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2022-23 All-NBA Teams

The 2022-23 Kia All-NBA First Team:

▪️ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks ▪️ Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks ▪️ Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers ▪️ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder ▪️ Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

The 2022-23 Kia All-NBA Second Team:

▪️ Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics ▪️ Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat ▪️ Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors ▪️ Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets ▪️ Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

The 2022-23 Kia All-NBA Third Team:

▪️ De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings ▪️ LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers ▪️ Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers ▪️ Julius Randle, New York Knicks ▪️ Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

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JJ Redick interviews for Raptors' coaching job, sources say

Fifteen-year NBA veteran and ESPN analyst JJ Redick interviewed for the Toronto Raptors' coaching job this week, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

Redick was part of a first round of interviews and met with franchise leadership in Toronto recently, sources said. He had been a target for several teams, including the Boston Celtics, as an assistant coach since retiring as a player in 2021.

Redick is one of more than a dozen candidates who have talked with the Raptors in a wide-ranging search process, sources said. ESPN reported recently that Toronto had gained permission to interview several candidates, including Golden State's Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee's Charles Lee, Phoenix's Kevin Young, San Antonio's Mitch Johnson, Sacramento's Jordi Fernandez, Memphis' Darko Rajakovic and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon. Current Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin is also an interview candidate for the job, sources said.

Toronto parted ways with coach Nick Nurse on April 21. The Raptors finished 41-41 this season before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the 9 vs. 10 game of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Redick averaged 12.8 points per game in 15 NBA seasons with six teams: Orlando, Milwaukee, the LA Clippers, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Dallas. He was the NCAA's 2006 national player of the year for Duke.

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Devin Booker shrugs off historic efficiency as Suns even seriesq

Booker continued his phenomenal playoff run by scoring 36 points, matching teammate Kevin Durant's total, while going 14-of-18 from the field in Phoenix's series-evening 129-124 win over the Denver Nuggets in Sunday night's Game 4 at Footprint Center.

"Man, I'm just trying to win," Booker said. "I always say, and it's something that I'll tell KD, like throw that efficiency s--- out the window. I don't care about that. Just keep going, keep attacking, keep being aggressive."

But Booker's efficiency has been astounding throughout the playoffs and especially in the past two games of the Western Conference semifinals series.

Booker has now scored 331 points during this postseason, the most by any player through nine playoff games since Michael Jordan in 1990, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Booker has done so with a 70% true shooting percentage, the best ever by a player who scored at least 300 points over a span of nine playoff games.

Since the Suns left Denver facing an 0-2 deficit in the series, Booker exploded for 83 points in Phoenix's two home wins while shooting 79.1% from the floor. He made 20 of 26 jump shots in the pair of victories, hitting at a clip (76.9%) that ranks as the best over two playoff games in the decade that Second Spectrum has done player tracking among a group of more than 900 players who attempted at least 25 jumpers.

"I know the spots where I'm supposed to be aggressive and where I'm supposed to make 'em pay," said Booker, who also had 12 assists in Sunday's win. "I talked about transition earlier and just trying to get out and play fast, so they can't set their defense and set their double-team. I don't usually get open shots. So this is a new thing with having KD's gravity on the floor."

Durant delivered his best performance of the series Sunday, scoring 36 points on 11-of-19 shooting, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists.

It marked the first time two teammates each recorded at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists in consecutive games, regular season or playoffs, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And Durant believes that the best is yet to come for a duo that has played only 17 games together, nine of which have come during the playoffs.

"To be honest, we're still learning each other, learning which plays work for both of us, which plays work for our team as well," Durant said. "But at the core of it, it's just all about playing ball and getting to your spots and just playing aggressive. I think we both do that. Book is always comfortable out there in any spot on the floor, and I feel like I'm the same way. The more reps we get, the better we going to get."

Booker already has six 35-plus-point performances in these playoffs, the most ever by a Phoenix player during a postseason. His past two have occurred while adding significant facilitating responsibilities with Chris Paul sidelined by a strained left groin.

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Nikola Jokic Update

The NBA isn't suspending Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns.

The league announced Monday that it fined Jokic $25,000 for his slight push of Suns owner Mat Ishbia in Game 4 while trying to retrieve the ball in the crowd, but he'll be available to play Tuesday night in Denver with the series tied 2-2.

Jokic was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Game 4 on Sunday night when he tried to snatch the ball from Ishbia, who was sitting courtside, and hit the Suns' owner with an elbow.

Ishbia took to Twitter on Monday morning to address the situation.

"Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story," Ishbia tweeted. "Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don't want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!"

The fracas began when Suns guard Josh Okogie crashed into the seats while trying to save a loose ball. He landed in a group of fans on the baseline that included Ishbia, who held the basketball.

Jokic was trying to get the ball quickly -- apparently so the Nuggets could start their offensive possession -- when he attempted to grab it from Ishbia. The ball flew backward into the crowd, then Ishbia was knocked backward by Jokic's elbow.

Jokic defended his actions after a game in which he had 53 points and 11 assists.

"The fan put the hand on me first," Jokic explained. "I thought the league was supposed to protect us. Maybe I am wrong. I know who he is, but he is a fan. Isn't he?"

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic was "going to get the ball and some fan is holding on to the ball like he wants to be part of the game."

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NBA All-Rookie Teams

The 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team:

▪️ Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic ▪️ Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz ▪️ Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers ▪️ Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings ▪️ Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

The 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team:▪️ Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons▪️ Tari Eason, Houston Rockets▪️ Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons▪️ Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets▪️ Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs

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Jacque Vaughn Gets New Coaching Staff

ESPN Sources: Jacque Vaughn and the Nets are reshaping coaching staff for his first full season as head coach next year, parting with Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter. Hawks did same on weekend with staff that Quin Snyder inherited late in season.

Pistons, Rockets and Raptors will be hiring largely new assistant coaching staffs with arrival of new head coaches and these veteran assistants will be available for that mix.

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Mike Budenholzer FIRED

BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks dismissed coach Mike Budenholzer, sources tell ESPN. Budenholzer is out after the East’s top-seed suffered a first-round loss to the Miami Heat.

In a statement, Bucks GM Jon Horst said: “We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.”

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The Miami Heat defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games!

The Miami Heat become the sixth No. 8 seed in NBA history to advance past the No. 1 seed, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.

The Miami Heat’s second-round playoff opponent: the New York Knicks. The eighth-seeded Heat already pulled off the shocking upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in the first round. The fifth-seeded Knicks are the Heats’ next challenge.

The Heat and Knicks have plenty of playoff history, becoming fierce rivals after playing each other in four straight postseasons from 1997-2000 and then in 2012 during the Heat’s Big 3 era. A new chapter in the rivalry is about to begin. Start times and TV information for the best-of-7 second-round series will continue to trickle in. Here’s the schedule, with some details still to be determined (all Eastern time) Game 1 on Sunday, 1 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in New York (ABC)

Because they’re still without Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo they’re again a series underdog as the road team as they move on to the second round against the New York Knicks. They still are as reliant on their leading man aka Jimmy Butler as much as any team still standing in the NBA playoffs.

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Ja Morant Update

According to ESPN sources, Grizzlies star Ja Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York today. Morant has left a counseling program in Florida and moves closer to ramping up for return to season now. He must wait on league announcement of findings in probe, expected soon.

Morant entered the counseling program in Florida shortly after announcing that he would step away from team to seek help, sources said.

The NBA later decided they will suspend Ja Morant for eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league.

Suspension covers the six games he'll miss, including tonight vs. Miami. He is eligible to play on Monday vs. the Dallas Mavericks, the same day that he's able to rejoin the Memphis Grizzlies in the team environment. His ramp up to return will begin on Monday, and return to games soon thereafter.

Ja hasn't been playing basketball while at th counseling center in Florida, so his ramp up is expected to extend past Monday's game vs. the Dallas Mavericks when he's first eligible to return. It's expected that he'll return to play shortly thereafter.