Tag: NBA Playoffs

Brock Purdy not bothering his buddy Tyrese Haliburton during Pacers playoff run

Brock Purdy’s buddy Tyrese Haliburton is cooking in the NBA playoffs, but the 49ers QB isn’t hitting up his friend and fellow Iowa State alum any time soon.

The Indiana Pacers have made a somewhat surprising run to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals thanks in part to point guard Tyrese Haliburton who spearheaded an impressive Game 7 road win over the New York Knicks to punch their ticket to the conference finals.

Haliburton, an alum of Iowa State, is friends with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and has been openly supportive of San Francisco’s QB. While Purdy is rooting for Haliburton, he isn’t reaching out to his buddy during Indiana’s playoff run.

“No, I’m leaving him alone dude,” Purdy told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “He is balling. So letting him do his thing and definitely supporting him and I got his back. So really happy for him. I hope he goes all the way.”

While there have been some up-and-down play from Haliburton in the postseason he’s still averaging 18.8 points, 8.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three in 13 playoff games. He’s also registered a triple-double, two double-doubles and two 30-point games in his first playoff run.

If Purdy is waiting until after the playoffs to reach out to Haliburton, he may be waiting awhile. Should the Pacers go all the way as Purdy is hoping, they could be playing as late as June 23 when Game 7 of the NBA Finals is scheduled.

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Tyrese Haliburton nailed a breathtaking 3-pointer from the Celtics midcourt logo to tie up ECF Game 1 at half

TYRESE HALIBURTON

Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton made sure his team wasn’t going into halftime without a tied game on Tuesday night.

As Haliburton and the Pacers faced the Boston Celtics on the road in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Indiana trailed Boston 64-61 with just a few seconds to go until the halftime buzzer.

Haliburton decided to change that very quickly, as he launched a 3-point attempt from the midcourt Celtics logo and nailed the bucket to tie things up before the horn.

As far as logo 3-pointers go, this is just thrilling. If you’re a Pacers fan, this is the kind of hero ball you want from your best player in the NBA playoffs.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Charles Barkley officially brought his [expletive] to Minnesota after hilarious Anthony Edwards comments

Charles Barkley has made it to Minnesota after Anthony Edwards’ funny comment.

After a hysterical comment from Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, former NBA great-turned-broadcaster Charles Barkley actually made the trip to Minnesota.

Barkley was spotted in Minneapolis by a Twitter (X) user, as Edwards told him to “bring ya ass” to the state after Barkley claimed he’d not been there in 20 years (which was not accurate).

A comedian turned Edwards’ very funny quote into a URL that redirected to the Explore Minnesota tourism site, and Barkley has indirectly listened to Edwards to explore what Minnesota has to offer.

We say “indirectly” because Barkley will most likely be on-site with TNT for the first game of the Western Conference finals in Minneapolis on Wednesday night, making an in-person moment with Barkley and Edwards very possible.

So, while this is more of a work trip than one directly influenced by Edwards, it’s still a very fun coincidence.

This has been a very fun moment in this year’s NBA playoffs and a heck of a boost for Minnesota tourism.

Maybe more people will follow Barkley’s lead and visit the state for the first time in a while (or for the first time in general).

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Pixar shared the perfect movie scene to playfully roast the Knicks for losing in the NBA playoffs

Even Pixar is roasting the Knicks for losing in the NBA playoffs.

After the New York Knicks lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs on Sunday, Pixar brought back up a joke from its 2020 animated film Soul.

The joke involved the generational misfortunes of the Knicks franchise, which stems in the movie Soul from some meddling in the soul realm.

A Twitter (X) user brought up the joke as having “aged like fine wine,” with the animation house sharing in response, “We apologize to the Knicks for 22’s behavior last night.”

That’s actually pretty funny, unless you’re a Knicks fan. If you cheer for New York, you might decide to ignore Pixar movies for a while and watch something from DreamWorks Animation instead.

Shrek doesn’t make fun of the Knicks, after all.

 

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The best photos of former Duke basketball players in the 2024 NBA Playoffs

With four Duke players in the NBA’s conference finals, check out the best photos of the best Duke players in the league’s postseason.

The college basketball postseason ended last month, but there are more trophies to chase for the Duke program.

Four former Blue Devils advanced to the NBA’s Conference Finals, three of them playing consistent minutes. Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively of the Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota’s Wendell Moore Jr. each remain alive in the chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Tatum averaged a double-double in both of Boston’s five-game wins so far, with two 30-point games and a triple-double already in his postseason sample size. Irving had a 40-point game and two 30-point games against the Clippers in the opening round, and Lively put together two straight double-doubles and earned national praise to close out the second round.

They aren’t the only notable Duke alums from the postseason, however. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero excelled for the Magic as he helped force a Game 7 with Cleveland, setting a franchise record along the way.

Here are the best photos of the best Duke players in the NBA postseason.

Former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo eliminated from playoffs in Knicks’ loss vs. Pacers in Game 7

Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with a 39 point effort in Game 7 against the Pacers on Sunday.

In the second game of Sunday’s pair of Game 7s in the NBA, a former member of the Golden State Warriors was on the floor with a chance to punch a ticket to the Eastern Conference finals.

After the Indiana Pacers blasted the New York Knicks in Game 6 to force a Game 7, the series shifted back to Madison Square Garden for a win-or-go-home contest on Sunday.

With multiple players dealing with injuries, including All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo took over for the Knicks. The former Villanova standout notched a game-high 39 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor with a  red-hot nine-made 3-pointers. DiVincenzo added four rebounds, two steals and an assist in 41 minutes against the Pacers.

Despite DiVincenzo’s explosive performance, the short-handed Knicks couldn’t keep pace with the Pacers on Sunday in Game 7. All five members of Indiana’s starting lineup tallied 17 or more points. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting in Game 7.

Behind Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembard, the Pacers secured a spot in the Eastern Conference finals with a 130-109 win over the Knicks on Sunday. The Pacers will meet the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

DiVincenzo exploded in the postseason, scoring in double figures seven times, including two games with over 30 points. In his first regular-season with the Knicks, DiVincenzo averaged 15.5 points on 44.3% shooting from the field to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Former Duke basketball player Wendell Moore Jr. advances to Western Conference Finals

Former Duke Blue Devil Wendell Moore Jr. advanced to the Western Conference Finals with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Former Duke basketball star Wendell Moore advanced to the Western Conference Finals on Sunday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets, the reigning NBA champions, in a tiebreaking Game 7.

The Nuggets led by as many as 20 in the early third quarter, but Minnesota tracked them down for a 98-90 victory.

Moore has appeared in four playoff games thus far for the Timberwolves, playing 15 minutes and scoring two points on four shots. He put up two assists and pulled down a rebound during a blowout Game 6 victory.

The three-year Duke starter played 88 games in a Blue Devils uniform before he was selected in the 2022 NBA draft. He averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as a junior, all career-highs.

Fans remember Moore best for his game-winner against North Carolina on the road in Chapel Hill when he was just a freshman, snatching an errant shot attempt and tipping it in right before the buzzer.

Moore becomes the fourth former Duke player to advance along Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II of the Dallas Mavericks.

Jalen Brunson had a 1-word answer to sum up his feelings on the Knicks losing Game 7

Oof, poor Jalen Brunson.

It’s probably really hard to feel this way after losing a Game 7 at home, but this season legitimately was successful for the New York Knicks. They had their best regular-season record in a decade-plus. Perhaps more importantly, they were on the verge of an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals despite a rash of injuries to several key players up and down the roster.

Jalen Brunson was one of those hurt players. He suffered a fractured hand during the Knicks’ 130-109 Game 7 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. When asked if he thought the Knicks’ season was a success, given all the adversity they overcame, Brunson kept it simple.

