Tag: Luke Kennard

Former Duke basketball star Luke Kennard signs one-year deal with Memphis Grizzlies

Luke Kennard, the two-year Duke basketball star, returned to the Memphis Grizzlies with a one-year contract on Wednesday.

According to a Wednesday report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, former Duke basketball star Luke Kennard will return to the Memphis Grizzlies on a one-year deal.

Wojnarowski reported that the contract is worth $11 million.

Kennard, the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, has spent the past seven seasons with three NBA teams. He played for the Detroit Pistons, the team that drafted him, for three years before heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers traded him to Memphis midway through the 2022-23 season, where he has remained since.

The former Blue Devil has never made fewer than 39% of his 3-point attempts in a season, and he’s a career 43.9% sharpshooter from distance. He averaged a career-high 15.8 points per game in 2019-20, and he’s averaged double-digit points in three different campaigns.

He started 22 games for the Grizzlies last year, finishing with 11.0 points and 3.5 assists. He and former Duke teammate [autotag]Grayson Allen[/autotag], now a member of the Phoenix Suns, led the NBA in 3-point percentage.

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Kennard played for the Blue Devils from 2015-17. He averaged 11.8 points per game as a freshman but made only 32.0% of his 3-pointers and decided to return for his sophomore year. The decision paid off as his distance rate lept to 43.8%, and he scored 19.5 points and snagged 5.1 rebounds per game.

Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard end NBA season as the two best 3-point shooters

Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard, two of the best Blue Devils of the last decade, finished first and second in 3-point percentage for the 2023-24 NBA season.

The two best 3-point shooters during the 2023-24 season both played their college basketball in Durham.

Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard finished as the two most accurate 3-point shooters this past season.

Allen, who played for the Phoenix Suns, connected on 46.1% of his attempts. Kennard, a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, made 45.0% of his looks.

Both former Duke stars balanced their consistency with volume, too. Allen averaged 5.9 3-point attempts per game and Kennard averaged 6.1. Only two other players in the league finished above 43% while averaging at least five 3-point attempts per game.

Kennard played in only 39 games for the Grizzlies, but he averaged 25.6 minutes over those appearances. Allen averaged 33.5 minutes across 75 games for Phoenix.

The two played together at Cameron Indoor Stadium, too. Allen’s career started during the 2014-15 season before wrapping up as a senior in 2017-18. Kennard joined the program one year after Allen in 2015-16, but he left for the NBA after his sophomore year in 2017.

Allen’s Suns made the playoffs, but they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round.

Luke Kennard won’t play in Game 6 versus the Lakers

The Grizzlies will be without one of their most important bench players against the Lakers in Game 6 on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a virtual must-win Game 6 on Friday evening against the Memphis Grizzlies. They can advance to the next round with a victory.

They do not want to go back to Tennessee for a Game 7, where they would have to deal with the Grizzlies, who have the NBA’s best home record during the regular season, 35-6.

The Lakers failed to put the Grizzlies away on the road in Game 5, and one reason was the fact that reserve guard Luke Kennard sparked the Grizzlies by hitting 2-of-3 from 3-point range in 18 minutes off the bench.

But he suffered a left shoulder injury in that contest, and he will miss Friday’s game.

Kennard led the league in 3-point accuracy during the regular season at 49.4%, and he has hurt the Lakers in this series by making eight of his 16 attempts from that distance.

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Jabari Smith Jr. continues surge as Grizzlies blast Rockets with 151 points

#Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. (20 points, 8 rebounds) continued his strong month and shot very well, but it wasn’t nearly enough versus Luke Kennard and the red-hot Grizzlies.

Two nights earlier in the FedExForum, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets took the vaunted Memphis Grizzlies down to the wire in a closer-than-expected loss, 130-125. Friday’s rematch, however, was a much different story.

Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. (20 points, 8 rebounds) continued the strongest month of his career by making 9-of-16 shots (56.3%), including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%). But that wasn’t anywhere near enough in a 151-114 loss (box score). Off the bench, fellow rookie Tari Eason chipped in with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists on 9-of-13 shooting (69.2%), tying his career scoring high.

The Grizzlies sliced open Houston’s defense, repeatedly, shooting an astonishing 25-of-42 on 3-pointers (59.5%). Luke Kennard scored 30 points off the bench on 10-of-11 shooting from 3-point range (90.9%), while Desmond Bane added 25 points with five 3-pointers. Ja Morant had 18 points and 8 assists in just 19 minutes off the bench in his second game since returning from suspension.

For Kennard, it was the most 3-pointers made in a single game of his career, and it was the most by any player in Grizzlies history. Memphis’ 151 points was tied for the most allowed in Rockets history.

Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for Houston on 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%). Jalen Green added 13 points and 5 assists on 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%). Houston’s backcourt duo combined to make only 1-of-5 on 3-pointers (20%), representing an unusually low volume total, and that wasn’t nearly enough to keep up on a night where the Grizzlies were red hot throughout.

With the win, Memphis (46-27) retains its spot at No. 2 in the Western Conference standings. Houston (18-56) remains in last place and has lost four straight since its recent three-game winning streak.

Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews, and reaction by Houston’s fans and media members. Next up is a tough back-to-back on Sunday and Monday in Cleveland and New York, respectively, with tipoff of the opener versus the Cavaliers at 5 p.m. Central.

The entire basketball world paid homage to Coach K ahead of his final home game at Duke

Coach K has impacted basketball in an immeasurable way.

Mike Krzyzewski is so influential in basketball as a sport. It’s not limited to just one section.

It isn’t just the players he’s coached through the years — though, they’re showing up to his final game in droves. It’s not just the NBA players he’s coached through Team USA or the ones that have watched him from afar through the years. It’s not even just the coaches he’s gone up against.

It’s all of them. All of them combined.

He’s touched so many people through this sport of basketball that we all love. And for his final game, so many of them paid tribute to him in one way or another.

Here’s a look at some of the kind words from folks that have shown up through social media.

Clippers at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks (Feb. 27)

With playoff positioning on the line, Los Angeles (-6.5) is understandably a solid favorite on Sunday versus the rebuilding Rockets.

In the first of two straight games between the teams, the Houston Rockets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We have the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you need to make the best bets at Tipico Sportsbook.

The Rockets-Clippers game tips at 6 p.m. CST and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

The Clippers have won two straight games to claw back to .500, which gives them the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. One of those two wins was a blowout over the Rockets just prior to the All-Star break, in which Houston’s league-worst defense was torched by the elite 3-point shooting of Luke Kennard (25 points, 8-of-9 on 3-pointers).

Meanwhile, the Rockets have lost eight straight contests and own the worst record in the West. While their defense remains poor, one source of optimism at Toyota Center is rookie guard Jalen Green — who is having the best and most efficient month of his young career while displaying the talent that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

To win games, Green needs more help from his teammates, and one potential source could be big man Christian Wood. Despite shooting 37.1% on 3-pointers, Wood is somehow only making 59.7% of his free throws, and he connected on just 3-of-13 (23.1%) in Friday’s loss at Orlando. Those 10 misses exceeded the game’s final 8-point margin.

Clippers at Rockets: Sunday’s lineups, injury reports, broadcast and stream info

The Clippers are better than the Rockets and fighting for playoff positioning, but recent growth by Jalen Green gives Houston some hope entering Sunday’s game at Toyota Center.

In the first of two straight games between the teams, the Houston Rockets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. If you’re wondering how you can watch all the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Clippers have won two straight games to claw back to .500, which gives them the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. One of those two wins was a blowout over the Rockets just prior to the All-Star break, in which Houston’s league-worst defense was torched by the elite 3-point shooting of Luke Kennard (25 points, 8-of-9 on 3-pointers).

Meanwhile, the Rockets have lost eight straight contests and own the worst record in the West. While their defense remains poor, one source of optimism at Toyota Center is rookie guard Jalen Green — who is having the best and most efficient month of his young career while displaying the talent that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

To win games, Green needs more help from his teammates, and one potential source could be big man Christian Wood. Despite shooting 37.1% on 3-pointers, Wood is somehow only making 59.7% of his free throws, and he connected on just 3-of-13 (23.1%) in Friday’s loss at Orlando. Those 10 misses exceeded the game’s final 8-point margin.

Jalen Green stays hot, but Rockets outshot by Luke Kennard, Clippers

Rookie Jalen Green continued his run of strong efficiency in February, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Houston against Luke Kennard and the red-hot Clippers.

One night after a much stronger-than-expected performance in Phoenix, the young and road-weary Houston Rockets weren’t able to replicate that showing in Thursday’s 142-111 loss (box score) at Los Angeles. Luke Kennard scored 25 points off the bench and hit a stunning 8-of-9 from 3-point range (88.9%), which fueled an ambush by the Clippers.

The Clippers (30-31) enter the All-Star break at the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings and in position for a home game in the play-in tournament for the playoffs. The rebuilding Rockets (15-43), who were on night two of a back-to-back and a third road game in four nights, enter with seven straight losses and the West’s worst record.

Rookie guard Jalen Green continued his run of strong efficiency in February, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), including 5-of-10 on 3-pointers (50.0%). Second-year forward Jae’Sean Tate, who joins Green at Friday’s Rising Stars tournament for the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, added 19 points (70% FG) and 4 assists for Houston.

But they did not have nearly enough help or cumulative defense on a night when Clippers shot over 50% from the field and on 3-pointers.

Christian Wood returned to his usual spot as Houston’s starting center after a one-game illness absence and had 13 points (50.0% FG), 7 rebounds, and 2 steals in 25 minutes. He did not play in the fourth quarter due to the blowout. Kevin Porter Jr. missed a second straight game with his own illness, while veteran guard Eric Gordon sat out night two of a back-to-back for planned maintenance, as he has for most of this season.

Dennis Schroder (9 points, 9 assists) again started in place of Porter at point guard, while Garrison Mathews (8 points, 4 rebounds) took the starting wing spot that typically belongs to Gordon.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Clippers’ unreal 35-point comeback win

The best tweets from the LA Clippers’ 35-point comeback win in Washington.

The LA Clippers were down 66-31 with 01:20 left in the first half. And then in the second half. they pulled off a miracle with the biggest comeback in their team’s history.

With 10 seconds remaining, LA was down 115-109. But then, Luke Kennard happened. The 25-year old knocked down a deep three-pointer to make it a one-possession game, and in the following possession, he scored the game-tying three-pointer with a four-point play, which resulted in the game-winning free-throw.

Here are the best Twitter reactions to Luke Kennard’s game-winner and LA’s incredible comeback:

NBA Twitter reacts to Clippers’ unreal 35-point comeback win

The LA Clippers were down 66-31 with 1:20 left in the first half. And then in the second half. they pulled off a miracle with the biggest comeback in team’s history.

With 10 seconds remaining, LA was down 115-109. But then, Luke Kennard happened. The 25-year old guard knocked down a deep three-pointer to make it a one-possession game, and in the following possession, he scored the game-tying three-pointer in which he was fouled, which resulted in the game-winning free-throw.

Here are the best Twitter reactions to Kennard’s game-winner and LA’s incredible comeback: