NBA 2023-24

[InThe313]

Good-bye and good riddance!  The NBA issued a lifetime ban to Raptors center Jontay Porter for violating the league’s rules on gambling.

[InThe313]

Getting into the postseason is never easy and this makes the pressure that much greater.  The Heat are playing the 76ers in the NBA Play-In Tournament.  The Hawks will play the Bulls at 9:30 p.m.  Updates to come.

The 76ers beat the Heat, 105-104, to advance to play the Atlantic rival Knicks beginning on Saturday in New York.
The Bulls beat the Hawks, 131-116, to advance to play the Heat on Friday in Miami.

[InThe313]

It’s playoff time!  The NBA playoffs have begun.  The Magic are playing the Cavaliers now.  The Suns will play the Timberwolves at 3:30 p.m.  The 76ers will play the Knicks at 6 p.m.  The Lakers will play the Nuggets at 8:30 p.m.  Updates to come.

The Cavaliers beat the Magic, 97-83.
The Timberwolves beat the Suns, 120-95.

UPDATE:  The process, as usual, is failing.  The 76ers’ Joel Embiid executed an unbelievable self alley-oop dunk, but had to exit the game after landing awkwardly in his left leg.

UPDATE 2:  These games are getting good.  The Knicks lead the 76ers, 96-92, in the fourth.  The Lakers and Nuggets are set to tip in a 2023 West finals rematch.

The Knicks beat the 76ers, 111-104.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers, 114-103.

[InThe313]

What a thriller tonight in Denver!  Jamal Murray drained a jumper as time expired as the Nuggets defeated the Lakers, 101-99, to take a 2-0 series lead.

UPDATE:  The league will be sending the King a request for a charitable donation soon.  The Lakers’ LeBron James walked out of a news conference after complaining about the officiating in the Lakers vs. Nuggets and 76ers vs. Knicks games, the latter seeing the Knicks win, 104-101.

[Cadeauxxx]

You left out the part where the Lakers blew a 20 point lead.

That was a gut wrenching loss. One of the worst I've had in basketball in many years.

[InThe313]

Clutch up!  Tyrese Haliburton hit a late and-one to seal the Pacers’ 121-118 overtime win over the Central rival Bucks.

[InThe313]

You need to calm down.  The Clippers’ Russell Westbrook got ejected from a 101-93 loss after losing his temper and shoving the Mavericks’ players.

[InThe313]

Can we get people to strip throwing fists?  The Bucks’ Bobby Portis was ejected for the first time in his postseason career in a 126–113 loss after striking the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard in the face in a fight.

[InThe313]

This poster will be hanging up on bedroom walls across Minnesota soon.  Anthony Edwards threw down a statement slam on Kevin Durant to help eliminate the Suns, 122-116, for the first playoff sweep in Timberwolves history.

UPDATE:  While things are good in the Land of a Thousand Lakes, friendly fire dampened the mood.  Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch collided with Mike Conley Jr. on the floor and exited late in the fourth quarter of Game 4.

[InThe313]

This makes me smile.  LeBron James’ 30 points and 11 assists weren’t enough as the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers, 108-106, in Game 5.  The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray hit the pull-up fallaway with 3.6 seconds remaining to seal the win.  The Nuggets will play the Northwest rival Timberwolves beginning on Saturday in Denver.

[Cadeauxxx]

The Lakers deserved to get swept. I was hoping they would just so it would raise the possibility of firing Darvin Ham.

It's frustrating to lose a series where every game is close, like last year. With better coaching, this would've been a different series.

I expect them to do something stupid in the off season like go after Trae Young and repeat the Westbrick process all over again. They tore down a championship roster and later fired a winning coach in Frank Vogel all over that mess. I don't see them reaching another championship with LeBron after that whole mess, and he's to blame for a lot of it with his roster meddling.

[InThe313]

Ask and you shall receive, Cade!  According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons.