Heat Notes: Oladipo, Lowry, Robinson, Draft Pick
Kyle Lowry‘s hamstring injury may create an opportunity for Heat guard Victor Oladipo, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Oladipo played just eight games during the regular season and hasn’t seen the court yet in the playoff series with the Hawks, but he gives coach Erik Spoelstra a veteran option if Lowry isn’t available for today’s Game 4.
“I’m just staying ready,” Oladipo said. “I can’t really control what happens out there, what goes on. I just got to stay ready. If my number is called, I’m going to go out there and play the game to the best of my ability.”
Oladipo is coming off an 11-month recovery from surgery on his quadriceps tendon. He wasn’t available until March 7, but he showed that he can still score, putting up 21 points on April 3 against the Raptors and 40 in the regular season finale against the Magic.
“Playoffs, regular season, it’s tough,” Oladipo said about not playing. “I want to be out there competing, helping the team win. But at the end of the day, I’m just focused on what I can control and whatever the coaching staff needs me to do to help us win, that’s what I’m going to do.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic examines whether Miami is resilient enough to survive an extended absence by Lowry, who is listed as questionable for today’s game. Atlanta was able to exploit the Heat’s defense after Lowry was forced to leave Game 3, Hollinger notes, especially when Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson were on the court together.
- Robinson’s inconsistency continues to be an issue from game to game, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After making 8 of 9 shots in the series opener, Robinson went scoreless in Game 2 and managed just six points in Game 3. Winderman states that Caleb Martin might take some of Robinson’s minutes, especially if Lowry is unavailable and Miami needs better defense.
- The Heat landed the No. 27 overall draft pick in a tiebreaker this week, but they may be more likely to trade it than use it, Winderman states in a separate story. Miami already has a wealth of young talent with Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart holding two-way contracts that extend to next season and Haywood Highsmith and Omer Yurtseven on the roster as well. In addition, Marcus Garrett did rehab work at the team’s facility after January wrist surgery and Micah Potter was an All-Rookie selection with Miami’s G League affiliate. Winderman suggests that the first-round pick could be used as sweetener to get a team to take on Robinson’s $16.9MM contract.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jenkins, Jackson, Clarke
Grizzlies star Ja Morant admitted Saturday that he hasn’t fully recovered from the right knee soreness that forced him to miss nine games late in the season, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant returned for one game at the end of the regular season, then went straight into the playoffs. He has worn a bandage on the knee in each game since he has been back.
Memphis may need the best version of Morant to escape a tight series with the Timberwolves that is now tied at 2-2. He averaged 27.4 points per game during the regular season, but Minnesota has limited him to 20.5 PPG through the first four games of the first round, using multiple defenders to block his path to the basket.
“I can be honest right now,” Morant said. “I’m not Ja right now. I’m not playing above the rim. Most of the times when I go to the rack, I’m getting bumps. I just got to worry about finishing the bucket instead of worrying about the guys with stripes on.”
There’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t hold back his criticism of the officials after Saturday’s loss, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. The Wolves shot 40 free throws as all five Memphis starters collected at least four fouls. “I’ve never seen a more inconsistent, arrogant officiated game,” Jenkins said. “So, I’ll take whatever hit is coming my way, protect our guys. We know we’ve gotta get better. But from the get-go, it was foul, foul, foul, foul, foul. Inconsistency. There was actually one play where a foul whistle was blown before contact was even made. It’s embarrassing.”
- The Grizzlies’ problems go far beyond the officiating, according to Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Among them is a disappointing performance from Jaren Jackson Jr., who is misfiring from three-point range and hasn’t played more than 27 minutes in any game this series. “He still has a bunch of time to come out and play well,” Brandon Clarke said. “Jaren knows the player that he is. We all know who he is.”
- Nekias Duncan of Basketball News looks at the challenges that the Morant-Clarke pick-and-roll creates for Minnesota’s defense.
Nets Notes: Durant, Irving, Nash, Brown
Kevin Durant was left searching for answers after another frustrating offensive performance Saturday left the Nets in a 3-0 playoff hole, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant, who is shooting 19-of-52 against the Celtics’ relentless defense, thought he might have overcompensated to Boston’s focus on him. He handed out eight assists, but only took 11 shots and finished with 16 points.
