標籤: eyeopening

SAN FRANCISCO – If things couldn’t get any worse for the Golden State Warriors, already a team without stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, it did in a 127-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Al Horford, Quinton Post and Seth Curry all sat out Golden State’s fourth consecutive loss. And before that, Draymond Green was scratched 20 minutes before the game started. That left the Warriors struggling for healthy bodies as T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards finished with 42 points on 13-22 shooting.

After the game, Dubs coach Steve Kerr acknowledged how depleted and injured the Warriors were at the moment as they fell to 32–34 on the season.

“We’re definitely going through it,” Kerr said. “But you saw how hard the guys played and stuck in it and got the fans into it. And we can’t ask for anything more from our players right now. What they’re giving as far as effort and playing together. But yeah, we lost just as well as any team I can ever remember.”

Beating is an understatement.

With seven players out due to injury, the Warriors were missing more than $160 million in salary. That’s about 70% of their $233,853,209 payroll. And to add literal insult to injury, this latest skid has allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to overtake them for the eighth seed, leaving them just a half-game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers in 10th.

status of wounded warriors

However, it remains to be seen whether these latest injuries will persist.

Kerr had no update after the game on Green, Post or Curry. As far as Horford is concerned, Kerr had few details regarding the veteran big man’s situation. While the team announced during the game that Horford was out due to right calf soreness, Kerr described Horford’s injury as a “strain” after the game.

“With a calf strain, I don’t know how long Al will be out,” Kerr said. “But I hope that with the calf, we won’t have to move him back too quickly.”

With Horford potentially out for a while, Kerr hopes to turn to Kristaps Porzingis for starts in the meantime. Porzingis, who has battled injuries this season and throughout his career, has had some encouraging games after missing six consecutive games due to illness. Porzingis finished with 20 points in 19 minutes of action, the most points he has scored in his four games for the Warriors.

“Feeling fine,” Porzingis said after the game. “Step by step, just trying to get back into really good shape. Still got a way to go, but happy with the progress so far.”

Captured the fort for the Golden State

In the meantime, the onus will be on Porzingis and the rest of the healthy Warriors to deal with this latest storm of injuries.

But with injuries also come opportunities. Brandin Podziemski, who has excelled in basketball since Curry’s passing, understands that common NBA adage.

“I look at it as a blessing in disguise,” Podziemski said optimistically after collecting 25 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

“Just because it’s an opportunity and you’re able to build confidence when you’re out there, especially when there’s no expectations, and people are probably expecting us to lose. So it’s a blessing to me that when other guys come back, that confidence you build, you can be ready to show when you come back as well.”

There is an obvious concern that due to not having enough healthy bodies, the remaining players may get tired from the extra workload. But Kerr isn’t too worried about that potential issue. He pointed to the medical staff’s diligence in monitoring that potential problem and the youth of the remaining players.

Despite this, Kerr is keeping an optimistic outlook, presenting this latest round of injuries as something he has to get past.

“I feel like there are really brighter days ahead,” Kerr said. “So you just have to go through a tough situation.”

The term “Hall of Famer” gets thrown around a lot, but when it comes to Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, the claims take on more substance as time goes on.

The five-time All-Star has received recognition from many head coaches, but Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is new to the list.

Before Thursday’s game, Carlisle elaborated more on that three-word point.

“He’s got Hall of Fame in the books,” Carlisle explained on Twitter (formerly Twitter), via AZCentral’s Duane Rankin. “As far as I can see, he has become a great leader.”

Throughout Phoenix’s season, Booker has been the unsung leader, offensive engine and everything else you want to describe. His stats may not be where they were, but that doesn’t necessarily matter.

However, over the last five games he is averaging 26.6 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds. The Suns have been on a hot streak since Booker’s return and have gone 4-1.

Devin Booker’s comment on Rick Carlisle highlights Suns’ success

Comparing the 2024-25 season to today, this is a completely different team. Although Booker made the All-Star Game, he noted that it was due to his team’s success.

He has also repeatedly mentioned finishing his career in Phoenix. But it is not just a feeling of pleasing the masses. At the same time, he wants to leave a lasting impact and has already done so.

For example, Booker broke the Suns franchise scoring record at the age of 28 during his ten seasons in the Valley of the Sun.

Somehow, his focus is more on winning than on accolades. As of this writing, the team has achieved 38 wins on the season, surpassing last season’s win total.

As the Suns continue to travel on the road, more coaches may get to see more of Booker’s leadership showcased.

