Thunder Notes: Blowout Loss, Physicality, SGA, Response, Adjustments, Wallace
The Thunder believe the Timberwolves simply overpowered them in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota romped to a 143-101 victory to cut its series deficit to 2-1.
“It’s not complicated,” Thunder big man Chet Holmgren said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Wherever they wanted to go, they got there. They did what they wanted to do. We didn’t stop them.”
Poor defense led to spotty offensive execution, according to league Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was held to 14 points in 28 minutes.
“We were taking the ball out of the net for the majority of the game, so they get back and can set their defense,” he said. “And I don’t care who you were in the NBA — against a good defense, it’s hard to score if they’re set. In the past two games, it hasn’t been that. We’ve been able to get stops and run and play. When you take the ball out of the net every time down, it’s tough regardless.”
We have more on the Thunder:
- Game 4 is slated for Monday night. Gilgeous-Alexander is anxious to see how his team will react to lopsided loss. “You get punched, you get back up,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s about responding, and that’s what the next challenge is. We got punched in the mouth (Saturday). Next game, we’re either going to get back up or not [and] we’re going to lose the game. We’ve got a decision to make.”
- Coach Mark Daigneault didn’t believe that adjustments made by Minnesota’s staff had a lot to do with the Game 3 result, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. “Schematically, they were a little different, but not a ton,” he said. “They were more forceful on the offensive end and defensive end of the floor, and that was a tough combination for us.”
- Guard and 2023 lottery pick Cason Wallace anticipates that his teammates will make a statement in Game 4, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets. “It’s a loss, no matter how much we lose by,” Wallace said. “But watching film, seeing the way that we lost, definitely gives us an edge for tomorrow.”
Pacers Notes: McConnell, Haliburton, Tax, Turner, Bradley, Sheppard
T.J. McConnell continues to be an annoying pest against the Knicks during the postseason. McConnell has scored 10 points in each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals despite limited playing time.
“It’s kind of defined T.J.’s 10-year career in the NBA,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “He’s done a great job throughout the playoffs of playing his game and not allowing some difficult situations to deter him from keeping his focus on what he needs to do to help the team. So I thought he was a real key [to the first two games], and we’re gonna need the same effort from everybody when we go home.”
McConnell averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 assists in 20.6 minutes per game in last season’s conference semifinals series against New York. Game 3 is tonight.
We have more on the Pacers:
- Tyrese Haliburton enjoys not only being a team leader and clutch performer but also an agitator, Grant Afseth writes in a column for Ballislife.com. Afseth notes that Haliburton, who was voted in an anonymous players’ poll early this season as the league’s most overrated player, is averaging 25.0 points, 8.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor in closeout games during his career.
- Indiana’s success has led the team’s ownership group to embrace the possibility of paying luxury taxes, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports. Ownership has indicated a willingness to increase spending next season and potentially pay a luxury tax fee to keep this core together. That’s a signal that the Pacers will do all they can to re-sign big man Myles Turner, who is headed to unrestricted free agency. Internally, they’re hoping to bring back Turner while retaining their impressive depth.
- Tony Bradley, who logged just 113 total minutes during the regular season, grabbed a couple of crucial rebounds in an eight-minute stint in Game 2. “Tony Bradley hasn’t played in the series, but he’s one of our better rebounders,” Carlisle said “We elected to go with him to spell Myles a little bit. We’re a team that needs everybody. That’s how we’ve got to play.” Indiana holds a $2.94MM club option on Bradley’s contract for next season.
- Ben Sheppard has played 20 turnover-free minutes in the series. “Another guy who can bring a different dimension,” Carlisle said during Sunday’s pregame press conference, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). “He always goes hard … From a game plan standpoint, he always stays with what we’re trying to do.”
Anthony Edwards Unwavered By Game 1 Loss
The Thunder looked dominant as they pulled away from the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday. Minnesota’s star was unfazed by the 26-point loss, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Anthony Edwards just thinks he needs to be more assertive in order for the Timberwolves to turn things around.
“I definitely got to shoot more,” Edwards said. “I only took 13 (bleeping) shots. … Probably just get off the ball a little more, play without the ball. I think that will be the answer. Because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So, got to go watch some film and pick it apart. We’ll figure it out.”
Edwards averaged 26.8 points and 6.2 assists while taking 22.4 shots per game against the Lakers in the opening round. In the conference semifinals against Golden State, he averaged 26.2 points and 5.6 assists on 21.8 shots per game.
