Frank Vogel: Rondo Is “Going To Help Us”
In his first game back since joining the Lakers inside the Orlando campus, Rajon Rondo had an inconsistent showing in Friday’s Game 1 Western Conference semifinals blowout loss to the Rockets.
The former All-Star totaled eight points, four assists, and three rebounds, but the Lakers seemed overmatched with him on the court. Coming off a thumb fracture in July, it’s fair to expect some rust from Rondo, but the timing is far from ideal, as the Lakers face a seven-game postseason series against a dangerous Houston squad.
Yet, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel feels the NBA-champion point guard will be a factor for L.A. throughout the series, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes.
“Rajon is one of the smartest players in the league, and obviously our guys’ IQ raises when he’s on the court, so he’s definitely going to help us this series,” Vogel said.
Rondo’s inclusion is just one of several roster crunches to watch as the small-ball Rockets lineup wreaked havoc on the bigger Lakers team, which has prompted reports of Anthony Davis increasing willingness to play center.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I Could Play More”
With the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Bucks trailing the Heat 3-0 in the conference semifinals, Milwaukee’s usage – or lack thereof – of the reigning MVP has become a major storyline during the series.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo did hurt his ankle in the first quarter on Friday and played a total of 34 minutes in the loss, the Greek Freak feels he had more to contribute.
“I feel great,” Antetokounmpo said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “I could play more.”
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer even stirred some controversy when asked about the lack of playing time for Antetokounmpo and the team’s other scoring weapon, Khris Middleton.
“If you’re going as hard as these guys are in a playoff game, 35-36 [minutes], I think that’s pushing the ceiling,” Budenholzer said.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, the Bucks are on the verge of a disappointing early exit from the postseason for a second straight year after having the NBA’s best regular-season record.
Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has had a strong series and has served as somewhat of a disrupter, especially after Antetokounmpo — the 2019/20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year — did not guard him. It’s one of many storylines that has encompassed the Bucks’ disappointing postseason, but the Greece native is confident the Bucks can overcome the challenge and advance.
“We feel good; they feel good. I am in a good place. Obviously, if there is a team that can beat a team 4-0, and beat them, it can be us,” Antetokounmpo said. “We just got to believe in ourselves, watch the tape, play hard. We can’t do it game by game but play by play, position by position. We have to believe in ourselves, we can do it.”
Anthony Davis Willing To Play Center Against Rockets
Following a blowout 112-97 loss to the Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Lakers big man Anthony Davis is willing to play the center position to give L.A. an advantage over Houston’s small-ball lineup, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes writes.
Davis, mostly a power forward during his career, has previously indicated that he feels more comfortable at the four versus the five position — even though he’s open to playing center.
“I like playing the four, I’m not even going to sugarcoat it. I like playing the four, I don’t really like playing the five,” Davis said at his introductory press conference with the Lakers last fall (per SB Nation).
The Lakers had Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, the only true centers on the team, play 23 combined minutes at the position during Friday’s Game 1 blowout.
As Game 2 approaches, head coach Frank Vogel said the Lakers would examine the situation and make decisions accordingly, including where to play their All-Star big man.
“We’ll look at the tape and we’ll see what approach we’re going to have for Game 2 and we’ll go from there,” Vogel said.
Russell Westbrook To Play In Game 5
Russell Westbrook will make his postseason debut for the Rockets on Saturday, as he is set to play in the team’s Game 5 matchup against the Thunder, the team announced.
Westbrook missed Houston’s first four playoff battles against Oklahoma City due to a strained right quadriceps. The former league MVP reportedly looked “as explosive as ever” during a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday as he prepared to rejoin his teammates on the court.
With the series tied 2-2, the addition of Westbrook gives the Rockets a major boost as Houston has dropped the last two games after opening the round with two straight wins over Oklahoma City. However, head coach Mike D’Antoni noted that Westbrook would likely be under some sort of minutes restriction upon his return.
In his first season with the Rockets, Westbrook posted his usual great numbers, averaging 27.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.0 APG in 57 contests. Westbrook’s 47.2% field goal percentage was the highest of his career and his scoring average was his best since his MVP season in 2017.
Kristaps Porzingis May Return If Mavericks Advance
With Kristaps Porzingis on the mend from a torn meniscus that ruled him out for the remainder of the Mavericks‘ first-round playoff series against the Clippers, he could return if Dallas advances, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Saturday (via Callie Caplan of the Dallas News).
“The door is not closed on the entire season if we are able to advance,” Carlisle said. “When I spoke to you guys on Wednesday about this, he had practiced. He was sore. It was clear that he was doing everything he can … and it just wasn’t progressing the way he hoped.”
Porzingis spoke to reporters about his latest injury on Saturday, noting that he suffered the tear early in Game 1 which made him doubt his availability for Game 2, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
“I played through it in Game 2 and Game 3,” Porzingis said. “After Game 1, my knee was just locked, I didn’t know if I could play in Game 2 then somehow I got it [the knee] going and thought I could keep this up. I would say Game 3 it got worse. Right before the game, I just couldn’t get the knee going and it’s super disappointing and super frustrating. But I learned how to accept that feeling.”
While Porzingis hopes to avoid surgery on the knee, he admitted that it remains to be seen how it responds in the coming weeks before a final decision is made. The Latvian big man averaged 20.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 2.0 BPG in 57 games during his first season in Dallas.