“I feel like the first two games I was trying to be too aggressive,” Durant said. “A team that’s loading up on me, that’s trying to take me out of all my actions. I felt like I was still trying to force the first two games and watching film, a lot of my teammates were open and they were knocking down shots, so I felt my approach to this game was to play off of everybody — get in the flow of the offense and let the ball move and find me.”
The Celtics have taken a physical approach with Durant and are using multiple defenders to keep him off balance. He played at an MVP level in March and April, averaging 30 points per night to help Brooklyn climb into the seventh seed, but has been limited to 22 PPG in the first three games of the series. Now he faces a monumental task just to get the Nets out of the first round.
“Man, we know what it is,” Durant said. “I don’t think no speech or anything will do it at this part of the year. You know what it is — we down 3-0. … On Monday, we’ll come out and play.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The chaos that surrounded the Nets all season might be catching up with them, suggests Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Between Kyrie Irving‘s long absence due to the vaccine mandate, the James Harden trade that shook up the roster at midseason and Durant’s injury, Brooklyn had little chance to develop into a cohesive unit. “We’re all trying to jell and usually you’re jelling around the right time,” Irving said. “And that team in the other locker room is jelling at the right time, been jelling since Christmas. We’re just in a new experience as a group, and we have to respect that.”
- Steve Nash has been badly outcoached by Ime Udoka, argues Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix notes that the Nets’ offense features constant isolations with very little movement, and when they do force switches the Celtics are able to adapt quickly. He also questions whether Nash will return next season if things don’t turn around quickly.
- One bright spot for Brooklyn has been Bruce Brown, who led the team in scoring Saturday with 26 points. He took the rare gamble during the offseason of accepting a $4.7MM qualifying offer and now is in position to cash in as an unrestricted free agent, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Nets own his Bird rights and can go over the cap to keep him.
Injury Notes: Doncic, Williams, Lowry, Capela
Playing Saturday for the first time in nearly two weeks, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic showed no ill effects from his strained left calf, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic logged 34 minutes, resting halfway through the first and third quarters. He posted 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and hit a late three-pointer to give Dallas a four-point lead before the Jazz rallied to win.
“I’m just excited to be back,” Doncic said. “I had fun out there, just having fun playing basketball. What could be better than in the playoffs? The playoffs are the most exciting, so I’m just glad to be back.”
Doncic admitted feeling winded during stretches of the game — MacMahon notes that Utah targeted him defensively, especially in the first half. However, Doncic said the calf didn’t slow him down.
“At the beginning, I was just thinking about it a little bit,” he said. “I think in the middle of the game I kind of forgot about it.”
There are more injury-related items to pass along:
- There was also good news for the Celtics tonight as center Robert Williams returned for the first time since a meniscus tear on March 27. Williams played 16 minutes and said his knee didn’t hurt after the game (video link from Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe).
- There’s “cautious optimism” from people close to Heat guard Kyle Lowry that the left hamstring injury he suffered Friday isn’t serious, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Lowry didn’t practice with the team today, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN, and was walking “gingerly.” A source close to Lowry tells McMenamin that the injury is day to day, but Lowry said he is monitoring it “hourly.” Miami’s injury report lists him as questionable for Game 4, which will take place Sunday night. Gabe Vincent or Tyler Herro would likely start at point guard if Lowry isn’t available, Chang states.
- The Hawks have upgraded center Clint Capela to questionable for Sunday’s game, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who adds that his status may be a game-time decision. Capela hasn’t played since suffering a hyperextended right knee in an April 15 play-in game.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harris, Lineup Changes
Sixers center Joel Embiid insists that his sprained right thumb won’t cause him to miss any playoff games, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. A report earlier today said an initial exam showed a ligament tear, but that can’t be confirmed until Embiid undergoes an MRI, which will happen when the team returns to Philadelphia.
He managed to play 39 minutes in today’s game while wearing a wrap on his thumb and a brace on his hand. Afterward, he told reporters that he’ll wait for the offseason if he needs to have surgery.
“I want to play, so obviously got to listen to what they have to say,” Embiid said, referring to the team’s medical staff. “So, I would imagine that I keep playing and probably do something after the season.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Embiid may face a fine for his reaction to the officiating after today’s loss, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid gave a “golf clap” to the referees as he left the court after the game and later insinuated that they were trying to force the series to a fifth game. “I’m going to take my own advice and not complain about fouls,” he said, “but like I was doing at the end of the game: They did a great job. I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight. And they got it done. Congrats to them, tonight.”
