Tag: Markieff Morris

Former Thunder Al Horford, Celtics can’t sweep in 122-84 Game 4 loss to Mavericks

Former Thunder Al Horford, Celtics can’t sweep in 122-84 Game 4 loss to Mavericks.

The Boston Celtics will have to wait a few more days to potentially celebrate their 18th championship as a 122-84 Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks eliminates a sweep in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Boston now only holds a 3-1 series lead following the 38-point loss. It won the first three contests to build an insurmountable 3-0 advantage.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder saw their season end in the second round against the Mavericks, that doesn’t mean they have no representation at the sport’s biggest stage. The Thunder have three former players spread across both squads.

Al Horford had the starting nod and finished with three points, three rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes before being pulled in the third quarter for the final time.

Svi Mykhailiuk had three points on 1-of-7 shooting and one rebounds in 10 minutes. Markieff Morris had three points on 1-of-5 shooting and four rebounds in 12 minutes.

The Celtics will get a chance for the gentlemen’s sweep at Boston on Monday, June 17.

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Markieff Morris says Nets would’ve won 2021 title if Kyrie Irving was healthy

Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris says that the Brooklyn Nets would have won the 2020-21 NBA title if Kyrie Irving was healthy.

The Brooklyn Nets are likely one of the few teams that NBA fans think about when it comes to the thought of what could have been. For example, during the 2020-21 season, Brooklyn was considered one of the contenders for the championship with the pairing of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving until things went awry.

“If (Milwaukee Bucks superstar) Giannis (Antetokounmpo) ain’t put his foot under [Irving], they would’ve had a championship,” Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris said of the Nets during their second-round playoffs series against the Bucks, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. The play that Morris, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the team, is referring to happened in Game 3 of the series when Irving went up for a layup only to land on the foot of Milwaukee’s Antetokounmpo.

Brooklyn was leading the series 2-0 heading into the game and the Nets were hanging with the Bucks in Game 3 until things changed with Irving’s injury. Brooklyn still took Milwaukee to seven games in the series, but lost Game 7 in overtime despite the fact that Durant hit a clutch shot with seconds remaining to force the game into overtime while infamously having a foot on the three-point line.

“Milwaukee would still be without a championship,” Morris explained. “I know so. They were going to get swept. They know that. You can ask anybody on their team.” Jeff Teague, a member of the Bucks that year, later admitted on a podcast in the beginning of May that if Irving did not get hurt that the Nets would have won that series.

While every postseason in the NBA comes down to unpredictable aspects such as injury luck, it’s clear that Brooklyn’s biggest what-if moment was what that series could have been if Irving did not hurt his ankle. That was the last that Nets fans knew of a title-contending team as Harden was traded at the following season’s trade deadline and Irving and Durant were traded away the season after that.

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Markieff Morris explains why Kyrie Irving ultimately left the Nets

Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris explains why Kyrie Irving ultimately decided to leave the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season.

One of the main topics that is still discussed amongst those in the Brooklyn Nets fanbase is the downfall of the big 3 after just a few years of title contention for the franchise. One of the events that has been talked about plenty is Kyrie Irving requesting a trade from Brooklyn during a 2022-23 season where he and Kevin Durant was still good enough to compete for a title.

“It was time for his (Irving’s) contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Dallas Mavericks forward Markieff Morris said of his teammate, Irving, in an interview with Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. With Irving in the final year of his contract, he tried to negotiate a contract extension with the Nets during the first half of the season to no avail.

“I think Kyrie was averaging about 27 [points] at the time. I think we won 18 out of 20 and all of a sudden the business got involved. That’s how it goes sometimes. A guy of Kyrie’s stature, I wouldn’t be standing for that either. Get me up out of there,” Morris said.

Based on reports at the time, it was clear that Irving and the Nets wanted to continue their partnership as part of the reason that Irving was even in Brooklyn was to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for the Nets. To keep a long story short, due to the fact that Irving had some controversial moments with the franchise along with some availability issues, the two sides were unable to come to a middle ground on a contract.

After Brooklyn and Irving came to an impasse, Irving requested a trade with the threat of sitting out for the rest of the season if he wasn’t traded by the deadline. Irving was ultimately traded to the Mavericks where he is now competing for a title against the Boston Celtics.

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Markieff Morris on how the 2020 Lakers wanted to win the NBA title for Kobe Bryant

Markieff Morris says that after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, the Lakers were locked in and very confident about winning the 2020 NBA title.

Despite trading for Anthony Davis during the summer of 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers were being counted out heading into the 2019-20 season as far as being legitimate championship contenders.

They lost on opening night to the Los Angeles Clippers, who were considered the overwhelming favorites to win it all. But from that point on, they established themselves as the best basketball team around, and they went on to win the NBA title in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble.

One piece of motivation they had was the tragic death of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in January 2020. Forward Markieff Morris talked about how Bryant’s passing made the team feel like it needed to get the job done, and how confident everyone was going into the playoffs while on the “All The Smoke” podcast.

“Before we went in the bubble, we knew we was going to win,” said Morris. “We were so locked in. The [expletive] happened with Kobe was like, ‘We got to get it done for him.’ We was one of the teams that was pushing more for the bubble because we knew we had the best chance of winning, and we knew no matter what or who stepped on the court with us, we was going to win.”

Morris also said that LeBron James set the tone for everyone.

“That’s the most locked in I’ve ever been on basketball. … That LeBron [James] effect is a real thing. He’s gonna up your play or you not gonna play with him. One or the other. And I think for me, I’m a high IQ basketball player, so it was easy for me to mix with him and that’s why I shot 40%.”

The Lakers picked up Morris, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward, in late February to beef up their frontcourt. He gave them some solid defense while hitting 42.0% of his 3-point attempts in the playoffs, and he had a few games where he became white-hot from downtown.

While some may attack the legitimacy of that 2020 championship, no Lakers fan will ever forget the journey that led to it.

Player grades: Kyrie Irving scores 30 in deceptive 117-112 loss to the Suns

Here are your Nets player grades after Thursday’s loss.

The Brooklyn Nets strolled into the Footprint Center on Thursday to face the Phoenix Suns for the first of two matchups this season and lost 117-112. Phoenix leads the regular-season series 1-0.

For the Nets, Kyrie Irving had 30 points and seven assists while Nic Claxton had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Joe Harris and Seth Curry had 16 points each.

For the Suns, Mikal Bridges had 28 points and nine assists while Deandre Ayton had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Cameron Johnson had 19 points off the bench after missing two months with his knee injury and Damion Lee had 16 points.

This game was close in the first quarter as neither team played much defense, but the game turned into a blowout between the second and third quarters. Phoenix out-rebounded Brooklyn 49-34 as the Suns absolutely crushed the Nets on the glass. Ben Simmons was ejected in the third quarter after being called out for an illegal screen and was tossed after mouthing off to the ref.

Things turn on its head in the fourth quarter when Irving scored 21 points in the period to bring Brooklyn within single digits. In the end, it was too little too late as the Suns made free-throws to seal the game and escape with a win.

Here are your Nets player grades:

Jeremy Sochan hilariously describes himself as ‘cheeky’ after altercation with Markieff Morris

The Spurs rookie used a “wrestling move” on Morris.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, and they got plenty of help from 19-year-old forward Jeremy Sochan in the process.

You may know Sochan as the Spurs rookie with the colorful hair who is shooting one-handed free-throws like Dennis Rodman, but he is so much more than that. Sochan is shooting with increased confidence of late, and he showed as much in San Antonio’s upset victory over Brooklyn.

During the first half, Nets veteran Markieff Morris said Sochan made a 3-pointer and then pointed at the Brooklyn forward. The two players were then seen “jawing at each other” before becoming entangled with one another after Morris set a hard screen.

They then briefly squared up before the parties were separated. Morris said Sochan used a “wrestling move” on him to flip him and he thought that it was impressive.

Sochan said that “being a little cheeky” is something that he loves to do. Before the 2022 NBA Draft, Sochan told For The Win that he wants to get players off rhythm, and it seems he did as much with Morris.

“I’m trying to be that disruptive player like Draymond Green, Patrick Beverley, and Jae Crowder. They all have one thing in common and it’s being irritating. Being long and athletic and disruptive, that’s what I try to show in my game and my defense. It helps to get some players off rhythm. I just try to execute that as well.”

After the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked if he liked Sochan’s feistiness. Popovich said Sochan has some “nastiness” in him, which he said is necessary for a good team.

Sochan finished the game against Brooklyn with an impressive stat line of 16 points (2-3 3P), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

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Player grades: TJ Warren scores 19 as depleted Nets lose to Spurs 106-98

Here are your Nets player grades for Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs.

The Brooklyn Nets visited AT&T Center on Tuesday to take on the San Antonio Spurs and lost 106-98. This was the second and final game between the two teams this regular-season and the teams split the series 1-1.

For the Nets, TJ Warren had 19 points and five rebounds off the bench while Seth Curry had 16 points and seven rebounds. Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas had 15 points each.

For the Spurs, Keldon Johnson had 36 points and 11 rebounds while Jeremy Sochan had 16 points and four rebounds. Tre jones had 13 points and Jakob Poeltl had 12.

In a game where Kyrie Irving was a late scratch due to right calf soreness, the Nets had quite the trouble generating good offense. Despite the Spurs having the worst defensive rating in the league, Brooklyn was unable to score on a consistent basis.

Brooklyn got scoring from some unanticipated sources like Thomas, but they did not have an answer for Johnson. Turnovers (21) were an issue as well as it looks like the team doesn’t have much to fall back on without Durant and Irving.

Here are your Nets player grades:

Player grades: Seth Curry scores 23 in Nets’ demoralizing 112-102 loss to the Thunder

Here are your Nets player grades for Sunday’s 112-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Barclays Center on Sunday and lost 112-102. This is the first of two meetings between the teams this regular-season. Oklahoma now leads the series 1-0.

For the Nets, Seth Curry had 23 points off the bench and Nic Claxton had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks. Royce O’Neale had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists while Kyrie Irving had 15 points.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and seven rebounds while Josh Giddey had 28 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Lu Dort had 22 points and Isaiah Joe had nine points off the bench.

In almost a repeat of the loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, the Nets were competitive for the first three quarters and was up by 10 points at one point. There were too many times where Brooklyn forgot to cover someone, whether at the three-point line or at the rim, and it doomed them in the end.

As has been the case throughout this season, Brooklyn had trouble limiting dribble penetration. Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey were able to get to the rim at will and even with Claxton having four blocks, the Nets struggled to defend the paint. Nets guard Ben Simmons was a late scratch for this game due to back soreness.

Here are your Nets player grades:

Player grades: Kevin Durant swishes 23 as Nets steamroll Warriors 143-113

Nets take care of business against the Warriors

The Brooklyn Nets welcomed the short-handed Golden State Warriors to Barclays Center on Wednesday and won 143-133. The Nets are now on a seven-game winning streak and have won 11 of their past 12 games.

For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 23 points and seven rebounds while Edmond Sumner had 16 points and two assists off the bench. Royce O’Neale had 14 points and Patty Mills had 13 points off the pine.

For the Warriors, James Wiseman had 30 points and six rebounds while Moses Moody had 17 points and three assists. Patrick Baldwin Jr. had 17 points as a reserve and Ty Jerome had 14 points.

This game became lopsided very fast as the Nets were on fire from the field. It was clear that the Warriors were beat up as they did not have the services of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, or Andrew Wiggins. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving was a late scratch because of tightness in his right calf, but it looked like the Nets didn’t need his services to win this game.

The Warriors did a good job of out-rebounding the Nets and did not have the worst game offensively, but it was clear that they did not have the firepower to keep up with the Nets. Brooklyn found itself getting wide open shots on virtually every possession as it looks like the Warriors were tired and wanted to just go home.

Here are your Nets player grades:

Player grades: Kevin Durant drops 30 as Nets beat Wizards 112-100

Here are the Nets’ player grades for Monday’s win.

The Brooklyn Nets paid a visit to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Monday and came away with a convincing 112-100 victory. The Nets now lead the regular-season series 3-0.

For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 30 points and nine rebounds while Kyrie Irving had 24 points and five assists. TJ Warren had 12 points off the bench and Joe Harris had 11 points.

For the Wizards, Will Barton had 22 points and seven assists off the bench while Kyle Kuzma had 20 points and seven rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points and three rebounds (before leaving the game with back tightness) and Jordan Goodwin had 11 points.

This was a convincing win for the Nets as they led for much of the game behind the play of Durant and Irving. Nic Claxton got into foul trouble in the first half trying to guard Porzingis and with Claxton out of the game, the Wizards were able to attack the rim with good success. The Nets lost the rebounding battle to the Wizards 44-41 and that’s what kept Washington in the game for as long as they did.

Brooklyn added seven blocks to their resume as the best shot-blocking team in the NBA and that was surprising given that Claxton did not play his usual minutes because of foul trouble. The Nets took advantage of scoring in transition and trying to score in the paint whenever possible.

Here are your Nets’ player grades: