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The NBA playoffs are winding down with the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals in full swing. In the east, the Boston Celtics are now down 0-3 in their best-of-seven series against the Miami Heat, with the Los Angeles Lakers sharing the same record against the Denver Nuggets.
In NBA lore, few teams are as notable as the Celtics and Lakers given the long length of their rivalry and dominance on the court in different eras. In fact, it was expected by some that the two teams would meet in the 2023 NBA Finals, but both teams are on the brink of elimination.
On Sunday (May 21), The Celtics headed down to Miami to face the Heat in a must-win game after going 0-2 at their home arena. It was expected that the trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart would have an offensive explosion.
Instead, it was Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Gabe Vincent, who led all scorers with 29 points, owning the night. It was also a night that saw Tatum and Brown shoot 33 and 35 percent from the field respectively, and they didn’t get much help elsewhere although Grant Williams did give 12 off the bench. Butler scored 24 for the Heat but did so on 5-13 shooting, and got to the line seven times and sinking six.
On Saturday (May 20), Jamal Murray went off for 37 points against the Lakers, with Nuggets big man passing wizard Nikola Jokic dropping 24 with eight assists. The Lakers have been competitive in spurts but each game in the series has been huge swings and momentum changes that LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and coach Darvin Ham haven’t been able to figure out.
Tonight, the Lakers will take on the Nuggets in a win-or-go-home game for King James and Los Angeles. Even still, they would need to win four games to climb out of this major hole they’ve built for themselves. On Tuesday, the Celtics and Heat resume their series in a must-win for Boston.
On Twitter, the reaction to how the NBA Playoffs are currently playing out is all over the place. We’ve got reactions from NBA fans below.
[h/t NBA.com]
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LeBron James is no stranger to criticism after a tough loss considering he remains as one of the most recognizable figures in the NBA. After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, fans on Twitter are giving LeBron James and Anthony Davis the business.
Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is the top name for Denver but it was the exploits of Jamal Murray that lifted the team over James and company. Murray poured in 37 points in a fourth-quarter explosion where he scored 23 points after his team was down in the second half. Jokic, continuing his uncanny triple-double production, dropping 23 points on 9-21 shooting and hauling in 17 rebounds with 12 assists.
On the other side, James scored 22 points on 9-19 shooting and dropped 10 assists, and pulled down nine boards. Davis made just four of 15 shots to score 18 along with 14 rebounds. Austin Reaves, once again showing expert poise went eight for 16 from the field with 22 points and was joined by Rui Hachimura who dropped 21 points.
Nuggets head coach Mike Malone expressed some frustration on how his team has been covered in the press with all the attention going towards the Lakers. While Los Angeles remains to be a marquee team, few analysts predicted them to be squaring off with anyone this deep into the playoffs.
After Nikola Jokic’s monster game in the opener, his pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray took the spotlight in the Western Conference finals Thursday night.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone said. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had [a] historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.”
On Twitter, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are getting blasted for their performance. We’ve got the tweets below.
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Victor Wembanyama will have all eyes on him after it is widely understood that the French basketball phenom will be selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft this summer. On Tuesday, the NBA Draft Lottery concluded with the San Antonio Spurs landing the top pick and NBA fans have plenty to say.
Victor Wembanyama, 19, currently plays for the French professional basketball team Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A. Wembanyama, who is listed at 7-foot-4 although online reports list him at ranges of 7-foot-5 and 7-foot-2, is thought to be the greatest basketball prospect to emerge in quite some time. Despite his long frame, Wembanyama has the dribbling and passing skills of a guard which had every team in the NBA hoping to land the big man.
The good fortune experienced by the Spurs couldn’t have been more timely considering that the team, coached by Gregg Popovich, isn’t the elite team it once was during the David Robinson and Tim Duncan era. Under Popovich’s tutelage, the Spurs won five NBA championships, the last coming in 2014. It should also be noted that the last time the Spurs had the top pick of the draft, they selected Duncan.
With Wembanyama all but certain to be selected by the team, the fortune of the Spurs is expected to change almost immediately. It will be interesting to see how Wembanyama plays alongside the young core of Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, and Devonte’ Graham.
On Twitter, both Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs see their names trending with all kinds of reactions. We’ve got the best of them listed below.
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Ben Simmons is definitely persona non grata in the city of Philadelphia after flaming out as a member of the city’s professional basketball team. The former Philadelphia 76ers star has Twitter talking after fans took notice of Ben Simmons taking in Game 7 of his former squad taking on the Boston Celtics in a loss and speculation is high that he was throwing shots.
Ben Simmons, who will be 27 this summer, is now a member of the Brooklyn Nets after a disappointing stint with the Sixers ended with a whimper. Simmons didn’t go on to resume his former glory with the Nets but he’s still considered a player with the potential to turn around his basketball fortunes.
What has Twitter reacting to at the moment is an image from Simmons’ Instagram story feed featuring the Australian player taking in the Sixers-Celtics game without any further context. Why that has sparked such curiosity is an unspoken and largely unconfirmed beef between Simmons and the Sixers considering the strained relationship between him and the team.
Adding to this, the Sixers lost in explosive fashion in the semifinal contest against the Celtics and looked poised to take the series at one point. However, 51 big points from Tatum and 25 from co-star Jaylen Brown nullified Joel Embiid, James Harden, and the rest of the Sixers. In fact, Tobias Harris led all Sixers with 19 points.
On Twitter, folks are assuming that Simmons is smoking on that Sixers pack. We’ve got the reactions below.
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Joel Embiid, the current Most Valuable Player of the NBA winner, and his Philadelphia 76ers squad looked poised to make their way to the Eastern Conference finals. However, after falling to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the series on Sunday (May 14), Joel Embiid is catching the wrath of NBA fans questioning his mettle.
Joel Embiid, 29, had a strong playoff run with the scoring heroics of James Harden aiding him when the points weren’t coming as easily for the big man. Even after suffering an injury, Embiid showed incredible grit in the paint and on the perimeter, proving why he won MVP honors this season.
That said, the Celtics, featuring the core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, were heavy favorites heading into the Eastern Conference finals and proved why on Mother’s Day. Especially Tatum, who led all scorers with 51, followed by Brown, who poured in 25. In contrast, the 76ers’ leading scorer was Tobias Harris with 19, followed by Tyrese Maxey, who dropped 17, and Embiid with 15. Harden, who has been lights out for much of the series, scored 9.
In the postgame press conference, Embiid put himself and Harden above the team in his comments and seemingly took shots at his supporting core by saying they didn’t show up. In fairness, Embiid also put the blame on himself, especially as he gave wider context.
Given Embiid’s offensive output and the way the Celtics rolled over them in a win-or-go-home matchup, Embiid’s comments invited a barrage of criticism. Further, given the recent firings of NBA head coaches such as Monty Williams in Phoenix and Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee, many believe 76ers coach Doc Rivers could be on the chopping block next.
Make no mistake. Joel Embiid is an elite NBA big man and one heck of an all-around player. The 76ers just ran into a prepared, hungry, and focused Celtics team on their home floor. Still, many on Twitter aren’t as forgiving and the tweets prove it. We’ve got them listed below.
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Ja Morant is proving himself to be excellent at hustling backwards. The NBA superstar was recently spotted once again flashing a gun while appearing on an Instagram Live, and the NBA is aware of the situation while NBA Twitter is as pissed as anyone.
Previously, Ja Morant flashing a firearm on IG cost him an 8 game suspension and time away from the team. Well clearly, he didn’t take the message to heart.
There was Mr. Morant holding what seems to be a black pistol while on IG which started circulating on Saturday night (May 13). In the since-deleted video (but nothing is ever truly deleted on the Internets), Morant is seen in his friend Davonte Pack’s account holding a handgun while in the passenger seat of a car and singing along to a rap song. Also, the original IG Live had a viewership of just over 100 people.
Bruh…
There is no doubt that the high-flying point guard will be suspended for a significant number of games for the 2023-2023 NBA season. But for now, the Memphis Grizzlies have already suspended Morant from all team activities according to ESPN.
“We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” said NBA spokesperson Mike Bass in a statement Sunday (May 14).
Twitter has not been too kind to Morant considering this is his second offense of the same kind of incident. There have also been other off the count incidents that don’t place Morant in the best of lights like allegedly beating up a teen basketball player or beefing with workers in a sneaker store.
Check out reactions to Morant’s latest headass decision-making in the gallery.
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Anthony Davis is one of the most talented big men in the NBA but a cloud hangs over him regarding his durability given his past injuries. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had a moment on Inside The NBA analyzing Game 5 of the Lakers-Warriors playoff series after Davis suffered a head injury which prompted the legendary big men to crack up on air.
Anthony Davis, 30, is having an exceptional playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are up 3-2 against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday (May 10), the Lakers were on the losing end on the Warriors’ home court with the final score reading 121-106.
In the waning moments of the game, Davis was accidentally hit in the head by Warriors center Kevon Looney while both were going for a rebound. The hit was apparently hard enough that Davis needed to be wheeled out of the Chase Center.
At the conclusion of the game, Inside The NBA analysts were recapping the game, and in one segment not seen on camera, a sheet of paper could be heard being crumbled while Ernie “E.J.” Johnson Jr. broke down the footage of the Davis injury.
As the cameras cut back to Kenny “The Jet” Smith inside the TNT studio, O’Neal, and Barkley attempted to stifle their laughter and lost all of their cool after it was revealed that Davis left the floor in a wheelchair.
