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Glad Friday, everybody! Hope you’ve gotten some enjoyable weekend plans lined up. Let’s get proper to it.
🏀 Good morning to all, however particularly to …
THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Timberwolves are proper again within the thick of issues, and better of all, their harm scare to Anthony Edwards was simply that — solely a scare. Minnesota tangled up its collection with Golden State at one recreation apiece with a 117-93 win over the Stephen Curry–much less Warriors.
- Julius Randle was excellent with 24 factors, 11 assists and 9 rebounds, and Edwards returned after a second-quarter ankle sprain to complete with 20 factors. Nickeil Alexander-Walker additionally had 20 off the bench.
- Jaden McDaniels is solely superior on each ends, and he completed with 16 factors, three steals and three blocks. He joined Kevin Garnett as the one Timberwolves gamers to hit these latter two numbers in a playoff recreation.
- After taking pictures 5 for 29 (17%) from 3 in Sport 1, Minnesota was 16 of 37 (43%) in Sport 2.
With Curry (hamstring pressure) sidelined, the Timberwolves feasted on Golden State’s offense, turning 20 turnovers into 22 factors and holding Golden State to 9 for 32 (28%) taking pictures from 3. In a have-to-have-it recreation, Minnesota took care of enterprise in spectacular style.
Honorable mentions
🏀 And never such an excellent morning for …
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THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Effectively, that was ugly. It took the Warriors almost 5 minutes to attain their first factors of the sport, and for essentially the most half, it did not get an entire lot higher. Getting into, one would have anticipated a giant — or at the very least aggressive — Jimmy Butler efficiency. As a substitute, he took simply 13 photographs and completed with 17 factors. Merely put, the Warriors want extra from him, Brad Botkin writes.
- Botkin: “Butler has had an indisputably optimistic influence on the Warriors, who turned an immediately completely different workforce the second he confirmed up from the Miami Warmth on the commerce deadline. However that big-picture truth, and all of the reward that has been showered upon him in consequence, has largely shielded him from having to reply questions on his jarring reluctance to shoot, and rating normally, till all different choices, even significantly much less optimum ones, have been exhausted.”
Moreover, Draymond Inexperienced obtained a technical foul and had some pointed ideas on it afterward.
If there is a silver lining, it is Jonathan Kuminga‘s team-high 18 factors off the bench. Out and in of the rotation all season, Kuminga is immediately a key issue for Golden State’s possibilities with out Curry, Sam Quinn writes.
😣 Not so honorable mentions
🏀 What’s flawed with the Celtics?
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Nobody anticipated the Celtics to be right here. Not right here as within the playoffs — everybody anticipated that — however right here right here: down 2-0 to the Knicks within the second spherical after changing into the primary workforce within the play-by-play period (since 1996-97) to blow a 20-point lead in a number of playoff video games.
These are the reigning champs who returned everybody. They went 61-21 and obtained previous a bodily Magic workforce within the first spherical in brief order. Sure, the Knicks have clearly succeeded of their aim of constructing a workforce that may beat Boston, however nonetheless, it is a stunner.
So what is going on flawed? Jack Maloney examined 4 main points, and it begins with ice-cold taking pictures.
- In two video games this season, the Celtics are taking pictures 25% from 3 general, 25% on wide-open 3s and 25% on open 3s.
- Within the common season, the Celtics shot 37% from 3 general, 41% on wide-open 3s and 35% on open 3s.
- The Celtics shot 35.1% on all discipline objectives in Sport 1 and 36.2% in Sport 2. These are their two worst taking pictures performances all season.
All-NBA ahead Jayson Tatum has to enhance, even when his perimeter struggles proceed, Jack writes.
- Maloney: “So far, he is averaging 18 factors, 15 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 12 of 42 (28.6%) from the sector. … ‘I take full possession on the best way that I’ve performed on this collection,’ Tatum mentioned. ‘Cannot sugarcoat something. I have to be higher, I anticipate to be loads higher.'”
Kristaps Porzingis mentioned that shedding the primary two video games “kinda takes all of the stress off” the Celtics, however contemplating they’re the reigning champs with a roster breakup looming this offseason, I am not so positive about that.
🏀 NBA Draft Mix most intriguing contributors
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Whereas a lot of the NBA consideration is rightly on the magnificent postseason, the league’s subsequent wave has a giant weekend, too. The NBA Draft Mix begins Sunday, and Kyle Boone has a brand new Huge Board of the highest 50 prospects. Here is his prime 5:
- Cooper Flagg, SF, Duke (scouting report)
- Dylan Harper, PG, Rutgers (scouting report)
- Ace Bailey, SF Rutgers
- VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
- Tre Johnson, SG, Texas (scouting report)
A few of these guys could not do a lot — if something — on the mix, however others actually will. Amongst Kyle’s 5 gamers with essentially the most to show is …
- Boone: “Egor Demin — Seen as one of the best passer within the class but additionally seen to have loads of flaws — specifically his taking pictures and the way that tasks long-term — which makes this week particularly vital. Demin’s slipped from a surefire top-five choose early within the season to a spread someplace between 10-20 however he might assist himself this week by exhibiting off the opposite areas of his recreation past his passing. Oh, and showcasing the passing may not damage, both.”
One of the vital hyped and probably most consequential draft lotteries ever is on Monday night time, with 13 groups hoping the ping pong balls bounce of their favor to draft Flagg. Cameron Salerno assessed which groups would profit most by including Flagg, although I am positive they’d all love him.
📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
🏒 Maple Leafs at Panthers (Maple Leafs lead 2-0), 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Cavaliers at Pacers (Pacers lead 2-0), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Stars at Jets (Stars lead 1-0), 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Thunder at Nuggets (Collection tied 1-1), 10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
🏀 Celtics at Knicks (Knicks lead 2-0), 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Capitals at Hurricanes Sport 4, 6 p.m. on TNT/truTV
⚾ Cubs at Mets or Giants at Twins, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Warriors at Timberwolves (Collection tied 1-1), 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Golden Knights at Oilers Sport 3 (Oilers lead 2-0), 9 p.m. on TNT/truTV
Sunday
🏀 Thunder at Nuggets Sport 4, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Jets at Stars Sport 3, 4:30 p.m. on TBS/truTV
⚾ Phillies at Guardians, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Maple Leafs at Panthers Sport 4, 7:30 p.m. on TBS/truTV
🏀 Cavaliers at Pacers Sport 4, 8 p.m. on TNT/truTV