Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts called it ''Nurkic Fever'' before the game, and the love for Jusuf Nurkic (7'0''-C-94) had only grown by the end of the night. The 7-foot center had a career-high 28 points and 20 rebounds, and Portland beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-108 in overtime on Thursday. Nurkic, who was acquired last month in a trade with Denver, also had eight assists and six blocks in Portland's season-high fourth straight win. The ''Bosnian Beast'' has quickly become a fan favorite for the Trail Blazers, and Stotts was asked before the game if he was surprised. ''It's easy to do,'' the coach said. ''Nurkic fever? Why not?'' On the court afterward, Nurkic smiled when he was told about the coach's comments. The crowd roared. ''I love being here,'' he said. ''I appreciate what the city is doing for me. I just want to give them back something.'' Damian Lillard (6'3''-PG-90, college: Weber St.) added 24 points for Portland, but did not make a 3-pointer, snapping a streak of 42 games with at least one 3. Philadelphia rookie Dario Saric (6'10''-PF-94, agency: BeoBasket) had a season-best 28 points, while Robert Covington (6'9''-F-90, college: Tennessee St.) scored 24 in the 76ers' sixth loss in seven games. Covington's layup at the buzzer in regulation tied at 97. Nurkic's tip-in gave the Blazers a 102-99 lead, but Covington made a 3-pointer to tie it again at 102. Lillard's free throws gave Portland a 106-104 lead with under two minutes left in the extra period. His layup extended the lead to four. Allen Crabbe (6'6''-G-92, college: California)'s floater with 20.9 seconds left helped seal the victory for the Blazers. ''That's as dominant a performance as we have played against this year from an interior player,'' 76ers coach Brett Brown said about Nurkic. ''Twenty rebounds and 28 points. That's a dominant effort.'' Nurkic has been a spark for Portland, one of a number of teams jockeying for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. It began the day in ninth in the standings, just below the Denver Nuggets. ''Different teams are at different stages,'' Stotts said about the urgency at this time of the season. ''Obviously with us, with 20 games to go, every win and every loss is magnified.'' Philadelphia is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and well out of the playoff picture. The Sixers got center Jahlil Okafor (6'11''-C-95, college: Duke) back after he missed two games because of right knee soreness. Philadelphia has been so short-handed it received a hardship exception to sign Shawn Long to a 10-day contract earlier this week. Portland led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and took a 57-52 lead into the half, but the focus was on Nurkic, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists before the break. Philadelphia grabbed a 95-94 lead on Saric's free throws with 55.9 to go. Nurkic made the second of two free throws to tie it again, and Covington fouled CJ McCollum, who made his foul shots to give Portland a 97-95 lead. Nurkic was asked if he was on top of the world following the performance. He was the first Blazer with 20 or more points and rebounds in a game since LaMarcus Aldridge in January 2014. ''Nah, I'm gonna stay on the ground, because I know what I'm capable of,'' he said. ''I don't like to talk about myself, I'm gonna show it on the court.'' Portland was coming off a 126-121 victory at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Courtesy of: cbssports.com
Wizards rally to tie series with uncomfortable Raptors - 9 hours ago
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In the lead-up to Sunday's Raptors-Wizards Game 4, Toronto coach Dwayne Casey posed a rhetorical question for public consumption. 'How do we respond?' the coach wondered. The Raptors had been run off the Capital One Arena floor in Game 3, dropping their first loss of the series in a turnover-rife shambles that saw Toronto's players, veterans and youngsters alike, lose their collective cool in the face of Washington's timely injection of physicality. 'How do you respond when someone is up... [read more]
In the lead-up to Sunday's Raptors-Wizards Game 4, Toronto coach Dwayne Casey posed a rhetorical question for public consumption. 'How do we respond?' the coach wondered. The Raptors had been run off the Capital One Arena floor in Game 3, dropping their first loss of the series in a turnover-rife shambles that saw Toronto's players, veterans and youngsters alike, lose their collective cool in the face of Washington's timely injection of physicality. 'How do you respond when someone is up in your chest and trying to make you feel uncomfortable?' Dwayne Casey said Sunday. 'You've got to do it.' Maybe they'll respond more favourably in the friendly environs of the Air Canada Centre in Wednesday's Game 5. As it was, the Raptors capped a forgettable trip to the U.S. capital with a second straight loss, 106-98, to leave their best-of-seven series deadlocked at 2-2. For the second straight game the Raptors saw an early lead undone by inexplicably careless turnovers and a stream of bad possessions. For the second straight game, the Wizards got a big performance from Bradley Beal (6'5''-SG-93, college: Florida) to vault themselves back into the series. Even after Beal fouled out with 4:58 to play - after he torched the Raptors for 31 points on 19 field-goal attempts - the Wizards got it over the finish line. 