In the conference finals opener, Edwards had 18 points, three assists and four turnovers and took only 13 shots in 37 minutes. All but one of his attempts came from outside the lane.
“I mean, they clogged the paint,” Edwards said. “That’s what they do. They don’t got much size down there, so they bank on us not making shots, I guess. Because every time I go to the rim it’s like four people in the paint.”
Edwards and his teammates fired away from beyond the arc and shot mostly blanks, going 15-for-51 from long range.
“We had good looks, we just have to make shots,” guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “Myself, I have to make a couple shots and it loosens up the defense for Ant. It’s a domino effect.”
Edwards briefly left the game when he tweaked his right ankle in the first quarter but said that had nothing to do with his performance. “I feel great,” he said.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo Says He’s Medically Cleared After Achilles Rehab
Former Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo said he’s been medically cleared to play again after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury, Christopher Kuhagen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays.
“I’m back,” Antetokounmpo declared during his “Thanalysis Show” podcast.
The 32-year-old Antetokounmpo underwent surgery in early May of 2024 after tearing his Achilles. He was a free agent this season after signing mainly minimum contracts to play with his brother Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
Thanasis, who made two appearances with the Knicks in 2015/16, saw action in 196 Bucks games from 2019-24. He played 34 games during the 2023/24 season and has posted averages of 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per game over the course of his NBA career.
Thanasis revealed the injury occurred during a workout. He said he was starting his routine when he felt “like someone kicked me.” He didn’t realize the severity of the injury until his trainer squeezed his calf.
“I’m like no way, I didn’t fall,” he said. “I feel pain, but pain is pain.”
Antetokounmpo’s injury was confirmed by two MRIs. He has spent the last 12 months rehabbing.
“When you’re healthy you have a bunch of problems, everything bothers you,” he said. “But when it’s about health you only have one problem. Only one. Just how to get healthy, how to be back. I couldn’t walk and then I started putting the goals. Let me get out of the boot by the Olympics, I tried, I tried. I couldn’t. Let me be able to dance at my brother’s wedding. Please, please. And then I did that.”
His more famous brother is expected to meet with the Bucks’ brass soon to determine his future with the organization. Whether the prospect of potentially playing with his brother again would influence Giannis’ decision remains to be seen.
NBA To Reveal MVP Winner This Evening
The NBA has kept the Most Valuable Player award announcement a secret for weeks. The speculation is over — this season’s MVP will be revealed tonight at 7 p.m. ET during the TNT broadcast, the league’s PR department tweets. The announcement will come prior to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is considered the strong favorite to win the award for the first time. He averaged a career-best 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game while appearing in 76 games. This is SGA’s seventh NBA season.
Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the other finalists.
Jokic averaged a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per night — in his 10th season while appearing in 70 games. The Nuggets center has won the award in three of the last four seasons.
Antetokounmpo was named MVP in 2019 and 2020. In his 12th season, the Bucks forward posted averages of 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games.
No guard has won the award since 2018, when James Harden claimed the honor while playing for Houston.
Mike Conley Seeks To Play At Least Two More Seasons
Timberwolves guard Mike Conley hopes to play at least two more seasons, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.
Conley, 37, is aiming to play 20 NBA seasons in total. He’ll make $10.8MM next season in the final year of his contract in 2025/26 and says he’s having too much fun to hang it up yet.
“I’m having a ball, bro, honestly,” Conley said. “I tell the guys all the time, ‘If you see a day where I’m not smiling and not having a good time and loving being here, tell me to retire. Tell me to go home.’ That is one reason why I’m here. Being around these guys, the atmosphere, the game. The competitive atmosphere every day. You don’t get this anywhere else in life, especially at my age getting older. You really can’t take it for granted.”
Conley appeared in 71 games this season but he was playing through some pain. He has been nagged by a left wrist injury since last offseason.
The veteran point guard averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 assists while playing a career-low 24.7 minutes per game. He put up 8.0 points and 5.0 assists in 24.6 minutes per contest in the conference semifinals against Golden State.
“One of the toughest injuries for me has been the wrist,” Conley said. “I had to be in a cast for like two months last summer. And during that time, I couldn’t shoot a ball, touch a ball. Nothing. That is not like me. Normally in the summertime I’m working and doing everything I can. So going into training camp, I had no strength [in my wrist]. It was weak, [there was] still pain and I was trying to work through some things. I was hesitant to do stuff and be myself. It’s been a battle all [season]. It’s something I’ve slowly gotten over with. Hopefully, it will be even better next season.”