He was (understandably) NOT happy:

Brunson would clarify his thoughts, centering them around the Knicks’ failure to win a championship. Again, I get it:

Unless you win the last game of the year, it’ll always be hard to reflect on a sports season as a success. But I have a feeling Brunson will eventually feel differently about this year for the Knicks. And he should.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets Game 7 odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets meet Sunday for Game 7 of their best-of-7 Western Conference, 2nd-round series. The series is tied 3-3. Tip-off from Ball Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

The Timberwolves won the first 2 games in Denver, putting the Nuggets into an 0-2 series hole. Things looked bleak for the defending champs, but they won both Games 3 and 4 in the Twin Cities, before posting a 112-97 win in Game 5 in Denver, pushing the Timberwolves to the brink of elimination.

In Game 6, it was all Minnesota, as the Timberwolves clobbered the Nuggets 115-70 in an elimination game, setting up the decisive Game 7 in the Mile High City. The win snapped a 3-game loss and non-cover streak for Minnesota, and it ended a 3-0 run to the Over, too. The 45-point loss was the worst in franchise history for Denver, and it came at an inopportune time.

Denver was held to just 30.2% (26 of 86) from the field, and just 19% (7 of 36) from behind the 3-point line, while Minnesota also had a dominant 62-to-43 advantage in rebounding.

Timberwolves at Nuggets odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:10 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Timberwolves +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Nuggets -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
  • Against the spread: Timberwolves +4.5 (-105) | Nuggets -4.5 (-115)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 198.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)

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Timberwolves at Nuggets key injuries

Timberwolves

  • G Mike Conley (Achilles) questionable

Nuggets

  • G Jamal Murray (elbow) questionable

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Timberwolves at Nuggets picks and predictions

Prediction

Nuggets 107, Timberwolves 101

Moneyline

The Nuggets (-200) are just a little too expensive on the moneyline, costing you 2 times your potential return.

This has been a topsy-turvy series, with the home team just 2-4 straight up and ATS in the first 6 games.

PASS.

Against the spread

The NUGGETS -4.5 (-115) are worth playing lightly in this decisive Game 7.

While Denver lost the first 2 games at home, it got the job done by 15 points on its home floor in Game 5, cashing a similar 4.5-point number as the favorite.

Look for the Nuggets to dig deep after the embarrassment of a franchise-record loss in Game 6, tapping into that championship experience of last season to scrape by a tough Timberwolves team.

Over/Under

OVER 198.5 (-105) is the best play on the board for this Game 7.

Yes, there will be some nerves, and we should see some decent defense at times. However, the Over is 3-1 in the past 4 games in this series, including Game 5 in Denver.

The winner of the past 4 games has scored at least 112 points, although the loser of the first 6 games has managed 99 or fewer points in 5 of the outings. Still, we should get at least 200 points in this Game 7.

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Dereck Lively shares message to late mother after advancing to Western Conference Finals

Just one month after losing his mother, former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively helped the Dallas Mavericks close out a playoff series. He shared a message for her afterwards.

Just one month after he lost his mother to cancer, former Blue Devil Dereck Lively earned the admiration of America with his 12-point, 15-rebound double-double to help the Dallas Mavericks clinch their second-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After a decade-long battle with cancer, Kathy Drysdale passed away on April 12. In a social media tribute after her death, Lively described her as his superhero.

“There is no one in this world that can love you more than your mother,” he wrote.

On Saturday night, Lively made five of his six shots from the floor and two of his three free-throw attempts during the victory. It was his second consecutive double-double, and he added a playoff-high three assists.

He earned a plus-minus of +26 during just 30 minutes on the floor, and the Mavericks won the game by a single point.

Shortly after the win, which advanced Dallas to the Western Conference Finals, Lively shared a short message on his Instagram.

“Love u momma. Miss u momma. Just sit back n watch,” Lively wrote.

Fans noticed Lively throw his arms to the sky and look up after the final buzzer, almost assuredly thinking of his mom as the victory sank in.

The Mavericks will play either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference championship series, and Lively is four wins away from his first trip to the NBA Finals.