#and jamal murray i think

[kdsburneraccount]

every time i see a male athlete wearing one full leg compression sleeve asymmetrically im like "what do you know abt a'ja wilson 🤨"

[yarrummal]

As someone who watches penguins games solely when Tristan Jarry is playing i am having the time of my life tonight

[fruitbasketball]

It is possible to recover from injuries and have a successful career, especially with how advanced sports medicine has become. Murray had ACL injuries, and look at him now. ( I am sure that there are other players who went through similar situations.)

Also, I agree with your statement about comparing her to Paige. I love Azzi so much, and I believe in her, but one of them was able to prove her abilities for two seasons, and one didn't. Still, we can't judge her based only on the number of games she played.

She really has to work extra hard this season to prove herself. Based on her own, her coach's, Paige's, and basketball fans' testimonies, she has two issues: one is her injuries, which she can't control, and the other is her mentality and confidence. Geno said she has all the skills of a superstar player, but she is a reluctant player, which is something she has to work on to prove to herself that she can do it. I am rooting for her so hard because I am sure she is physically and mentally fighting hell to overcome the obstacles she has been facing through the years.

oh it’s so possible to come back

fucking jamal murray bro 😭😭😭 i mean he’s a great example, so is klay, even kobe’s a great example even tho his injury was much later on

but steph might be the best example - his first few years in the league were so fucked by injury, and he went on to be one of, if not the best pg this league has ever seen

idk i just think the fucking world of azzi and i want to see her on the court so damn bad bro

[stillfertile]

all I know about jokic is that he is good at basketball and is on the nuggets, so you should,, you should infodump about him. perhaps

ANON IM KISSING YOU

ok. to start I have never watched a basketball game in my life. idk the rules. they play with balls ok thats all ik. but that didnt stop me from loving jokić <3

I learned about him through instagram videos of his interviews where he said stuff like “the parade is tomorrow? I want go hooome” and “I mean, nobody likes their job, if they say they do theyre lying” so at first I was like haha silly basketball player, best in the league, treats the sport like an office job clocking in from 9 to 5

THEN I discovered his love of horses, how he races them and gets very excited when he won a race, and how he sometimes scouts for horses on the clock (during practice)

silly union man horsegirl, ok what about his yaoi potential?

well, yaoi potential through the ROOF. Him and his teammate Jamal Murray are so cute, but that can fill another post

So. why am I crazy about him.

Hes selfless, to a self-depricating degree. He likes to make his teammates laugh with jokes and help elevate their play and even when hes praised he spins it around. When HE was handed THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY he said he won it for JAMAL. NOT HIM, HIS TEAMMATE.

Even his playing style, he recently got the achievement of 2nd most career assists in nba HISTORY. and he said “assist makes two people happy, a point makes one guy happy.” When making decisions he always puts his teammate’s happiness first, and thinks of himself dead last. HE DOESNT CARE FOR HIMSELFFF

He really doesnt like being famous. Many say hes the best basketball player in the league rn, but he hates the popularity that comes with it. He really wants the spotlight to shine on his teammates, not him. He said in an interview that after he retires, he would like to be forgotten. read that again. HE WOULD LIKE TO BE FORGOTTEN.

Hes a self-sacrificing horsegirl who wants to disapear, and also happens to be the best basketball player in the world. Hope that answers your question.

also the ultimate service top

[yaoistri]

tagged to do this by @kimissteeringwheel !!

pairing/ship list!

here’s the rules:

1. list your top 7 ships

2. put them in order of your love for them; 7 to 1, 1 being your favourite

3. name their fandom

4. supply photos for said people

7. tyson jost & jt compher, hockey rpf

sadly there is very minimal interaction between these two anymore, but they came into the NHL as rookies in 2017 and immediately became BEST friends playing together on the worst team in the league. they lived together and did everything together until tyson was traded away from colorado in 2022. jt has also now been traded away just recently.

6. erik johnson and gabe landeskog, hockey rpf

it’s 2011 and the youngest captain in nhl history gets drafted onto a team with a former number 1 prospect who has just been traded away from his initial team after injuring himself badly, and the two become tight instantly. LOTS of twitter banter occurs, and they play together for 11 years before winning a cup together! sadly, gabe has been out for a year after badly injuring himself during the 2022 playoffs, and ej just got traded away to buffalo, MEANING that the last game they ever played together was the game they won the cup….. sooo damn tragic and poetic

5. darius garland and donovan mitchell (spidaland), basketball rpf

they’ve only had one season together on the cavs, and sadly fell short in the playoffs, but they’re one of the best guard pairings in the nba for a reason, because they literally have soooooo much chemistry. also they’re ALWAYS touching each other????? like my camera roll is so full of pictures of them hugging

4. sebastian vettel and kimi räikkönen (simi), f1 rpf

they invented grumpy/sunshine. you can’t drive for ferrari and not get shipped with ur teammate i’m sorry it’s the rules! especially when you have a reputation for being as cold as ice but whenever you’re around him you start smiling… kimi ur not slick!

3. alain prost and ayrton senna (prosenna), f1 rpf

these two were INSANE. i’m a sucker for a tragic rivalry and they are nothing if not that. the chemistry, the tension, the way alain still talks about ayrton to this day, it all kills me. there’s so much about them we will never know and it drives me up the wall

2. nikola jokic and jamal murray, basketball rpf

these two oh my goddddd. might mansplain a bit here bc this is not a popular pairing at all — they were drafted to the denver nuggets in 2014 and 2016 respectively, nikola being a nobody from serbia who didn’t get picked until the second round, and jamal being a top 10 pick with all eyes on him. these two built this team on their backs, going from one of the worst teams in the league to finally winning the championship together in 2023 after facing a major setback when jamal tore his acl in 2021. the way they have so much trust in each other and have built a chemistry that has made them the best duo in the league is so dear to me :’) the dynamic is also spectacular - massive cynical european of little words and friendly but bratty short canadian who loves to have a laugh. i think the fact that i got to watch them grow together and that there’s like 5 other people in the world that ship them just make them sooo dear to me

1. lewis hamilton and nico rosberg (brocedes), f1 rpf

i literally have no words for these two 😭 i feel like i don’t need to explain that much either, because their story is so tragic and so out of a book that everyone already knows it. the intricacies of the way they destroyed each other will haunt me forever.

ok, passing the trend on! tagging @queergrittys @unsolvedjarin @jrueships if any of u are interested :)

[toinfinitywinning]

My goal is to Watch a Baseball Game on TV this year instead of only supporting their clothing styles. Buttoned tshirts and Preferably the Reds, but I’ve not been to an outdoor sporting event in 26 months. So,

Secondly I just read about a guy eating 32 hotdogs—can the USA not find anything better than a Hot Dog eating contest to compete in? I am positive we are the only country lol. Just Make something up. I mean Guinness record stuff should all have to interview…32. I can’t think of anything worse to do within a time limit. I’d even do math.

3) I have been limited to the bed lately so being March I’m rewatching the 2012 and 2014 post seasons. When they cut the commercials and you have YouTube premium bc u got rid of another subscription in the carousel. I chose not to Watch the U-Conn title game I’m sad enough. have rewatched the 2012. The last 5 min of all of them I literally think they’re going to lose and I already know. I can only relive some of the bad buzzer beaters / close losses per Day. Wisconsin getting us back, Auburn being well, Auburn, and Luke Maye. GOLLY. And per usual Grant Hill and Laettner came up. Can we not?

I forgot a few players Who made HUGE plays in those 2014 games and ppl like Skal or the cute exchange student with dark hair…Tye? Randle was and still is a monster with another all-☆ selection this year. Darkari Johnson—never gave him enough credit. Then noticed the baskets the Harrison Twins got were all like 10 to 5 min under in crunch time. The one for Aaron taking us to the FF is the only points he made that Game. He basically took the Game from no-loss Wichita State with 4 3’s. Jamal Murray was so fun. There is no question Ulis is the best PG. I mean there’s Rondo but idk Ulis is shifty like Rob just slower hips. And Mr. KY Basketball, High School, College championships Darius Miller always came through. Willis and Hawkins were special KY boys too.now we have Reed.

Reed Shep gots to be that for us and I don’t think he won’t. He and Rob are in a lot of people’s NBA top 5. Be like Ant & Mike in 2012. Rob 3, Reed 5.

