Tag: Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young trolled the Knicks by pretending to roll the dice on New York’s midcourt logo

We love Trae Young in villain mode.

Atlanta Hawks superstar point guard Trae Young embraced his villain side on Wednesday night after his team eliminated the New York Knicks from the 2024 NBA Cup.

Atlanta’s 108-100 quarterfinals win at Madison Square Garden sends the team to Las Vegas to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday afternoon in the NBA Cup semifinals.

As the clock ticked down on the Hawks’ road tournament win, Young decided to get a little Vegas-style trolling in and pretended to roll the dice on the New York midcourt logo.

It’s a harmless bit of mischief on Young’s part, just enough to get Knicks fans temporarily riled up and the rest of us laughing. We love this side of Young’s personality, and the NBA is better when he’s in villain mode.

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Why is Trae Young so hated by Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden?

What is it about Trae Young that New Yorkers despise so much?

One of the greatest rivalries in basketball over the past few years is between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.

If you are wondering how this all started, it all began during the 2021 NBA postseason. It was the first time that Young made the playoffs during his pro career and the first game of the series was at Madison Square Garden.

Young played extraordinarily well, scoring 32 points and recording 10 assists. At one point late during the game, Young took a bow after a go-ahead basket. He also silenced the crowd, gesturing his finger toward his mouth.

The Hawks went on to win the series as the guard averaged 29.2 points per game during the elimination.

Ever since that incident, though, the crowd has not exactly given him the warmest reception in New York. In fact, even during games not against the Hawks, crowds have still chanted all sorts of crazy things at Young in viral videos.

While he missed the next game Atlanta played at Madison Square Garden, his return to New York resulted in 45 points. He said it wasn’t even that loud at the arena.

The following match, Young then appeared wearing shoes that said “King of Broadway” but lost the game. This only added more fuel to the fire for fans.

New York and Atlanta will have another chance to ignite the rivalry when the Knicks and Hawks play in the NBA Cup on Wednesday night.

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Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Dec. 2-8

This week was…not great.

All that can be said about Notre Dame’s NBA representation is that it’s had far better weeks. It probably is best for Irish fans to forget about this past week completely.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] played in only game for the Milwaukee Bucks out of a possible four. That came Dec. 4 against the Atlanta Hawks, and his five minutes were the fewest in any game he’s played this season. The only meaningful stats he registered were one assist and one block.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] saw action in two of the four games the San Antonio Spurs played but didn’t fare much better. He made a single free throw Dec. 5 against the Chicago Bulls before collecting an assist the next night against the Sacramento Kings.

It’s hard to know what if anything will allow the two former Irish players to have more playing time this season. What isn’t hard to know is that it can’t get much more blah if not worse than this past week.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Atlanta Hawks soaring under Quin Snyder’s vision

Sitting at 12-11 and sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks’ overall record may not scream dominance, but their current five-game win streak tells a different story. Quin Snyder is coaching a roster that GM Landry Fields strategically …

Sitting at 12-11 and sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks’ overall record may not scream dominance, but their current five-game win streak tells a different story. Quin Snyder is coaching a roster that GM Landry Fields strategically overhauled. His coaching style emphasizes ball movement, offensive efficiency, and defensive hustle, all of which have unlocked career-best performances from players like Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and De’Andre Hunter. Atlanta is becoming more than just a playoff hopeful – they’re starting to look like a team that could make some noise in the postseason.

NBA Cup clinching scenarios for Tuesday’s games: Who is in and out before the knockout rounds?

Who will join the Hawks, Rockets, and Warriors?

As we prepare for the final day of group play in the NBA Cup, only three teams have punched a ticket to the next round and five spots remain.

We know the Hawks (shockingly!), Rockets, and Warriors will all advance to the knockout phase of the tournament. But three of the other groups yet to have a winner while both the West and East wild card spots are still open as well.

Each group winner moves on to the next round, and one wild card from each conference advances as well.

With some very important games left on the last day of group play in the second year of this experiment by the league, here is how it all looks to play out:

East: Group A

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Orlando Magic 3 0 60 Alive
New York Knicks 3 0 15 Alive
Philadelphia 76ers 1 2 -9 Out
Brooklyn Nets 1 3 -39 Out
Charlotte Hornets 0 3 -27 Out

Orlando and New York play each other at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The winner will advance out of Group A. Orlando would likely advance through the wild card with a loss, though New York would hav a much tougher chance due to their point differential.

IMPORTANT GAME: Magic @ Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)

East: Group B

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Milwaukee Bucks 3 0 29 Alive
Detroit Pistons 3 0 28 Alive
Miami Heat 2 2 20 Out
Toronto Raptors 0 3 -28 Out
Indiana Pacers 0 3 -49 Out

Milwaukee and Detroit play each other on Tuesday night, and the winner will officially take Group B. Both are still alive as potential wild cards with a loss, too, but need a better overall point differential than the Celtics and the loser of New York and Orlando.

