Category: Sports

REPORT: Joel Embiid Suffered a Torn Ligament in His Right Thumb

Joel Embiid has reportedly suffered an injury that has caused him to experience some pain and discomfort in his right thumb, according to Ramona Shelburne.

Regardless, Embiid practiced on Friday. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the extent of the damage was a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Kansas product will continue to play and will reportedly rely on his pain tolerance and the care of the 76ers medical team to help him.

According to Yahoo Sports, Embiid also suffered a wrist injury during the 76ers’ Game 3 win. The injury has left the MVP candidate wearing a brace around his right hand.

“He’s good,” Coach Dic Rivers said about Embiid, per Yahoo Sports. “Yeah.”

Embiid was able to practice fully, according to Rivers.

“We did a lot of stuff,” said Rivers. “We just don’t want anybody hit his arm and all that so he was fine.”



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Texas A&M Commit Janiah Barker is Ready For The Next Level

It’s been a year full of surprises and accomplishments for Montverde Academy star Janiah Barker. Earlier this year, the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2022 earned Burger Girl status when she was named a McDonald’s All American, and earlier this month she helped lead her squad to a Geico National Championship. On Wednesday, the five-star senior announced that she’ll be taking her undeniable talents to Texas A&M and suiting up for the Aggies, making her the highest-ranked signee for the program since Chennedy Carter. 

Barker had initially committed to the University of Georgia but changed her mind after former Bulldogs head coach Joni Taylor left the program for Texas A&M this spring. Other top 2022 Georgia commits like Sydney Bowles and Tineya Hylton also decided to join her in the Lone Star State.   

“I’m excited to start something new, especially with coach Joni,” Barker said back in February when asked about playing for Taylor. “She’s been there but it’s her era now, I want to help her get to where she’s wanting to go…Hopefully, get her a national championship, that’s what I’ve told her. I’m gonna give her one in one of my four years.” 

On the court, the 6-3 forward means business, and in 21 games this season, she averaged 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. With her talent and confidence making it look easy to dismantle opposing offenses, Barker attests her confidence to her work ethic and the support she’s received from her family.  “You can only be confident in something you know you’ve been working on,” Barker tells WSLAM. “I just want to be the best. I want to be the best. With that, your work ethic has to be incredible [and] more than anybody. I have to be [in] over time, [putting up] extra shots, in the gym when everybody’s not, [being] the first person there. It can be a lot, but a lot comes with being the best.”

The best is exactly what the future Aggie has her eyes set on becoming, and even with all of her accomplishments, Barker isn’t slowing down any time soon, as she gets ready to enter a new chapter. 

“It’s really surreal,” Barker says. “I’m on a USA team, I got 2 gold medals. That is something that everybody has not done. That is not normal, that’s rare.”

“I thank God I’ve done it, but I don’t see myself in that type of top-tier aspect. And maybe one day it’ll click, and I’ll give myself those props. But right now, I just see myself as me and I just see it like, ‘I did that, it’s an accomplishment.’ There’s more to do than what I’ve done and I just want to keep building, keep going.”

Portraits by Johnny Lewis. Action photo via Getty Images.



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Draymond Green On Winning Game 3 In Denver

The Golden State Warriors took a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets after a 118-113 win in the Mile High city. Veteran forward Draymond Green had a crucial steal in the final minute against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic that helped the Warriors close out the game on a 9-2 run.

In the post-game press conference, Green explained how he was not worried about how many fouls he had but about stopping the Nuggets’ best player from making a play in the final minutes.

“You can’t play defense the final minutes of the game and worry about fouling out,” Green said. “If I do that, I’ll be doing my team a disservice. I’m going against the Joker. I have to be willing to use all six of my fouls at some point.”

Green followed up by talking about the importance of winning on the road, especially in a playoff atmosphere, and taking advantage of silencing an away crowd.

“That’s what it’s all about going into an opposing team’s building and shutting that crowd up; it doesn’t get much better than that. There is no better feeling in sports than entering a hostile environment, and the crowd is yelling and booing, and ultimately you come out with the victory. It’s hard to duplicate that feeling and rush you get from experiences like that. For me, I enjoy the boos and everything that comes with it. I always say the real ones show up and make plays on the road, and then some people just show up at home.”

The Warriors look to complete the sweep on Sunday in Denver to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.



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REPORT: Robert Williams Expected to Play Limited Minutes in Return

EDITOR’S NOTE: According to League insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Robert Williams intends on returning for Game 3 and will be playing in limited minutes on Saturday.

Celtics center Robert Williams is expected to return for the Boston Celtics in Games 3 or 4 of their first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Williams tore his left meniscus on March 27 and was listed out for the season.

Williams participated in a five-on-five this week with the team per Shams Charania of The Athletic, and the team will have a final decision before Game 3 on Saturday. The Celtics currently lead the series 2-0 against the Nets. With the series transitioning to Brooklyn, Williams will be a significant addition to the rolling Celtics team with the entire roster available.

Coach Ime Udoka told Celtics beat reporter Justin Leger that this is the best time for Williams to be with the team, especially in the playoffs.

“This is the time of year we want him around the team camaraderie-wise and his impact just being around the group, to be in that playoff atmosphere,” Udoka said. “He’s had no setbacks, and that benchmark of where we aimed of 4-6 weeks is looking good. We’re happy with his progress.”

Game 3 of the Celtics and Nets series will be on Saturday in Barclays Center.



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Karl-Anthony Towns On Game 3 Loss At Home: ‘This One Hurts’

The Minnesota Timberwolves blew a 26-point lead in the Game 3 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Target Center. Karl-Anthony Towns was not impressed with being down 2-1 in the series and believes Game 4 will be their chance to bounce back.

“We gotta come in with a desperate mindset and do whatever it takes to win this series,” Towns said.”The same way we got up 26 is the same way we gotta come back next game and play. This is home court; we’ve been doing a great job at home defending it. We are one of the best teams at home, so we really gotta up our chops on the line next game.”

Towns finished the game with eight points, five rebounds, and one assist. He shot 3-of-4 from the floor and only attempted one three-point shot. The backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards led the Wolves in scoring with a combined 41 points.

Towns followed up his statement by saying he has to work through the adversity and that sticking with his teammates will get them through this series.

“Stick with what got us here, believe what we’ve done all year, and continue to believe in through ups and downs like this, Towns said. “This one hurts, and we have some games like that this year and bounced back, so I just hope we can do that game four.”

The Timberwolves look to tie the series on Saturday when they play Game 4 in Target Center.



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REPORT: Charlotte Hornets Lets Go of James Borrego After Four Seasons

The Charlotte Hornets will be looking for a new head coach after reportedly dismissing James Borrego after four seasons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Charlotte has reached the play-In tournament for consecutive seasons and has improved by 10 wins in each of the past three seasons. However, Charlotte hasn’t won a game in the tournament in either of its appearances, despite their regular-season improvement and the development of SLAM 237 cover star LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Borrego went 138-163 during his Hornets tenure.

The Hornets finished the season ranked 10th in the East with a 43-39 record.



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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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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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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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