Tag: Los Angeles Clippers

Pacers’ Oscar Tshiebwe headlines 2023-24 G League All-Rookie Team

Tshiebwe was named the G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists with the Indiana Mad Ants.

Indiana Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe and Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller were among the players named to the 2023-24 G League All-Rookie Team, which was released on Thursday.

Tshiebwe was named the G League Rookie of the Year on April 2 after averaging 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field in 34 games with the Indiana Mad Ants. He led the G League in rebounding and was second in double-doubles (28).

He was also named to the All-G League first team.

Miller was runner-up for G League Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals with the Ontario Clippers. He ranked fourth in total points (814) among first-year players and 24th in total rebounds (245).

Tshiebwe and Miller are joined by Chicago Bulls center Adama Sanogo, Philadelphia 76ers guard Terquavion Smith and Santa Cruz Warriors guard Kendric Davis, the only player not signed to a two-way contract. Sanogo was also named to the All-G League third team.

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Sooners legend Blake Griffin officially announces retirement

Blake Griffin, a generational athlete and former Oklahoma Sooner announced his retirement after a 14-year NBA career.

An Oklahoma basketball legend called it a career on Tuesday. Sooners basketball legend Blake Griffin announced his retirement in a post he shared via social media on Tuesday morning.

Griffin ended his NBA career after 14 years. The bulk of his career came as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers after he was drafted in 2009 as the first overall pick. He also spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics.

Griffin retired as a six-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Second Team, two-time All-NBA Third Team, and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009.

 

As a high schooler from Oklahoma City, Griffin won multiple state championships. He signed with the Sooners and went on to earn selections on the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and to the first-team All-Big 12 after posting 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and ranking ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and third in field goal percentage in the Big 12 Conference.

Instead of bolting for the impending NBA Draft, he stayed for one more year. He cemented his status as an Oklahoma basketball legend. During his sophomore season, he became the first player in Big 12 history to record back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He dropped 40 points and 23 rebounds against Texas Tech, becoming the only player in Big 12 history and the third player in the history of the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball program to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game, joining [autotag]Wayman Tisdale[/autotag] and [autotag]Alvan Adams[/autotag].

He led Oklahoma to a regional final that saw them lose to eventual national champion UNC. That year, Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and earned All-American first team honors. He also swept every major player of the year award. He’s the only Sooner to win the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, John Wooden Award, and the Associated Press Player of the Year in the same season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe named G League Rookie of the Year

Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28).

Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe on Tuesday was named the G League Rookie of the Year for his play with the Indiana Mad Ants, the league announced.

Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, averaged 15.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 57.3% shooting from the field in 34 games with the Mad Ants, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

The undrafted center from Kentucky led the G League in rebounding and finished second in double-doubles (28). He registered six games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds and was one of seven players to reach that mark in a game.

Tshiebwe set the franchise single-game rebounding record with 28 on Nov. 22 in a win over the Motor City Cruise. He also set the single-season record for rebounds by recording 26 points and 26 rebounds in a win over the Long Island Nets on March 21.

The 24-year-old became the second Mad Ants player to win the award, joining Tony Mitchell (2012-13). He edged Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV in the voting by head coaches and general managers.

Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and continued to show that ability and more this year with the Mad Ants after winning G League Rookie of the Year.

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Russell Westbrook argued with a heckler who was bizarrely wearing a balloon hat on his head

This was so intense you might not have noticed the balloon hat.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook had a heated interaction with a fan at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Westbrook, who recently returned from an extended absence due to a left hand injury, approached someone who had attended the game between the Clippers and Hornets.

According to reporter Jeremy Grandison, who captured a video of the exchange, the person at the game was heckling Westbrook during the first half of the game. As a result, the former MVP decided to talk to the fan. It was so intense that you may not notice the fan was wearing a balloon hat.

WARNING: Some language in the video might not be safe for work.

Unfortunately, this happens all too frequently with Westbrook.

We have seen that he gets especially upset when anyone shows disrespect for his name or his family.

But this is the first time that we have seen Westbrook have such a heated back and forth with someone who was wearing a balloon hat on his head.

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James Harden explains why he bizarrely contested teammate Kawhi Leonard’s 3-point attempt

James Harden contested his own teammate’s shot. Why? He has a reason.

James Harden … what are you doing?!

We’ve seen some weird contesting of shots in the NBA as of late. There was Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla trying to block Royce O’Neale after a whistle, and now we’ve got Harden running out to contest the shot of … his Los Angeles Clippers teammate, Kawhi Leonard.

Seriously! Watch the video below from Wednesday night a few times and tell me you’re not cackling at that.

Why did he do it? He told reporters he was trying to “bring some excitement to this team” and that the Clips were going through a “fog” lately and wanted to give Los Angeles something to laugh about:

Well, I guess it worked? Weird, though.

After close win, Clippers stars impressed by improving Rockets

Kawhi Leonard on the Rockets: “Very good and very confident. Ime [Udoka] is putting them in the right position to succeed, and they are just getting better and better.”

HOUSTON — Los Angeles Clippers forwards Kwahi Leonard and Paul George sat at their lockers inside the visiting locker room of Toyota Center, and discussed some of the events that had transpired in Wednesday’s 122-116 victory over Houston.

Leonard and George knew coming into the game that they would have their hands full with a young, inspired team that featured several strong veterans and a proven head coach, Ime Udoka.

“Very good and very confident,” Leonard told Rockets Wire when asked about Houston’s team. “Ime (Udoka) is putting them in the right position to succeed, and they are just getting better and better.”

Houston led by as many as 20 points in the first half before being outscored in the second half, 78-59. George, Leonard and former Rockets star James Harden used their combined 47 years of NBA experience to wear down their youthful opponents, who are still learning to finish games. That was once Harden’s role before he left the team (through a forced trade) in January 2021.

“They are definitely headed in the right direction,” Harden said regarding the Rockets’ future. “They have a combination of young talent with some vet pieces that have some experience. They have been playing really well. The future is bright.”

That analysis by proven All-Star talents clearly suggests Udoka has his team on the right track. Although they are 3-5 since the All-Star break, Houston has looked increasingly competitive against the Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, who are likely to make the NBA playoffs.

Jalen Green had back-to-back games of 34 points in Phoenix, while teammate Alperen Sengun did his best work at home. On Tuesday, he posted a career-high 45 points and five steals in his matchup with prized rookie Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. He followed that with his second career triple-double: 23 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists against the Clippers.

“I have been the biggest supporter of Alperen (Sengun), so it doesn’t surprise me at all,” George told Rockets Wire when describing Sengun’s strong play. “His game … he is up there with the best of the centers in this league, and he is showing that, night in and night out.”

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Analyst: Lakers match up well with top West teams other than the Nuggets

One radio analyst feels the Lakers can do well come playoff time against almost any team in the Western Conference, other than the Nuggets.

With roughly a month left in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a similar situation to a year ago.

Late last season, they made a surge during the last six weeks of the schedule, which led plenty of experts to say they had instantly become championship contenders. That surge took place after two midseason trades brought them Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt.

This year, L.A. made no trades, but it has won 15 of its last 23 games. While some believe it will not make the playoffs, some think the team could do some real damage in the postseason.

Justin Termine of Sirius XM NBA Radio said that other than the defending world champion Denver Nuggets, the Lakers match up well with the top teams in the Western Conference (h/t The Cold Wire).

“I don’t see the Lakers winning the title, but outside of Denver, they really match up well against the top of the West. … Outside of the Nuggets, you look at the other top four seeds, OKC (Oklahoma City Thunder), the (Los Angeles) Clippers, Minnesota, the Lakers kind of match up pretty well against almost all of them.”

The Lakers are ninth in the West with a 34-29 record, and they’re in the middle of a critical stretch in which they’re playing a number of West teams that are ahead of them in the standings.

Termine pointed out how they won the season series 3-1 over both the Clippers and Thunder. He also said that although they have lost both of their games thus far to the Minnesota Timberwolves, both losses were close, and Minnesota is less experienced than them.

Over the next eight days, L.A. has two games versus the Sacramento Kings, who are in seventh place and 1 1/2 games ahead of it. Given how bunched up teams are from fifth to 10th place, LeBron James and company could very well find themselves in sixth place before the end of this month.

If that happens, perhaps another trip to the Western Conference finals wouldn’t be out of the question.

Everything we know about the 2 teens who broke into the Clippers new $2 billion arena

There’s no amount of clout that makes this worth it.

Getting a private tour of the Clippers’ new $2 billion arena would probably be awesome.

The details on this thing are amazing. Anybody would want to see it — even if it’s not quite completely built out.

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The thing is, though, it’s probably not the greatest idea in the world to break in there and give yourself that private tour. It’s an even better idea not to do that and actually show your face on camera while doing it.

And, let’s just say you were to do that for whatever reason. You probably shouldn’t go about positing that footage on social media for everyone to see.

But that’s exactly what some teens who’ve become TikTok famous for breaking into arenas and stadiums have done. Now, it looks like they’re in some deep trouble.

LeBron James on his fourth-quarter run: It’s like a superpower

LeBron James was his vintage self when he led the Lakers back from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Clippers on Wednesday.

After the Los Angeles Lakers fell behind by 21 points early in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, LeBron James rescued them. He was having a solid game to that point, but he turned things up to 11.

He single-handedly outscored the Clippers 19-16 and hit five 3-pointers while dishing four assists in the period. It was enough for a 116-112 Lakers triumph over their soon-to-be ex-tenants at Crypto.com Arena.

James has had several big fourth-quarter performances this season, but this may have been his best.

Getting into the zone is a nearly transcendent mental state and experience for an athlete, and James described it as a superpower.

No matter where one thinks James ranks among the greatest NBA players, one has to marvel at the level he’s still able to play at, at least in spurts, in his 21st season.

It was an example of what late legendary University of California, Los Angeles head coach John Wooden called competitive greatness, which is being at one’s best when one’s best is needed.

In fact, this 21-point deficit was the largest fourth-quarter deficit a James-led team has overcome to achieve a victory.

However, it remains to be seen if he will play on Thursday when the Lakers host the struggling Washington Wizards, a team that has lost 12 games in a row.

NBA Twitter reacts to Lakers’ massive comeback win over the Clippers

Fans on Twitter were impressed with the Lakers’ LeBron James-fueled comeback win over the Clippers on Wednesday.

Early in the fourth quarter of their game versus the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers trailed by 21 points, and it looked like they were on their way to a brutal loss.

But at that point, they flipped the switch — or more accurately, LeBron James flipped the switch. He poured it on to the tune of 19 points and five 3-pointers in the final period to lead the Purple and Gold to a thrilling 116-112 victory.

It was a win they sorely needed: They had lost two of their previous three games and were falling behind in their quest to finish in the top six of the Western Conference.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans were amazed.