IMPORTANT GAME: Bucks @ Pistons (7:00 p.m. ET)

East: Group C

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Atlanta Hawks 3 1 15 Clinched Group
Boston Celtics 3 1 23 Alive
Chicago Bulls 2 2 6 Out
Cleveland Cavaliers 1 2 -1 Out
Washington Wizards 0 3 -43 Out

Atlanta has already won this group and with the exception of the Celtics, every other team is eliminated. Boston could come out in the wild card spot, but it will depend on point differential.

IMPORTANT GAME: N/A

East: Wild Card

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Orlando Magic 3 0 60 Alive
Milwaukee Bucks 3 0 29 Alive
Detroit Pistons 3 0 28 Alive
New York Knicks 3 0 15 Alive
Boston Celtics 3 1 23 Alive

Orlando or New York will advance out of group play, and so will either Detroit and Milwaukee. Between the losers of those games, and the Celtics, the team with the best point differential of that bunch will earn the wild card.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Bucks @ Pistons (7:00 p.m. ET), Magic @ Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)

West: Group A

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Houston Rockets 3 0 49 Clinched Group
Portland Trail Blazers 2 1 -5 Alive
Minnesota Timberwolves 2 2 -13 Out
L.A. Clippers 1 2 -6 Alive
Sacramento Kings 0 3 -25 Out

Houston has already won this group, but Portland and L.A. are both potentially able to advance via the wild card based on how their game goes at the Intuit Dome on Tuesday.

IMPORTANT GAME: Trail Blazers @ Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

West: Group B

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
San Antonio Spurs 2 1 14 Alive
Oklahoma City Thunder 2 1 18 Alive
Phoenix Suns 2 1 19 Alive
Los Angeles Lakers 2 2 -24 Out
Utah Jazz 0 3 -27 Out

This is arguably the most fun group left because three teams all have a chance to win the group and the two that do not can still advance via wild card seeding.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Jazz @ Thunder (8:00 p.m. ET), Spurs @ Suns (9:00 p.m. ET)

West: Group C

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Golden State Warriors 3 0 12 Clinched Group
Dallas Mavericks 2 1 41 Alive
Denver Nuggets 1 2 2 Alive
Memphis Grizzlies 1 2 -6 Alive
New Orleans Pelicans 1 3 -49 Out

Golden State has already won this group, but three other teams still have a real chance to advance based on the remaining games. The other games give the remaining teams a chance in the wild card, though.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Grizzlies @ Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET), Warriors @ Nuggets (10:00 p.m. ET on TNT)

West: Wild Card

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Dallas Mavericks 2 1 41 Alive
Phoenix Suns 2 1 19 Alive
Oklahoma City Thunder 2 1 18 Alive
San Antonio Spurs 2 1 14 Alive
Portland Trail Blazers 2 1 -5 Alive
Denver Nuggets 1 2 2 Alive
Memphis Grizzlies 1 2 -6 Alive
L.A. Clippers 1 2 -6 Alive

One of the teams from Group B (San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix) will not need a wild card berth but instead advance from winning their group. Otherwise, while Dallas has the best chance of any team to win the wild card, there are plenty of other teams statistically still able to clinch a spot into the knockout rounds.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Jazz @ Thunder (8:00 p.m. ET), Grizzlies @ Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET), Spurs @ Suns (9:00 p.m. ET), Warriors @ Nuggets (10:00 p.m. ET on TNT), Trail Blazers @ Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

Nine of the NBA’s best current “redrafted” players

Alongside the usual options of drafting and trading, one of the avenues available in the world of NBA roster construction is that of pursuing “redraft” players. This practice – particularly common among teams near the bottom of the standings – can …

Alongside the usual options of drafting and trading, one of the avenues available in the world of NBA roster construction is that of pursuing “redraft” players. This practice – particularly common among teams near the bottom of the standings – can yield good reinforcements for cheap. But only when it works.

Essentially, a “redraft” player is defined here as a young player who did not break out with the team that drafted him, was picked up relatively cheaply by a new team (be it via trade, free agency or waivers), and then proceeded to break out with them. Having a second chance at selecting and developing a young player is akin to getting a second chance at drafting them, hence the name.

Oftentimes, this does not work. You need only skim-read the draft selections from any year to find multiple players who did not ever become NBA rotation players, not just once but at least twice. A look at the 2019 NBA Draft, for example, finds names such as Jarrett Culver, Sekou Doumbouya, Romeo Langford and Luka Samanic, all players who failed to make the grade with multiple teams, from just the top 20 selections alone.

Sometimes, though, it works. And there are several such players surviving and thriving in the league today. There follows a look at nine such “redraft” players currently doing good work in the NBA.

Dejounte Murray got hurt during his Pelicans debut and it was an awful start to the Dyson Daniels trade

This is NOT ideal for Dejounte Murray and the Pelicans.

The Pelicans made a push this offseason, trading the promising Dyson Daniels to the Hawks for 2022 NBA All-Star guard Dejounte Murray.

While it seemed like a trade that could help New Orleans contend this season, the deal is already off to an incredibly bad start for the franchise. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, during his first regular-season game with the team, Murray was injured.

The guard suffered a fractured left hand during Opening Night against the Bulls. It is a difficult pill to swallow for the organization, who are now sadly without their starting point guard for an extended period of time.

According to Jeff Stotts, the expected recovery time is approximately between 15 and 17 and games.

So expect New Orleans to not have Murray for the first one-fifth of the season.

The good news is that CJ MCollum can play some point guard for the Pelicans if they wish.

Although he has a right knee contusion, backup point guard Jose Alvarado is also able to serviceably fill in for Murray as well.

But on the other hand, the player the Pelicans traded to acquire Murray looked outstanding during his first game with the Hawks.

Daniels was absolutely astonishing on both ends of the floor for Atlanta, beginning his tenure with the team by recording 15 points with 5 rebounds as well as 5 steals and 1 block. He added 2 assists as well.

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Former Duke basketball player signs massive five-year extension with his NBA team

Jalen Johnson, who spent the 2020-21 season with the Duke Blue Devils, reportedly agreed to a five-year contract extension on Monday.

Former Duke basketball player Jalen Johnson officially secured a massive contract extension on Monday.

According to ESPN reporter Shams Charania, the Atlanta Hawks gave Johnson a five-year extension worth $150 million ahead of his fourth NBA season.

Johnson played 13 games for the Blue Devils as a freshman in 2020-21, averaging 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals. His best performance in a Blue Devils uniform came against Pittsburgh that January when he finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds, one of two career double-doubles. He scored 19 points and pulled down 19 rebounds in his debut against Coppin State.

The Hawks took him with the 20th overall pick in 2021, and he’s played 148 games for the franchise in the three years since. He emerged as a starter in 2023-24, averaging 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game. The 6-foot-8 forward also dished 3.6 assists and snagged 1.2 steals per game while shooting 51.1% from the floor.

The contract, which Charania also reported was fully guaranteed, keeps Johnson in Atlanta through the 2029-30 season.

2024-25 Atlanta Hawks: A quick preview

Despite the skepticism surrounding them, the Atlanta Hawks are shaping up to be one a potentially underrated team in the NBA this season. While many see their decision to trade Dejounte Murray as a sign of a rebuild, the reality is that the Hawks …

Despite the skepticism surrounding them, the Atlanta Hawks are shaping up to be one a potentially underrated team in the NBA this season. While many see their decision to trade Dejounte Murray as a sign of a rebuild, the reality is that the Hawks have taken a more strategic approach to roster-building. Trae Young, who is often over-criticized, remains the centerpiece of the team, and with Quin Snyder – considered one of the league’s top coaches – at the helm, the Hawks have the potential to exceed expectations.

Snyder’s coaching has already brought improvements, and as he enters his second full season, he’s poised to continue developing the young talent on the roster. Players like Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu are expected to take on larger roles, and the team added Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick and Dyson Daniels, both of whom bring versatility and two-way potential. Okongwu may even step into the starting lineup with Clint Capela in the final year of his contract, signaling a possible transition to a younger core.

However, despite the talent and Snyder’s leadership, the Hawks face tough competition in a stacked Eastern Conference. With several teams ahead of them in the pecking order, expecting more than a play-in spot this season may be a stretch. The development of their young players will be crucial to their future success, but for now, Atlanta’s best bet might be aiming for a play-in berth as they continue to build for the long term.

Dikembe Mutombo highlights: Remembering the greatest moments of his amazing career

Dikembe Mutombo was such a larger than life presence that it is hard to believe that he is gone.

Dikembe Mutombo was such a larger than life presence that it is hard to believe that he is gone.

The beloved big man, who died at 58, was one of the most memorable players in league history. His iconic finger was celebration made him an unforgettable presence in the basketball world.

He was an incredibly accomplished player who made eight All-Star appearances and won NBA Defensive Player of the Year four time in his career.

While there are so many highlights during his time on the court, here are a few of the all-time best moments he had in an NBA uniform:

Dikembe blocks MJ

Three consecutive blocks vs. Bucks

Four consecutive blocks vs. 76ers

Dikembe records 12 blocks in 1 game

Upsetting the Supersonics as a No. 1 seed