The Timberwolves were down bad on Thursday night. How down bad? Ask Ernie Johnson.
The Minnesota Timberwolves laid an egg during the first half of Game 5 for the 2024 Western conference finals on Thursday night, and it stunned Inside the NBA commentator Ernie Johnson to the point of actually swearing.
It was a very PG potty word for the typically mild-mannered Johnson, who said that the Dallas Mavericks “opened up a serious can here at Target Center” on Minnesota during the first two quarters.
When fellow Inside the NBA commentator Kenny Smith pressed Johnson to explain what he meant, he delivered the line of the night.
“Can of whoop ass,” Johnson retorted. “69-40. Man alive.”
That is absolutely priceless for Johnson and absolutely brutal for the Timberwolves. It takes a lot to get Johnson to say a bad word on camera.
"They have opened up a serious can here at Target Center." – Ernie Johnson
Dereck Lively, who took a knee to the head last weekend, said he avoided the worst-case scenario, but his status for Thursday’s Game 5 remains questionable.
However, a knee to the back of the head in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals kept him out of Tuesday’s game, and WFAA’s Zachary Yanes wrote on Thursday that the 7-footer’s status for Game 5 remains uncertain.
Lively, who said he was worried the contact would result in a concussion, provided a positive update for his overall health hours ahead of the game.
“I’m here, 20-20 vision, I’m able to speak, I’m able to remember,” Lively said.
However, the former Blue Devil added that his neck locked up after the incident and, while he didn’t call it pain, he said he remained uncomfortable.
“Just trying to be able to just be more cautious of my body,” Lively said. “Trying to figure out what I can and can’t do, just testing it out.”
Lively said time will tell if he can play in Thursday’s game. The Mavericks lead Minnesota 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, so a win would send Dallas to the NBA Finals against Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.
On Memorial Day, the unfortunate news came that UCLA legend Bill Walton had passed away. On that same night, the Boston Celtics hoisted the Eastern Conference Finals trophy by completing a sweep over the Indiana Pacers.
The basketball community, including legends like Dick Vitale, Paul Pierce, Karrem Abdu-Jabbar and others, mourned the loss of a legendary player and broadcaster, and an unbelievable person.
Prior to the Celtics-Pacers game on Monday and the Mavs-Timberwolves game on Tuesday, both arenas held a moment of silence in a touching tribute to Walton.
A moment of silence to honor the great Bill Walton before Pacers and Celtics game four tonight. My brother and I always loved listening to Bill call games. Great insight, great stories, always funny. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/fqgMmiiehx
Walton’s personality was contagious to so many, both on the court and off the court, and he has left a lasting impact on so many current and former NBA players.
Hats off to an absolute legend in Bill Walton, who will be remembered forever by so many.
The Dallas Mavericks weren’t about to let forward Maxi Kleber miss out on a huddle during Game 4 of the Western conference finals on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In an absolutely priceless clip, Mavericks starters like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. got briefly exacerbated with Kleber to the point where they all had to frustratingly corral him into a huddle during a game break.
When you’re playing at home and a game away from the NBA finals, you’ve got to make sure you’re brisk when it comes to huddling together with your teammates to strategize when you get a moment.
Kleber seemed to be a bit behind the ball here, and his Dallas teammates just weren’t having it. We’re not sure what he was doing before this, but we’re pretty sure he got the message.
The Boston Celtics will soon play in their second NBA Finals in three seasons. But before they start even thinking about competing for a championship, it’s worth revisiting Jaylen Brown’s terrific performance in an Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Indiana Pacers.
The small forward was named MVP of the series for averaging 29.8 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game while also shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
When asked about his immediate reaction to winning East Finals MVP, Brown was rather frank. He couldn’t believe he actually won it because he simply, well, never wins “[expletive].”
(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)
âI wasnât expecting it at all. I never win sât.â đ
Brown might be referring to his snub from this year’s All-NBA teams. Because even while he said he didn’t care, it clearly motivated his recent performance in the third round of the playoffs.
Well, Brown can add this series MVP to his personal trophy case for all his troubles.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers on Monday night to cement a series sweep and reach their second NBA Finals in three years
For the second time in his career (and in the last three seasons), former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] helped lead the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals.
The Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 105-102 on Monday night, Boston’s fourth straight victory to cement a series sweep in the Eastern Conference finals. Tatum scored 26 points in the deciding fourth game, making 11 of his 26 shots from the field and three 3-pointers while adding 13 rebounds and eight assists.
The former Blue Devil and the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft finished with 30.3 points per game in the series after he scored 36 points in Game 1 and Game 3. The Celtics won the opening game of the series in a miraculous comeback after Tatum scored 10 points during overtime.
Last week, the NBA announced that Tatum made his third straight All-NBA First Team after he finished the regular season with 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while leading the Celtics to the best record in the NBA. The 26-year-old is the only Duke alum with multiple First Team selections.
TATUM AND THE CELTICS ARE BACK IN THE NBA FINALS âď¸
Analyzing Sunday’s Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks meet Sunday for Game 3 of their best-of-7 Western Conference Finals series, which the Mavericks lead 2-0. Tip-off from American Airlines Center is set for 8 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Timberwolves vs. Mavericks odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Timberwolves have dug themselves into an 2-0 hole, losing both games on their home floor. The Mavericks took the series opener 108-105 as 5-point underdogs, and took Game 2 as 6-point dogs 109-108 when superstar G Luka Doncic sank a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left.
The Mavs erased an 18-point deficit in Game 2, and Doncic was a huge part. He ended up with 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Dallas was able to complete its 3rd-biggest playoff comeback with his assistance.
The Timberwolves are still alive, barely, but they have dropped 5 of the past 7 games, while going just 2-5 against the spread (ATS) in that span. The Over is on a 5-2 roll for the Wolves.
The MAVERICKS (-140) are worth playing straight up if you’re a little more on the conservative side, but wish to bet this game. It’s a big price to pay compared to playing the spread where Dallas needs to win by 3 points or more. But if you don’t want to fiddle around with the points, have at it as the Mavs play their 1st game at home in this series.
It’s a little concerning to see Doncic carrying a questionable tag into Game 3, but there is little worry that the Dallas superstar won’t be able to go.
Back DALLAS -2.5 (-110) at home and feel confident in doing so as Dallas looks to build a commanding 3-0 series lead, pushing the young Timberwolves to the brink of elimination.
OVER 207.5 (-110) is a strong play in Game 3 in the Metroplex.
These teams haven’t had end-to-end action, putting up giant scores so far in this series, but the Over has inched across the finish line in each of the first 2 battles in the Twin Cities. There is no reason to believe that suddenly the defenses will take over and slow things down as the series shifts to the southwest.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
The NBA season is winding down, which can be a drag for bettors. However, you can still enjoy playing slots, blackjack, video poker and more atreal-money online casinos all summer.
âPlayoffs gonna be crackinâ with Houston in it next year,â Jalen Green posted to Instagram to kick off Memorial Day weekend.
With third-year guard (and one-time Western Conference Player of the Week) Jalen Green taking on a starring role, the Houston Rockets had an 11-game winning streak during a 13-2 month of March.
At one point, the streaking Rockets came within a half-game of the Golden State Warriors for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament to qualify for the 2023-24 playoffs.
Though Houston (41-41) couldnât finish the job, they did post a 19-game improvement relative to the previous season, which was the most of any NBA team. With that in mind, in the 2024-25 season, Green and the Rockets are looking to kick in that postseason door.
In an Instagram story, Green posted on Friday:
Playoffs gonna be crackinâ with Houston in it next year
At a high level, the goal of 2023-24 for the Rockets was to get back to relevance, and they generally achieved that. For 2024-25, it seems theyâre not shy on stating a higher goal.
As for Green, heâs eligible for a contract extension this offseason, though it could benefit the Rockets to delay those talks until 2025. More success at a team level would only help his cause.
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes
Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve got a great weekend ahead of you. Those Memorial Day cookouts are about to be popping!
Hopefully, we get some good playoff basketball to go along with that in these Conference Finals. That might be tough in the Eastern Conference, though.
That’s the same hamstring he injured in January in January against the Celtics. It’s been plaguing throughout the season. For it to pop up again now, at the worst possible time, is just awful luck.
That’s generally how it’s been going in the Eastern Conference, though. Six of the eight teams in the playoffs have seen key players either miss time in the postseason with injuries or be severely hampered by them.
New York Knicks:Â Jalen Brunson (fractured hand), OG Anunoby (strained hamstring), Mitchell Robinson (Stress fracture)
Philadelphia 76ers:Â Â Joel Embiid (knee soreness)
Miami Heat:Â Jimmy Butler (MCL Sprain)
Obviously, health isn’t a factor anyone can control. It’s always a big part of the conversation in the playoffs â the teams that can stay the healthiest are the ones that usually make the deepest runs. That’s why it’s not shocking to see Boston, Minnesota and Dallas playing as well as they are right now.
But, man. What happened to the East this year is just plain weird. Hopefully, we’ll have better luck next year.
How is Lonzo Ball walking?!?
Injured Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball sits on the bench during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at United Center on Jan. 13, 2023.
I’ve been wondering what’s going on with Lonzo Ball for a while now.
It’s been two full NBA seasons since we last saw him on a basketball court. Obviously, his knee injury is the reason why. But I’ve always wondered just how the injury got so bad that it required him to rehab for this long.Â
Well, folks. Now we know.
Ball gave us the nitty gritty on his knee injury on his new “What an Experience” podcast with his friend, DMo. And, well, yeah, I get it now, Zo.
âTo make a long story short, ultimately, it started with a meniscus tear. It basically started with the Lakers when I tore it the first time. Tore it a couple more times to a point to where there was no more meniscus left. Bone on bone was rubbing. So the cartilage was gone and the bone was messed up. So I had to get new meniscus from a donor, I had to get a bone allograft and I had to get some new cartilage put in as well. All that healed up and now Iâm back on the court.âÂ
Fam. It sounds like the doctors essentially rebuilt Ball’s knee. That’s rough. That’s why he’s been out for so long. All of that is going to take a while to recover from.
I hope we get to see Ball on a basketball court soon. But, more than that, I hope his knee is good after all that. Sheesh.
Lively spent his one season with the Blue Devils during Scheyer’s debut season in 2022, and Travis Branham’s piece detailed that he worked closely with coach and former player Amile Jefferson. Scheyer praised his consistency and accountability as he pursued improvement.
“We had multiple meetings where he just doubled down on what he needed to do, and he didn’t make any excuses,” Scheyer said. “That’s what you love about him, and that’s why he got better.”
Lively ended his freshman season averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
“He was the most impactful defensive player in the country by the end of the season,” Scheyer said.
The Mavericks won the first game of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night, and Lively contributed 11 rebounds and nine points to the win. In his last three playoff games, the former Blue Devil is averaging 10.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks.