[defensefilms]

I Owe The Denver Nuggets Their Props

The Nuggets, mostly as a result of being associated with Nikola Jokic, have been subject to a lot of slander on this blog.

I predicted that if the Nuggets had to play one of the many playoff teams with multiple veteran all stars, a-la the Phoenix Suns, they would probably hit their ceilng.

Well they didn’t.

With a 125-100 victory in game 6 the Nuggets have once again reached the Conference Finals and will play the Los Angeles Lakers in the next round, and it’s time to eat that humble pie.

I’ll be fair, they’ve proven me wrong at almost every step.

Jamal Murray was indeed worth waiting for and it those performances in the bubble were not fluke. He’s giving you 25.9 points and 6.5 assists so far, the Nuggets 2nd star is putting it all on the floor and while he can have hiccups like his 3-15 for 10 points in game 3 against the Suns, he has been the dependable act that follows Nikola Jokic.

These positives extend all the way to the one guy that I was sure would have sunk the ship by now, and that’s Nuggets head coach Mike Malone.

While I do have my concerns about Michael Porter Jr, I also know that he can come up with shooting nights like the one he had in game 5, and even if he is the forgotten man in their offense sometimes, he’s still a threat.

Nikola Jokic has been incredible, Shaq referred to him as the best big man in the league, and while I think that is several bridges too far, Jokic was outstanding in the 2nd round and they smashed the Phoenix Suns. Jokic has been dominant putting up 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists, so basically a triple-double. Game 1 against the Suns was the only time he didn’t score 30 or more points in the series. 

Look, I’m ready to give the Nuggets thier flowers.

I won’t pick them to beat the Lakers in Conference FInals, but I will admit they are better than I gave them credit for all season long.

Okay, Nuggets.

[mortemhq]

[ ANONYMOUS SENT … ] hi there! can i have your most wanted male fcs 50+? <3

YES, OF COURSE, ANON! we're so thrilled to see you're thinking of taking an older character! we'd love to see isaiah mustafa, mahershala ali, toby stephens, john cho, mark consuelos, randall park, raul esparza, sendhil ramamurthy, sterling k brown, travis fimmel, eric dane, keanu reeves, laz alonso, jr bourne, justin kirk, karl urban, arjun rampal, jon hamm, frank grillo, murray bartlett, david tennant, patrick wilson, jason statham, billy crudup, djimon hounsou, ke huy quan, matthew lillard, daniel craig, ethan hawke, paul rudd, danny sapani, mads mikkelsen, jeffrey wright, owen wilson, shemar moore, vin diesel, lee byung hen, park heesoon, yoo jun sang, johnny knoxville, jason scott lee, benjamin bratt, mehmet aslantug, bruce campbell, bob odenkirk, stanley tucci, daniel day lewis, steve carell, laurence fishbourne, grant show, hiroyuki sanada, henry simmons, donnie yen, iain glen, viggo mortensen, willem dafoe, pierce brosnan, tony leung, tsuda kenjiro, adrian lester, malcolm jamal warner, emilio rivera, byron mann, hiroshi abe, amitabh bachchan, hank azaria, hrithik roshan, rajinikanth, robert carlyle, shah rukh khan, antonio banderas, and peter capaldi. also here are some honorary mentions who are 49: pedro pascal, matthew macfadyen, and hugh dancy.

[sportyconnect]

The Miami Warmth are superior to the NBA Finals, where they may face the Denver Nuggets. The Warmth is the #1 seed within the Jap Convention, whereas the Nuggets are the #2 seed within the Western Convention. The Warmth is led by Jimmy Butler, averaging 28.7 factors per sport within the playoffs. Butler can be averaging 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per sport. The Warmth additionally has a powerful supporting solid with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo. The Nuggets are led by Nikola Jokic, averaging 31.0 factors per sport and 13.2 rebounds per sport within the playoffs. Jokic can be averaging 8.2 assists per sport. The Nuggets have a powerful supporting solid with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon. The Warmth and Nuggets have met twice within the standard season this season, with every staff profitable as soon as. The Warmth gained the primary sport 115-109, whereas the Nuggets beat the second sport 126-115. The Warmth are the favorites to win the NBA Finals. However, the Nuggets will probably be a tricky problem. The Nuggets have lots of firepowers and will be taking part in residence for the collection' first two video games. The Warmth and Nuggets will tip off Sport 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June eighth, at 9:00 PM EST. Sport Schedule Sport 1: Thursday, June eighth at 9:00 PM EST (ESPN) Sport 2: Saturday, June tenth at 9:00 PM EST (ESPN) Sport 3: Tuesday, June thirteenth at 9:00 PM MST (TNT) Sport 4: Thursday, June fifteenth at 9:00 PM MST (TNT) Sport 5: Sunday, June eighteenth, TBD (TNT) Sport 6: Tuesday, June twentieth, TBD (ABC) Sport 7: Thursday, June twenty second, TBD (ABC) Betting Odds The Warmth is favored to win the NBA Finals at -150, whereas the Nuggets are the underdogs at +120. Prediction I predict the Warmth will win the NBA Finals in 6 video games. The Warmth has a more balanced staff than the Nuggets, so they have additional playoff expertise. I believe the Warmth will be capable of decelerating Jokic and the Nuggets' offense, and I think Butler will be capable of leading the Warmth to victory. FAQs What are the chances for the Warmth to win the NBA Finals? The Warmth is currently favored to win the NBA Finals at -150. When does the Warmth play the Nuggets in the NBA Finals? The Warmth and Nuggets will tip off Sport 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June eighth, at 9:00 PM EST. The place will the NBA Finals be performed? The NBA Finals will probably be performed on an impartial website. The primary two video games will likely be completed in Miami, Florida, and the following three will probably be in Denver, Colorado. Who's the favorite to win the NBA Finals? The Warmth are the favorites to win the NBA Finals. What's one of the simplest ways to observe the NBA Finals? The NBA Finals will probably be broadcast on ESPN and TNT. You can even watch the NBA Finals online on ESPN+ and TNT. #SportyConnect

[allsoymadestore]

Denver Nuggets Beat Miami Heat for First NBA Championship

The Nuggets had never been to the N.B.A. finals, but they showed they belonged with a comeback win in Game 5.

It took 56 years and 38 playoff appearances for the basketball team nestled in the high plains just east of the Rocky Mountains to finally reach the peak of its sport.

It took an unheralded center from Serbia who turned into the most formidable player in the game and a Canadian point guard who found himself again after a long and arduous recovery from a career-threatening knee injury. It took patience, collaboration and a discipline born of trying, failing and learning how to keep climbing just a bit higher.

The Denver Nuggets are finally champions.

They clinched the first title in franchise history Monday night on their home court at Ball Arena, 5,280 feet above sea level — the highest altitude at which any N.B.A. championship has been won. They beat the Miami Heat, 94-89, in Game 5 to seal the victory. They were led by center Nikola Jokic, who stood quietly at the back of the stage holding his 1-year-old daughter as his team celebrated during the trophy presentation, and by point guard Jamal Murray, who cried as he looked up at the thousands of fans roaring for him. The rest of Denver’s indefatigable eight-man rotation bolstered the team’s two biggest stars until the end.

“I got news for everybody out there,” Nuggets Coach Michael Malone shouted, as the crowd erupted and confetti swirled in the air around him. “We’re not satisfied with one! We want more! We want more!”

Jokic was named the most valuable player of the finals, a nice complement to his two regular-season M.V.P. Awards. He finished Game 5 with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists, becoming the first player in N.B.A. history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds and assists.

“If you want to be a success, you need a couple years,” Jokic said. “You need to be bad, then you need to be good. Then when you’re good you need to fail, and then when you fail, you’re going to figure it out.

“I think experience is something that is not what happened to you. It’s what you’re going to do with what happened to you.”

The clinching game was neither pretty nor easy. Through the first three quarters, the Nuggets struggled to make 3-point shots and convert free throws. They turned the ball over carelessly. Had they lost, they would have had to play Game 6 in Miami on Thursday. The pressure on Monday may have frayed their nerves.

“You want to end it on your home court with all the fans there, your family there,” Murray said. “You want to end it on the home court so bad.”

The Heat had a 7-point lead at halftime, and led by just 1 point at the end of the third quarter.

But in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets found the resolve to take the title. With about 10 minutes 59 seconds remaining, Murray hit a 3-pointer — only the Nuggets’ third of the game — to give the Nuggets a 4-point lead. He pranced down the court as the Heat called a timeout. It was Denver’s largest lead since the first quarter.