This is the third time in his career that Conley’s team has made it to the conference finals. He also played in the Western Finals in 2013 with Memphis and last year with Minnesota, but he’s still seeking his first NBA Finals appearance.
“I was shocked, really, because I thought it was a special year,” Conley said about losing in the Western Conference Finals last spring. “I thought it was going to all make sense and we all were going to make it finally. My first thought was, ‘How long will it take for us to get back here again? Will it be next year. Will it be another year? I don’t know. Will it be the last chance I get?’ All those thoughts popped in. But it got me going in the summertime hoping that we could do it again this season and have a chance.”
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Thibodeau, Brunson, Focus
The Knicks should prioritize an extension for Mikal Bridges this offseason, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines.
While Bridges isn’t an All-Star at the level of Jalen Brunson, he’s proven his value with game-changing plays during the postseason after an underwhelming regular season, Vaccaro writes. He’s also extremely durable. Bridges could sign a four-year extension worth up to $156MM this offseason, which would make sense for both sides. However, Bridges could choose to wait until free agency in 2026 with the hope of getting a more lucrative deal.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Tom Thibodeau has been criticized in the past for sticking with the same formula but that hasn’t been the case in these playoffs, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. New York made more switches defensively than it ever did during the regular season in order to throttle Boston’s attack. Thibodeau also allowed Bridges to initiate the offense more often in pick-and-rolls with Brunson on the bench. The team’s regulars have also made it to the conference finals in good health despite Thibodeau continuing to rely heavily on his starters.
- Brunson changed his workout routine after he left the Mavericks to sign with the Knicks, his personal trainer Dave Williams told Mark Medina of RG.org. “The workouts were basically the same, but they evolved,” Williams said. “In New York, I knew he’d have the ball in his hands all the time. In Dallas, he played alongside Luka (Doncic), who was more ball-dominant. So in New York, we focused more on one-on-one moves and shooting off the dribble. We did more pick-and-roll work and had him shooting threes off the pick-and-roll. We increased the threes a lot. When I hear commentators say he got better at shooting off the dribble, that has me smiling inside.”
- The Knicks need to take advantage of this opportunity because another one might not come along, Vaccaro writes in another column for the New York Post. While the roster is built to take multiple shots at a championship, they can’t count on getting to this spot again. Vaccaro points out that the NHL’s Rangers, who share Madison Square Garden with the Knicks, made the conference finals last season and didn’t make the playoffs this season.
- Peter Botte of the New York Post breaks down the matchups and 10 factors that will decide the series between the Knicks and Pacers.
Pistons Notes: Schröder, Draft, Free Agency, Ivey, Duren, Gores
Dennis Schröder played steady rotation minutes after being acquired by the Pistons at the trade deadline. Re-signing the veteran point guard could be a tricky proposition, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes.
Schröder was needed to fortify the backcourt after Jaden Ivey suffered a fractured fibula at the start of the New Year. Ivey should be 100 percent by training camp and the Pistons have prioritized re-signing sixth man Malik Beasley, one of the league’s premier three-point shooters. The Pistons will have to determine whether there’s enough of a role for Schröder to warrant the type of contract he figures to command.
We have more on the Pistons:
- In his latest mailbag, The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson expresses doubt that the Pistons are eager to get into the first round via trade. The Pistons conveyed their first-round pick to Minnesota to fulfill a prior obligation. Patterson believes the front office is content with the team’s early second rounder at No. 37. Patterson also anticipates the Pistons will look to add a power forward in free agency, perhaps targeting a player like Naz Reid or Santi Aldama.
- Prioritizing continuity in free agency and taking the long view on extensions for Ivey and Jalen Duren would make for a successful offseason, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. Schröder, Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Reed are all candidates to be re-signed, depending on the market. The Pistons could wait on new deals for Ivey and/or Duren until they reach restricted free agency next summer.
- A letter from owner Tom Gores was posted on the team’s website on Monday, expressing gratitude to the fans and praising the players, coach J.B. Bickerstaff and lead executive Trajan Langdon. He pledged the organization will continue to build off its surprising success. “I promise our urgency will not stop. Our players and coaching staff are focused on continuing our positive momentum,” Gores wrote. “Trajan and his team will act with urgency to strengthen our roster. And I will continue to ensure this organization has the necessary resources to succeed. I believe in what we’re building. I’m excited about this journey and hope you will stick with us as we continue to build on this foundation for success. I look forward to seeing you next season.”
Southeast Notes: Heat, Howard, Sarr, Carrington
The Heat must be aggressive this offseason and willing to remain in luxury tax territory to improve the roster, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. If Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and/or Zion Williamson become available at the right price, the Heat should pursue those opportunities, according to Jackson, who says that includes looking into the possibility of making a deal with the Celtics, who are facing a prohibitive tax bill next season.
The Heat should also gauge the Hornets‘ interest in removing protections on the 2027 first-round pick the Heat owe them for the Terry Rozier deal, perhaps by offering an unprotected 2032 pick with added incentives, Jackson says. That would allow Miami to offer up to four first-round picks instead of three in a deal for a star.
What the Heat need to stop doing, in Jackson’s view, is overvaluing their assets. While they shouldn’t be shopped outright, Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro shouldn’t be off the table in a blockbuster deal if it helps the team acquire an even more talented player, Jackson contends.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat should seriously consider moving the No. 20 pick in this year’s draft, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. The pick they owe the Hornets currently puts them under restrictions from trading some of their future first-rounders. If they deal the No. 20 pick for any first-round pick in 2027, it could open multiple first-round picks for trades in the coming years, Winderman notes.
- Jett Howard got more opportunities in his second season with the Magic but didn’t take advantage of them, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. He appeared in 60 games but averaged just 4.5 points in 11.7 minutes per game. Howard remains confident he can be an impact player with more playing time. “I can shoot the ball at a pretty high level,” he said. “Getting used to doing that out there … It’s hard being called in sometimes and not other times, but that’s just with anything [as] a young guy trying to get into the league, trying to get navigate through that and get some comfortability with that.”
- As we relayed earlier today, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington earned All-Rookie honors. How rare is that for the Wizards franchise? They are the first Washington players to make an All-Rookie team since Rui Hachimura was a second-team pick in 2019/20, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post notes. The only other time the franchise had two selections was when Rod Thorn and Gus Johnson earned the honor in 1963/64 for the Baltimore Bullets.
Thunder Notes: SGA, Williams, Caruso, Conference Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favorite to win this season’s MVP award, admitted that his stomach was churning prior to the Game 7 showdown with the Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. He sure didn’t play scared, pouring in 35 points as the Thunder rolled into the Western Conference Finals.
“I was nervous, to be honest,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “Just knowing what was on the line. …To know if you don’t bring your A-game, it could all be over. But I think that nervousness motivated me.”
The Thunder in general showed some nerves in the early going but took control late in the first half.
“I think the nerves were natural,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We actually shot horribly to start the game. But I knew we were getting really good looks, and if we just stuck with it, we would loosen up and the ball would find the basket. I never was worried about this, the way we started. Once I felt the flow of the game and we had the right intentions and the right energy, I knew it would turn around.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- First-time All-Star Jalen Williams scored 17 of his 24 points in the pivotal second quarter and added seven assists, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman notes. Williams bounced back from a Game 6 dud in which he shot 3-for-16 from the field. “Great force, especially early,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It was definitely a conscious effort by him to use his speed and his power. He was on the gas from the jump (Sunday).”
- Williams was fined $25K by the league for wearing clothing with profane language in his post-game media session on Sunday, NBA Communications tweets.
- Daigneault used Alex Caruso as the primary defender on Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on Sunday, though Caruso got plenty of help from his teammates. Caruso gave up six inches in height and 100 pounds. The unconventional strategy worked as Jokic only took nine shots and committed five turnovers. “It’s a lot of hard work, obviously,” Caruso told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “But he’s a difficult matchup because he does so many different things to get others involved and influence the game. Being relentless with my energy, the effort to make it tough on him. The guys around me did a good job of helping and swarming, because I’m not doing that on my own. Understanding the flow of the game, where you could be physical and where you can’t.”
- Next up for the Thunder — the Timberwolves, who are making their second straight appearances in the conference finals. The subplot between the teams is the matchup of star guards SGA and Anthony Edwards. “My gut says OKC wins the series,” one scout told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Their defensive coverages and schemes are so good. (They’re) closing up the paint and rotating out of scheme, then they have the best scorer in the game who has proven to come through when they need it.”
- Daigneault believes the team has earned everything it has achieved. “We’re not perfect, but they’re just so easy to bet on. They’re great competitors, “ he said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “They do things the right way, they’re professional, they’re inside the team. Everybody sacrifices for the team. Not everybody always gets what they deserve, but this team deserves these types of opportunities.”