Southwest Notes: Rockets, B. Williams, Grizzlies, Jackson
League sources who have spoken to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports expect the Rockets to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick in next month’s draft. As O’Connor writes, while a move up or down is possible, a trade could also mean moving out of the first round altogether, either as part of a package for an impact player or in exchange for future draft assets, similar to what San Antonio did last year with the No. 8 overall selection.
Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, played an extremely limited role for a deep Houston team this past season, even though the front office was repeatedly said to be very high on him. A similar fate could be in store for this year’s 10th overall pick if the Rockets hang onto that selection, O’Connor notes.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- With Kyrie Irving‘s recovery from ACL surgery expected to extend well into 2025/26, the Mavericks will be seeking backcourt help this offseason. However, Brandon Williams – an unsung hero for the banged-up team during the second half of ’24/25 – is preparing to reclaim an increased role if necessary, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Williams, who averaged 15.4 points and 4.1 assists in 24.2 minutes per game across 13 March and April appearances, told Curtis on Friday that he’s well on his way to being fully recovered from an oblique strain that affected him at the end of the season. “Working out every day. Just taking it one day at a time,” Williams said. “Trying to stay sharp on a few things. My ball-handling, shooting, all those types of things. Being the point guard and having everybody just jell together earlier than later in the season.”
- Within a preview of the Grizzlies‘ offseason open to non-subscribers, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron digs into what an extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. might look like and explores the idea of Memphis trading using Brandon Clarke‘s $12.5MM salary to trade for help on the wing. In that scenario, Gozlan writes, Memphis could use its room exception to target a big man.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac also previews the Grizzlies‘ offseason and covers similar ground, though he takes a closer look at what wing options might be available for the team in free agency using the room exception or non-taxpayer mid-level, depending on whether Memphis operates under or over the cap.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Edgecombe, Hornets, Raptors
After taking a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers‘ high-octane offense only managed 94 points in a Game 5 loss in New York. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, that total was a playoff-low for the Pacers, who also turned the ball over 20 times, the most turnovers they’ve committed in a game this postseason.
“We’re a resilient group,” star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”
Despite the wire-to-wire defeat, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam is confident Indiana will rebound with a strong home showing tonight in Game 6, according to Collier.
“You’re going to have bad games,” Siakam said. “This is the NBA, and there’s going to be times where a team is going to play hard. In fact, they’re going to beat you.
“It is just all about us, man. It’s always been us against the world, and I don’t expect it to change. … We are 3-2 in a series, and we have an opportunity to go back home and show what we’re made of.”
Here are a few more notes from around the East:
- ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Zach Kram and Chris Herring list some keys to watch ahead of Game 6. Kram views the health and play of Aaron Nesmith as the Pacers‘ biggest X factor, while how well Jalen Brunson holds up on defense will be critical for the Knicks.
- Rival executives believe the Hornets will target V.J. Edgecombe if he’s still available at No. 4 in next month’s draft, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, who hears the Baylor guard had an “excellent” interview with Charlotte. Unsurprisingly, O’Connor has the Hornets selecting Edgecombe — who’s also the fourth-rated prospected on ESPN’s big board — at No. 4 in his latest mock draft.
- According to O’Connor, several rival teams think the Raptors are leaning toward selecting a prospect who can contribute right away rather than a long-term project with their lottery pick. Toronto holds the No. 9 pick in June’s draft. For what it’s worth, O’Connor has the team picking Washington State wing Cedric Coward.
Knicks Notes: Injury Report, Hart, Turnovers, Game 6
No Knicks are listed on the team’s injury report this morning ahead of Saturday’s pivotal Game 6 in Indiana, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. That’s certainly a good sign for the Knicks, as one of their best players was considered a game-time decision on Thursday.
Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns was initially questionable to suit up for Game 5 due to a left knee issue, but he wound up playing 36 minutes and recording 24 points and 13 rebounds in New York’s victory.
Here are a few more notes on the Knicks:
- Wing Josh Hart had a bounce-back performance on Thursday after being disappointed with his effort in Game 4, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday (subscriber link). Hart fouled out in Game 4 and only dished out one assist while committing five turnovers. “I was really embarrassed about what I was doing, how I looked and the lack of intensity, lack of passion and lack of competitiveness,” Hart said of how he felt after watching the Game 4 loss that gave the Pacers a 3-1 lead. “I was embarrassed, honestly. Not even the turnovers. But giving up back cuts, not communicating. I’m the guy who’s supposed to play with a high competitive nature, a high motor. Those were things I wasn’t doing. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, let alone look at these guys.” The Knicks will need Hart to continue playing like he did in Game 5 in order to stave off elimination again tonight, Barker adds.
- Although Game 5 was the Knicks’ first decisive victory of the Eastern Conference Finals, they still committed 15 turnovers, which has been an ongoing issue in the series, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Eliminating some of those miscues will be important in Game 6. “It’s not just [Towns, who had four turnovers],” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The big thing is keeping it simple. The first open man, hit him. Oftentimes, the intent is good, but we’re trying to thread the needle and we can’t do that.”
- Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required) lists three keys for the Knicks ahead of Game 6, with the first — and most important — being finding a way to slow down Tyrese Haliburton again. After recording 32 points (on 11-of-23 shooting), 15 assists and 12 rebounds in Game 4, New York limited Haliburton to eight points (on 2-of-7 shooting), six assists and two rebounds in the Game 5 victory.
‘No Untouchables’ On Pelicans’ Roster?
Kevin O’Connor’s latest 2025 mock draft for Yahoo Sports features a few interesting tidbits. Citing league sources, O’Connor writes that there are “no untouchables” on the Pelicans, who are gauging the trade value of every player on their roster.
O’Connor cautions that major roster changes in New Orleans may not be in the works, but at the very least the team seems open to listening to offers for core players and could decide to shake things up if an attractive opportunity presents itself.
Assuming it’s accurate, the news doesn’t come as a major surprise. The Pelicans are coming off disappointing, injury-plagued season in which they won just 21 games, leading to an overhaul in the front office. Former Pistons executive Joe Dumars now runs the basketball operations department, with Troy Weaver also in a prominent position.
Star forward Zion Williamson has been floated as a possible trade candidate, though an offseason deal is reportedly considered “very unlikely.” Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Yves Missi are among the other Pelicans who would likely receive significant interest on the market.
O’Connor also updated his 2025 big board, with several noteworthy differences compared to ESPN’s.
For instance, O’Connor is very high on Washington State wing Cedric Coward (No. 5), Stanford center Maxime Raynaud (No. 14), and North Carolina wing Drake Powell (No. 16), who are ranked 29th, 24th, and 31st, respectively, on ESPN’s list, respectively. O’Connor is also relatively lower on some prospects, including BYU’s Egor Demin (No. 22 vs. No. 11 on ESPN), Michigan’s Danny Wolf (No. 32 vs. No. 19) and French big man Joan Beringer (No. 34 vs. No. 15).
Zalgiris, Deividas Sirvydis Nearing Extension
Guard/forward Deividas Sirvydis, a former second-round pick (No. 37 overall in 2019) who played 22 games with the Pistons from 2020-22, is nearing a contract extension with EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
Zalgiris is based in Lithuania, Sirvydis’ home country.
According to Urbonas, the 24-year-old wing received “significant interest” on the market this spring after a solid season in which he averaged 8.4 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 38.8% from long distance in 34 EuroLeague appearances (16.5 minutes per game). Although his current contract runs through 2027, it features an opt-out clause, giving him an opportunity to negotiate with other teams.
Urbonas hears that Sirvydis’ new deal with Zalgiris will cover at least one season and could extend beyond the original contract’s expiration date.
Poll: Who Will Win Knicks/Pacers Game 6?
The Pacers and Knicks are the only two teams left standing in the Eastern Conference, as each team seeks to seal a ticket to Oklahoma City to face a rested and waiting Thunder team.
Indiana jumped out to a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, aided, in part, by a massive comeback in what has become a pivotal Game 1 in New York that saw the Knicks melt down in the fourth quarter. On the brink of elimination, the Knicks won a wire-to-wire victory against the Pacers on Thursday night to extend the series to at least six games.
Now, the two teams will head back to Indiana as the Knicks seek to continue their road dominance and push the series to a Game 7 back in Madison Square Garden. New York is 6-2 on the road during the playoffs, while the Pacers have only lost four games all postseason, two being to the Knicks.
The Knicks, as a franchise, are 0-15 in series in which they’ve faced a 3-1 deficit, and the last instance of an Eastern Conference Finals team surrendering a 3-1 lead was in 1981, when the Celtics came back to beat the 76ers.
Both the Knicks and Pacers have engineered their fair share of miracle comebacks this playoffs, with the Knicks overcoming 20-point deficits twice against the Celtics and once against the Pacers, while Indiana has had at least one massive comeback in each series so far, against the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Knicks.
In Game 5, the Knicks were able to tap into a defensive gear they had struggled to maintain throughout the playoffs, limiting stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to a combined 23 points on 20 shots, while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns took turns dominating offensively. The Knicks also seemed to find success with bench units that coach Tom Thibodeau had been reluctant to turn to before this series, with Landry Shamet, Delon Wright, and Precious Achiuwa all finding success in limited minutes.
The Pacers have yet to lose two games in a row in the playoffs, and have won games following a loss by an average of 18.3 points. They are also hoping to be bolstered by Aaron Nesmith returning to form after he played just 16 minutes in Game 5 while struggling through an ankle injury. He is no longer listed on the injury report. Haliburton has vowed to be more aggressive getting downhill in Game 6, after the Knicks’ increased defensive intensity seemed to take him out of his game and limited him to just seven shot attempts.
The Knicks will be looking to their wings to knock down open shots. While OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are each averaging 16 points per game, they’re shooting 29% and 33% from three, respectively, and have been unable to take advantage of the open looks created by the attention Brunson and Towns command. On the other side of the coin, Pacers shooting guard Andrew Nembhard has been uncharacteristically quiet, averaging just 9.0 points and 2.6 assists per game for the series after averaging 14.6 PPG and 6 APG in the first two rounds.
Brunson and Haliburton have proven themselves to be two of the most clutch performers in the sport, which will make any contest that’s tight going into the final five minutes that much more exciting.
While it can be expected that the star tandems of Brunson and Towns and Haliburton and Siakam will show up in such a high-pressure game, whether or not this series gets extended to seven games will likely come down to which team’s ancillary players are able to make the other team pay for allowing them room to find their offense.
We want to hear from you. Will the Pacers close out the series and advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000, or will the Knicks be able to extend the series to a winner-takes-all Game 7?
Who will win Saturday's Game 6?
-
Indiana Pacers 58% (707)
-
New York Knicks 42% (517)
Total votes: 1,224
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Jordan, Thunder
The Nuggets are looking to rebuild their depth after losing several key free agents in recent years, such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while certain signings – such as Reggie Jackson and Dario Saric – have proved unsuccessful. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post breaks down some of the potential options they could look at in free agency as they seek to create another title-contending roster.
The first name Durando looks at is a former Nugget: Bruce Brown. Brown left the Nuggets for a two-year balloon deal with the Pacers in 2023, and was included in Indiana’s trade for Pascal Siakam the following season. He split this season between Raptors and Pelicans, but only played 41 games due to injury.
Brown is still a fan favorite in Denver, Durando writes, and posted about the Nuggets hiring head coach David Adelman on his Instagram story. It’s believed that there is mutual interest between the two parties moving forward.
Durando also mentions Chris Boucher, whom the Nuggets looked at prior to this year’s trade deadline. Boucher averaged 10.0 points in 17.2 minutes per game for the Raptors this season while shooting 36.3% from three, and could make for an interesting backup center, a position where the Nuggets desperately need depth.
The other options cited by Durando are Tyus Jones, Larry Nance Jr., Jake LaRavia, Dennis Schröder, Justin Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Luke Kennard, Clint Capela, and Mason Plumlee.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- DeAndre Jordan, the Nuggets‘ current backup center, took to Instagram to thank Denver fans after wrapping up his 17th year in the NBA, notes Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto (via Twitter). “Can’t say enough how grateful I am for this team, this city, and everyone who supported us along the way. Playing this game never gets old, and doing it with this group made it even more meaningful,” he wrote, before adding “This isn’t a retirement post!” Jordan is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
- “These guys are uncommon,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said of his team, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Part of that is the youthful exuberance the club displays after the final whistle blows, which Amick likens to a college program. However, there’s nothing playful about the Thunder’s approach during the game. Their ferociousness on the floor, combined with the genuine joy the players appear to feel for each other, marks it as a model of sustainable competitive team-building. “It makes sense. They’re great people first. That’s why it’s so easy to coach this team,” Daigneault said. That’s why Amick believes that this Thunder team is here for the long haul.
- There are striking similarities to this Thunder team and the rise of the Warriors dynasty, writes ESPN’s Zach Kram. Both teams feature a 26-year-old MVP guard leading a team to nearly 70 wins en route to winning the Western Conference in five games, and both were largely built through shrewd drafting of heady, versatile players who could impact the game on both ends of the floor. For Golden State, that meant Klay Thompson and Draymond Green complementing Stephen Curry‘s greatness. For the Thunder, it means Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren supplementing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s dominance. Both teams added a versatile, dominant defender via trade: the Warriors acquired Andre Igoudala while the Thunder traded for Alex Caruso, and they both had smart rim protectors who could be taken off the floor when the team wanted to go small (Andrew Bogut and Isaiah Hartenstein, respectively). The Warriors eventually added Kevin Durant to complete the dynasty. While the Thunder might not have that opportunity, they do have one of the biggest stockpiles of draft assets to trade in the league, so it’s not entirely out of the question. The important part is: both teams were built to last.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Mitchell, Burks, Hawks
The Hornets have the ignominious honor of holding the league’s longest active playoff drought, leaving them with many questions to answer heading into the offseason, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone.
In a mailbag column, Boone writes that he expects the team to add more veteran presence to its young core, along the lines of last year’s Taj Gibson signing. The goal would be to help build a winning locker room culture and assist in the development of head coach Charles Lee, who himself is still learning the ropes of being an NBA veteran coach.
Boone also advises fans not to overreact if 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Salaün spends more time in the G League next year, writing that rushing his development would be a mistake and would hurt him in the long run. The sixth pick in last year’s draft averaged 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per night for Charlotte, while shooting just 33.0% from the field and 28.3% from three, though he was always known to be a project who would take multiple years to be ready for major contributions.
As for roster moves, Boone says the team could use another center or power forward, especially one who can shoot. Meanwhile, Tre Mann appears to be on the road to recovery from a back injury that cut his season short and is entering restricted free agency. If he’s healthy, Boone believes that he might be more likely to sign a qualifying offer and hit the open market next year than to sign a long-term deal.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- 6’4″ shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe is rumored to be a favorite for the Hornets‘ fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft if he’s still available, writes Boone. Boone points to his strong defensive pedigree as a great fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Lee’s system, but warns that he’ll need to improve his ball-handling to become a more well-rounded offensive threat.
- After a strong second half of the season following a mid-year trade to the Heat, Davion Mitchell is expected to receive an $8.7MM qualifying offer making him a restricted free agent, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. However, Chiang writes that the most likely outcome is that the Heat allow another team to pursue an offer sheet with the 26-year-old defensive-minded guard before deciding how he fits into their future plans. Chiang writes that Mitchell could garner offers that approach the full mid-level exception ($14.1MM), and the Heat are only around $4MM from the luxury tax without much hope of putting together a top-tier team for next year. They are also expected to pursue as much cap space in 2026 as possible, making multiyear deals complicated.
- After a career shooting year, Alec Burks is hoping to be back with the Heat next season, writes Chiang. “It was a good year. I learned a lot. Even though I’m in my 14th year, I still learned something. So I’m glad I was here,” Burks said. The soon-to-be 34-year-old started both play-in games for Miami but only appeared in Game 1 of the team’s first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. Coach Erik Spoelstra praised his ability to stay ready for whatever was asked of him, saying, “There aren’t a lot of vets that really want to accept these kinds of roles. That’s just the reality. And he is not only able to accept it, but he thrives in that role.”
- The Hawks are desperately trying to move out of the middle of the pack to become a legitimate contender, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. The front office has decisions to make regarding the free agency of longtime center Clint Capela, who was supplanted this year by Onyeka Okongwu in the starting five, as well as new acquisitions Caris LeVert and Larry Nance Jr., which could decide how the team’s depth looks next season. Smith writes that it would make sense for LeVert and Atlanta to come to terms on a deal in the ballpark of $12MM annually over two or three years, while the team’s ability to retain Nance may rest on what kind of outside offers he gets. Dyson Daniels and Trae Young are both extension-eligible this summer, though Smith believes it would make more sense to extend Daniels than Young, given that Young’s role in the team’s long-term plans remains uncertain. And, of course, none of this is likely to happen before the team replaces recently fired general manager Landry Fields.
Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Bradley, Haliburton, Turnovers
The Pacers‘ starting small forward, Aaron Nesmith, is still playing through a right ankle sprain he suffered during Game 3 against the Knicks, and Game 5 proved more difficult than Game 4 in that regard, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. However, he’s not letting himself off the hook for a 16-minute, three-point performance.
“It hurts, but it’s no excuse. Gotta be better. I was able to play Game 4. I could play today. There was no excuse,” he said.
While Dopirak points to a first-quarter collision with Knicks’ center Mitchell Robinson in Game 5 as a potential reason for the extra pain, Nesmith rebuked that idea.
“It wasn’t a play today that made it worse,” he said.
While Nesmith has taken the bulk of responsibility guarding Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson throughout the series, head coach Rick Carlisle turned to other wing options after Nesmith struggled out of the gate.
“He got off to a bit of a slow start. I wasn’t sure if maybe he was slowed a little bit by the ankle. I put [Ben] Sheppard in there right away and then [Bennedict] Mathurin got a game going. That dug into Aaron’s minutes some. But everyone’s just gonna have to be ready for Game 6,” explained Carlisle.
Here’s more from Indiana:
- In more Pacers’ injury news, backup center Tony Bradley is being listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 6 with a left hip flexor strain, reports Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (via Twitter). Bradley landed awkwardly after Robinson fouled him on a layup attempt in the third quarter. After receiving sporadic minutes throughout the postseason, Bradley had played an average of 11 minutes per game in the three contests leading up to Game 5, as usual backup Thomas Bryant‘s minutes declined. With Robinson’s insertion into the Knicks’ starting lineup, the Pacers have leaned into smaller lineups featuring Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin without a traditional center.
- Following a dominant Game 4 in which he contributed 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals with no turnovers, Tyrese Haliburton was uncharacteristically quiet in Game 5, scoring just eight points on seven shots in 31 minutes. It was a head-scratcher of a performance, writes The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, and Haliburton knows it. “I got to be better, set the tone, get downhill. I feel like I can do a great job of that, but I’ll watch the film,” he said. However, Carlisle said it’s not all on the star point guard. “As a team, we have to be aggressive and have a level of balance,” Carlisle said. “… There’s more things I’m gonna have to do to help him. I’ll take responsibility for that, and we’ll see what we can improve.” Vardon draws a parallel to Haliburton’s Game 3 against the Cavaliers, in which he scored just four points over 30 minutes in a loss. The Pacers went on to win the next two contests by an average of 14.5 points as they closed out the series in five games.
- The Pacers committed turnovers on each of their first two possessions of Game 5, a harbinger of things to come for a team that draws strength from rarely making mistakes, writes Agness. Indiana opened the second half by turning the ball over on their first possession as well, and ended with a playoff-high 20 turnovers in the game, compared to New York’s 15. Losing the turnover battle, as well as the rebounding battle, meant the Pacers totaled just 74 shots compared to 89 for the Knicks.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Shamet, Brunson, Game 5
Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as a game-time decision due to a left knee contusion heading into the Knicks‘ Game 5 homestand against the Pacers, but that didn’t stop him from putting his best foot forward as the Knicks staved off elimination with a 111-94 victory.
“Shout out to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight,” Towns said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I’m glad I was able to. We put a lot of hours trying to get myself ready and I got a chance and God was good and I was able to go out there and play.”
Coming into the night, Towns was constantly flexing his knee in the hope that the pain would dissipate, according to SI’s Chris Mannix.
While co-star Jalen Brunson keyed the Knicks’ scoring efforts in the first quarter, Towns took over in the second, finishing the first half with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and ending the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds while playing a game-high 35.5 minutes.
With the season on the line, the Knicks knew that getting the most out of Towns’ offensive skill set was crucial to live to fight another day.
“In this series I’ve had a lot of success getting downhill, getting to the rim,” Towns said. “I can shoot the three ball but [tonight] I really wanted to get downhill and impose my will early.”
While the team knows the odds are against fighting back from a 3-1 deficit, Towns remains optimistic, thanks in large part to the mindset of the group of players assembled by president Leon Rose.
“One through 15, everyone’s doing an amazing job of wanting to win and being there for each other. This team’s special,” Towns said.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Landry Shamet had played just 31 minutes in the 2025 playoffs prior to the Eastern Conference Finals, but has logged 36 minutes over the last three games. Despite a modest Game 5 stat line of five points, one rebound, and one steal, his contributions were invaluable, writes The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz. While generally known as a shooting specialist, the 28-year-old wing’s most important contributions were on defense, where he helped contain Pacers’ reserve T.J. McConnell and contributed to a solid team defensive effort alongside fellow seldom-played reserves Delon Wright and Precious Achiuwa. “I love New York. I love these fans. I see how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows. So it’s important to me. I just wanna give everything I’ve got to them,” Shamet said.
- Brunson was the leader New York needed in Game 5, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. The Knicks’ captain always spearheads the team’s offensive attack, but following a disappointing Game 4 that saw the Clutch Player of the Year score just two points in the final period, Brunson was focused on a bigger picture approach to leadership. “[I wanted to] set a tone, for sure. It wasn’t through putting the ball in the basket. That happened, but just trying to make sure we were all on the same page and ready to go,” he said. For one game, at least, the efforts paid off, as the Knicks came out with a renewed focus defensively and an offensive game plan that showed more intentionality in how they attacked.
- Speaking of intentionality and focus, in those two regards, the Knicks sent a clear message in Game 5, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. New York won in all the categories it needed to in order to steal a game and put pressure back on Indiana, including taking more shots, rebounding more, turning it over less, and dominating in the paint. The purpose and attention to detail was most evident on the defensive end, Edwards writes, with crisp rotations, big-time defensive play-making from OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, and contributions throughout the lineup. “It started at the point of attack, with Mikal (Bridges), just picking up and making things hard,” Miles McBride said after the game. “Everybody talked and communicated a lot more. I just felt like we had an edge to us tonight.”