Later, Murray struck again. This time, Aaron Gordon blocked a jumper by Heat guard Kyle Lowry, leading to a transition basket for Murray to give the Nuggets a 5-point lead.

And with less than 30 seconds remaining, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stole a pass by Jimmy Butler and made both free throws after Lowry fouled him to give Denver a 3-point lead.

“I’m grateful, man, that we made it here,” Butler said afterward. “Came up short, but I’m blessed. I’m fortunate.”

With the win, the Nuggets departed a dubious club. There are now only 10 teams in the league that have never won an N.B.A. championship. Five have made it to the finals and lost, including the Phoenix Suns, who have come up short three times, most recently in 2021.

But the Nuggets had never even gotten that far, at least not in the N.B.A. Not since 1976, when they lost to the New York Nets in the American Basketball Association finals, had they reached a championship series.

The long drought helps explain why the Nuggets were underestimated all season. Pundits and oddsmakers questioned their ability to win, even after they took hold of first place in the Western Conference in December and never let go.

People wondered if Jokic, despite his superlative play, could lead a team this far — after all, he had never taken the Nuggets past the conference finals. Those questions may have cost him a third consecutive M.V.P. Award — an accomplishment that many said should be reserved for champions.

Some wondered if Murray would ever return to the elite level he had been playing at in 2021, when a knee injury just before the playoffs set him and Denver on a two-year journey to fully reset.

Along the way, some role players found their stride, even if they mostly went unnoticed.

Caldwell-Pope, whom the Nuggets traded for last off-season, added defense, shooting and championship experience. For a few playoff games, he brought in the ring he had won in 2020 with the Lakers and let his teammates hold it. None of them have one.

“They gave me an opportunity here, because of my championship, to be that leader — be vocal, let them know about my experience and how hard it is to get to this point we’re at now,” Caldwell-Pope said after Game 1. “I’m just trying to keep them motivated.”

Gordon, whom the Nuggets traded for in March 2021, happily became a defensive stopper after being the offensive star of the Orlando Magic.

“I’m not here for the credit,” Gordon said. “I’m here for the wins.”

Bruce Brown provided offensive sparks; Jeff Green added veteran calm; Christian Braun, a rookie, offered a youthful fearlessness that would pay off in the finals.

The Nuggets blasted through the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and then beat the Suns in six games. They swept the Lakers in the conference finals and then sat around for a week waiting to find out whom they would meet in the finals.

Like the Nuggets, the Heat had taken a 3-0 lead in their conference finals series. But they faltered as the Boston Celtics fought back in the East and won the next three games, forcing a decisive Game 7.

“When Boston won Game 6, we’d been sitting so long it almost felt like we wasn’t in the playoffs anymore,” Green said. “Because the only thing we was doing was watching them.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/

[texasbama]

From a torn ACL (and the extensive recovery), thinking his team might release him, to winning his first ring with his guys. Im so happy for Jamal Murray. i KNOW that feels GOOD

[fruitbasketball]

Who’s winning both game 7s today?

And do you think Brunson and Jokic have more than 31 points today?

brunson over 35

jokic i’ll go 31 but idt he’ll go above but i think jamal murray will go stupid

ant gets 40+ tn tho

i got knicks and twolves

[news4usonline]

Nuggets deny the Lakers, sweep LA

LOS ANGELES (Compton Bulletin) – LeBron James had his best game of the Western Conference Finals, scoring 40 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and nearly coming away with a triple-double. It wasn’t good enough to help the Lakers stave off elimination.   After trailing by 15 points at halftime, the Denver Nuggets outscored the Los Angeles Lakers, 36-16, in the third quarter on their way to a 113-111 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Crypto.com Arena.

