Tag: NBA Playoffs

Paolo Banchero is acing every playoff test through six games

Former Duke star and No. 1 draft pick Paolo Banchero is playing his first playoff series, and he’s scored 20 points five times in six games.

Great players forge their mark during the regular season, but legacies are crafted in the postseason. Luckily for former Blue Devil Paolo Banchero, that latter part doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Banchero, who now plays for the Orlando Magic, scored a team-high 27 points on Thursday night as the Magic defeated Cleveland on their home court to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

The former Blue Devil, whom Orlando picked No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA draft, went 9/20 from the floor and 7/10 from the free-throw line for the game. He’s only six games into his playoff career, but Banchero is already stacking statement performances.

In Game 3, after back-to-back losses to open the series, Banchero offered up a 31-point, 14-rebound double-double for Orlando’s first win. In Game 5, despite the Magic losing by a single point, Banchero scored a playoff-career-high 39 points and shot 14/24 from the floor.

Across the first six games of his postseason career, Banchero is averaging 25.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. That’s the 14th-highest scoring average in the NBA playoffs this year, ahead of names like fellow Duke star Jayson Tatum (21.8), James Harden (21.2), Paul George (19.5), and Tyrese Haliburton (16.0). He’s shooting 47.9% from the floor and 38.2% from beyond the arc.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that Banchero is still just 21 years old. His 151 points through his first six career playoff games are a Magic franchise record, a team that saw the start of legends like Shaquille O’Neal, Dwight Howard, and Penny Hardaway.

It remains to be seen whether Banchero’s heroics can lift Orlando to the second round, but he’s flashing his potential as a future league-defining star.

Paolo Banchero puts up fifth 20-point playoff game to help Orlando force Game 7

Former Duke star Paolo Banchero scored 27 points, his fifth 20-point game of the series, to help the Orlando Magic force Game 7 against Cleveland.

Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic will live to fight another day.

Banchero, the former Duke star and the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, scored 27 points in Orlando’s 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game, the sixth edition of a best-of-seven series, forced a winner-take-all game in Cleveland on Sunday.

Orlando trailed 78-73 after three quarters, but the Magic outscored Cleveland by 12 points over the final 12 minutes for the win.

Banchero made nine of his 20 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and he went 7/10 from the free-throw line. His teammate Franz Wagner added 26 points to overcome a 50-point game from Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell.

The former Blue Devil set a franchise record with 151 points through his first six playoff games. Banchero has scored at least 20 points in five of Orlando’s six postseason battles thus far, including 31 points in Game 3 and 39 points in Game 5.

Banchero added eight rebounds and four assists in the comeback effort.

Photos of Notre Dame alumnus Pat Connaughton in 2024 NBA playoffs

The season is over for Planet Pat.

For the second straight season, the Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs. That means Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] will have to wait at least another year to see if he can repeat the championship glory he did with the Bucks in 2021.

During the Bucks’ six-game first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers, for which they were without the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Connaughton averaged 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game. His best contest came when the Bucks held off elimination in Game 5, the second of two straight games missed by Damian Lillard. Connaughton had nine points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in over 31 minutes.

Connaughton is signed with the Bucks for next season and has a player option for the season after. He’ll hope his play in 2024-25 will be enough to have that option picked up. In the meantime, here are some photos from his play during his brief playoff stay this year:

Bucks’ Pat Connaughton Seemingly Unfazed by Patrick Beverley Drama

It all came undone for the Bucks Thursday night

The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers last night in the first round NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs.  As things were spiraling on the scoreboard for the Bucks, they took an even worse turn on the bench.

Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley was clearly disturbed by the happenings of the game as I’m sure the home crowd Pacers fans were letting him hear it.  He decided to whip a basketball into the stands at a group of fans while having to be restrained by teammates.

A short video of the clip is posted below.  In it be sure to watch former Notre Dame star Pat Connaughton who seemingly could not have cared less about any of the happenings around him.

Connaughton looks like he’d make a spokesman for Southwest Airlines in their next “Want to Get Away?” commercial series.

For what it’s worth, Connaughton averaged 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over the six-game series.

[lawrence-related id=84627]

Patrick Beverley refused to be interviewed by an ESPN producer because she wasn’t a podcast subscriber

This is peak unhinged behavior.

The Milwaukee Bucks are down bad. Not only did they lose a series to the Indiana Pacers they absolutely should have won, but Patrick Beverley refused to engage with a producer because she wasn’t subscribed to his podcast.

The Bucks are probably feeling a lot right now after a disappointing season. Veteran Patrick Beverley’s frustration about Milwuakee’s situation possibly bubbled over Thursday when he threw a basketball at a fan. Things only got more unhinged postgame in an exchange with ESPN producer Malinda Adams, during which he refused to speak with her or allow her to be in his media scrum.

In a newly released clip, Beverley asks Adams if she is subscribed to his podcast. When she explains that she is not, he refuses to be interviewed by her. He takes it a step further by pushing Adams’ microphone away and eventually asking her to step aside and not be in the interview area. (See the clip below and the 44-second mark of the YouTube video.)

According to CBS’ Jack Maloney, this isn’t a standalone incident. Beverley has also done this with other media members.

Knicks vs. Sixers: Former Warrior Kelly Oubre Jr. eliminated with loss in Game 6

Oubre Jr. tallied 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field during the Sixers’ Game 6 loss to the Knicks.

Shortly after Kevin Durant’s season came to an end with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, another former member of the Golden State Warriors has been eliminated from the postseason.

With another heroic performance from Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs, while ending the Philadelphia 76ers’ run in six games.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is the latest former member of the Warriors to hit the offseason early. The former Warrior-turned-76ers wing tallied 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist in 43 minutes. Oubre Jr. also knocked down a trip of 3-pointers against the Knicks on Thursday night. Oubre Jr. trailed only Buddy Hield in the +/- category with +8.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

In six games against the Knicks, Oubre Jr. averaged 13.1 points in round one of the postseason.

Yet, the Knicks still had no answer for Brunson. The Villanova product posted 41 points on 13-of-27 shooting from the floor to go along with 12 assists and three rebounds in 44 minutes. Brunson tallied 39 or more points in four straight games for the Knicks.

The Knicks will move on to face the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.

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

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

A seemingly frustrated Patrick Beverley chucked a basketball at a Pacers fan in altercation

This is not a good look for Patrick Beverley.

Emotions looked to have gotten the best of Minnesota Bucks guard Patrick Beverley during Thursday night’s first-round road Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers.

With the Bucks down 10 points with about two-and-a-half minutes to go in the game, the game broadcast shows Beverley chuck a basketball at a Pacers fan in the stands, seemingly in frustration.

While we’re not sure exactly what prompted Beverley to engage with a fan in such a forceful way, there is no world where the league doesn’t respond swifty to one of its players seemingly getting aggressive with a spectator.

Additional context will be key to understanding what exactly we’re watching, but the optics aren’t great for Beverley and Milwaukee in the slightest.

Of course, it’s also possible the fan in question might also suffer some sort of consequence if they provoked Beverley in a way that violates spectator conduct policies.

The Bucks’ season ended with a 120-98 loss in Game 6 and a 4-2 series loss overall, so any possible response against Beverley from the league will likely impact the start to next season.

For now, we’ll have to see exactly what caused this and what the league decides to do about it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]

Jalen Williams explains why he wears customized Thunder shirts in pregame warmups

Jalen Williams explains why he wears customized Thunder shirts in pregame warmups.

Over the last few months, Jalen Williams has occasionally ditched the traditional Oklahoma City Thunder warmup gear for more creative clothing choices.

The 23-year-old has started to warm up for games by sporting customized Thunder shirts, usually made by fans. It’s another example of a long list where the second-year wing has endeared himself to the Thunder fan base.

The shirts usually feature a teammate or Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. He talked about the decision to wear the shirts during pregame warmups, saying it’s a way to support both his teammates and fans who send him gear.

“I just think it’s cool. A lot of people send stuff to my P.O. Box, so I’ve gotten shirts like that that I still haven’t worn yet but it’s more just showing love to the team,” Williams said. “I think I wore Josh, I wore like the SLAM tee of Chet, I wore our SLAM tee where it’s like the group cover. Just trying to show love to some of the guys. I think it’s just a good thing to do. But it’s always gonna be Thunder-related too.”

Williams has turned into a fan favorite both on and off the court. On it, he’s OKC’s second-best scorer and has developed into one of the best young wings in the league with All-Star potential.

Off it, Williams’ fun personality and frequent social media interactions have made him relatable to the average fan. He’s a huge believer in making each game a special experience for fans since they don’t know the personal struggles someone might go through.

This mentality is universal among the Thunder. General manager Sam Presti has played a role in that. He has shown the squad what it takes for the average family to attend a Thunder game, a tactic to humanize a sea of millions.

“It kinda gets lost that people are looking up to us. … You never know who’s watching or whose lives you can affect,” Williams said. “Especially here where people do a lot for us to be able to play. … You never know who’s watching or what kids are trying to look up to you.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers Game 6 odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Thursday’s New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers meet for Game 6 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference, 1st-round series Thursday. With a 3-2 lead, the Knicks hope to finish off the 76ers and avoid a Game 7 Saturday in New York. Thursday’s tip-off from Wells Fargo Center is set for 9 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Knicks vs. 76ers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

The Knicks seemingly had Tuesday’s Game 5 locked up, about to advance to the 2nd round, as they led by 6 points with just 25 seconds left. That’s when Philly G Tyrese Maxey decided to take over and the 76ers eventually won 112-106 in overtime as 4-point road underdogs — the Over (204) cashed.

Maxey went all Reggie Miller on the Knicks, dropping in 7 points in the final 25 seconds of regulation to force overtime. Philly then outscored New York 15-9 in the extra session to stave off elimination and force the series back to the City of Brotherly Love for Thursday’s tilt.

Philadelphia C Joel Embiid, playing with a debilitating migraine headache and a nicked-up knee, fought through and ended up with an impressive triple-double, going for 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists with 4 blocked shots.

The heroics of Embiid and Maxey buried another solid performance by Knicks G Jalen Brunson, who ended up with 40 points, including 4 triples, while adding 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

Knicks at 76ers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:36 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Knicks +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | 76ers -150 (bet $150 to win $100)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Knicks +3.5 (-115) | 76ers -3.5 (-105)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 201.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]

Knicks at 76ers key injuries

Knicks

  • F Bojan Bogdanovic (foot, wrist) out
  • F Julius Randle (shoulder) out
  • C Mitchell Robinson (ankle) questionable

76ers

  • C Joel Embiid (knee) questionable

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Knicks at 76ers picks and predictions

Prediction

76ers 107, Knicks 101

Moneyline

The 76ers (-150) are worth a look as the moderate favorite for Game 6 if you’re a little more on the conservative side and don’t want to lay the points with the spread.

Philadelphia is brimming with confidence after a giant comeback in Game 5 at MSG. This is a team basically playing with house money as it was all but eliminated until Maxey decided otherwise.

Philly should be loose, relaxed and pumped up by its home crowd, while the Knicks (+125) will either come out on a mission or will be tight and out of sync after fumbling away what would have been the series clincher.

The good news for New York if it loses is, at least, it gets a decisive Game 7 on its home floor.

PASS.

Against the spread

The 76ERS -3.5 (-105) are a strong play laying the little bit of points.

The Knicks would be a much better play if they didn’t just come off an emotional freefall in Game 5. That will be a tough loss to immediately come back from, especially since F Julius Randle is long gone to a shoulder injury, and now F Bojan Bogdanovic is done for the season with foot and wrist injuries.

This New York team is doing it with a 7-man rotation which features G’s Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride, F OG Anunoby and C’s Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson.

I’d rather take the side with Embiid and Maxey.

Over/Under

OVER 201.5 (-110) is the play, even though we saw a total of just 189 points in Game 4, the last time these teams played at Wells Fargo Center.

The Over is 3-2 in this series.

With Embiid and Maxey playing with a lot of confidence after torching the New York defense in Game 5, OVER 201.5 (-110) is the way to go here.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

Access more NBA coverage:
HoopsHype | Bulls Wire | Celtics Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Spurs Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | LeBron Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]

The start time for 76ers-Knicks’ Game 6 has hoops fans livid with the NBA schedulers

*yells at the sky incoherently*

After 76ers star Tyrese Maxey nearly stunned the entire basketball world with a shot for the ages to win Game 5 against the Knicks, fans are being “rewarded” with a wild start time for Game 6. That decision has so many people questioning why a must-see game would start so late and has them dropping a ton of relatable sleep jokes.

Look, I love basketball a lot. There have been plenty of times when I’ve stayed up to all kinds of unholy hours watching some incredible game that I simply can’t turn off. But at some point, my shut-down mode kicks in, and that wonderful game will be watching me.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels that way because there are a whole lot of hoops fans who are beside themselves about Game 6 between the Sixers and the Knicks starting at 9 p.m. ET.

The start time is inspiring some incredible tweets and jokes. Please look at this mastery from X (formerly Twitter):

(Warning: NSFW language.)