O’Neal and Barkley, both in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, can be tough on NBA big men given the impact of their careers. However, some on Twitter found the reaction to Anthony Davis hitting the deck a bit offensive while others joined in on the ribbing. NBA sideline reporter Chris Haynes and Lakers head coach both reported that Davis appeared to be on the mend.
We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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The NBA Playoffs are in full swing and many of the games have been nail-biting thrillers, to say the least. The New York Knicks, one of the marquee teams of the NBA, were thought to be favorites in their series against the Miami Heat but now find themselves down 3-1 in their seven-game series on Monday (May 8).
The drama in the Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs has been high with the Boston Celtics tied 2-2 in their best-of-seven series with the Philadelphia 76ers and in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets locked in a 2-2 series against the Phoenix Suns. Also last night, the Los Angeles Lakers went up 3-1 in their series against the defending champions, Golden State Warriors.
The Heat, which upset the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, are continuing their winning ways on the back of the heroics of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo. The Knicks, led by the talented duo of Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, are now scrambling from behind.
Last night in Miami, the Heat took down the Knicks 109-101 with Butler, back from an injury, scoring 27 points and dropping 10 assists and Adebayo pouring in 23 points and grabbing 13 boards. Brunson led all scorers with 32 points to go along with 11 assists and R.J. Barrett scored 24 points for the Knicks.
The Heat are down a man in their three-point specialist, Tyler Herro, who went down with a broken hand in the Bucks series. However, signs are pointing to the fact he may return but the Heat might not need him at this juncture. The series returns to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (May 10) as the Knicks hope to salvage their NBA championship hopes.
On Twitter, folks are reacting to the eighth-seeded Heat putting on a clinic against the Knicks. We’ve got those reactions below.
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Zendaya and Tom Holland took their romance to the NBA Playoffs on Thursday night to root for the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA shared multiple looks of the couple inside San Francisco’s Chase Center on social media. Sitting on Celeb Row, the Euphoria star proudly repped her hometown team (she was, after all, born in Oakland, Calif.) in an all-black Warriors cap while her boyfriend donned a ’90s-style sweater emblazoned with the Land Rover logo.
The couple also interacted with some other famous folks taking in game 2 of the playoff series — namely 49ers players George Kittle, Sam Darnold and Christian McCaffrey, who playfully pretended to shoot Spidey webs out of their wrists toward Holland.
The Warriors eventually beat the Lakers by a score of 127-100, bringing the playoffs to a 1-1 tie. Meanwhile, the two Spider-Man: No Way Home costars also recently hit up Usher’s Las Vegas residency at the Dolby Live Theater inside the Park MGM for another high-profile date night just days after Zendaya made a surprise appearance on the second weekend of Coachella to perform her two collaborations with Labrinth.
The special occasion, which sent fans into an absolute tizzy across social media, marked the one-time Disney Channel star’s first public musical performance in at least seven years. (Her self-titled debut solo album was released back in 2013 under Hollywood Records and peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 at the time.)
Check out Zendaya and Tom taking in the NBA Playoffs together below.
Forget Steph Curry and LeBron James: BTS’s Suga is the NBA’s latest secret weapon.Suga will play ball with the Association, which this week unveiled the South Korean rapper, songwriter, and producer as an NBA Ambassador.In this sporty new role, Suga will be expected to “engage NBA fans around the world” through the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season and beyond, reads a statement from the league. “Music and basketball have been shared passions of mine since my youth, and it’s a dream to be named an NBA Ambassador,” says Suga in a statement. “I’m excited to formalize my relationship with the NBA, and I can’t wait to share some exciting collaborations I have planned with the league over the coming months.”
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The alliance goes both ways. Suga will also participate in several league initiatives that will be featured on both the NBA and Suga’s social channels. Among them, Suga will participate in promotional activities, and attend NBA games and events in Asia and the United States — which he has already done this season, including the Dallas Mavericks game at Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 12.Also, the NBA will “have a presence” throughout Suga’s D-Day Tour, which is currently winding its way around the U.S., in support of his debut solo album as Agust D.“We’re thrilled to join forces with Suga – a superstar musician, fashion icon, and passionate NBA fan,” comments NBA deputy commissioner and COO Mark Tatum. “We look forward to working with Suga to bring the same excitement he engenders from his global fanbase in support of our continued efforts to grow our brand.”Suga loves that game. Earlier in the week, he talked ball with Jimmy Fallon when he stopped by The Tonight Show. His stage name, he explained, is a contraction of “shooting guard.” And when asked if he could beat the other BTS lads in a game of one-on-one, he responded: “Are you kidding me?” Adding, “I don’t think any of the other members know the basketball rules.”The NBA has never been more popular with sports fans abroad, and the game itself had never been more “international.” When the 2022-23 season tipped off, franchise rosters included 120 international players from 40 countries, led by Canada (22) and Australia (10). When the regular season came to an end, international players led the league in points per game and rebounds, and internationals have won the Most Valuable Player award for each of the past five seasons.