Denver Nuggets star Kentavious Caldwell-_____________________Pope (5) blocks the pathway of Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on May 22, 2023. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline Four straight defeats and the Lakers are out of the playoffs and going on vacation while the Nuggets advance to the NBA Finals. After the game, James talked about a little frustration setting in following his team’s inability to hold on to that double-digit halftime lead.   “I mean, of course, that's human nature when you're a competitor,” James said. “Obviously frustrated. Not being able to close out one of these games where you were in every game. You know, two games in Denver, two games here, were winning every game. “We were up 15 at the half. They hit us with a 36-point quarter, took momentum of the game. We still an had an opportunity but just couldn't make plays down the stretch. That's the frustrating part. You tip your hat to them. Like I said, it's a great team.” The Lakers came into this series on a roll, having beaten No. 2 Memphis and ousting the Golden State Warriors, last season’s NBA champs. In the Nuggets, however, the Lakers found a team that was taller, more athletic, just as physical, better at shooting the ball, and hungry. The Nuggets have been the best team in the Western Conference all season long, and their takedown of the Lakers after knocking off the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns validates their success. “Me and AD were just talking in the locker room for a little bit,” James said. “I think we came to the consensus, this is if not, one of the best teams, if not the best team, we've played together for all four years. Just well-orchestrated, well put together. “They have scoring. They have shooting. They have play-making. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth. And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who as big as he is but also as cerebral as he is, you can't really make many mistakes versus a guy like that.” Going out in four straight games and seeing the season come to an abrupt end is a hard pill to swallow for Davis, who wrapped up Game 4 with 21 points and 14 rebounds. “Obviously it hurts right now, especially the way we lost,” Davis said during a postgame press conference. “Not only to the paint but we gave away two games, three games, and then you add tonight and Game 2 and Game 3 as well. It's just tough. “I mean, credit to Denver, obviously. They are a great ballclub, No. 1 team for a reason. Their players played well throughout the entire series. But it's tough. It stings. But we've got to carry it into next season and keep this feeling and remember this season and use it as fuel coming into next year.” With a couple of seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Lakers still had an opportunity to win the game and send the series back to Denver for a possible Game 5. But as he was driving for a potential game-tying layup, James found his path blocked by Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets made the defensive stop and that was your ballgame.

LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers goes for two of his 40 points against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on May 22, 2023. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline “The phrase for me is self-inflicted wounds,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. “You can't have those. You know, being good at transition defense, not fouling, not pushing them to the bonus, getting the rebound, boxing out, you know, keeping them off their offensive glass, not allowing them to get those second, third, fourth chances. And then on our side, not turn the ball over and making layups. I don't think coverages or adjustments have anything to do with that. That's just playing harder, playing better.” Ham said that the difference in Game 4 was that pivotal third quarter where the Lakers surrendered their big lead. “I thought the third quarter, you know, we were twofold, we missed a ton of point-blank shots, and we allowed them to get really active on their offensive glass,” Ham added. “When we would stop them and they would get another crack at it and get another crack at it, and now instead of giving up a rebound, you're giving up threes. And the sign of a great team is, you make any mistake, they are going to make you pay for it, and they did just that.” Read the full article

[alovingheartblog]

NUGGETS GO UP 3-0 OVER LAKERS IN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of pulling off their first playoff sweep in franchise history. 

Denver took down the Los Angeles Lakers, 119-108, in Game 3 of the Westen Conference Finals to take a convincing 3-0 lead. This is the second time in the 2023 postseason that Denver has gone up 3-0 on a playoff opponent, the first being in Round 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history. 

"It was important," said Kentavious Caldwell-Pope about Denver's intensity in Game 3. "We talked about it the day before how we wanted to come out and be aggressive. We came out and did that perfectly in the first quarter. Let go of the rope a little bit, but we sustained it and got it back."

Jamal Murray led all scorers with 37 points on Saturday night. 30 of those points occurred in the first half when Murray was blistering hot.

"Just get him open," said Jokić about playing Murray when he has a rhythm. "Just get him the ball and get him open. And I think it's so cool to see when everybody's like just get him the ball, screen for him, do something. Just make them make some kind of mistake so he can go to work."

Nikola Jokić had a very quiet start to the ball game with just 9 points in the first three quarters but carried Denver home in the fourth with 15 points to finish with 24 in total on 9-of-19 shooting.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was also excellent for the Nuggets against his former team, Los Angeles, and finished with 17 points. He carried the Nuggets during a huge stretch at the end of the third quarter.

Michael Porter Jr. didn't have his best game shooting the basketball, but he did finish with 6 assists, a career-high for him.

