Mavs’ Masai Ujiri Talks Coaching Search, Flagg, Irving, Finley
The Mavericks‘ recently hired president, Masai Ujiri, spoke to the press on Wednesday for the second time this month following the team’s split with head coach Jason Kidd. Over the course of the press conference, Ujiri laid out his initial priorities and his long-term goals for the team.
The most pressing short-term concern is finding the team’s next head coach, after it was announced on Tuesday that Kidd and the organization had mutually agreed to part ways. Ujiri said that he plans to cast a wide net in order to bring in the perfect candidate, as he did with the Raptors, when he hired two different first-time head coaches (Nick Nurse and Darko Rajakovic), Eddie Sefko writes for NBA.com.
“I think our minds are very open,” Ujiri said. “We’re going to look everywhere. Every stone will (be turned over). We will really try to look at what’s best for this organization, be it first-time, be it experienced, be it college, be it European. Everywhere. Whatever is best for this organization going forward is what we are going to look at. It’s going to be very comprehensive.”
Illustrating the different directions the Mavs’ search could take, Ujiri pointed out that the Western Conference finals features two very young coaches, while the Eastern Conference finals matches up two veterans, per Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter video link).
“The kind of person who I bring in here has that mindset of trying to win, and moving in that direction,” Ujiri said. “… We all have to have a united front and think the same way, and we’re going to continue to build this team to think like that.”
Ujiri told reporters that he has not been in touch with any candidates yet, since doing so would be disrespectful to Kidd and that isn’t the way he likes to do business. He also said that Kidd’s alleged role in the Luka Doncic trade played no role in the decision but that he viewed the move as a chance to give the franchise a “clean slate” ahead of the next era of Mavs basketball.
“I’m in no position to criticize or blame or even really investigate some of the things that happened then,” he said. “We have to figure out a way to slowly move on from this, and I have to hold myself accountable for doing this.”
We have more notes from Ujiri’s presser:
- Ujiri emphasized that everything he’s trying to do is aimed at maximizing the future of Cooper Flagg, Grant Afseth writes for the Dallas Hoops Journal. “Every decision we are going to make here is going to be future-based,” Ujiri said. “We have a 19-year-old generational player on our roster, and we have to think that way. We’re not going to make decisions based on winning today. I don’t think that would make sense for the organization.” The Mavs have the ninth overall pick this year, but don’t control their own unprotected pick after that until 2031.
- However, that statement does not seem to indicate that the new president is looking to move on from veteran point guard Kyrie Irving. Ujiri said that the organization is very interested in seeing Flagg and Irving play together, Christian Clark writes for The Athletic. The star point guard missed Flagg’s entire rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL. “Kevin Durant once told me, ‘There is only one Kyrie walking around in the world,‘” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out how Kyrie fits with our program. I have had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit.”
- Matt Riccardi‘s reported departure from the team, it raised questions as to the future of franchise alumni and Riccardi’s fellow co-interim general manager Michael Finley, but Ujiri said that the team remains in talks with Finley to find him a potential role within the organization, writes Schuyler Dixon of AP News.
Warriors Notes: Roster, Offseason, Draft Workouts, Armstrong
The Warriors got their most pressing bit of offseason business done early when they extended head coach Steve Kerr for two more years. Now, their focus will turn to shaping a more competitive version of the roster.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. previously expressed confidence in the roster the team put out this year from a talent standpoint. That could mean that improvements will be more in the form of marginal adjustments, rather than wholesale changes.
There’s a 70% chance of Draymond Green returning next season, The Athletic’s Nick Fridell predicts within a preview of who could be on the move. He gives Al Horford a 65% chance of remaining with the Warriors and suggests there’s a 50/50 chance that Kristaps Porzingis is back. Lowest on Friedell’s list is soon-to-be third-year center Quinten Post (15%). Post has gotten a number of opportunities, but he fell out of the rotation at times and his status will likely depend on what happens with Horford and Porzingis.
While the big names at the top of the depth chart might not change much this summer, Kerr and the team know that this marks a transition point for the organization, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
“We can’t legitimately look at our roster, look at our injuries, look at the Spurs, at OKC and Minnesota — we can’t sit here and say we are a championship contender right now,” Kerr said. “This is going to require some personnel moves. It’s going to require rethinking how we’re operating. … There’s a lot to fix this summer, and before we can even begin to talk about playoffs and championships, we’ve got a big challenge ahead, and we’re excited about it.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Game 1 between the Thunder and Spurs was a clear message of what the Warriors need to focus on adding this offseason: namely, dynamic athleticism, Johnson writes. Dunleavy is aware of the team’s deficiencies in that regard, especially with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody expected to miss a portion of the season while recovering from major injuries. “That’s a huge hole in generally your most athletic position,” he said. “We’ll always look to add athletically — length, size, skill, all those things. But, watching the playoffs, you learn a lot. You see the teams where they’re at, where you need to go, and it’s good to see.” Dunleavy also wants to prioritize players who take care of the ball and don’t turn it over.
- Golden State hosted a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). The group included Maliq Brown (Duke), Ryan Conwell (Louisville), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Robert McCray V (Florida State), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), and Ernest Udeh (Miami). The Warriors have the 11th and 54th in the 2026 draft. The players who worked out on Wednesday are potential second-round targets.
- Warriors two-way restricted free agent Taran Armstrong has signed a two-year deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, per ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (Twitter link). The second year of the deal is a player option. Armstrong spent this past season with a loaded Dubai team featuring Davis Bertans, Dwayne Bacon, Matt Ryan, and other former NBA players, averaging 2.9 points in 15.9 minutes per game. Before that, he played for the Cairns Taipans in Australia’s NBL, where he averaged 17.1 points and 4.7 assists per game. The Australian guard never actually appeared in a regular season game for Golden State, but finished the 2024/25 season on a two-way deal with the Warriors and was tendered a qualifying offer last offseason, allowing the Warriors to retain his RFA rights.
Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox Out For Game 2
De’Aaron Fox will miss Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City on Wednesday as he continues to deal with a right ankle injury. While the Spurs‘ official designation for Fox on their injury report is right ankle soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) refers to the injury as a high ankle sprain.
The Spurs were without their All-Star point guard in their Game 1 victory, and they turned to 20-year-old rookie Dylan Harper to fill his shoes. Harper contributed a historic game for a player his age, with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and seven steals.
Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman notes (via Twitter) that the Spurs are starting the same group in Game 2 that they did in Game 1.
While San Antonio was said to be optimistic that Fox would back for Game 2, the team’s road win in Game 1 on the road accomplished an important goal of eliminating the Thunder’s home court advantage for the series. As a result of that win, the Spurs may have felt less urgency to get Fox back on the court for Game 2, suggests Rylan Stiles of Locked On Thunder (via Twitter).
Fox’s next chance to suit up will be Game 3, which will be played on Friday back in San Antonio.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-Rookie Teams
The NBA has officially revealed its All-Rookie teams for the 2025/26 season (Twitter links). The First Team is made up the top four picks in the 2025 draft, along with the No. 11 overall selection, while the Second Team consists of four additional lottery picks and one second-rounder.
A panel of 100 media members selected the All-Rookie teams, with players earning two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team nod. The 10 players who made the cut, along with their corresponding point totals (Twitter link), are as follows:
First Team
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks (200 points)
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets (200)
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers (200)
- Dylan Harper, Spurs (193)
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies (125)
Second Team
- Derik Queen, Pelicans (110)
- Maxime Raynaud, Kings (110)
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans (109)
- Ace Bailey, Jazz (107)
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors (66)
Flagg, Knueppel, and Edgecombe were the three finalists for Rookie of the Year and received nearly all the votes for that award, so it comes as no surprise that they’re the three players who were unanimously selected to the All-Rookie First Team.
Harper played a key role for the 62-win Spurs, while Coward emerged as a reliable scorer for the Grizzlies, averaging 13.6 points per game on 47.1% shooting. They were the only two players besides the three finalists to show up on any Rookie of the Year ballots.
Fears and Bailey ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among rookies in scoring, while Queen and Raynaud earned starting roles for their respective teams and responded well, with Queen averaging 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while Raynaud put up 12.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Raynaud, the only non-lottery pick on the All-Rookie teams, was the 42nd overall pick last June.
Murray-Boyles’ counting stats were modest, but he played a rotation role and showed off impressive defensive versatility for a Raptors team that finished fifth in the East. His eight first-team votes and 50 second-team votes helped earn him the final All-Rookie spot over Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who had 43 second-team votes.
Wizards guard Tre Johnson (19 points), Celtics wing Hugo Gonzalez (5), Wizards swingman Will Riley (4), Spurs forward Carter Bryant (3), Nets guard Egor Demin (2), Hornets guard Sion James (2), Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis (1), and Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (1) were the other players who showed up on at least one ballot.
Among all the players who received All-Rookie votes, only Nembhard went undrafted — he signed a two-way contract with Dallas as a free agent, then was promoted to the Mavs’ standard roster in February.
All-Rookie is one of the few awards that doesn’t require players to meet the 65-game minimum and certain minutes-played thresholds. Harper, Coward, Queen, Raynaud, Bailey, and Murray-Boyles each would have been ineligible for consideration if the 65-game rule applied to All-Rookie voting.
Blazers Notes: Henderson, Williams, Avdija, Krejci, Layoffs
The Trail Blazers are entering an offseason of upheaval, with a new owner running the show and a search for a new head coach underway. They also have decisions to make about several key players this summer, including the highest-drafted young player on the roster: Scoot Henderson.
This was supposed to be the season that Henderson, who is extension-eligible following the third year of his rookie contract, took the reins as the point guard of the future, writes Joe Freeman of Oregon Live (subscriber link). Instead, a hamstring injury sustained right before training camp proved to be a critical setback, as he wasn’t able to get on the court for four months.
Henderson ultimately played just 30 games, and while he had some highly successful outings during the Blazers’ first-round series against the Spurs, he didn’t exactly put questions about his future to rest.
“His shot improved a little bit and that’s something you can continue to work on,” an anonymous scout told Freeman. “He has intangibles that you can’t teach. But he has to learn to use them in an NBA game. He needs to finish better. He has no idea how to play explosive against bigger, stronger athletes. Will he get it? Who knows.”
We have more from the Blazers:
- Portland will also have to make a decision on 28-year-old unrestricted free agent Robert Williams III. Though he was limited by a minutes restriction, Williams played 59 games this season, which is the second-highest mark of his career, Freeman notes (subscriber link). The veteran center also stepped into a larger role in the playoffs due to the struggles of Donovan Clingan. Injuries and availability remain a question mark with the talented, defensive-minded big man, but his impact when he plays could draw the interest of other playoff teams if the Blazers don’t retain him. “I feel like I found another home in Portland,” Williams said. “I’d be happy to stay here, help the rebuild. I’m proud of the young guys. We’ve been together for a couple years … but everything is a business. It’s a negotiation. And we’ve got to get into talks.”
- One player whose status with the team is clear at this point is Deni Avdija, who blossomed into an All-Star point forward despite playing on a team that featured some of the worst spacing in the league, according to Freeman (subscriber link). Avdija clearly cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone, though some scouts still wonder if he’s more of an elite second option than the best player on a truly competitive team, Freeman writes. The 25-year-old forward is aware that he may have taken the league by surprise this season and recognizes that likely won’t be the case next year. “A lot of teams are going to prepare and they know me right now and maybe have different solutions,” he said. “I need to learn how to drive both ways, be a better defender, a better leader, be more vocal.”
- The Blazers acquired sharpshooting wing Vit Krejci before the trade deadline to upgrade their perimeter rotation, but he struggled to close the season, possibly in part due to a left calf bruise. Still, Freeman says the team remains intrigued by Krejci’s defensive tools, his shooting, and his team-friendly contract, which is partially guaranteed for next season and non-guaranteed for the following season (subscriber link).
- The mass layoffs from the Portland organization weren’t limited to the business or media side of operations. Blazers scout and WNBA legend Tina Thompson was one of the cuts, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report relays (Twitter link). Highkin notes (via Twitter) that Thompson was particularly close with Damian Lillard, who recently recruited her son to Weber State.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Memphis Grizzlies
When the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to Orlando for a package headlined by four first-round picks last summer after winning 48 games in 2024/25, it didn't necessarily suggest that Memphis was throwing the towel in on the '25/26 season.
