take a closer look at this summer's free agent point guards, as we kick off our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.
Clippers Notes: Harden, Intuit Dome, Bench, Game 4
During a recent conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his resurgent 2024/25 season, 11-time All-Star Clippers guard James Harden expressed confidence in his hometown team’s ability to capture its first title this summer.
Before they have a chance to make a serious run at a championship, the Clippers will need to get out of the first round. L.A. is currently knotted with the No. 4 seed Denver, 2-2, in their ongoing first round series. Through four games, the 6’5″ superstar is averaging 21.3 PPG, 9.5 APG, 4.8 RPG and 1.3 BPG, with a shooting line of .453/.400/.833.
“I’m so comfortable in my world and what I supposed to be doing out there,” Harden said. “I think we got the team. We can play isolation basketball with two great ISO players. We got post game with Zu [Ivica Zubac] and ‘Whi [Kawhi Leonard]. Defensively, we’ve been really, really good all year. So, for me, it’s about just keeping my composure, just going out there and reading the game and doing what I am supposed to be doing.
“We got a chance to be the last team standing, which is easier said than done. But we focus on ourselves,” Harden added. “We are playing well right now.”
Last summer, the 35-year-old inked a two-year, $70MM deal to stay with the Clippers. His comeback performance this season may have earned him a raise. Harden has a $36.3MM player option for 2025/26. If L.A. advances and Harden continues to thrive, he could make serious long-term bank.
There’s more out of L.A.:
- The Clippers ultimately split their first two 2025 playoff games at their new arena, the Intuit Dome. Per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, L.A. tried to keep an even keel following its 117-83 Game 3 win on Thursday. “We got to build off it,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of the Clippers’ victories in Games 2 and 3. “I liked what we did defensively. It’s still going to be a tough series. It ain’t over ’cause we had a blowout. It’s only one game. So, we got to be ready to come and validate that on Saturday.” Leonard notched a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double. Harden and shooting guard Norman Powell each chipped in 20 points apiece, while Zubac logged 19 points and nine boards.
- A big component of the Clippers’ success has been their impressive bench depth, opines Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Forwards Nicolas Batum and Derrick Jones Jr.and guards Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons have all made vital contributions to the team’s playoff push so far. L.A.’s bench outscored Denver’s 31-6 in the aforementioned Game 3 triumph. “Our bench has been good for us all year long,” Lue said. “I think just understanding the plays we’re trying to run and how we want to attack – we can’t waste possessions. The second unit is just trying to get caught up as far as understanding what we’re trying to do.”
- The Clippers’ sunny series outlook suffered some late-game gloom on Saturday night, when a buzzer-beating Aaron Gordon dunk gave the Nuggets a 101-99 win and evened the series, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. The loss summoned flashbacks of another L.A. series against Denver, the 2020 West semifinals, which the Clippers had led 3-1. A spectacular unraveling yielded a shocking seven-game L.A. defeat. Murray also recalls the unexpected Deandre Ayton dunk in Game 2 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals that helped the Finals-bound Suns snag a late win, and the 2020 buzzer-beater then-Mavericks guard Luka Doncic nailed to draw Dallas even with L.A., 2-2, in a first round series.
Warriors Notes: Butler, Hield, Curry
The Warriors expect six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler will return from his deep gluteal muscle contusion in Game 4 of their ongoing series against Houston, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). A source informs Slater that Butler took part in an on-court workout ahead of the team’s eventual Game 3 victory against Houston on Saturday. He was held out so that his body could better recuperate, but the team is hoping he will return for Game 4 on Monday.
Butler suffered the injury during a scary fall early into Game 2, and has been sidelined ever since. Golden State has gone 1-1 without him.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania told colleague Malika Andrews (Twitter video link) that Butler had “no mobility” on Saturday, which ultimately led to the team’s decision to sit him.
Head coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, indicated that he considers Butler officially day-to-day, and has no idea whether or not the star forward will play, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).
There’s more out of Golden State:
- With Butler shelved, Warriors guard Buddy Hield stepped up to help the club secure a Game 3 home win, Slater writes in another piece. An eight-point Hield run in the second quarter helped stabilize Golden State heading into the halftime break. He ultimately finished with 17 points and a plus-14 mark across 29 minutes of action. “I knew Robin was out, so I had to step up,” Hield said, referencing Butler’s repeated suggestion that he is the Robin to All-NBA guard Stephen Curry‘s Batman. “I had to be Alfred.”
- Stephen Curry was the star of the show for the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday, Youngmisuk writes for ESPN.com. The two-time league MVP took it upon himself to score more against a tough Rockets defense, notching 25 of his 36 total points in the second and third quarters to propel his team to a 104-93 victory. “He’s one [of the] greatest players of all time,” Kerr said. “He’s 37. He’s one of the most well-conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant.”
- In case you missed it, Rockets forward Dillon Brooks defended teammate Amen Thompson‘s play on Butler that led to his injury.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Returns After Game 4 Ankle Injury
2:13 pm: Brunson has returned to the hardwood after receiving treatment in the visitors’ locker room. He had been wearing a brace on his right knee, but removed it before returning to action, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
2:09 pm: Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, who missed a month down the stretch of the 2024/25 regular season with an ankle injury, appeared to suffer some bad health luck again late into the third quarter of New York’s ongoing Game 4 matchup against the Pistons.
With 2:52 remaining in the third period, Detroit guard Dennis Schroder landed on the right foot of Brunson. The Knicks guard was on the ground for a while, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic tweets, and crawled to the sideline.
According to Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media, Brunson appeared to aggravate an ankle injury that cost him 15 games in March and April. The 6’2″ Villanova alum left the floor and was replaced by reserve Cameron Payne, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Detroit has capitalized on the absence of New York’s lead play-maker, and currently leads the Knicks, 71-64, early in the fourth quarter. Brunson had been leading the Knicks as a scorer with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, plus nine assists and five rebounds.
Through his first three games in the series, Brunson had been on fire offensively, averaging 33.7 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 41.0 minutes per night.
After splitting the opening two contests in Madison Square Garden, New York bested Detroit on the road and leads the Pistons in the series, 2-1.
Central Notes: Sheppard, Pacers, Bulls, Strus
After starting Pacers swingman Andrew Nembhard got into foul trouble during Indiana’s Game 3 playoff series loss to Milwaukee, reserve guard Ben Sheppard found himself playing more minutes than he had in the contests prior.
Sheppard knocked down a three-point shot during his six first-half minutes and the Pacers outscored Milwaukee by six points during those minutes. He went just 1-of-4 from the field in the second half, but was a +3 in 15:26 of action on the night.
According to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, head coach Rick Carlisle hinted that he may want to play Sheppard more going forward.
“Time to get him involved,” Carlisle said. “He did some really good things in the first half…. He gives us another guy to chase (Damian) Lillard around a little bit. Look, we need all hands on deck. We need everybody. Guys are gonna have to be able to come in and possibly play short minutes from time to time to help us with matchups, to help us with rebounding, to help us with spacing. You name it.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- A lot went wrong in the Pacers’ 117-101 Game 3 defeat, as Dopirak details in another story. Two-time All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton believes that the team’s defense was the foundational issue. “We have to do a better job of rotating,” Haliburton said. “I gotta do a better job of staying down on shot fakes. Ground and contest, second-jumper contest. It starts with me. That was my matchup to start the game, so I gotta be better, but we were rotating and I thought we had a couple of miscommunications that led to some open ones and he got hot.” Dopirak also notes that the club leaned too heavily on isolation scoring for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.
- The first round of the playoffs are highlighting the major problems in longtime Bulls president Arturas Karnisovas’ team construction, opines Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. As Cowley explains, Chicago was among the NBA’s fastest-paced offenses and ranked in the bottom half of the league in defense, a profile that doesn’t match many serious contenders.
- Cavaliers swingman Max Strus has emerged as a perfect role player for the team as it gears up to sweep Miami, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.