Category: Basketball

Memphis Grizzlies Benching Of Steven Adams Pays Off In Game 3 Win

When the Memphis Grizzlies raced off to a 124-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to even up the series, the first significant adjustment of the playoffs happened with head coach Taylor Jenkins’ decision to bench starting center Steven Adams for Game 3.

This happened at halftime of Game 2 after Adams picked up two personal fouls (including a Flagrant 1) in the first three minutes of the game. After a Game 1 performance of four personal fouls, three rebounds, and three assists, Adams lost his spot in the rotation to Kyle Anderson.

That decision opened up minutes for Brandon Clarke, who provided tremendous contributions from the bench on a night when Memphis exclusively went with a small ball lineup that kept Adams on the bench while Jaren Jackson Jr. battled foul trouble.

Clarke scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half for Memphis to help his team come back from two considerable deficits to win 104-95 and take a 2-1 lead in their first-round matchup over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Memphis down 16 points going into the final quarter, Clarke was huge going down the stretch, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter to help spark a 50-13 run to shock the Wolves in Target Center.

With Karl-Anthony Towns dogged by foul trouble, Clarke took full advantage of the Wolves’ small lineup by controlling the boards and scoring down low.

After the game, Clarke’s teammates swarmed him on the floor to celebrate, including Adams, who was benched to make room for his heavy minutes down the stretch. Clarke took to social media to show his appreciation and reminded everyone it was not over.

Game 4 between these two teams is scheduled for Saturday.



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Brandon Clarke Shines In Game 3 Win Over Minnesota

When the Memphis Grizzlies raced off to a 124-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to even up the series, the first significant adjustment of the playoffs happened with head coach Taylor Jenkins’ decision to bench starting center Steven Adams for Game 3.

This happened at halftime of Game 2 after Adams picked up two personal fouls (including a Flagrant 1) in the first three minutes of the game. After a Game 1 performance of four personal fouls, three rebounds, and three assists, Adams lost his spot in the rotation to Kyle Anderson.

That decision opened up minutes for Brandon Clarke, who provided tremendous contributions from the bench on a night when Memphis exclusively went with a small ball lineup that kept Adams on the bench while Jaren Jackson Jr. battled foul trouble.

Clarke scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half for Memphis to help his team come back from two considerable deficits to win 104-95 and take a 2-1 lead in their first-round matchup over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Memphis down 16 points going into the final quarter, Clarke was huge going down the stretch, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter to help spark a 50-13 run to shock the Wolves in Target Center.

With Karl-Anthony Towns dogged by foul trouble, Clarke took full advantage of the Wolves’ small lineup by controlling the boards and scoring down low.

After the game, Clarke’s teammates swarmed him on the floor to celebrate, including Adams, who was benched to make room for his heavy minutes down the stretch. Clarke took to social media to show his appreciation and reminded everyone it was not over.

Game 4 between these two teams is scheduled for Saturday.



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Golden State Warriors Take Command Of Series With Backcourt Brilliance

The Golden State Warriors had enough experience to know that a fired-up Denver Nuggets team would be energized in front of their home crowd for Game 3 on Thursday night. Instead of being frustrated with their own play, the Nuggets cleaned up most of the issues they faced in the blowouts of the first two games.

The one issue that remains is the Golden State backcourt. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole are still hot, and each was on fire in Game 3.

Curry and Poole each finished with 27 points apiece, and Thompson dropped 26 points on his own to cancel out a monster 37-point, 18 rebound game by Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 118-113. The Warriors now lead 3-0 in their first-round series with a chance to sweep over the weekend.

The three guards have led a small ball lineup that has been the difference in this series. Each player has had their chance to shine individually and collectively throughout this series. In Game 1, Jordan Poole got rolling with a historic start. Then it was Curry who exploded in Game 2 to eclipse the playoff career 3,000 point mark while scoring a game-high 34 points in only 23 minutes.

In Game 3, all three made history. Thompson passed Ray Allen for third all-time in playoff three-pointers made. Chef Curry passed James Worthy for 26th on the playoff scoring list. As for Jordan Poole, he became the first guard since the merger to score 25 Pts on 60 percent shooting in three straight playoff games. Jerry West, Lou Hudson, and Brian Winters were the only guards to have done it in history, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Collectively they made history as well.

All three became the first trio in franchise history to record 25 points on 50 percent shooting and the first to do since Chris Mullin, Mitch Redmond, and Terry Teagle did so in 1989.

“He looks like a seasoned vet,” Thompson said about Poole via Yahoo Sports. “The shots he’s been making and taking, he’s kind of been our catalyst on offense. JP, I’ve seen him put in so much work behind the scenes that he deserves this.

“I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Not only is Thompson enjoying his teammate’s play but the opportunity to be back on the floor with his teammates in general.

“So much,” he said when asked how much he missed playoff games on the road. “It’s what you dream of, it’s what you prepare for and I don’t take granted nights like these. That was a ton of fun and just a gutsy win by our squad.

“Everything I worked for the past two years has come to fruition. I’m just incredibly grateful to be here and having fun.”

Golden State will try to close out the series on Sunday.



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Desmond Bane Powers Memphis Comeback Bid to Beat Timberwolves

The fast-paced offenses of the Grizzles and Timberwolves had led to an entertaining first-round series that just got a lot more interesting after a Game 3 that delivered more twists and turns with both teams traded momentum that literally lasted for moments at a time before the Grizzlies shocked the NBA world with the largest comeback playoff victory in franchise history.

While Ja Morant (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) will deservedly receive most of the attention for the Grizzles’ Game 3 comeback due to his triple-double performance, his backcourt mate Desmond Bane deserves some credit too, after being a major cog in Memphis’ comeback bid thanks to his timely long-range shooting.

Memphis started the game down 12-0 and found themselves down 26 points in the first half and 25 in the second before going on significant runs to get back in the game before halftime and snatch a 2-1 series lead in the second half.

The triumphant comeback began with the hot shooting of Bane, who scored a game-high 26 points (7-15 from beyond the arc) and grabbed six rebounds.

Then after D’Angelo Russell hit a three-pointer to put Minnesota up 79-54 in the third quarter, Bane helped his team erase a 25-point lead with a massive 23-4 run to tie the game at 83-83, capped off by a three-pointer with 8:30 left in the game. This fourth-quarter dagger in the corner effectively put the game away as Memphis outscored Minnesota 37-12 in the final frame to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

After the dust settled, Bane was proud of his teammates for staying composed to clinch an emotional Game 3 victory.

“Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game; it’s an emotional victory — coming from being down a lot,” Bane said per Yahoo Sports.

“We’ve got to keep our heads; it’s first to four.”

Game 4 of the Grizzlies-Timberwolves series takes place on Saturday.



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Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz

While the availability of Luka Doncic continues to be the storyline of the opening series between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, it hasn’t mattered to this point. On Thursday night, the Mavericks got a huge win on the road in Utah to go up 2-1 in the series. 

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 



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Shorthanded Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz

While the availability of Luka Doncic continues to be the storyline of the opening series between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, it hasn’t mattered to this point. On Thursday night, the Mavericks got a huge win on the road in Utah to go up 2-1 in the series. 

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 



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Tobias Harris Proving to Be Unsung Hero of 76ers

The headline of the Philadelphia 76ers Game 3 win over the Toronto Raptors will deservedly go to Joel Embiid after the big fella knocked down a game-winner in overtime to give Philly a 3-0 lead.

Lost in that important story is the job Tobias Harris (11 points, 12 rebounds on 4-9 shooting from the field) did in springing Embiid free with a screen. Harris also held Raptors star Pascal Siakam to just 12 points on 6-16 shooting from the field, all in the first half. Much fewer than the 30 points per game he averaged against the Sixers during the regular season.

“The unsung hero, I don’t know what he scored, but Tobias Harris tonight was unbelievable,” said coach Doc Rivers per Sixerswire. “All over the floor defensively, he did so many little things. He set the last pick of the game, he was fantastic.”

Harris has held Siakam to 24 points (9-18 shooting from the field) in Game 1 and 20 (7-20 shooting from the field) in Game 2. Coach Doc rivers said that Harris’s job has been all the more impressive since Harris still has the energy to contribute meaningfully during crunch time of close games like Game 3.

“Just being able to slide and be physical,” he said. “This is a physical team. They have drivers, they have guys who are used to bullying guys. This is a forward-based team. These guys are strong and have length to get downhill, and I just use that exact same thing against them in all those plays.”

The former Tennessee product also made sure to establish that he enjoys these kinds of matchups and being able to cut off his matchups water when the Sixers need a stop.

“I pride myself on not letting guys blow by me or whatnot and being able to guard my yard, that’s what I call it,” he said. “Any time I’m able to do that, I know if I got a guy dribbling three or four times, he’s in for a long night there because I know I’m gonna be able to slide with him and be able to contest and live with the type of shots we want them to shoot.”



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REPORT: Khris Middleton to Miss 3-4 Weeks Due to MCL Injury

Khris Middleton will reportedly miss the next 3-4 weeks due to an MCL sprain he suffered on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Middleton left in the fourth quarter after falling awkwardly on an attempted drive to the rim. He posted 18 points, five rebounds, and eight assists in 33 minutes before he exited for the last time in Milwaukee’s 114-110 loss to Chicago. The first-round series between the Bucks and the Bulls are tied up 1-1 and will shift to Chicago for the next two games.

The Bucks were 44-22 with Middleton in the lineup but 7-9 without him



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Alex English on His Prolific Career and South Carolina Basketball

In the pre-League Pass days of minimal cable channels and a national TV “schedule” that made it seem as though the NBA had five teams (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia) playing a round-robin, the exploits of Alex English and the Denver Nuggets could feel fictional. Newspapers said there was a guy named Alex English leading the NBA in scoring at about 28 ppg. And that he had a teammate, Kiki Vandeweghe, who was second. And their team’s games usually ended with a score like 137-129. 

That’s how I learned about the Hall of Famer English, and even though I was a kid in the ’80s, he and the Nuggets were overlooked by adults back then, too. Just ask an NBA fan of any age this question: Who scored the most points in the 1980s? Even if they know Michael Jordan’s career started too late and that Magic Johnson was too pass-first, they have a host of household names to offer up. Moses Malone. Larry Bird. Dominique Wilkins. George Gervin. All-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 6-7, 190-pound English outscored all of ’em. English used his elite mid-range game, willingness to run the floor and all-around efficiency to score 21,018 points in the decade (Moses was second at 19,082). 

The above would be interesting to SLAM readers at any point in the magazine’s history and to be sure, Alan Paul did a piece on English for SLAM 21 back in 1997 that pointed this out. Sadly, the scope of the eight-time All-Star’s achievements and the lack of credit they’re given have renewed relevance in the wake of the NBA selecting a mostly glorious 75th Anniversary team that did not include English. 

Besides being wowed by Nuggets box scores in the paper and enjoying the occasional game on TV against my local Knicks or Nets, my love for English was enhanced by the fact that my late grandfather recognized him on a plane once and asked for his autograph. I still treasure the little scrap of paper that says “Best Wishes Ben Alexander English.” 

Speaking on the phone from his native Columbia, SC, the University of South Carolina legend and current member of the school’s Board of Trustees chuckles at my autograph memory (“We were certainly flying commercial back then!”) and proves to be a charming and engrossing subject. 

SLAM: You played for the Bucks and Pacers before you went to Denver. What’s the short version of what happened at your first two stops? It looks like you were putting up numbers from the very beginning of your career. I would have thought Nellie [longtime Bucks’ coach Don Nelson-Ed.] would love you? 

ALEX ENGLISH: I got drafted by the Bucks in the second round. Wayne Embry was the GM and Nellie was an assistant coach. I had a make-good contract, which meant I had to make the team to get the contract. I signed for $55,000 with a $10,000 bonus if I made the team. That was a lot of money back then! I made the team and had a decent rookie year. I mostly played behind Bob Dandridge. The next year they traded Dandridge to the Bullets but drafted Kent Benson, Marques Johnson and Ernie Grunfeld. [Johnson and Grunfeld] played my position. I was the sixth man [English averaged 9.6 ppg in just 18.9 mpg.—Ed]. Nellie was the head coach by then and we made the playoffs. The NBA standard contract was getting ready to change. I was a restricted free agent—I could go anywhere I wanted but my current team could match. At midnight on the first day of free agency, [Pacers’ coach and GM] Slick Leonard signed me to a three-year deal: $135,000, $155,000, $175,000. I signed that contract. The Bucks had the opportunity to match and I’d have to stay. Wayne says Don said it was too much for me. So they let me walk. I had a good year and a half in Indiana but then they had the chance to bring George McGinnis back home so Slick Leonard traded me to Denver for him. 

SLAM: That trade was during your fourth season. In year five of your career, Doug Moe becomes the Nuggets’ head coach. In my mind, that’s when your career started.

AE: Well, I was putting up good numbers in Indiana, that’s why the Nuggets wanted to trade for me. I was [an] all-around [player]: rebounded, blocked shots, passed the ball. Averaging about 16 points a game, maybe 8 or 9 rebounds. But, yes, what happened in Denver was Doug Moe. He was the best at up-tempo offense. 

SLAM: You guys were the highest-scoring team in the NBA in the ’80-81 season even though Donnie Walsh started the year as the head coach and Moe was an assistant. In Coach Moe’s first full season, ’81-82, the Nuggets averaged 126.5 ppg! Still the most in NBA history.

AE: It was Doug’s system. We played at a breakneck pace, and people couldn’t keep up with us. Once we got in shape, we were unstoppable. We had Dan Issel and we got Kiki Vandeweghe, too. They talked about us being a “high-powered offense.” It was just natural to us. That was what we did. One thing we knew was that other teams feared us. Teams knew they had to be ready to roll as soon as they got to the arena to play us. 

SLAM: Was playing on those teams so much fun?

AE: Fun doesn’t even begin to describe it. I couldn’t wait to play every single night. It was almost like a dance. Like making ballet. That was my art. Every night was a different game, so we were making different art every night. I miss it so much. 

SLAM: Do you have a favorite memory as a Nugget?

AE: Wow, there were so many wonderful moments. That was a good squad with good people. I miss that camaraderie. We did things as a team—parties, cookouts, all that stuff. That’s the thing I miss about being in that setting. And it showed on the floor. We all accepted our roles. If we didn’t do what was expected, we felt bad about it. My team relied on me to get 26 points a night, pass the ball, block a few shots, get 6 or 7 rebounds. TR Dunn knew we depended on him to lock up Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan as best he could. Fat Lever knew we were expecting near a triple-double. Bill Hanzlik was gonna play defense and frustrate the other team. And Coach Moe was there the whole time. He gave us the tools and leeway we needed.

SLAM: You rarely missed a game and led the NBA in scoring for the ’80s. You were still left off the 50 Greatest list in ’96 but were elected to the Hall of Fame in ’97, which was the first year you were eligible. The NBA had a chance to make include you with the 75th Anniversary team this season, but you were left off again. How did that make you feel?

AE: I felt slighted. It’s been like that throughout my career. Look at the record in my Nuggets’ career. All those playoff appearances. Reached the Western Conference finals. I was an all-pro three years [English was second-team All-NBA in ’82, ’83 and ’86.-Ed]. The scoring. And then they don’t tend to look at the other things. I’m the all-time Nuggets leader in points and assists. I blocked shots. Got steals. To see how I was treated…I rarely watch NBA games anymore because I’m so disappointed to not be in that group. When I look at who they chose, not to slight anyone, but I know what I did. To be slighted like that, it soured my taste for the League.

