標籤: blame

Joel Embiid doesn’t want any blame for the Philadelphia 76ers’ failures in their semifinal series against the New York Knicks. And after their defeat in Game 3, they took the path of conspiracy to escape from it.

Friday was a must-win scenario for Embiid and the 76ers. They entered last night’s Game 3 up 2-0, having lost a lot of confidence after the Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals. With the return of the seven-time All-Star after missing Game 2 and some home support, Philly was in a better position to get its first W of the series.

However, after a strong first quarter and an early lead, the Knicks took control of the game in the second quarter and never relinquished it the rest of the night. While there are many who could take the blame for going 3-0, Embiid doesn’t want to take any of it.

After Game 1, he tried to put responsibility on the referees and accused the Knicks of dirty play. Unsurprisingly, he is also blaming the referees for the Game 3 failure. Yet, he has now gone beyond claiming poor performance by officials and is taking the path of conspiracy.

Joel Embiid: ‘I think it’s good when New York wins’

Embiid said when asked about officiating after Game 3, “They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of threes. We attack, put the ball on the floor. I don’t know.” “I think it’s good when New York wins, so we’ve got to have a mentality of not fouling. Being smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they can take advantage of it.”

Of course, it must be the case that the league just wants the Knicks to advance and reach the NBA Finals. It can’t be that he was 3-11 in 14 minutes and .24 when he was on the floor in Game 1. Or that he missed Game 2 because of his lame body. Or that he let Tyrese Maxey take the lead in Game 3 instead of taking 17 shots and being -9 when he clearly wasn’t hot.

Making matters worse is Embiid’s avoidance of blame for the 76ers’ 3-0 series loss, becoming a viral sensation for his flop-a-thon in Game 3 on Saturday. The one-time NBA MVP is already an elite player. Taking responsibility for losses and being a leader makes him one of the least-liked stars in the NBA.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The New York Knicks dominated the game for most of the time. However, the whole situation went awry when we needed it most. The double-digit lead evaporated completely, the Knicks failed in their last few games and were swept by the Hawks in the end.

What was a great opportunity to achieve a big win turned into a very disappointing defeat and an even bigger question mark has arisen in front of New York after this 107-106 defeat on their own court.​

mikal bridges didn’t give enough

Bridges should have been one of the Knicks players to calm things down when the game got tense, but he didn’t do that here. He finished with just 10 points on 3-10 shooting, and he didn’t look like the hungry scorer that New York needed at all.

The problem was not just missed shots but also inaction. In the last game, he took the final shot and missed, which added to the disappointment. A player like Bridges can’t disappear in a situation when the game is on the line.

the knicks bench was cold as ice

The Knicks’ bench was not enough to help lead the team. New York got 13 points from Mitchell Robinson and seven from Jordan Clarkson, but the rest of the bench combined to score zero.

In a playoff game where every point counts, that’s not enough. Atlanta’s bench was able to score a total of 28 points, led by Jonathan Kuminga’s 19 points, and that extra scoring made the difference in the game when the starters began to fade.

Mike Brown needs to change the system, and the Knicks need to take it more seriously

A big lesson from this loss is that the Knicks can no longer rely solely on talent. Their offense sputtered in the fourth quarter, and the stats showed it: New York managed only 15 points in the quarter, shooting 22.7% from the field; Atlanta, on the other hand, scored 28 points and shot 72.2%.

In fact, the game showed that the Hawks consistently found the right moments to score, while the Knicks kept missing their chances. Even missed a few late shots that could have ensured victory. It is not just a matter of ‘bad luck’; This is a problem of the entire system and mentality.

If the style of play is too slow, too predictable, or too relaxed, this team will be victimized in close games.



Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from London School of Journalism and has four years of experience… More about Jayesh Pagar

Phoenix – Typically, the Vegas Golden Knights make headlines with a blockbuster trade or signing. This time, it’s a change in coaching – in March.

On Sunday, March 29, the Golden Knights fired coach Bruce Cassidy with only eight games remaining in the regular season. The team had lost six of its last seven games and are in third place in the Pacific Division with 82 points and a 33–26–16 record. The Golden Knights hold a six-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings, one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

As a result of the change, the Golden Knights hired veteran coach John Tortorella. The 67-year-old has extensive experience, having previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and now the Golden Knights. He is contracted for the remainder of the season.

With the move coming just 20 days before the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the question becomes: Who is to blame – or even better – is there anyone to blame?

Who is to blame for the Golden Knights coaching change?

Cassidy had been at the helm in Las Vegas since the summer of 2022 and led the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in 2023. With the work he’s done with the Golden Knights, him being let go was a surprise to most people, but that’s the senseless way the Golden Knights operate.

The Ontario, Canada native went 178-99-43 over four regular seasons, the fifth-best record in the NHL during that span. He also recorded 24 playoff wins with the Golden Knights, which ranked fourth in the league.

It’s easy to point the finger at Cassidy, and while he’s not innocent, he’s not at fault for the Golden Knights’ poor play. The Golden Knights’ goaltending has arguably been the worst in the NHL this season.

Beyond goaltending, questions remain about the roster. The core – Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Shea Theodore, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner – is aging, which creates concerns about long-term production and whether the group can maintain its level of play. As the lineup ages, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the pace and consistency that defined the Golden Knights’ success last season.

Still, there’s an argument to be made that the Golden Knights have performed poorly compared to their talent. Despite a roster filled with high-level skill, the team has often struggled to establish momentum, often falling behind early in games.

Making matters more complicated, they don’t have the capital or pool of high-end prospects ready to step in. Their next first-round pick isn’t until 2028, and while 2024 first-rounder Trevor Conley is in the system, they don’t have a wealth of blue-chip prospects to help offset any declines at the NHL level.

What about general manager Kelly McCrimmon?

With that said, it’s worth examining general manager Kelly McCrimmon, whose roster construction and long-term decisions hold just as much importance as Cassidy’s coaching. McCrimmon has shaped the roster, salary cap structure and overall depth.

To some extent and on paper, they have achieved tremendous success. The Golden Knights are known for making bold moves via trades, and while several have paid off, recent deals have not made as much of an impact as in the past.

“We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past four seasons,” McCrimmon said via Twitter/x. “Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal by bringing the Stanley Cup to Vegas in 2023. Bruce will always be remembered with the utmost respect by our organization for what he accomplished here. With the extension of the 2025-26 regular season, we believe a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play expected of our club. With John Tortorella, we are returning a Stanley Cup champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches. “His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the critical point we are currently facing.”

Much of the blame for the investigation will likely fall on McCrimmon. Relinquishing Cassidy is a high-risk move, and if it backfires, it will have consequences for the front office. Whether or not changes occur, poor performance in the playoffs could lead to management, coaches and players being moved in the offseason.

So far, the move has paid off, as the Golden Knights defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Monday night to pick up Tortorella’s first win with the team.

The Golden Knights continue their homestand on Thursday, April 2 against the Calgary Flames. Whether the coaching change will pay off will become clear in the coming weeks.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

The New York Knicks battled the Oklahoma City Thunder for three quarters, but walked away with another disappointing loss, 111-100, with a long list of what-ifs. It wasn’t about the effort. Jalen Brunson again played brilliantly and the defense competed for long periods of time.

But when you look at the numbers and the key moments, there are two things most responsible for this loss, and both can be completely fixed if the Knicks are serious about making noise in the playoffs.

CT disparity and Knicks’ ill-discipline

The first thing to start with is free throws, because that’s where this game was really lost. The Thunder hit 38 free throw shots. The Knicks made 17 shots. That’s a 21‑try difference and an 18‑point difference on the line in an 11‑point loss.

New York already ranks near the bottom of the league in free throw attempts per game, and it showed again. Instead of attacking the rim and forcing OKC to commit fouls, the Knicks resorted to jumpers while getting to the other end and getting pucks.

Mike Brown also acknowledged this: “It was a hard-fought ball game, but the thing I was most disappointed with was the energy we used on the officials. They shot 38 FTs. Were all of them legal? IDK. Some of them were because we overreached,” according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

This is where disappointment is justified. The Thunder are smart and experienced at making contact, but the Knicks played right into their hands. Karl-Anthony Towns’ flagged-1 on Chet Holmgren early in the third was the perfect example.

You can’t give free points and extra possessions to a good team and then complain about the whistle. Until the Knicks get mentally stronger, play defense without drawing fouls, and put more pressure on the rim themselves, games like this will continue to get out of hand.

The Knicks bench was a complete ghost

If CT was the first problem, the bench was the second. New York did not get a single bench point until Jose Alvarado’s three-pointer with 6:45 left in the second quarter. This is embarrassing for a team with playoff hopes. While OKC’s second unit brought the energy, pressure and scoring, the Knicks’ bench gave them almost nothing except missed shots, careless fouls and turnovers.

This is where criticism should be brutal. The starters did enough to give the Knicks a chance. Brunson, Hart, Bridges and Towns continued to pull the team back into the game. But every time the bench came on, the energy was gone and the scoreboard was against New York.

If this team is to be taken seriously, the bench needs to stop being a problem that starters are asked to fix and start becoming a real advantage. Right now, it’s the opposite, and that’s a big reason the Knicks came out of this with another avoidable loss.

RELATED: NY Knicks Legend Tells the Brutal Truth About Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from London School of Journalism and has four years of experience… More about Jayesh Pagar

After Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody is out with a groin injury in Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, star Draymond Green has spoken out about what caused the frustrating incident. While Moody suffered a patellar tendon injury with the Warriors, Green expressed some thoughts on the injury.

Green was on his self-titled podcast and show, where he said he and the players thought the wet floor caused Moody’s injury, but they had a different view after watching the video. As replays showed, Moody’s foot gave out, causing the unfortunate injury.

“What people were saying is like, man, we kept telling them the floor was wet,” Green said. “We kept telling them the floor was wet because we all thought he slipped. If you see him going full speed, you see him flying. We thought he slipped. When you go back and watch the replays, he doesn’t slip.”

“So we’re all standing there like, man, it’s one thing to see a guy get hurt, but it’s another thing when you see a guy get hurt because of a wet spot on the floor. So we all thought he slipped. Go back and watch the replay; he didn’t slip. He went to go up, and he was out. But that’s what the conversation was about. We kept telling them this floor is wet,” Green continued.

Moses Moody has gone down, caught his leg and appears to have seriously injured his left knee.

Hope he is okpic.twitter.com/OYkdqF0IG3

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 24 March 2026

Some good news on Warriors’ Moses Moody

With the Warriors dealing with Moody’s injury, the team has had to deal with a number of issues with the likes of Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, but there has been one bright spot for the recent issue. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr would say on 95.7 The Game that “the MRI was clean” for Moody.

“it is [patellar] Tendon. There was no damage to the cartilage or bone, so that’s good news. That makes it a very basic surgery,” Kerr said.

“The MRI was clear. It’s [patellar] Tendon. There was no damage to the cartilage or bone, so that’s good news. This makes it a very basic surgery.”🙏

– Steve Kerr shares some positive news about Moses Moody’s knee injury @willardanddibs). pic.twitter.com/SkJAOz2YOi

– 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) 25 March 2026

At any rate, it remains to be seen how Moody recovers for next season as the Warriors look to overcome their troubles.

Despite the New York Knicks defeating the underdog Golden State Warriors 110-107 on Sunday, there are some who are concerned about the close result due to the opponent missing key players like Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and others. As serendipitous as some may find the Knicks’ win over the Warriors to be, some are disappointed, such as Stephen A. Smith, who explained how the recent struggles are Jalen Brunson’s fault.

While some may hear this and react angrily, it’s not because it involves his impact on the court, which can’t be denied as he scored 30 points on Sunday, but it has to do with Mikal Bridges. There’s no denying how disappointing Bridges has been, especially in the last six games, with scores in single digits in five of them.

Smith would say Brunson was the reason New York made the trade for Bridges in the first place, which led to a massive return, including the team giving up four first-round selections, which did not pan out.

“Why did they do that? They did that because, instead of waiting a year and signing a five-year, max $270 million extension, Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156 million extension a year ago, giving the New York Knicks $113 million in free space around that cap. So what do the New York Knicks do? Obviously, he saves them that kind of money. He did it so they could take his guy,” Smith continued.

