Stephen Curry (6'3''-PG-88, college: Davidson) got free for a clean look, and a record crowd at Target Center held its collective breath when he let it fly. Like it has so often during a remarkable slump for the game's best shooter, the ball clanked off the rim again. Like they have so often during a late-season surge toward playoff contention, the Minnesota Timberwolves walked off the court winners again. Andrew Wiggins (6'8''-G-95, college: Kansas) scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half and hit the go-ahead free throws with 12.8 seconds left to lift the Timberwolves to a 103-102 victory over the scuffling Golden State Warriors on Friday night. Ricky Rubio (6'4''-G-90) had 17 points and 13 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns (7'0''-F/C-95, college: Kentucky) scored 23 points to give the Timberwolves their sixth win in eight games as they try to chase down the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff race. They trail Denver by 2 games. "We are learning and getting experience," Rubio said. "These games are meaning a lot. We are going after it." Klay Thompson (6'7''-G-90, college: Washington St.) scored 30 points for Golden State, but Curry's struggles continued in the Warriors' second straight loss and fourth in six games without injured star Kevin Durant. Curry scored 26 points, but was just 10 for 27 from the field and 1 for 8 from 3-point range. And he missed an 18-footer in the closing seconds that would have won the game. Wiggins missed a pair of free throws with 29 seconds left that would have given the Wolves a three-point lead. After Curry hit a floater for a 102-101 Golden State lead, Wiggins responded by calmly knocking down two in a row. "I missed two but I made the two most important ones of the night," Wiggins said. Before a two-game skid against Washington and Chicago last week, the Warriors had gone a league-record 146 straight regular-season games without consecutive losses. Their next streak lasted just two. In his last 13 games, Curry was shooting 29.7 percent from 3-point range and he missed his first four from long range on Friday night. Three of them were wide open, catch-and-shoot looks that didn't go down and the other was one of his patented crossover-stepbacks that glanced off the rim. His first 3 of the night splashed through with 7:59 to go in the third quarter, but missed his next two to keep the floodgates closed. The Warriors were down 14 to start the fourth, but Curry scored nine points in the final four minutes before missing his last shot. "You take that shot that Steph got any day of the week," Thompson said. "It went in and out." Courtesy of: msn.com
Philadelphia 76ers select Markelle Fultz No. 1 overall - 17 hours ago
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The Philadelphia 76ers selected Washington point guard Markelle Fultz (6'5''-G/F-98) with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Fultz, considered the consensus top prospect by most draft outlets, averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists in his lone season with the Huskies. Washington has had back-to-back top eight draft choices, with Marquese Chriss going eighth to Phoenix in 2016. Philadelphia acquired the first pick from the Boston Celtics on June 20. The 76ers relinquished the No. 3 overall sel... [read more]
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Washington point guard Markelle Fultz (6'5''-G/F-98) with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Fultz, considered the consensus top prospect by most draft outlets, averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists in his lone season with the Huskies. Washington has had back-to-back top eight draft choices, with Marquese Chriss going eighth to Phoenix in 2016. Philadelphia acquired the first pick from the Boston Celtics on June 20. The 76ers relinquished the No. 3 overall selection plus a future first for the right to take Fultz. The trade was made possible by former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie's apt for collecting draft choices. The future first-round pick due to Boston is the 2018 Lakers selection, which the Sixers initially acquired from Phoenix at the 2015 trade deadline. If the choice falls between the second and fifth slots, it's parlayed to the Celtics. Any other result sends Sacramento's 2019 first-rounder to Boston. It's the second consecutive season Philadelphia chose first overall, last year taking LSU's Ben Simmons. Simmons missed the 2016 season with a foot injury. The 76ers embarked on a complete rebuild in the 2013 offseason, moving proven players, such as point guard Jrue Holiday, for draft picks. Philadelphia has picked in the top three in four consecutive drafts, previously taking Joel Embiid (2014), Jahlil Okafor (2015) and Simmons. Plush with cap space and oozing potential, Philadelphia's rebuild, while debatably controversial, is starting to bear fruit. The Fultz, Simmons and Embiid trio is among the league's best young cores.
Round 1
1 Markelle Fultz (6'5''-G/F-98) - Philadelphia 76ers (from Brooklyn via Boston)
Chicago Bulls trade Jimmy Butler to Minnesota - 17 hours ago
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The long-anticipated reunion between Jimmy Butler (6'7''-G/F-89, college: Marquette) and Tom Thibodeau is on. Two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Chicago Bulls had traded three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the 16th overall pick Thursday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine (6'5''-G-95, college: UCLA), Kris Dunn (6'4''-G-94, college: Providence) and the No. 7 overall pick. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal... [read more]
The long-anticipated reunion between Jimmy Butler (6'7''-G/F-89, college: Marquette) and Tom Thibodeau is on. Two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Chicago Bulls had traded three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the 16th overall pick Thursday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine (6'5''-G-95, college: UCLA), Kris Dunn (6'4''-G-94, college: Providence) and the No. 7 overall pick. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by the Chicago Tribune, had not been officially announced. The trade brings together Butler and Wolves coach and president Thibodeau, who coached the Bulls for five seasons before being fired in 2015. Butler gives Thibodeau the tough-minded scorer and hard-nosed defender that he has been searching for to complement a promising young core. The Wolves paid a big price: Besides surrendering the lottery pick, they gave up a rising star in LaVine, who is coming off of a torn ACL and Dunn, last year's No. 5 overall pick. Butler played for Thibodeau for four seasons in Chicago, developing from an unheralded, late-first round draft pick into a perennial All-Star. The two strong-willed workaholics clashed on occasion during their time together and Butler said during the Olympics in Rio last summer that it was "love-hate" relationship. But he also acknowledged that his appreciation for Thibodeau's hard-driving style increased as time went on, especially when the Bulls struggled in their first season under the more player-friendly Fred Hoiberg. And according to a person with knowledge of the situation, Butler welcomes the move to Minnesota to join his old coach and a team loaded with young talent in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. The Wolves drafted Arizona sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen (7'0''-PF-97) for the Bulls at No. 7 and the Bulls took Creighton forward Justin Patton (7'1''-C-97) at No. 16 for the Wolves. Patton is a 6-foot-11 forward who was the Big East freshman of the year after averaging 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds last season. When Thibodeau was hired as team president and coach last summer, he quickly set his sights on bringing Butler to Minnesota. The two sides engages on serious discussions on draft night last year, nearly reaching a deal that would have included LaVine and Dunn, a player the Bulls were very high on coming out of Providence, for Butler. The deal could not quite be completed and Butler went through a frustrating season with the Bulls, who brought in Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in hopes of squeezing some more immediate success out of the group. LaVine was having a breakout third season in the league when he tore the ACL in his left knee February. His rehabilitation has gone well, but the injury certainly complicated the Wolves' re-engaging Chicago on Butler. Adding to the difficulty was Dunn's underwelming first year in Minnesota, which diminished his trade value as well, even in the eyes of the point guard-needy Bulls. With all that in play, the Wolves were forced to also offer up the No. 7 pick this season to push the deal over the top. But they did receive Chicago's first-round pick in return, offering them an opportunity to continue adding to their depth. The move, and the package they assembled to make it, signal an organization that is desperate to start winning now after 13 straight seasons of missing the playoffs. While not a great 3-point shooter like the Wolves need, Butler still averaged career highs in points (23.9), rebounds (6.2) and assists (5.5) in his sixth season. He is also one of the league's top defenders, an absolute necessity for a young team that finished 26th in the league in defensive efficiency last season. He will turn 28 in September, right in the middle of his prime for a team in need of veteran leadership. The move also represents the first significant steps toward an overhaul for the Bulls. Despite a spirited effort, the Bulls were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Wade opted in for the final year of his contract, but that isn't stopping Chicago from pivoting to a new, younger nucleus that includes LaVine, Dunn and Denzel Valentine. Courtesy of: nba.com
Sacramento Kings (NBA) cut 32-year old guard Arron Afflalo (196-98kg-85, college: UCLA). Afflalo played there last season. In 61 NBA games he averaged 8.4ppg, 2.1rpg and 1.3apg. The previous (15-16) season he played at the Knicks where in 71 NBA games he had 12.8ppg, 3.7rpg and 2.0apg. In 2007 Afflalo was drafted by Detroit Pistons in first round (27th overall). The former Univ.of Calif.at Los Angeles standoutis in his eleventh (!!!) season in pro basketball. Afflalo has played previously... [read more]
Sacramento Kings (NBA) cut 32-year old guard Arron Afflalo (196-98kg-85, college: UCLA). Afflalo played there last season. In 61 NBA games he averaged 8.4ppg, 2.1rpg and 1.3apg. The previous (15-16) season he played at the Knicks where in 71 NBA games he had 12.8ppg, 3.7rpg and 2.0apg. In 2007 Afflalo was drafted by Detroit Pistons in first round (27th overall). The former Univ.of Calif.at Los Angeles standoutis in his eleventh (!!!) season in pro basketball. Afflalo has played previously for three other teams: Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. His game is described as:
(by Matthew Maurer for NBADraft.net in 2007)
Moves extremely well without the ball in his hands, understanding how to free himself for shots. Works well running off screens where he is a capable shooter. Has three point range on his jumper. Good finisher in transition. Body strength enables him to convert difficult shots with ease as well as the ability to finish after contact.
Lacks the first step to gain full separation from his defender. There are times where he becomes too perimeter oriented offensively.
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