Carrying Bane, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. on maximum-salary or near-max deals probably wasn't viable over the long term for Memphis, given how much of the cap those three players would take up. So it made some sense that the team would sell high on Bane, the least accomplished member of that trio, with an eye toward hanging onto and building around its pair of two-time All-Stars, Morant and Jackson.
With the benefit of hindsight though, the Bane trade looks like the first step in a full-fledged roster reset in Memphis.
The Grizzlies got off to a 4-11 start in 2025/26, with Morant and Tuomas Iisalo clashing over the head coach's offensive system and center Zach Edey's season debut delayed while he recovered from an offseason ankle procedure. And while Edey's return helped - the team went 7-4 in games he played - it didn't last long. His season ended on December 7 after just 11 games due to ongoing issues with that surgically repaired ankle, which required a second procedure in March.
Several other Grizzlies regulars besides Edey battled health issues over the course of the season, as Morant was limited to 20 games and only three players on the roster - young building blocks Cam Spencer, Jaylen Wells, and Cedric Coward - made more than 55 appearances. With a shorthanded Memphis squad slumping again ahead of the trade deadline, the front office, led by executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman, decisively pivoted toward a rebuild by trading Jackson to Utah in an eight-player blockbuster that saw the Grizzlies acquire three future first-round picks.
Memphis hasn't entirely cut ties with its former "big three" of Morant, Jackson, and Bane, but that's only because the market for Morant was tepid in February. The former Rookie of the Year had battled calf and elbow issues, and even when he was available, he wasn't performing anywhere near his former All-NBA level. Throw in concerns about his contract and his past off-court behavior and it meant the Grizzlies would be selling at an absolute low if they'd made a deal this past season. Even after reportedly lowering their asking price, they couldn't find an offer worth taking.
Moving Morant at the deadline would've given the Grizzlies a relatively clean slate entering the summer, allowing them to head into the offseason armed with multiple 2026 first-round picks (including No. 3 overall) and without any pricey multiyear contracts on their books. They've still got those first-rounders and appear focused on building for the future, but Morant's uncertain outlook is a major issue looming over the team that may require resolution sooner rather than later.
The Grizzlies' Offseason Plans
The likelihood of a Morant trade this offseason will hinge in large part on what sort of offers Memphis gets, but it will also depend on how the 26-year-old feels about continuing his career with the Grizzlies. He spoke in January about being a "loyal guy" and publicly expressed a desire to remain with the only NBA team he has ever played for, but there have been rumblings suggesting that he hasn't privately conveyed those same sentiments.
Wolves’ Connelly Discusses Offseason, Finch, Dosunmu, More
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at his end-of-season press conference, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly repeatedly stated that there was “more good than bad” for the franchise in 2025/26, but made it clear he wasn’t satisfied with a season that ended with a second-round playoff exit, per Dave Campbell of The Associated Press.
“We have a lot of confidence in our guys, but it would be disingenuous to sit in front of this group and say we’re happy with the sixth seed, we’re happy with not being a home-court playoff team, we’re happy that our last three closeout games have been lopsided,” Connelly said. “We have to be realistic about what we have, which is way more good than bad, but we know that we’re not good enough right now.”
During his exit interview over the weekend, Timberwolves forward Naz Reid suggested to reporters that “moodiness” was an issue for the team, and Connelly stressed on Tuesday that consistency and “emotional maturity” will be a priority going forward, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.
“There’s too many nights when we were not as locked in as we should be, and that’s unacceptable, plain and simple,” Connelly said.
Connelly, who surrendered a massive package for Rudy Gobert during his first year on the job in Minnesota, has a well-earned reputation for being willing to take big swings on the trade market. While he declined to get into specifics about what sort of moves he might be looking to make this summer, he vowed to be “as aggressive as possible” and said the front office wouldn’t be afraid to “mess up loudly,” according to Campbell.
“I’d rather get fired for trying than sit here and just do the job in survival mode,” Connelly said, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “So risky, I think, is if you’re a championship-level team and make a huge trade. I don’t know what level of risk there is when you’re bounced in the second round. I think we’re open to it. Certainly, we’re not driven by it.”