“The person I’m blaming most for all of this is Jalen Brunson… I had the Knicks going to the Finals… and the reason for that is if Mikal Bridges continues to look like he’s looking, this is going to turn out to be a terrible trade.”

-Stephen A. smithpic.twitter.com/6Jmuzb1985

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 16 March 2026

While Smith further states that Bridges is no “scrub”, he believes that the move to acquire Bridges and what New York gave up has put a “handicap” on the Knicks.

Smith said, “You can’t let your organization sacrifice so much to get a guy that will ultimately keep you from building a roster that can compete for championships.”

At any rate, New York is 44-25, leaving them in third place in the Eastern Conference with their next game against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Victor Wembanyama and Spurs have been performing highly this season. They are firmly in the Western Conference playoff race, sitting at the second seed in the conference, and within striking distance of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed. But the Knicks were able to figure out how to cool down a hot San Antonio squad.

It appears that teams will choose to get physical with Wembanyama to take him off his game, as the Pistons attempted to show in their loss last Monday. This time, it appeared that the Knicks were able to crack the winning formula with their aggressive defensive coverage and Wembanyama recognized this in postgame comments received by Hector Ledesma.

“I think they had some physicality, but not what we’ve seen… For some reason, we were a little hesitant… I was especially hesitant on threes… I was holding the ball too much… We gave them a breather. We should have been better, especially in the first quarter. That was the game.”

Wembanyama made it clear that the Knicks gameplan impressed him and it was something he was aware of.

“They’re a good basketball team, but they’re not like the worst team. They’re not an ugly team to watch, but they’ve made our game ugly.”

Still, Vembanyama doesn’t think the team is going backward.

“I don’t see any downside. I think it’s good for us to see such adversity. We want to play the best teams. This is a top-seeded playoff team – experience. They know what it’s like, and they gave us a good performance today.”

Arsenal striker Victor Gyckeres received public support from Sweden manager Graham Potter after his Derby heroics against tottenhamBut the national boss made it clear he will not be asking for any favors from Mikel Arteta.

Gyöckeres scored twice in Arsenal’s 4–1 win over Tottenham, further cementing his role in a team that has competed on four fronts this season. Talking to Swedish outlet sportbladetPotter praised the 27-year-old’s character and impact.

“It was great for him. I think it highlights his character and personality. From my point of view, there’s no doubt about Victor. He’s a top player, a top person.” The potter said.

The Arsenal forward has faced criticism this season. However, Potter insisted that he never doubted her.

“I think he has contributed to where Arsenal are as a team in all four competitions, but every player goes through periods sometimes where they get a bit of criticism. It’s part of the job.”

Why would no requests be made to Mikel Arteta?

With Sweden facing an important match against Ukraine in March, fitness is a concern. Dejan Kulusevski is expected to miss camp, while Alexander Isak and Lucas Bergvall are also dealing with injuries.

A natural question arose from that context: would Potter ask Arteta to manage Gyöckeres’ Arsenal minutes more carefully? The answer was blunt.

“If I’m honest I don’t think he’ll be particularly interested in what I have to say and I don’t blame him. I think he’s got a lot to think about.”

In other words, Potter understands Arsenal’s priorities. Even if the Spanish manager Was blamed by the Swedish press Having previously made up for Gyöckeres’ slow start, Arteta is now fighting on multiple fronts, and the striker is at the heart of those ambitions.

How it looks from Arsenal’s perspective

Potter’s comments dispel any suggestion of outside pressure regarding Gyöckeres’ workload. The Sweden manager acknowledges the club-over-country dynamics at this stage of the season.

Furthermore, the praise reinforces Gyökeres’ position. Despite criticism early in the campaign, both club and country continue to have confidence in him.

If Arsenal continue to perform well in domestic and European competitions, rotation will be inevitable. Nevertheless, Potter’s stance makes it clear that any decision on Gyöckeres’ minutes will be entirely up to Arteta.

For now, Arsenal benefit from an in-form striker and a national manager who knows his place in the pecking order.