Mac McClung defeated Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year.
Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung defeated Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year in Indianapolis, Indiana.
McClung and Brown advanced to the final round after out-dunking Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York Knicks rookie Jacob Toppin. He was awarded a perfect score of 50 by the judges in his second dunk of the final round to defeat Brown.
The defending champion brought out Shaquille O’Neal for his last dunk. McClung presented O’Neal with one of his high school jerseys, which fit the Hall of Famer perfectly, and then jumped over him, slamming the ball through the rim.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN 🤯
Mac McClung is the back-to-back #ATTSlamDunk champion ‼️
The competition featured several notable dunks and tributes. Jaquez paid homage to his Mexican heritage on one dunk, with an assist from the LED court, and Toppin wore the same shoes his brother, Obi, wore when he won the contest in 2022.
Brown honored former Kentucky guard Terrence Clarke, who died in a car accident in April 2021. The All-Star has honored Clarke in the past and donned his No. 5 Brewster Academy jersey with his first dunk of the final round.
The evening featured plenty of reaction from the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. The panel of judges, which featured Gary Payton and Dominique Wilkins, took some heat for seemingly grading too low on some dunks, which was noted by Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith on TNT.
Despite some low moments from the judges, the event produced several highlight-worthy jams that provided plenty of entertainment. Here are all of the dunk attempts from the four contestants.
Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges described what it was like for the Barclays Center crowd to cheer for the New York Knicks during a loss.
The Brooklyn Nets have not had a good season to this point as a 13-10 start has devolved into a 21-33 record heading into the All-Star break. While Brooklyn is just 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in tournament spot, this season has not been what everyone has expected.
Coming into the 2023-24 campaign, the Nets were expected to be one of the teams in the NBA with a losing record, but just narrowly missing the postseason. However, there were some outlets who predicted that the best case scenario for Brooklyn would be making the play-in tournament if they played above expectations.
With the Nets beginning the season at a 13-10 record, which had them on pace to win 46 games, it had appeared to everyone that Brooklyn was going to be better than originally thought. However, the bottom has fallen out for the Nets since then as they are just 8-23 from that point on due to a variety of issues throughout the organization.
One of the themes of this season following Brooklyn’s uninspiring performance heading into the All-Star break has been the growing presence of fans cheering for the visiting team instead of the Nets. Nets guard Mikal Bridges recently described on an episode of the “Roommates Show” podcast what it was like to hear the fans at Barclays Center cheering for the New York Knicks instead of the Nets:
“No, that wasn’t fun, you know? If we would have won, then I would’ve just been like aha, but, we lost so that wasn’t really fun. Especially, it was the play when y’all (the Knicks) got the block and then Julius (Randle) got the dunk. That’s when it really blew me. Just the reaction off the block was crazy.”
The Knicks are reportedly filing a protest with the NBA over Monday’s loss in Houston, though history suggests it’s unlikely to be upheld.
The New York Knicks are reportedly filing a protest with the NBA over Monday’s controversial last-second loss in Houston. However, history suggests that protest is very unlikely to be upheld.
The Knicks decided to file on Tuesday evening, highlighting the NBA’s last two minute report and game crew chief Ed Malloy’s acknowledgements that the foul call on Knicks guard Jalen Brunson against Houston’s Aaron Holiday inside the final second was incorrectly called, sources said.
Holiday made two free throws with less than a second left on the clock, and intentionally missed a third to run out the clock in the 105-103 victory. The Knicks and Rockets aren’t scheduled to play again this season, but the hope of the protest is to either pick up a tied game at the start of overtime, or somehow remedy the Knicks without a loss.
Nevertheless, a protest must prove the “misapplication” of a rule, not simply a missed call.
The Knicks have five days to provide evidence, and the commissioner’s office can take up to five more days to make a ruling.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, only one NBA protest has been upheld in more than 40 years, and it came under wildly different circumstances. Feigen explains:
Only six of 44 protests have been upheld in league history, with misapplication of rules usually the determining factor, rather than a missed judgment call. Only one team has won a protest since the 1982-83 season, with the Heat successfully arguing that Shaquille O’Neal was ruled to have fouled out of a Dec. 19, 2007, game when the stat crew in Atlanta incorrectly counted the number of fouls he had committed.
In the Knicks-Rockets case, another complicating factor is New York could have simply challenged the Brunson call and taken it to an immediate replay review had they a challenge available. However, head coach Tom Thibodeau unsuccessfully used his challenge earlier in the game. As Bobby Marks, ESPN’s NBA insider, notes, that remedy could make a successful protest even less likely.
Monday’s loss dropped New York to 33-21, while Holiday and the Rockets improved to 24-29 with the victory.
[lawrence-related id=120840,120797]
I don’t see New York winning this.
Opens up a slippery slope of teams protesting whenever a call is missed/made incorrectly at the end of games.
“Jalen [Brunson] just ran into my chest, and they called a foul,” Aaron Holiday says of Monday’s frantic closing sequence for the Rockets.
HOUSTON — Most fans who showed up to Monday’s matchup at Toyota Center between the Rockets and New York Knicks came to see an undersized, overachieving point guard put on a show. They witnessed that, but not from the player they expected.
New York’s Jalen Brunson has received widespread accolades from NBA analysts, including some who believe he has a shot of winning MVP this season. As such, many of the 16,790 fans in attendance were there to see him put on a show.
Yet, what they got was a star performance from Rockets reserve guard Aaron Holiday, whose energy off the bench helped Houston outduel New York in a 105-103 win.
“It was good to have a spark come in and get out in transition and make big shots, but also what he does on the defensive side of the ball, as well,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said of Holiday’s night.
Houston needed everything Holiday provided after blowing a 57-43 halftime lead during the third quarter. Its offense became predictable and stalled, which allowed New York to get back into the game. It held the Rockets to 17 points in the frame.
“It was good to have a spark come in and get out in transition and make big shots, but also what he does on the defensive side of the ball as well,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka about Aaron Holiday’s performance. #Rockets#Sarge#RocketsWirepic.twitter.com/zq1s32mGCT
Holding a 74-71 lead to begin the final period, Houston needed someone to help it regain control. That player was Holiday, who made a statement within 26 seconds.
Near half court, Holiday tipped a pass from rookie guard Amen Thompson to himself, gathered, and proceeded to drive the lane with force. Holiday went on to dunk over Bojan Bogdanovic and Josh Hart of the Knicks, with Brunson watching on the other end of the court.
After a play like that, the 6-foot-0 guard out of UCLA did what anyone of his stature would in that spot. He flexed for the crowd.
“I was just trying it to see what happens,” Holiday said postgame regarding his posterizing dunk.
That play seemed to get Holiday going while re-energizing the Rockets (24-29). In a span of just a few minutes, Holiday scored nine of Houston’s 11 points and assisted on the other two points, feeding teammate Jabari Smith Jr. for a dunk.
“That dunk was a big spark and energy boost,” Smith Jr. told Rockets Wire of Holiday, who scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. “Just his energy alone … gives us all energy. He does that a lot off the bench, and we needed it tonight, and that was really good for us.”
“I was just trying it to see what happens,” Holiday said about his posturizing dunk over New York Knicks players Bojan Bogdanovic and Josh Hart. *Listen to the end to hear what teammate Jalen Green added in to the answer* #Rockets#Sarge#RocketsWirepic.twitter.com/dkJsO8R9d5
Holiday’s fourth-quarter heroics were not done. In the closing stages, New York (33-21) climbed back into the game on the back of Brunson, who seemed to come to life in the second half after a disastrous first half (7 points).
With 8.3 seconds left, Brunson’s step-back jumper tied the game at 103. Houston called a timeout, looking to set up a play for either Alperen Sengun or Jalen Green to take the last shot to win the game.
As play resumed, Green was able to get the ball and drive to the basket before having his shot blocked by Precious Achiuwa. The deflection wound up in the hands of Holiday, who launched a desperation 3-point attempt over Brunson. After a controversial shooting foul call on the attempt, Holiday hit the first two free throws before intentionally missing the last one as time expired.
“I tried to get the ball and get a shot off,” Holiday said. “I saw him tip it, and it came close to me, so I just tried to get it and try and make a three. Jalen just ran into my chest, and they called a foul.”
After the game, crew chief Ed Malloy admitted the controversial foul called on Brunson was incorrect.
“After seeing it during the postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor,” Malloy said in a “pool report” interview with The Athletic. “Therefore, the contact which occurred after the ball’s release is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”
The incorrect call robbed the fans of seeing Holiday and Brunson continue to battle in an extra period. Still, the Rockets will gladly take the win to snap what had been a four-game losing streak.
Good Morning, Winners! Thanks so much for rocking with TMW today. We appreciate you. I hope you’re having a fantastic week so far.
You’re having a much better week than Ed Malloy’s officiating crew last night.
I’m sure you’ve seen it by now, but the officials in the Knicks-Rockets game essentially handed Houston a win. Aaron Holiday was rewarded with a phantom foul call on a late 3-point shot after Jalen Brunson gave a good closeout. He hits the free throws and the Knicks lose, to make a long story short.
“The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called,” Malloy told reporter Fred Katz, who got the pool report. But by then it was too late — the call was made and the game was over.
As our Prince Grimes writes here, it’s possible that the Knicks would’ve lost the game anyway. But that’s not the point here, he explains:
“Of course, it’s possible the Knicks would have still lost in overtime if no foul was called, but I’m sure they would have appreciated the opportunity to find out. Especially considering they came back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game.”
Making that call completely changed the outcome of the game right then and there. If the Knicks were to protest the loss, there’s likely nothing that would come from it. There’d still be another L on New York’s record and with how tight the standings are in the East, that could come back to haunt the team.
I’m not normally one to advocate for punishment in sports. It’s just sports at the end of the day. And, to be clear, officials are punished for making bad calls in the NBA at times. They get pulled off assignments and shifted around — but we rarely see it happen.
But this can’t just be a “my bad” situation — something should be done. Whether that’s the NBA suspending the crew or simply sitting the official who made the call down, I’m not sure. But something needs to be done.
It’s not going to take away from the Knicks’ loss here. But it’d at least ensure that there’d be some tightening up on the referee’s end from here on out.
I need the 49ers to learn how to lie. Because what’s happening right now is just embarrassing.
The team had no idea what the rules for overtime were in the playoffs. That’s embarrassing enough as is. We should probably just leave it there, right? Right? Wrong, apparently.
But now, Kyle Shanahan is telling people they chose to receive the coin toss because “we wanted the ball third.” THIRD? WHAT? EXCUSE ME? Charles Curtis has more here.
“The San Francisco 49ers head coach has addressed why he wanted his team to start overtime in the Super Bowl with the ball — his idea was, if they scored and the Kansas City Chiefs matched, the Niners would get the football in a sudden-death situation.
Now, that’s all fine and good in theory (if your team knows the new-ish playoff overtime rules, and some of his players admitted they didn’t). But the team that possess the ball second has some advantage — they know if they need a field goal to tie it back up or a touchdown to win. It’s four-down territory all the way, too, which means play calls can be more diverse.”
In theory, as Charles said, that makes sense. In practice? Whew, boy. The 49ers were cooked as soon as the game went into OT. That’s becoming abundantly clear. And that’s why folks are roasting Shanahan today.
It’s Victor Wembanyama’s world
(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
The rest of us are just living in it. The Raptors found that out the hard way on Monday night.
Triple-doubles with blocks are always impressive. But the way Big Vic did it was so destructively thorough. It’s no wonder Scottie Barnes left the court early. I might never pick up a ball again after seeing that.
Get this. Wemby put up 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks and five assists. He’s one of eight players in league history to have a 25-10-10-5 stat line but also the only one to do it in less than 30 minutes.
LESS THAN 30 MINUTES, Y’ALL. What’s your favorite show right now? Chances are a full episode probably ended before Wemby was done annihilating the Raptors.
We should’ve known what time it was when he showed up to the game like this.
In a postgame pool report, Monday’s NBA crew chief now says the late call that decided the Rockets-Knicks game in favor of Houston was a mistake.
In a postgame “pool report” interview with Fred Katz of The Athletic, Monday’s officiating crew chief said the late call that decided the Rockets-Knicks game in favor of Houston was a mistake.
“After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor,” NBA official (and crew chief) Ed Malloy said late Monday. “The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt, and should not have been called.”
With the game tied at 103 in the closing seconds, official Jacyn Goble whistled New York’s Jalen Brunson for making contact with Houston’s Aaron Holiday on a shot attempt with 0.3 seconds left.
Holiday made two free throws to win the game for Houston (24-29), sending the Knicks (33-21) to a third straight loss.
“In live action, it was felt that the lower body contact was illegal contact,” Malloy said in his postgame remarks.
Malloy, however, now says the call was in error.
Whatever the case, there is no recourse available for New York to challenge the result. The Knicks did not have a replay challenge left, since they had used one unsuccessfully on an earlier play.
[lawrence-related id=120797]
Jalen Brunson was called for a foul on this play 👀
Aaron Holiday scored 11 clutch fourth-quarter points versus the Knicks, including the winning free throws with 0.3 seconds left, as Houston ended its losing streak.
HOUSTON — In their penultimate game before the NBA’s 2024 All-Star break, the Rockets (24-29) snapped a four-game losing streak with Monday’s dramatic 105-103 home win (box score) over the Knicks (33-21). Aaron Holiday, who scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, hit two tiebreaking free throws with 0.3 seconds left after a controversial foul was called on New York’s Jalen Brunson.
Both teams were short-handed, with the Knicks missing Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Isaiah Hartenstein due to injury while Houston was without Fred VanVleet, Tari Eason, and Cam Whitmore.
Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points and 7 assists, though his tying jumper with 8.3 seconds left was offset by his foul of Holiday.
It was a balanced effort for the Rockets, who were led by the best 3-point shooting night of the season from Dillon Brooks.
In a game where the Rockets were out-rebounded by the larger Knicks, 51-39, the gritty defensive contributions by the likes of Holiday, Thompson, and Brooks were critical to Houston holding on.
Here’s our look at Monday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for the Rockets is Wednesday’s game at Memphis (18-35), where tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Central. That will be the final game before a hiatus of more than a week for the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Weekend.
Some of the most interesting names include Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Lowry.
NOTE: This story was originally published on Feb. 8 and was updated.
The 2024 NBA trade deadline has passed and hoops fans saw a splattering of deals that could potentially shake up the race for the title.
But it isn’t just trades that potentially could impact the championship odds. After the deadline, once the dust settles, several contenders around the NBA typically make moves to add free agents from the buyout market as well.
Even though buyouts are unlikely to make a dramatic change for teams with legitimate title aspirations, these moves around the edges are still fascinating to follow for those who follow the league most closely.
Due to the CBA, per Yossi Gozlan, players with salaries above the $12.5 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception cannot sign with teams above the first tax apron. Those teams are the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.
Players who meet those thresholds are mentioned below in italics. They are permitted to sign with any other team. All players must sign with a team by March 1 to become eligible to make postseason rosters.
Otherwise, let’s take a look at some of the most notable names to emerge:
After a winless road trip, the Rockets could get Alperen Sengun (lower back pain) back in the lineup when they host Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on Monday.
As their Western Conference play-in tournament odds continue to fade, the Rockets (23-29) may have finally found something of a silver lining. After a miserable, winless four-game road trip, Monday marks a return to Houston, where they are 18-9 this season. That’s a stunning discrepancy relative to their woeful 5-20 road record.
And after weeks of being short-handed due to widespread rotation injuries, the Rockets will face an opponent that isn’t close to full strength, either. As of Monday, the New York Knicks (33-20) are without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
On the other side, the Rockets could have more help on the way, since star center Alperen Sengun, who missed Saturday’s loss to Atlanta with lower back pain, was upgraded to questionable.
Unfortunately, Tari Eason, Fred VanVleet and Cam Whitmore remain sidelined. Houston is 11-19 without Eason and 0-5 in games without VanVleet during the 2023-24 NBA season.
The Knicks did well for themselves here by adding some veterans.
The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons were two of the busiest teams at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
New York moved on from Quentin Grimes and Evan Fournier, two players they were long rumored to have on the market, for immediate scoring help from Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic (who is averaging more than 20.0 points per game for the third time in the NBA).
Even though Grimes showed promise early in his NBA career, Burks and Bogdanovic are two veterans who can step on the court and help the Knicks contend in the Eastern Conference this season.
While more moves could come for both teams before the deadline, let’s get into these trade grades on this specific deal:
