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
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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