Here’s more from Connelly’s presser:
- Connelly lauded head coach Chris Finch for the job he did with the Timberwolves this season, especially in the first round of the playoffs, Krawczynski notes. “It’s not an easy job,” the Timberwolves’ president said. “He was masterful, I think, in the Denver series. We’re not here without Finchy. The playoff success we’ve had. I’m just thankful that he’s a partner and thankful that he’s our head coach.”
- Getting a new deal done with unrestricted free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu will be a priority for the Timberwolves, according to Connelly. “Ayo’s our most important free agent,” he said, per Hine. “He’s a guy we thought we knew pretty well, and we liked him from afar. Now seeing him day to day, we love him. I think he fits in not just on the court but off the court. I think his best basketball is in front of him.”
- As Campbell relays, Connelly acknowledged that the Wolves will need to add more shooting to their roster with Donte DiVincenzo expected to be sidelined for most or all of next season after tearing his Achilles last month. There’s still no specific timeline for DiVincenzo’s return. “We think he’s going to be back,” Connelly said. “We don’t know when.”
- 2025 first-round pick Joan Beringer didn’t have a major role as a rookie, but the Timberwolves are excited about what he can bring to the table going forward, according to Hine. “We think his future is unbelievably bright,” Connelly said. “I would think he’ll be a multi-position defender. He’s a guy that has the complete faith and buy-in of not just our coaching staff, but, most importantly, the other players on the team believe in him. So, we think he’s going to be a really impactful piece moving forward.”
- Rumors earlier in the spring indicated that Connelly was one of Dallas’ front office targets but that he would likely sign an extension with the Timberwolves. Although he didn’t address the possibility of a new deal on Tuesday, Connelly expressed no desire to leave Minnesota, writes Krawczynski. “I go to work happy every day, got great partners,” the veteran exec said. “It’s been awesome. Just keep trying to get better. At some point, we want to have this press conference after a (championship) parade … But it’s a great place to work. I just want to get better. It’s unfair to sit up here and be critical of players and how can we add. I need to do a better job for this organization.”
Sixers Notes: Myers, Front Office, George, Offseason
When he was originally hired by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the sense was that Bob Myers wouldn’t focus specifically on the Sixers and wouldn’t have a major voice in the team’s basketball operations decisions. Myers’ new position required him to be involved with the company’s other sports holdings, including the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Crystal Palace F.C. in the Premier League, and seemed to focus more on big-picture business decisions rather than day-to-day basketball moves.
Still, the remarks that he and Sixers managing partner Josh Harris made at last week’s press conference in the wake of Daryl Morey‘s dismissal strongly suggested that Myers’ influence in the 76ers’ basketball operations department is increasing, according to Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required), who got the sense that Morey’s replacement might end up being more of a “figurehead” while Myers takes on more responsibilities. Is that actually the case?
“Josh desperately wants Bob to run the team,” one source told Hayes. “Bob desperately does not want to run the team.”
Hayes adds that a team source disputed the idea that Harris is “desperate” for Myers to run the Sixers’ front office.
Either way, Hayes writes, Myers isn’t working out of Philadelphia and has no plans to do so; he also continues to oversee the progress of Harris Blitzer’s other teams. With that in mind, Hayes argues that it’s imperative for the 76ers to hire a “capable, autonomous” executive rather than one who will have to frequently defer to Myers on day-to-day decisions.
We have more on the Sixers:
- Paul George was limited to 37 regular season appearances in 2025/26 due to injuries and a 25-game suspension, but he’s healthy entering the offseason and is looking forward to taking advantage of that fact by embarking on a “real summer of improving,” writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “It’s been stagnant the last couple years because of a surgery here or a surgery there,” George said. “… So this summer should be a better summer, in terms of working on my game.”
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Sixers’ upcoming offseason, considering whether trading Joel Embiid and/or George this offseason is viable and evaluating what new contracts for several of the team’s key free agents might look like. Gozlan has Kelly Oubre Jr. in the range of $9-10MM per year and wonders if Philadelphia might be able to re-sign Andre Drummond on a minimum-salary deal.