SLAM: After an amazing decade in Denver and one season in Dallas, you retired from the NBA and spent a season playing for Napoli in the Italian league.

AE: I’m a world traveler and I always wanted to live in another country. Unfortunately, I played for a team in Naples that wasn’t what it could have been, but I still wouldn’t change that experience for the world. Eating the food, meeting the people there.

SLAM: You had a stint as President of the NBA Players Association while you played and after your season in Italy, you returned to the States and worked for the PA, right?

AE: Yes, I’d planned on working for the NBPA and I did that under Charles Grantham. A lot of stuff they have in place, I put there. The player programs, AIDS education, money management and degree completion, rookie transition program. Those are programs I put in place that are still there now. The high school camp the PA runs, we put that together. I wanted the PA to get a connection to the players before they get to the NBA. The guys who are still running it—Tim McCormick and Purvis Short—those were my guys. I’m proud of all that work.

SLAM: After you left the PA, you did some work with the NBA and then transitioned into coaching.

AE: Yes. I found out the NBA was going to do a developmental league and wanted to put a team in Charleston, SC. I petitioned for that job and got it. I moved to Charleston as the head coach of the Lowgators. We were the subject of the first sports reality show [Down Low, Life in the D League, from ESPN. Google it!-Ed]. It was revolutionary. My team lost in the championship. After that first year, the Hawks asked me to be an assistant coach. Then I coached with the Sixers and Toronto.

SLAM: Let’s talk about all your connections to the women’s game, from the WNBA to South Carolina to the fact that your daughter, Jade-Li, is now leading the women’s basketball division at Klutch Sports.

AE: I was in New York when Ange-Marie Hancock put the template for the WNBA together years ago. You look at how much it’s grown…last year’s WNBA Finals was so exciting. 

Overall, the game is so pure. It’s like [how] it used to be with men. There’s the mid-range game, post-ups, an emphasis on getting position. The women look for three-point shots but it’s not the total game. Fortunately, for me, I’ve gotten to see some of the best right here at South Carolina. A’ja Wilson. Aliyah Boston. All the other women who have been here. We have the greatest women’s coach there is in Dawn Staley. I’m just a big supporter. We’ve got two top-10 high schoolers right here in this city and the fan support here is off the charts. That’s from watching Dawn. One of the girls [HS senior Ashlyn Watkins-Ed.] is signed with Dawn. The other is in the 11th grade—Milaysia Fulwiley—and I’m telling you, she is a game changer. Like the same way Magic changed the game. Hopefully she signs here, too.

Ben Osborne is a former SLAM Ed. and is now Head of Content for Just Women’s Sports.

Photos via Getty Images.



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Al Horford on Celtics Comeback: ‘We Took Their Punch and Stayed With It’

When the final horn sounded in a 114-107 Celtics win last night, Boston completed a 17-point comeback that tested their ability to stay focused on the goal at hand: winning. Al Horford, the eldest player on the roster, had some choice and encouraging words to give to his teammates in green and white.

“We took their [the Nets] punch; we talked about that, right? Remember we said they’re going to come out and hit us? We took their punch, we stayed with it, and we did what we had to do — protect the home court. Good job — We got a long way to go.”

Brooklyn jumped out to a double-digit lead at the 5:54 mark of the first quarter, 18-8, after Kevin Durant sank two free throws. That lead eventually ballooned to 17 with 1:47 seconds left in the first half.

However, as Horford said, Boston ‘took their punch’ and outscored Brooklyn 69-45 the rest of the way, using a combination of tough-nosed defense and meticulous offense.

Horford and the Celtics head into Game 3 at Barclays Center up 2-0 on the Nets, with tip-off slated to start at 7:30 PM EST on Saturday.



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