Former NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson Passes Away
Former NBA All-Star, Sixth Man of the Year, and veteran of 18 seasons Cliff Robinson has passed away, Claudine Ewing of WGRZ-TV first reported (Twitter link). He was 53.
Across his 18 seasons, Robinson suited up for the Trail Blazers, Suns, Pistons, Warriors and Nets. After a standout showcase at UConn, Robinson was drafted by Portland in the second round (36th overall) of the 1989 NBA Draft.
During his eight-year run in Portland, Robinson became a weapon off the bench as he appeared in all 82 games for his first five seasons. Robinson became the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 1992/93 season, then an All-Star in 1993/94 when he moved into the starting lineup.
Robinson remained a double-digit scoring weapon for most of his post-Portland career before he retired from the league following the 2006/07 campaign. He appeared in 1,380 total regular season games and another 141 postseason contests over the course of his NBA career, averaging 14.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG.
The Buffalo, New York native had experienced some health problems in recent years. In 2017, Robinson suffered a brain hemorrhage that temporarily paralyzed the left side of his body, according to the Portland Tribune. Then, in 2018, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his jaw, per KATU.
Hoops Rumors sends our condolences to Robinson’s family and friends.
Nick Nurse Wins NBA Coach Of The Year
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has been named the 2019/20 NBA Head Coach of the Year, the league announced today in a press release.
Nurse, 53, led Toronto to the organization’s first NBA championship last season. Despite the loss of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors had an even better winning percentage during the ’19/20 regular season than they did a year ago, clinching the Eastern Conference’s second seed. Toronto currently holds a 3-0 lead over the Nets in the team’s first-round playoff series.
Of the 100 total first-place votes, Nurse garnered 90 of them in a clear runaway with the award. His 470 total points dwarfed the 147 points earned by runner-up Mike Budenholzer — the Bucks head coach received five first-place votes.
Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, who received four first-place votes, was the third-place finisher with 134 total points. Pacers head coach Nate McMillan got the final first-place vote.
Here’s the full breakdown of the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year:
- Nurse (470 points)
- Budenholzer (147)
- Donovan (134)
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat (154)
- Frank Vogel, Lakers (36)
- Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies (29)
- McMillan (12)
- Brad Stevens, Celtics (5)
- Michael Malone, Nuggets (5)
- Doc Rivers, Clippers (5)
- Rick Carlisle, Mavericks (3)
Gordon, Carter-Williams To Miss Game 3
Aaron Gordon and Michael Carter-Williams will miss the Magic’s Game 3 contest against the Bucks on Saturday, Iliana Limón Romero of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
Gordon (strained left hamstring) and Carter-Williams (strained tendon, left foot) have both been sidelined since early August with their respective ailments. As Orlando tries to upset the Bucks, the East’s No. 1 seed, the return of Gordon and Carter-Williams in the series would help matters.
Orlando is hopeful that Gordon, who has been out since Aug. 5, can return for Game 4.
“He’s doing a lot better. He just wouldn’t be able to get up and down the floor, frankly,” Magic head coach Steve Clifford. “He’s made good progress and he’ll do his work today and tomorrow and then we’re hoping maybe there’s a chance (he can play) by Monday.”
“I would say (Carter-Williams) is definitely behind Aaron still,” Clifford. “Mike hasn’t even been able to do more on the floor than just shoot spot-ups. So he’s doing a little bit more, but for sure, Aaron’s closer than Mike is.”
Luka Doncic To Undergo MRI On Injured Ankle
Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic is expected to undergo an MRI today on his left ankle after he suffered a sprain in Dallas’ 130-122 loss to the Clippers on Friday which put the team in a 2-1 series hole, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
Doncic suffered the injury late in the third quarter as he rolled his ankle while Kawhi Leonard drove to the basket. The 21-year-old returned in the fourth quarter but managed to play only briefly before leaving for the remainder of the game.
“It’s not that bad,” Doncic said after the game. “Honestly, I had luck it’s my left ankle. It’s not my right. It’s a little sprained. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Doncic being forced to miss any games for the remainder of the Mavericks’ first-round series against the Clippers would likely derail their postseason. The Slovenian had been dynamic in the series thus far, recording 42 points in a Game 1 loss and managing to total a triple-double (13 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) in Game 3. Doncic is the third-youngest player to ever record a triple-double in the postseason, behind Magic Johnson and LeBron James.
Dallas is set for Game 4 against the Clippers Sunday afternoon which gives Doncic less than 48 hours to recover but head coach Rick Carlise was optimistic about his chances.
“The game is early Sunday, which doesn’t help things, but we’ll see,” Carlisle said. “We’ve got every advanced treatment modality that you can have, as every team here does. We’ll see how this responds in the next 36 hours.”
Derrick Jones Jr. Talks Neck Injury After Scary Collision
Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. seems to have avoided a more serious injury despite suffering a neck strain against the Pacers on Friday night.
Jones had to be placed on a stretcher and taken off the court after colliding with Indiana’s Goga Bitadze during a hard screen. The 23-year-old lay flat on his stomach with limited movement on the hardwood for several minutes before being stretchered off.
“Just a little sore,” Jones told reporters on Saturday when asked how he was feeling after the injury, per the Heat (Twitter link). “All in all I’m doing a lot better… we’re going day by day right now.”
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra also indicated that Jones dodged a more serious injury after an MRI, CT scan, and concussion test revealed a neck strain.
“Thank goodness he has what he has today,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).
Jones indicated that he is hopeful to play in Miami’s first-round playoff series against the Pacers.