"Michael Porter tonight was outstanding. That, to me, is a snapshot of Michael Porter's potential greatness," said Michael Malone. "One of my favorite plays of the night: He caught the ball in front of the Laker bench, he could have shot the ball contested, he makes one more pass to Bruce Brown, wide open-corner three. Good to great. That shows Michael's continued maturation as a player."

Los Angeles was led by Anthony Davis, who had a 28-point and 18-rebound triple-double. Austin Reaves also had another solid outing with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

The Nuggets dished out 30 assists and turned the ball over just 6 times. They also canned 41.5 percent of their three-pointers and made 50 percent of their shots. Interestingly, Denver lost the rebounding battle but won the ballgame, one of the first times all postseason this has happened. Denver's winning ways have generally coincided with cleaning the glass. They also lost convincingly the points in the paint battle, 52-38.

Murray dropped 11 points in the first six minutes on a variety of shots: a three-pointer, midrange looks off the dribble, and a floater. That allowed Denver to leap out to a 24-10 lead, as the Lakers began the game shooting just 22.2 percent through the first 9 minutes. Murray ended up finishing the first quarter with 17 points, and the Nuggets headed into the second quarter with a 32-20 lead. 

Murray continued to put up points in the second with 13 through the first 8 minutes of play to bring his total to 30, including a huge step-back three-pointer over Davis. Reaves did an excellent job of getting downhill and drawing contact for Los Angeles, matching Murray’s scoring with 13 points in the second quarter. Los Angeles shrank Denver’s lead to 58-55 at halftime. 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gave the Nuggets a nice jolt to start the second half with two three-pointers, both of which came in transition. Jokić picked up his fourth foul on a very questionable call against Davis that forced Malone to pull him from the game. Davis kept the Lakers right in it with 11 points. Then, the Nuggets got a sweet run of play from Caldwell-Pope for 6 points. However, James hit a pair of threes at the end of the quarter to send Los Angeles into the fourth down just 84-82. 

Los Angeles took their first lead since the first quarter on a Rui Hachimura three-pointer. Jokić promptly got on the board with two at-rim shots, one of which was a gorgeous up-and-under plus the foul. Denver took a five-point lead when the ball found Jeff Green in the corner for three, and then a possession later, Michael Porter Jr. made an extra pass to Bruce Brown for a corner shot. The Nuggets turned in a 13-4 run after Murray hit a transition three and Jokić nailed a floater off a pretty pass from his point guard, Murray, to make it a 10-point game. In the final three minutes, Jokić hit a three-pointer when Los Angeles sent two defenders toward Murray, and then Murray hit a layup the very next possession for the dagger. 

Source: https://www.nba.com/nuggets

[yarrummal]

it's 1 year since Game 6 of jazz-nuggets, which means it's one year since the interview Jamal Murray gave afterwards, from the 1st game played after the wildcat strike.

i don't really have anything more to add, other than to say I hope that the actions the players took and the messages and vulnerability they expressed are always honoured and validated.

[defensefilms]

These Players Are The X-Factors In The 2023 NBA Playoffs

The NBA regular season standing reveal how this year’s playoff race will be closer than ever, with just 3 wins separating 4th and 8th place in the Western Conference.

With margins this close, many of the outcomes of these games are going to be swung by moments and by role players, and how far a team’s supporting can push thier individual performances.

This may be true for every team in the post season, but some teams are going to need bigger contributions from their guys than others, and this is a comprehensive list of the players whose performances will have the biggest implications, outside the perfomance of the actual leading scorers.

1. Xavier Tillman Sr

With the injuries to the Grizzlies frontcourt (Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke), there will be a need for Grizzlies head coach, Taylor Jenkins. to find reliable pieces to plug that void.

Up to now, Jenkins has somewhat mitigated the problem through Xavier Tilman, who up to this point, has seen hism given more opportunities and Tilman has started 29 games and he averages about 19.3 minutes per game.

By playing Tilman alongside Jaren Jackson, Jenkins has found a front court pairing that gives him somewhat of a interrior defensive presence, and should he not be able to rely on Tilman, Jenkins will likely have to rely on playing smaller lineups with Desmond Bane at powerforward.

So much of how the Grizzlies backup powerforward performs will have a ripple effect on Memphis’ options as far as lineups and rotations.

2. Khris Middleton

This will be Khris Middleton’s 1st NBA playoff run since the Bucks won the title two years ago and I am not going to bother to factor in how many points he’s averaged because a lot of Middleton’s 2022/23 stats are watered down.

Hence why I am still concerned that Bucks head coach, Mike Budenholzer kept him out of the starting lineup for so long, and basically ran him with the bench unit, and I wonder what effect that had on Middleton because getting less time in lineups alongside Jrue, Giannis and Brook. 

When you look at a Khris Middleton stat line, the first things you want to see are points and efficiency, and while that’s understandable, I think the other thing to watch with Middleton is his pick’n’roll defense because that’s what 1-on-1 scorers do when they face him, and he’s gotta get a handle on it, or be smarter before allowing himslef to switch on to those guys.

I for one, cannot think of a single 2nd star, that has more on his plate in 2023, than Khris Middleton.

3. Deandre Ayton

It’s funny how Kevin Durant joins the Phoenix Suns and his biggest influence or effect, on the team, seems to be his effect on Deandre Ayton.

It’s been tough-sledding for Ayton and while he has gotten a new contract since the 2021 finals, it has come with added scrutiny and a more strained relationship with head coach, Monty Williams. 

Besides what the perception of Ayton may be, both within and outside the Suns organization, he’s in a unique spot to take full advantage of the kind of space he will have in the paint now that Durant is in Phoenix, and I think Ayton knows it.

A motivated Deandre Ayton can easily replicate what he was able to do against the Denver Nuggets in 2021. 

It comes down to the reality that if you look at all the other Western Conference teams, none of them, outside of Denver with Jokic and maybe Memphis with Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson, have got bigs that can match up with Ayton.

He may have dealt with being called out for a lack of desire but I think Deandre recognises how he can be one of the big reasons the Suns get back to a finals. 

4. Jamal Murray And Michael Porter Jr

Denver Nuggets fans have long since talked up the return of Jamal Murray and how that happening would finally allow the Nuggets to reach thier full potetial as Western Conference front runners, and they may very well have been right about that.  

Michael Porter Jr’s case is slightly more complex.

It was thought that the Denver Nuggets had gotten the biggest steal in the 2018 draft when they got Porter Jr, and that still may very well be true, the problem is that when a young player is drafted to a team that already has star offensive players like Murray and Jokic. So Porter Jr hasn’t really had to push his game, the way he would have had if he had been drafted by any almost any other team in the league. 

Murray is getting back to health but the reality is, the Nuggets need him to play like he did in the bubble back in 2020.

The combined scoring of these two auxillary scorers will sway the direction of the Nuggets playoff hopes and each will have thier own hangups/obstacles to to overcome in this post season.

The Nuggets playoff hopes, and Mike Malone’s job depend on this.

5. The Entire Warriors Front Court

This section has to include every member of Golden State’s fron court because

The Warriors defense has taken such a step backwards that 

A lot of things are still the same on this team. Steph is still making crazy shots, Klay Thompson is back to his best, Jordan Poole is still among the top 6th men in the league, and they still have Gary Paton, Andrew Wiggins, plus the addition of Donte DiVencenzo.

What has changed is the commitment to defense, and that comes down to Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jason Kuminga and Jamychal Green.

While the Warriors have done well to get themselves to top 6 seed, given how thier season started, but there is nothing else they can do, other than to increase thier frontcourt production and thier collective defense.

6. Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens

I’m going to keep a keen eye on this wing-forward pairing of the Cavaliers, because these guys actually have the potential to blow the lid off of the Cavs’ playoff ceiling.

That is, provided that they can make thier jump shots.

Clevelands guards scorers and the need for opposing defenses to double-team at least one of them, essentially means that the Cavs auxillary players are going to get a lot of wide open looks, and that means Okoro and Stevens need to focus on splashing their jumpers.

Now, I really have to wonder if Cavs head coach, JB Bickerstaff will commit to having these guys together in the lineup because Okoro averages 36.3% from 3 and Stevens is at 31.6% from the same distance. Bickerstaff has Caris Levert on the bench averaging 39.3% from 3 but they Cavs have not really unleashed the beast that is Caris yet.

It’s a conundrum and while putting Evan Mobley and Jared Allen together in the lineups has it’s perks because of what they do defensively, at some point they have to go to smaller lineups, create space and make jumpers.