There is no such thing as a rivalry between the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks, as the New York Knicks always beats the former. On Tuesday night, the Knicks used an excellent two-way effort late in the game to complete a season series sweep of the Raptors and win 111-95 on the road.

This is the Raptors’ fourth loss of the season to the Knicks, and none of those losses have been particularly close. New York has outscored Toronto by a total of 81 points in those games this season, and it’s become clear that the Raptors are not in the same league as the Knicks.

The Raptors’ latest loss is yet another loss against a team with a top-10 record, and it’s such a troubling sign and a foreboding sign that they won’t be able to do much in the postseason. Nonetheless, head coach Darko Rajakovic believes his team can get it right, although he admitted they could not do so on Tuesday.

“When the time is right, it wasn’t tonight,” Rajakovic said in response to a question from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. When will they be able to get another win against a top-10 team?

Raptors are showing signs of being exhibitionists

The Raptors looked good early in the season, and it helped that they were dominant against the current number one team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers. But their troubles against good teams remain and to become the best they have to beat the best. And Toronto has failed on this front.

The good news is that the Raptors are still fifth in the Eastern Conference and if the season ended today, they would face the Cavs in the first round of the playoffs – a team they have dispatched of three times already this season.

Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson has drawn immense praise for his game this season. Johnson was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and has picked up a lot of fanfare around the league. His above-the-rim play, penchant for triple-doubles, and all-around skill have often drawn comparisons to Bulls legend Scottie Pippen.

On the Mind the Game podcast in January, LeBron James spoke about Johnson. LeBron James set Johnson’s ceiling as the six-time champion.

“I’ve mentioned Scottie Pippen, man. Obviously, he has a long way to go, but as far as the talent. You look at a guy with long arms, 6-(foot)-9 (or) 6-10, runs like a deer, super athletic. He’s improved his outside touch.

James added, “Putting pressure on the rim. His ability to rebound. He can guard (positions) one through five for the majority of (opposing) ones and fives … And his playmaking. I see that he is going to continue to improve.”

Now, Hawks legend and broadcaster Dominique Wilkins is the latest to compare Johnson to Pippen. In an interview with Casino.org, Wilkins competed against the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen-led Bulls during his time with the Hawks in the mid-’80s and sees the resemblance.

“Well, I must say he’s a little bit of Scottie Pippen as far as being a point forward. Pippen was a point forward, and was very effective at the position. This guy Jalen, he brings even another element, because the way he rebounds, the way he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double every single night.

Johnson is currently averaging 23.4 points per game, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. He is now seen as the number one option on the team following the Hawks’ decision to trade Trae Young to the Wizards.

LOS ANGELES – It’s been two weeks since Luke Kennard was signed to the Los Angeles Lakers following the NBA trade deadline, but Thursday was his first practice with the team. After his acquisition, the Lakers’ schedule did not allow any practice time, and then the All-Star break loomed. But considering the games he has played for the team so far, consider Luka Doncic a fan.

Luka Doncic has not played alongside Luke Kennard yet since he was sidelined with a hamstring injury during the Lakers’ win against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 5, which was just the game before Kennard’s debut. But after watching him on the court in subsequent games, and now after going through a practice session, Doncic likes the confidence that Kennard has whenever he blasts a shot from downtown.

“He was great in practice today. He’s been great just finding himself,” Doncic said after the Lakers’ practice Thursday. “He’s only played four games with us, so obviously he won’t be fit straight away, obviously he needs time. But in practice, whenever he takes a three, he always thinks it’s going to go in. It’s great to see.”

In Kennard’s Lakers debut, on February 7, in a win against the Golden State Warriors, he finished with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 26 minutes. He shot 4 of 7 overall, 2 of 4 from the 3-point line and most importantly, he closed the game as part of the crunch time lineup at the end of the fourth quarter.

Kennard has appeared in four games so far for the Lakers, including one start, averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. He averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists with a split of 62.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line. When averaging his 3-point percentage from earlier in the season with the Atlanta Hawks, Kennard leads the league with 49.4 percent.

For Lakers head coach JJ Redick, just being with the team is a good way to get through the on-court grind, especially when the entire group is able to practice.

“I just think every day when you’re with the group, it’s more comfortable,” Redick said. “He did his drills this morning, did a good job. He had a great practice today. It was good to have Luca and AR with us as well.”

Reddick mentioned earlier in the season that he used Pechakucha’s Japanese storytelling presentation format to help with team-bonding activities, and Kennard finally got his opportunity.

With the All-Star break now in the rearview, the Lakers resume the season at home against the LA Clippers on Friday.