Tag: NBA Playoffs 2022

Ja Morant sank a ridiculous half court shot vs. the Warriors and the NBA world was mystified

Everything looks so easy for Morant.

The Warriors and Grizzlies are combining for some excellent basketball to start their second-round series. In a way, despite playing against each other, they’ve joined forces.

One of the brighter spots has been how Ja Morant has played — he’s probably been the coolest part of the series thus far. Morant was essentially unstoppable with 47 points in a thriller Game 2 win.

Morant had another incredible moment for Memphis (who entered as +6.5 underdogs) with the two teams taking their matchup to the Bay Area on Saturday night.

At the end of the first half, the Warriors took a breath with a 10-point lead. It was then that Morant took the opening and drained a half-court shot like it was nothing.

We are truly watching a young star wow us in a new way every night.

Whatever happens to the Grizzlies through the rest of this series — who wound up losing Game 3 to the Warriors 142-112 — they’ll never seem out of it. As long as they have Morant striking at every opportunity, you can’t count them out.

And you just know whatever he has up his sleeve, it’s always coming.

Morant’s half-court shot had the NBA world in awe:

Giannis Antetokounmpo broke out the shimmy as the Bucks danced all over the Celtics

Shake your groove thing, Giannis!

Thus far in their official title defense, the Bucks have passed every test.

After warming up with the Bulls, Milwaukee and the humble Giannis Antetokounmpo turned their attention to the upstart Celtics. It’d be dicey, but even without the services of Khris Middleton, Milwaukee seemed ready for the challenge.

Entering Game 3, in the Bucks’ (-2.5 favorites coming in) raucous home digs, the defending champs seemed beyond loose and relaxed. Why, it’s almost as if they wanted to dance after they took what feels like a commanding 2-1 series lead over Jayton Tatum and Co.

Oh, actually, that’s precisely what Antetokounmpo did while the Bucks continued to hum along — He danced for the camera:

I guess that’s how you shake it when you casually drop 42 points, 12 boards, and eight assists in a playoff game. The Greek superstar is a natural on the dance floor, and the court.

Boston made a late run to make it interesting, but it was too little too late in an eventual groovy 103-101 Bucks win.

NBA fans were similarly entranced by Antetokounmpo’s slick moves:

NBA fans were ecstatic to see a masked Joel Embiid again

Everyone cared who Embiid was before and after he put on the mask.

Joel Embiid’s one of the best players in the NBA. So whenever he misses time because of an injury — like an orbital fracture suffered against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs — his absence is felt immensely.

With the 76ers losing both initial games of their second-round series against the Heat, it was obvious they missed the big man. Without his perennial MVP-like prowess, Philadelphia was without a paddle. And don’t be mistaken: Embiid knew that, too.

To potentially save the 76ers’ season (who entered as +1.5 underdogs before Game 3) it was time to pull out all the stops.

It was time to … put on THE MASK.

While Embiid is wearing that mask for safety reasons so he can play, it doesn’t make him look any less cool.

NBA fans on Twitter hoping the superstar would don THE MASK agreed with both the style choice and his courage.

Heat’s Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker jokingly argued over sufficient birthday cake on flight to Philly

This is what a team in happy cruise control looks like.

The Heat have had a lovely start to the 2022 NBA playoffs for the most part.

As the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, Miami has lost just one game between a first-round series with the Hawks and a second-round series with the 76ers. With that kind of ongoing marvelous success, it’d be understandable if they wanted to take a step back, celebrate, and gorge themselves on some delicious, I don’t know, cake?

That’s precisely what Miami did.

With P.J. Tucker’s birthday the same day as the Heat’s flight to Philadelphia for Game 3, the squad decided to surprise the veteran with a customary little song, and some cake.

Somebody clearly forgot to tell Jimmy Butler about the surprise, who apparently didn’t get a cake from his teammates for his birthday.

Jimmy, relax! I’m sure they appreciate you, and there’s plenty of cake for everyone, man! I doubt P.J. kept that all to himself (though I definitely wouldn’t blame him if he did).

The little party is an excellent glimpse into the obvious chemistry of one of the NBA’s best teams. The Heat are a tight-knit group who complement one another in wonderful basketball ways. It’s easy to see why they’re already two games from the Conference Finals despite playing just seven games. You can’t mess with the flow they have going.

On Friday night, the Heat (-3.5 favorites) will seek a commanding 3-0 series lead over the 76ers. Given their laid-back, can-do attitude, something tells me they might get it.

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Luka Doncic put the Suns’ Cam Johnson in a blender, and NBA fans were mesmerized

Doncic is one cold-blooded man.

At only 23-years-old, Luka Doncic is already one of the best players in the NBA. The Mavericks superstar makes a habit of putting on a show and humiliating defenders simultaneously on a nightly basis.

On Wednesday night, Dallas’s Game 2 matchup against the Suns (-6 favorites) was no different. With the Mavericks looking to even the series up at one game apiece, they needed their cornerstone in Doncic to make some magic happen.

And boy did he ever deliver the goods.

With the Suns out to an early 26-18 first-quarter lead, Doncic decided to try and spark his teammates with a slick spin cycle move — at the unfortunate expense of Phoenix’s Cam Johnson.

Wow. I honestly lost count of how many times Doncic changes direction. He put Johnson on skates and showed him no mercy.

NBA fans were similarly in awe over the skillful dribble display over social media.

NBA officials hilariously confirmed they do, in fact, actually know Jack Harlow

Even Scott Foster knows who Jack Harlow is! Who doesn’t?

During the NBA Playoffs, celebrities coming out to shine is part of the spectacle. The Celtics’ game against the Bucks on Sunday afternoon was no exception, with Boston diehard fan Jack Harlow in attendance.

You know, the very same 24-year-old American rapper that hails from Louisville, Kentucky, Jack Harlow? Full name Jackman Thomas Harlow? Signed to Don Cannon and DJ Drama’s record label Generation Now? Years active 2011-Present?

Yeah, yeah, I know you and I definitely know who Jack Harlow is. Who wouldn’t! But it appeared that the NBA officials working the game — Scott Foster and Ed Malloy — were not familiar with the famous American rapper that everyone is aware of.

Harlow, of course, took exception to Foster and Malloy’s nonchalance at his guest appearance. He’s famous American rapper Jack Harlow. Come on!

Foster, Malloy, and the greater NBA referee community put this issue to bed from their representative Twitter account a few days later.

They confirmed they are, indeed, aware of famous American rapper Jack Harlow’s existence:

Hysterical. Who could forget such classic hits!

One thing’s for sure: Foster and Malloy might like Harlow to attend another game to apologize, and he no longer has a gripe with them.

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A look at the history the Raptors are up against with their 3-0 comeback attempt against the 76ers

The Raptors are trying to join a pretty exclusive club across sports

The Toronto Raptors are trying to make a little bit of NBA history by becoming the first team in the league to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. A game 6 win tonight would go a long way for them.

But there’s so much history available to us that says this just will not happen. We’ve seen this so many times.

Teams have taken a 3-0 lead 145 times in the history of the NBA, per Land of Basketball. Obviously, those teams have gone on to win the series each and every time. Only 3 of those games have made it to a Game 7.

So, clearly, the Raptors are facing an uphill battle. But, the thing is, a 3-0 comeback is bound to happen at some point.

If the Raptors were to pull that off, they’d be the 6th team in the history of the major North American sports leagues

Charles Barkley compared Giannis Antetokounmpo to Tim Duncan: ‘The most humble, quiet superstar I’ve ever been around’

Chuck couldn’t pay Giannis a better compliment.

Before Wednesday night, there were few things Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo hadn’t accomplished as a basketball player.

  • A Defensive Player of the Year? Check
  • A six-time All-Star? Check
  • A two-time MVP? Check
  • An NBA champion? Check

But one curious mark was missing: The Charles Barkley seal of approval. Known for his passionate takes on the NBA world, Barkley usually reserves strong words of praise for a player until he’s seen a considerable sample size.

It appears he’s finally seen enough with “The Greek Freek.” In the pregame of Bucks-Bulls on Inside the NBA, Barkley had perhaps the best and most apt comparison for the Bucks’ talisman:

Spurs Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.

“There is no drama, he’s just a great person, and a great player,” Barkley said of Antetokounmpo. “He just comes to work and wants to play basketball. You’ve got to admire that.”

Well said, Chuck. There are no lies about Antetokounmpo detected and what an awesome player like Duncan to compare him to.

In on-court matters, Antetokounmpo (33 points) and Milwaukee (-12.5 favorites) went on to dispatch the Bulls, 116-100, to win their first-round series, four games to one. If things keep proceeding as is, Barkley might have even nicer words to say about Antetokounmpo by the end of these playoffs.

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4 stats that show the Bucks used the Bulls as a warm-up in their title defense

Giannis and friends looked like a title team in every way vs. Chicago.

It’s not a surprise the Bucks beat the Bulls.

With a 116-100 on Wednesday night, the defending champs — led by reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo — have made the second round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season. In their first-ever playoff experience under Billy Donovan, the Bulls are likely still years away.

But to dispatch Chicago, four games to one in a best-of-seven series — with three of those wins decided by at least 16 points — is something else. It’s almost as if the Bucks used the Bulls for a warmup.

Milwaukee’s first-round beatdown is even more impressive with a closer look. Let’s run through a few key stats that illustrate why Antetokounmpo and the Bucks look primed for a repeat.

Vince Carter had a heartfelt message for the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes after he won Rookie of the Year

Vince and Scottie together, generations apart.

It seems all the Raptors do is churn out Rookie of the Year winners.

First, there was Damon Stoudamire, who captured the illustrious award as an NBA freshman in 1996. Then, in 1999, after a dazzling career with North Carolina, Vince Carter took home top rookie honors.

Over two decades after Stoudamire and Carter’s awards, Scottie Barnes is the latest entry into this very specific, niche Toronto lore — He is the official 2021-2022 NBA Rookie of the Year.

I mean, there has to be something special in that Eastern Ontario air, right? Something that makes young, green players extremely comfortable in their new digs? It’s the only explanation.

The honor is well-earned for Barnes, who had a rookie campaign to remember. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 Draft brought Toronto a deft scoring touch (15.1 points per game) and stellar defensive instincts.

Barnes was a major reason the Raptors surprised many folks around the league this year. That 48-win season and the fifth seed in the East playoffs doesn’t happen without the services of the wiry 20-year-old small forward.

A clear basketball historian and Raptors appreciator, Carter shared the coolest message for Barnes after his accomplishment — which the team played for the rookie during a recent practice:

Man, that pride in Carter’s voice as he calls Barnes “my fellow Florida boy” is something else.

I don’t know how Barnes held in his inner basketball fan and didn’t erupt with joy over simply seeing Carter, but maybe that’s why he’s the top rookie. He knows when to pick his spots.

As an additional present for Barnes, he finally got to experience a home playoff win. His Raptors managed to stave off elimination from the playoffs with a 110-102 over the 76ers in Toronto on Saturday. They are down 3-1 in the first-round series.

Perhaps, if all goes well in the coming days, Barnes can spur a comeback for the ages. In that case, it definitely wouldn’t only be Carter and the Raptors expressing their pride for the tremendous rookie.

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