- Tobias Harris is dealing with a blood spot in his left eye as a result of being hit during Game 3, Pompey tweets. He’s able to play through it, logging 41 minutes in today’s game. Meanwhile, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia examines how Harris has accepted a new role in the offense since the trade for James Harden in February. “Tobias has had to make more changes than anybody on our team,” coach Doc Rivers said. “And he keeps doing it without complaint, and it’s such a great example for what a good teammate should be. And he’s been doing it every night.”
- The Sixers, who were 16-16 on Christmas Day, were able to reinvent themselves as the season went along, observes Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. They have the fourth-best record in the league since then and were still evolving heading into the playoffs, Frank adds. Tyrese Maxey and Georges Niang became more reliable long-distance shooters, Paul Reed took over as the backup center, Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle had their playing time cut and Harden has given them an accomplished playmaker.
Nets Notes: Simmons, Nash, Durant, Griffin
Ben Simmons is targeting Monday’s Game 4 to make his debut with the Nets, but coach Steve Nash isn’t committing to anything, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons went through a full workout today, which Nash said went well, but he cautioned that it’s difficult to start playing at this point of the season.
“I think it’s possible, but I’m not sure,” Nash told reporters before tonight’s game. “Like I said before, it’s not a normal return to play, having been off for nine months and being injured as long as he has been at the back of this, going on two months now – I think if I’m not mistaken – or more, so it’s not just, he got through three workouts and he’s ready to play. There’s a lot of bigger picture, bigger context — how he’s feeling, how able he would be to adapt to the environment. It’s a little different than playing a game that’s in the middle of the regular season so I think there’s a few factors at play to evaluate when he’s ready to play.”
Simmons was just cleared for contact five days ago as he continues to make progress from the back ailment that has kept him out of action since Brooklyn acquired him in February. He hasn’t played since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals more than 10 months ago.
There’s more on the Nets:
- The Celtics‘ defensive approach has forced Kevin Durant into two of the worst playoff games of his career, observes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Amick talked to a pair of scouts who point out that Boston is being physical with Durant before he gets the ball and has guarded him with six different players so far. Durant is coming off a 4-for-17 performance in Game 2 and committed six turnovers in each of the first two games of the series.
- The Nets are in danger of letting another of Durant’s prime years slip away, warns Ian O’Connor of The New York Post. O’Connor notes that it’s not a sure thing that Durant and Kyrie Irving will both be healthy at playoff time ever again, so the Nets should have a sense of urgency to get back in the series.
- After missing the first two games of the series with a sprained left ankle, Blake Griffin was upgraded to available for Game 3, Lewis tweets. The veteran big man hasn’t played since April 2.
Warriors Notes: Starting Lineup, Kuminga, Poole, Payton II
The Warriors have found a devastating lineup to close out games, and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic believes it’s just a matter of time until that group becomes the starters as well. Stephen Curry has been coming off the bench since returning from injury, and Thompson notes it would be easy to transfer his minutes back into a starter’s role. Thompson cites a “high likelihood” that the change will take place when Golden State begins its second-round series, if not sooner.
No matter what coach Steve Kerr decides to do with his rotation, Jordan Poole‘s role shouldn’t be changed, Thompson adds. Thompson states that Poole has been one of the Warriors’ best players for about two months, and the team has a 48-19 record with him as a starter.
The closing lineup, which also includes Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, has overcome concerns about its lack of size with aggressive defense and rebounding in the first-round series against Denver. Looking ahead to the next round, the author believes the smaller lineup provides favorable matchups against either the Grizzlies or Timberwolves.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga was a regular during the season, but he has only seen eight combined minutes in three games against the Nuggets. Team officials expect him to have a role later in the playoffs, Thompson adds in the same piece, so his playing time might increase in Game 4. “I keep reminding all the guys every day that, (in) the playoffs, things change at the drop of a hat,” Kerr said. “You’ve got to be prepared for everything. And have a lot of proof of that over the years. We’ve had a lot of players who have had to fill in and step up and play big roles in big series. … A big part of the playoffs is everybody staying ready.”
- Poole’s improved play will set up a tricky extension decision for the Warriors this summer, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. Poole is eligible for an extension that could be worth up to a projected $185MM+ over five years, but even if he agrees to take less, it will present an extra salary burden for a team that’s already paying nearly $350MM in combined salaries and luxury tax. Smith suggests something in the range of $100MM over four years might be a reasonable compromise, adding that the Warriors value Poole too much to let him get away.
- Gary Payton II was considering applying for a job in the Warriors’ video department if he hadn’t made the team in training camp, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s been released so many times,” Kerr said. “It’s just him preparing for whatever is next. But he played so well for us, that was never going to be a possibility.”
Robert Williams Cleared For Game 3
Injured Celtics center Robert Williams will return to action in Saturday’s Game 3 against the Nets, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Coach Ime Udoka said Williams will come off the bench and is expected to play in short spurts totaling 20 to 24 minutes.
Williams has been sidelined since having a surgical procedure in late March for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Boston was able to win the first two game of the series without Williams’ presence in the middle.
There have been reports over the past week or so that Williams was making progress and was targeting Game 3 or 4 for a possible return. His original recovery timeline was four to six weeks after suffering the injury on March 27 and undergoing surgery a few days later, so he’s coming back ahead of schedule.
The fourth-year center played an important role in the Celtics’ late-season rise up the standings to the No. 2 seed. He became a full-time starter this year and posted career-best numbers across the board with averages of 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 61 games.
Trevor Keels Announces Decision To Enter Draft
Duke freshman Trevor Keels announced on Twitter that he will enter the NBA draft. The 6’4″ guard doesn’t say he’s hiring an agent, but there’s nothing in his statement to indicate that he will consider returning to college.
“Playing at Duke was a dream and I feel that now is the time to chase another dream,” Keels wrote. “I am excited to enter my name in the 2022 NBA Draft. I found a second home at Duke and I’ll be riding with The Brotherhood for life.”
Keels projects as a late first-round pick, coming in at 25th overall on ESPN’s big board. Mike Schmitz of ESPN calls him a “skilled two-way combo guard with a strong foundational skill set” and praises his toughness on defense as well. However, Schmitz adds that there are questions about his motor and notes that he had a lot of ups and downs during his lone college season.
A five-star recruit, Keels averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 36 games this season while shooting 41.9% from the field and 31.2% from three-point range. Schmitz states that he’ll have to show teams he can be consistent from long distance to be considered a top-20 pick.
Keels is the fourth early draft entrant from Duke, joining Paolo Banchero, Mark Williams and Wendell Moore.
Nuggets Notes: Cousins, Malone, Jokic, Gordon
DeMarcus Cousins was close to joining the Nuggets much sooner, but the Bucks moved in and signed him first, he said in an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Cousins worked out for Denver general manager Calvin Booth in late November, calling the process “real quiet and hush.” He said the Nuggets wanted to sign him at the time, but didn’t have an open roster spot.
The Bucks apparently heard about the workout and brought their entire staff for a look at Cousins. They signed him immediately after his audition and he played there until January 6, being waived before his salary would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Cousins still doesn’t understand what went wrong in Milwaukee.
“They put all their cards on the table, told me they needed me,” he said. “They were even talking long term, and that’s why, like I said, that whole situation, it just didn’t make sense. What disappointed me the most was more so just going through my grind. For me, everything felt right. We were winning games. I showed that I’m healthy. I fit in Milwaukee perfect next to the guys that were out there. I put up numbers. Everything worked out. I don’t know. Just for it to happen the way it did.”
Cousins adds that the Nuggets called him the next day, so he never gave any thought to retiring. He signed three 10-day contracts with Denver before receiving a deal that covered the rest of the regular season.
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Coach Michael Malone stressed the need for unity after his team melted down in Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Warriors, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Not only was Nikola Jokic ejected, but Will Barton and Cousins had a heated exchange on the sidelines in the third quarter and had to be separated. “We’ve got to stick together,” Malone said. “We can’t splinter in adverse times. I just want to make sure as we get on this plane to go home that we get on that plane together, knowing that we have a chance to get our first win at home in a few days. That’s our whole focus.”
- Jokic is in danger of becoming the sixth player in history to lose in the first round in the same season he was named MVP, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Jokic, who was announced Sunday as one of the finalists for the award, has been frustrated by the officiating in the first two games of the series, saying, “I mean, it’s pretty much everything,” when asked what led to his ejection.
- The Nuggets need more production from Aaron Gordon, who has missed 13 of his 19 shots so far and has a combined 15 points in the two games, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “Aaron Gordon has to be in attack mode,” Malone said. “I don’t want him settling for 3s. Put people in the rim; that’s when Aaron Gordon is at his best.”