'At some point we've got to make sure we keep our composure and execute,' Dwayne Casey said. 'We missed some shots we normally make We turned down some good looks I thought we'd normally step into.' While the Raptors hesitated and hoisted questionable shots down the stretch, the Wizards' remaining all-star, John Wall (6'4''-PG-90, college: Kentucky), calmly inserted a late dagger, making one of his floating mid-range jump shots - this one wide open thanks to poor defence from Serge Ibaka - to put the Wizards up 102-96 with 58 seconds to play. Wall, for whom the Raptors have yet to find an antidote, finished with 27 points and 14 assists. 'I guess when the pressure's on us, we like to step up to the plate,' Wall said of his team. Wall deserved a hat tip for his 10 fourth-quarter points, sure. But as in Game 3, an unhealthy dose of Toronto's woes were self-induced. Toronto's 18 turnovers, for instance - on the heels of 19 giveaways in Friday's loss - left Dwayne Casey scratching his head. 'Some of 'em, you can't explain 'em. They're out of character,' said the coach. 'We had fast breaks going down, we throw it out of bounds ' Yet again, Toronto's vaunted depth failed to show itself, leaving all-stars DeMar DeRozan (6'7''-F/G-89, college: USC) and Kyle Lowry (6'0''-PG-86, college: Villanova) to carry far more of the load than they did en route to 59 regular-season wins. DeRozan responded to a steady diet of single coverage and pick-and-roll switches with a big game, scoring 33 points and getting to the free-throw line 18 times. Lowry, meanwhile, scored 19 points, making 4-for-6 from three-point range. But for the second straight game Toronto's two all-stars were outdone by Washington's pair. Ultimately, that was the difference. 'There were some late-game shots I wish I could take back,' said DeRozan, who missed six of his eight fourth-quarter attempts from the field. 'Me (and Lowry) understand how much better we've got to be, especially in late-game situations.' For a while, it looked like the Raptors might assert their status as the East's No. 1 seed with an easy statement victory over the No. 8 underdogs. But despite taking double-digit leads in the first and third quarters, sloppy offence and lax defence helped the Wizards recover. With Toronto leading 54-40 moments after halftime, Washington reeled off a 40-point third quarter to head into the final frame tied 80-80. While the Wizards were stepping up to the metaphorical plate to deliver, the Raptors frequently found themselves avoiding the common-sense play in favour of home-run swings that turned into misses. 'I think we had 18 turnovers. It can't happen,' DeRozan said. 'We got stagnant.' Said Lowry: 'Tonight we didn't completely stick with our offence. It's a learning lesson.' The Raptors managed just 19 assists all told, their lowest total of the series. And while Toronto's defence - sub-par in the opening three games - was better in the early going Sunday, it crumbled when it mattered. After holding the Wizards to 34% shooting in the first half, Washington broke free to shoot a stunning 60% from the field in the final 24 minutes. Perhaps some of that had to do with O.G. Anunoby (6'7''-F-97, college: Indiana), the starting small forward, who left the game limping late in the first half with what the team called a sprained right ankle. O.G. Anunoby, one of their most effective defenders, came back to play the bulk of the third quarter but didn't see any action in the final frame. On a night that saw Toronto backup point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined yet again with the shoulder injury that has kept him out of all but three minutes of the series, the Raptors could ill afford another injury to a key man. How will Toronto respond in Wednesday's Game 5? Like his coach before the game, DeRozan took to a post-game podium and called for calm amid his team's first playoff crisis of 2018. 'It's not new for us. You never want to be in this situation but it's not new for us. We understand the magnitude of the moment,' DeRozan said. 'We understand what we've got to be better at. It's going to be fine.' Courtesy of: thestar.com
Cavs top Pacers 104-100 in Game 4 to even series - 9 hours ago
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LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) has been the first-round king for 12 years. On Sunday night, he needed Kyle Korver (6'7''-F/G-81, college: Creighton)'s 3-point shooting to put him in position to extend his reign. The two combined for all of Cleveland's points in a late 10-2 run, helping the Cavaliers to a 104-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers to even the series at 2. James drew boos from the crowd after flipping the ball up the court to run out the clock. 'You don't ever want to go down 3-1... [read more]
LeBron James (6'8''-SF-84) has been the first-round king for 12 years. On Sunday night, he needed Kyle Korver (6'7''-F/G-81, college: Creighton)'s 3-point shooting to put him in position to extend his reign. The two combined for all of Cleveland's points in a late 10-2 run, helping the Cavaliers to a 104-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers to even the series at 2. James drew boos from the crowd after flipping the ball up the court to run out the clock. 'You don't ever want to go down 3-1 against anybody, no matter if it's the first round or if you're fortunate enough to get all the way to the finals,' James said. 'It's just too difficult.' James finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and another crowning achievement - his 100th career playoff game with 30 or more points, second all-time to Michael Jordan. This has been no typical series for James, who started the playoffs with an NBA-record 21 consecutive wins in the first round. He's already seen the Pacers go wire-to-wire in Game 1, miss a potential tying 3-pointer in the last 35 seconds of Game 2, rally from a 17-point deficit to win Game 3 and erase a 16-point, first-half deficit to take the lead early in the fourth. This one looked and felt a lot like the three previous games - tough and physical down to a confusing sequence in the final seconds when Lance Stephenson (6'5''-G/F-90, college: Cincinnati) was whistled for wrestling Jeff Green (6'9''-F-86, college: Georgetown) to the court while hoping for a jump ball. Indiana still led 93-91 with 4:28 to go on Sunday. Then James and Korver reverted to their old ways. Korver's 3 with 3:48 left made it 94-93, James followed with a layup, Korver knocked down another 3 and James added another layup to give the Cavs a 101-95 lead with 1:52 left. Indiana never recovered. Korver wound up with 18 points and four 3s to give him 200 in his postseason career. And without those two 3s, James knew he might have been staring at a 3-1 deficit at the earliest stage of the playoffs in his career. 'He's one of the all-time leaders in 3-pointers made,' James said. 'His four 3s were huge. We needed every last one of them, obviously.' The Pacers, meanwhile, lamented a missed opportunity. Despite having seven players score in double figures, making more baskets, grabbing more offensive rebounds and matching Cleveland's 12 3s, Indiana missed six of its last eight shots. Domantas Sabonis (6'10''-F/C-96, college: Gonzaga) scored 19 points for Indiana. Myles Turner (6'11''-C/F-96, college: Texas) and Victor Oladipo (6'4''-G-92, college: Indiana) each had 17, though Oladipo was just 5 of 20 from the field. Only this time, as in Game 2, Indiana couldn't quite finish. 'We just didn't play the game the right way,' Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. 'You get into these games, these emotional games, and you're so pumped up - sometimes you try do some things yourself. Usually, those things don't work.' After the Cavs took a 49-33 lead with 6:01 left in the first half, the Pacers used a 10-2 run to get within 60-50 at the half then opened the second half on a 10-2 spurt to make it 62-50. Cleveland extended the lead 76-68 lead with 4:41 left in the third only to watch the Pacers score the last six points of the quarter, tie the score on Lance Stephenson's 11-footer to open the fourth and then take the lead on Sabonis' 3-pointer with 10:51 left. From that point, it was an all-out slugfest that included James getting called for a technical foul with 6:12 to play. Courtesy of: foxsports.com
Celtics Lose Game 4 to Bucks, 104-102 - 9 hours ago
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11''-G/F-94, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 27 points, including tipping in the go-ahead basket with 5 seconds left, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 104-102 on Sunday to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece. Boston's Marcus Morris (6'9''-F-89, college: Kansas) missed a 14-footer at the buzzer with Khris Middleton (6'8''-F-91, college: Texas A&M)'s hand in his face to seal a nail-biting win for the Bucks. Seconds earlier, the 6-f... [read more]
Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11''-G/F-94, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 27 points, including tipping in the go-ahead basket with 5 seconds left, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 104-102 on Sunday to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece. Boston's Marcus Morris (6'9''-F-89, college: Kansas) missed a 14-footer at the buzzer with Khris Middleton (6'8''-F-91, college: Texas A&M)'s hand in his face to seal a nail-biting win for the Bucks. Seconds earlier, the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo jumped and reached up with his left arm around Boston's Jayson Tatum (6'8''-F-98, college: Duke) to put back Malcolm Brogdon (6'5''-G-92, college: Virginia)'s missed layup for the game-winner. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston. Jaylen Brown (6'7''-F-96, college: California) had 34 points for the Celtics, while Tatum added 21. Tatum's 18-footer with 52 seconds left gave the Celtics a brief 100-99 lead. He just couldn't hold off Antetokounmpo on the other end for the decisive tip-in. The disappointing end for the Celtics overshadowed their spirited rally from a 65-45 deficit with 7:37 left in the third quarter. Play got chippy and the Celtics limited the Bucks' transition game. They came up one basket short at the end. Courtesy of: nbcboston.com
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