- Would it make any sense for the Sixers to trade Tyrese Maxey and build around VJ Edgecombe, with an eye toward contending again with a younger group after the George and Embiid contracts expire? Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice weighs the merits of the idea but ultimately concludes it’s not realistic.
Jerry Stackhouse Among Bulls’ Head Coaching Candidates
Veteran NBA assistant Jerry Stackhouse has emerged as one of the candidates receiving consideration from the Bulls for their head coaching vacancy, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
An NBA player for 18 seasons from 1995-2013, Stackhouse transitioned into coaching following his retirement. He has been an assistant for the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19), and Warriors (2024-26) and also head coaching stints with the Raptors 905 (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24).
Reporting last week indicated that Stackhouse’s contract with Golden State had expired and that he wouldn’t be returning to the team, as he was “actively” seeking a head coaching position.
Stackhouse has been linked to multiple NBA head coaching searches in past years. He reportedly interviewed with the Hornets in 2024 before they hired Charles Lee and was connected to the Pistons and Raptors when they were seeking new coaches during the 2023 offseason.
Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr., former Pelicans coach James Borrego, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter, and Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt have also been cited as candidates for the Bulls as they survey the market following their split with Billy Donovan.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Anunoby, Shamet, Robinson, Dolan
The Knicks‘ usage of Karl-Anthony Towns as a point center in the seven games leading up to Tuesday’s game vs. Cleveland resulted in a 130.5 offensive rating, but the plan hit a snag in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The Cavaliers‘ talented frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen did a better job of neutralizing Towns, who scored just 13 points on 14 shots and had five assists, his lowest single-game total since head coach Mike Brown tweaked the Knicks’ offensive game plan.
“We do feel like we have the personnel to bother him. We’ve got multiple guys who can put pressure on him,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’ve gotta be really good with our off-ball defense. They’ve definitely shifted schematically like everybody knows. It’s been … it’s high level so it’s going to be a big part of the series.”
Ultimately though, slowing down Towns wasn’t enough for the Cavaliers to pull off the Game 1 upset and take the lead in the series, as Jalen Brunson led a historic fourth-quarter comeback that resulted in an overtime win. According to the NBA (Twitter link), New York’s 22-point comeback in the fourth quarter was the largest in a conference final game since 1997 and the second-largest in any playoff game during that same span. That outcome left Towns satisfied after the game despite his modest showing.
“I think the Knicks found a way to win tonight, and that’s all that matters,” he said, per Braziller. “It’s not about the individual performances, it’s about this team finding a way to put up a win on the board. I think that’s what’s special.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Knicks forward OG Anunoby acknowledged he had some rust to shake off in his first game back following a hamstring injury, but he finished the game strong, as Howie Kussoy writes for The New York Post. After recording four points and two rebounds in his first 29 minutes of action during regulation, Anunoby helped the Knicks seal the victory with nine points and three boards in overtime. “I felt good,” Anunoby said. “Just continue to play hard, shoot shots and be aggressive. … I don’t think it was hesitancy [early]. Just as the game went on I felt more and more like myself.”
- Even with Anunoby back, Landry Shamet ended up playing a key role for the Knicks, logging 14 of his 17 minutes in the fourth quarter and overtime and making a trio of crucial three-pointers, including one that tied the game during the final minute of regulation, writes Braziller of The New York Post. “He played big time. That’s just who he is. He’s a true professional, ever since he walked into the league,” Brunson said of the minimum-salary vet. “He’s up to any task you put in front of him. He’s been that player, he’s been that player for us. We have utmost faith in him.”
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had some success against Cleveland in the first half of Game 1, but he was played off the floor in the second half when the Cavaliers began intentionally fouling him, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Robinson went 2-of-8 from the free throw line and the Knicks were outscored by seven points during his four minutes on the court in the third quarter. “Mitch has been great for us the last few games in that situation,” Brown said. “We’re gonna continue to give him a chance. We’ll move him around and do some different things with him. Mitch can impact the game in different ways, so we need him on the floor.”
- Knicks owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Sports have taken the next step toward splitting the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers into separate entities. Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico has the details.