Tag: Western Conference

On This Day: Thunder made first Western Conference Finals in 2011 since relocation

The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first of four WCF appearances in a six-year span by winning a Game 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

On this day in 2011, the Oklahoma City Thunder made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals since relocating in 2008 by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-90, in a Game 7 second-round matchup between the fourth seed and eighth seed

The Thunder would lose to the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in five games, thus concluding just their second playoff appearance since moving to Oklahoma City with a deep and surprising run by the young core.

During their 2011 playoff run, the Thunder were led by Kevin Durant in scoring and on the boards with 28.6 points and 8.2 rebounds and Russell Westbrook in facilitating with 6.4 assists.

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Dunks for Humanity: The Suns’ biggest threat in the Western Conference is …

Who can stop the Suns in the West? We’ll find out.

The Phoenix Suns are the best team in the NBA by far right now and it’s not even close at this point — quite literally. They’re a full 8.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for first in the Western Conference.

They’re a well-oiled machine with very obvious plans of winning a championship this year. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans — they’re made to get ruined.

So who could possibly get in the Suns’ way this season in the West? It might be Memphis. Despite all their injury woes, it might be Golden State. It’s a very long, long shot, but it could be the Clippers if Kawhi Leonard comes back healthy.

Watch above, as the Dunks for Humanity crew debates who could possibly take down the NBA’s newest juggernaut and you don’t want to miss this.

Especially not Evan Thorpe’s rant. Definitely watch that part.

Stephen Curry’s foot injury is the latest blow to the Warriors’ quest back to the top

The Warriors just can’t get healthy.

Just when the Golden State Warriors appeared to be getting healthy with the return of Draymond Green, they’ll be without another one of their stars for the foreseeable future.

Stephen Curry is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his left foot, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports. X-rays were negative, showing no fracture or major damage. So while a timetable on his return is yet to be announced, it’s more likely a matter of when and not if.

Curry’s injury occurred just two games into the return of Green, as the trio that includes Klay Thompson has rarely seen the floor together in the last three years. Even if Curry does returns in time for the playoffs, his absence deals a slight blow to their battle for seeding.

Entering Thursday, Golden State is a game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the Western Conference and 3 1/2 games ahead of the Utah Jazz with 12 games remaining. If the playoffs started today, the second place team would play either the Los Angeles Lakers or New Orleans Pelicans. The third and fourth place teams would have significantly tougher challenges against the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks, respectively.

The Warriors will especially want to avoid those matchups if Curry isn’t back in time for the first round. They still hold the second-best odds to win the Western Conference at +250 and NBA title at +480 on Tipico Sportsbook, but an extended absence would complicate their chances. The Warriors are 2-4 this season without Curry and 4-11 the last two years.

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Rockets rookie Jalen Green learns valuable lesson in loss to Clippers

Rockets rookie Jalen Green said postgame that he sees mid-range shots as crucial to his growth: “Once I get the in-between game, I think it will take my game to a whole other level.”

The Houston Rockets have learned to celebrate victories within the game during the 2021-22 NBA season. With a 15-46 record and a current 10-game losing streak, head coach Stephen Silas takes advantage of teaching his young core ways to be more effective during each game.

In Tuesday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, coach Silas decided to let his superstar rookie, Jalen Green, play the last seven-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, even though the Rockets were down by 16 points and with a game coming up against visiting Utah on Wednesday.

“He’s going to be very good,” Silas said postgame. “He struggled there for a minute, so it was good for him to come back.”

Green, 20, was inefficient on offense for the first three quarters of the game, hitting only 4-of-12 shots (33.3%). The Clippers were executing the game plan they had devised from the previous two games by keeping him out of the paint and forcing him to take long 3-point shots.

That strategy worked well until Green checked back into the game midway through the fourth quarter. After a discussion with his coaches, Green used his remaining time to find more effective ways to combat the Clippers’ strategy and used the mid-range shot to his advantage. He finished the quarter with 12 points, shooting 5-of-9 (55.6%).

“I need to start getting more comfortable (with mid-range),” Green said. “I’m working on that right now, still trying to get it down. The Clippers played me the whole time trying to get me to that in-between game.”

“I got to know when to take those shots,” he added. “I don’t really take a lot of mid-range shots. Once I get the in-between game, I think it will take my game to a whole other level.”

Silas agrees with his rookie when it comes to elevating his game:

We talk about a lot as far as taking what the defense gives us. The mid-range was there a little bit more tonight than usual. I talk to him about giving it up and getting it back. He did some of that tonight, as well. He’s learning. He’s definitely learning.

Houston plays its final game of a three-game homestand tonight against the Jazz (38-22), who are seeded No. 4 in the Western Conference.

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The Suns, Monty Williams are scorching the NBA on a path of redemption

You don’t want to look directly into these Suns, you could hurt your eyes.

One of the most challenging tasks in sports is to pick yourself up off the mat after a devastating championship defeat. In a moment where you gave it your all, where the peak of your professional sphere was within grasp, you fell short. Any ensuing effort, by comparison, doesn’t feel worth the trouble anymore. Why try? Failure will be inevitable and only heartbreaking again. It’s here, in this mental space, where many runner-ups suffer letdowns or hangovers. They’re not as stellar, not as hungry, not as healthy, or all three, and they don’t meet expectations. They don’t even come close to the bar.

That is decidedly not a problem for this year’s Suns.

We’re nearing the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, a natural break in the action, and the Suns are an astonishing 41-10. They’ve won 11 of their last 12 games in the approximate last month, including victories over other heavyweights like the Jazz (twice) and Nets. This sort of dominance, of course, comes after they lost one of the more exciting but exhaustive NBA Finals in recent memory to the Bucks last June.

How did they do it? How did they not let past failure dictate their present, the way any excellent self-help book tells you to avoid such a prospect?

In four words: Head coach Monty Williams.

In his fourth season at the helm in Phoenix, the 50-year-old Williams continues to push all the right buttons. Usually, two Coach of the Month honors in a season that is only three months old would be enough to demonstrate his uncanny ability to push his team. But you can’t help but be impressed that this rampage comes after such a Finals defeat. The easy decision for Williams and the Suns would have been to pack it in, to let last year be their defining moment. But they didn’t. He didn’t let them.

The Suns may have a loaded roster featuring Devin Booker (a 2022 All-Star), Chris Paul (also a 2022 All-Star), and DeAndre Ayton, among others, along with a deep bench led by Cameron Johnson and Bismack Biyombo. Yet it takes a unique, honed-in leader to maximize and develop such a group. Williams is one of those rare leaders. At this moment, Tipico Sportsbook has Williams at -130 to win his first-ever NBA Coach of the Year award. Those odds feel exceptionally safe in his hands.

Try and say this isn’t a guy beloved by his players. You’d be a heinous liar.

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t detail what the Suns did well amongst their peers. Where, oh where, to start:

  • Third in offensive efficiency, second in defensive efficiency
  • Third in scoring (113 points per game), seventh in defensive points allowed (102.5 per game)
  • First in team shooting (47.8 percent), third in opponent shooting percentage (44 percent)
  • Fourth in team three-point shooting (36.6 percent), fourth in opponent three-point shooting (33.3)
  • Fifth in assists (26.4 per game)
  • Sixth in steals (8.6 per game)

The Suns will again be a favorite to win the Western Conference and get Chris Paul his first championship. Tipico currently has Phoenix as (+260, second only to the Warriors) to win the West and (+550, third-best overall) to win the NBA title. They are the Red Giant ready to swallow up the NBA’s solar system once it expands its girth.

More than ever, it’s evident Williams has his Suns prepared to avenge their Finals defeat and nab the golden crown they believe they deserve. Stand in their way, and you might get burned.

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NBA GM’s in annual survey predict Lakers to win Western Conference

The 2021-22 NBA GM survey is out, and the Los Angeles Lakers have the top spot in the Western Conference, as voted by the front offices.

The Los Angeles Lakers have 11 new faces on the roster going into next season, and that doesn’t include the two-way players and training camp deals.

After last season’s disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Lakers recognized the roster needed serious revamping to contend the following year.

L.A. acquired Russell Westbrook in its biggest transaction over the summer. Talen Horton-Tucker re-signed on a lucrative three-year deal worth over $30 million, and Kendrick Nunn signed for the full taxpayer MLE.

Then, L.A. used the veteran minimum to pick up players like Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Rajon Rondo and Kent Bazemore.

Adding these players alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis has general managers around the league impressed. In the 2021-22 NBA GM survey, general managers voted the Lakers as the team to win the Western Conference.

The Lakers received 80% of the first-place votes, 7% of second place, zero for third and 4% for fourth. In total, 34% of the votes went to L.A., which topped the 26% of votes accumulated by the Utah Jazz, which finished second.

Last season, the Lakers got 86% of the first-place votes and were picked to win it all, but injuries to key players derailed those chances.

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This shocking stat proves the Nets are a legitimate threat to win the NBA Finals

Man, they’re so good.

Ever since James Harden joined the team and the Nets have gotten the big 3 they envisioned at the beginning of the year, things have been up and down.

Their trio of stars have only played seven of a possible 17 games together. They also haven’t really figured this defense thing out, either. Despite all of that, though, they’ve proven themselves to be a legitimate title contender.

They’ve been straight up dominating Western Conference teams. Their win against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday — without both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — showcased that dominance again.

The Nets were down by as many as 24 points and came roaring back behind 38 points from James Harden, who hit a 3-pointer with just under 30 seconds left in the game to give the Nets their first and final lead.

The Nets are now a cool 8-3 against the Western Conference this season. Not only that, but they’re also 6-0 against the West’s playoff teams this year, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.

They’ve got impressive wins over the Warriors, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets and , now, the Suns. They’ve still got a lot to prove as a team, but one thing is clear. Against the best of the best in the NBA they’ve proven to be dominant.

They’ll have to prove it again in a few days with their first matchup against the Lakers. That’s going to be fun.

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Draymond Green reacts to Jamal Murray’s performance in Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 3

Following Jamal Murray’s double-double in game three of the Nuggets-Lakers series, Draymond Green chimed in with a reaction on Twitter.

During the Golden State Warriors offseason, Draymond Green is weighing in on the playoff action inside the Orlando Bubble.

Throughout the playoffs at Disney World, the former Defensive Player of the Year has served as an analyst on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Green has provided commentary and breakdowns for the Orlando Bubble edition of the playoffs. When he’s not in front of the camera, Green has shared his insight on social media.

During game three of the Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, the three-time All-Star reacted to Jamal Murray’s performance.

Via @Money23Green on Twitter;

The Kentucky product tallied 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field with 12 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in 44 minutes. Murray showed off his range, splashing a dagger 3-pointer to give Denver a 12 point advantage with just under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

Via @SportsCenter on Twitter:

Watch highlights from Murray’s thrilling effort in game three via @HilltopNBA on Twitter:

Nikola Jokic backed up Murray’s near triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Jerami Grant added 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field with three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. Twenty or more points from a trio of Nuggets helped seal Denver’s first win of the Western Conference Finals, 114-106.

MVP Runner up LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Coming off a heroic game-winner in game two, Anthony Davis added 27 points and two rebounds against Jokic and the Nuggets in game three.

Murray and the Nuggets will lace up against the Lakers for game four on Thursday at 6 P.M. PT.

Jay Williams: Rockets should want to play Lakers over Clippers

The former NBA player makes his case for why the Lakers are a better second-round matchup for the Rockets, as compared to the Clippers.

The 2020 NBA playoffs at the league’s “bubble” complex near Orlando won’t have fans, so the usual perk of home-court advantage for higher seeds won’t be applicable to this year’s postseason.

But the final regular-season records, which will be set after eight “seeding” games in Florida, will still be quite meaningful. That’s because those records will set the brackets for the upcoming playoffs.

The Houston Rockets (40-24) are currently tied for the West’s No. 5 spot and can mathematically finish anywhere between No. 2 and No. 7 in the tightly packed standings. While their final placement will determine their first-round opponent, the bigger priority could be subsequent rounds.

Among expected contenders, one big consideration is which Los Angeles team that Houston prefers to have on its side of the West bracket and potentially face in the second round, should they advance.

On paper, the No. 1 Lakers (49-14) have been superior to the No. 2 Clippers (44-20) this season. But while the sample is small, it’s worth noting that the small-ball Rockets had more success against the former.

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On Feb. 6, the Rockets beat LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Lakers by double digits at Staples Center in a game where Russell Westbrook scored 41 points. Then, about one month later on March 5, the Rockets were crushed by Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers in Houston.

The sample is limited. But based on what we know now, the Rockets had an easier time matching up with the larger Lakers and spacing the floor against their traditional big men. By contrast, the collective length and defensive versatility of the Clippers caused problems in March.

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In a Monday appearance on ESPN, former NBA player and current analyst Jay Williams seemed to agree with that assessment. He said:

If I’m Houston, I am trying to mirror and be in that bracket with the Lakers. I’m trying to be in that 4-5 range so I can be partnered with them, because I think that is the matchup they want to see in the Western Conference semifinals.

I don’t think they want to see the Clippers until the Finals because of their wings and the way they can match up. But a bigger Lakers team, where you can involve them in a ton of PnR (pick and roll), and James Harden and Russell Westbrook get hot? That could be the matchup that you’re looking for.

The Lakers will also be without veteran defensive ace Avery Bradley as an option to defend Harden and Westbrook. Bradley said last week that he is opting out of the NBA’s restart, citing family concerns.

The Rockets and Lakers, who have split their two meetings so far this season, will play once more in the regular season on August 6. That could give Houston one more chance to see how that matchup plays out before the playoffs, and whether the trends from the February game continue.

Beyond Xs and Os, there is another potential factor. The Lakers are expected to be heavy first-round favorites against whatever team emerges as the No. 8 seed, whereas the Clippers are currently slotted to have a real test versus superstar Luka Doncic and No. 7 Dallas. Perhaps the greater potential of an early upset is a variable worth considering.

With as closely bunched as the West standings are, Houston might not have the option to unilaterally “pick” its ideal bracket. But the possibility is worth monitoring as the regular season nears its conclusion.

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NHL Picks and Best Bets: 2019-20 Western Conference Champions

Looking at the NHL futures betting odds to win the Western Conference, with picks and best bets for the 2019-20 NHL playoffs.

The NHL betting odds to win the Western Conference have been shaken up following the league’s announcement of a 24-team playoff format set to begin later this summer. Below, we make our picks and best bets to win the Western Conference and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

2019-20 NHL Western Conference Odds: Favorites

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated Thursday, May 28 at 2:20 p.m. ET.

TEAM ODDS
Colorado Avalanche +325
Vegas Golden Knights +350
St. Louis Blues +450
Dallas Stars +650

Colorado Avalanche (+325)

The Avalanche sat first or second in the Central Division for much of the 2019-20 campaign and finished the abbreviated regular season with 92 points in 70 games (42-20-8). Their plus-46 goal differential was the best in the Western Conference and their 237 goals scored were nine more than any other team in the conference.

The Avs were one of the most-heavily injury-ridden teams in the league at the time of the pause. C Nathan MacKinnon (lower body), RW Mikko Rantanen (upper body), C Nazem Kadri (lower body) and G Philipp Grubauer (lower body) were just a few who may have been in jeopardy for the beginning of a mid-April postseason. All are now expected to be back to full health.

The favorites in the West are well worth backing. A $10 bet will return a profit of $32.50 is they advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas Golden Knights (+350)

Like the Avalanche, the Golden Knights are heavy favorites to make it out of the West. Las Vegas is a finalist to be named as a hub city for the postseason, potentially giving the Knights a key home-ice advantage.

Vegas went 39-24-8 through 71 games to finish atop the Pacific Division. RW Mark Stone (lower body), LW Max Pacioretty (lower body) and C Chandler Stephenson (upper body) should all be back in the lineup, giving the Golden Knights one of the deepest forward groups in the league.

Get some action on the NHL playoffs by placing a legal sports bet (in NJ, IN, CO and WV) at BetMGM.com.

2019-20 NHL Western Conference Odds: Long shots

TEAM ODDS
Edmonton Oilers +1000
Calgary Flames +1400
Nashville Predators +1400
Vancouver Canucks +1700
Minnesota Wild +1800
Arizona Coyotes +2000
Winnipeg Jets +2400
Chicago Blackhawks +5000

Edmonton Oilers (+1000)

I chased value in my Eastern Conference picks, targeting strong goaltending and long shots with inflated odds. In the West, it’s all about the favorites with the odds being much more condensed.

C Leon Draisaitl and C Connor McDavid finished 1-2 in both points and assists in the regular season. They’ll draw the 12th-seeded Blackhawks in the Qualification Round and are heavily favored to advance to Round 1 of the 16-team playoffs.

Want some action in the 2019-20 NHL Playoffs? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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