Will NYK keep an 'open mind' in head coach search?
Vincent Goodwill joins Dan Patrick to unpack the fallout of Tom Thibodeau's firing, explaining why he believes the Knicks will keep an "open mind" in their search before previewing the NBA Finals.
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Dwight Howard chooses between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
Dwight Howard chooses between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James The hot debate these days is whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the greatest player in NBA history. Many still give the nod to Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s and never lost in the NBA Finals. For some people, there is also a hot debate about whether James or Kobe Bryant was a better player. There are those who believe that Bryant, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend who led the franchise to five world titles, was a superior player because of his sublime scoring skills and incredible abilities in crunch time. Dwight Howard is an incredibly lucky man, as he got to play with both Bryant and James during his Hall of Fame career. During an appearance on the "Club 520" podcast, he appeared to give James the nod as the overall better player, but with one caveat — a big one. 'Everything combined, you got to give it to LeBron,' Howard said. 'Scoring-wise, I got to say I like Kobe. If it's late in the game, I'm giving the ball to Kobe. I'm not going to give the ball to LeBron late in the game. I'm going to give it to Kobe.' While one could argue James is the better scorer, especially since he's the NBA's all-time leading scorer, Bryant was definitely much more skilled in that category. He was, according to many, the superior player in crunch time, and much of his legend is based on how he regularly rose to the occasion under pressure. In fact, the late Dr. Jack Ramsay, one of the greatest coaches and teachers in basketball history, once called Bryant the greatest closer in the history of basketball. He said that Bryant would not only hit the game-winning shot, but prior to that, Bryant would hit a series of shots or make plays to bring the Lakers back from a deficit and put them in position to win. While James has hit his share of clutch shots during his 22-year career, some feel he has faltered in big moments or simply failed to deliver too often.
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Thunder, Pacers tied 1-1 heading to game 3
Associated Press Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, first in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (50-32, fourth in the Eastern Conference) Indianapolis; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -5.5; over/under is 228.5 NBA FINALS: Series tied 1-1 BOTTOM LINE: The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are in a 1-1 series tie in the NBA Finals. The Thunder defeated the Pacers 123-107 in the last meeting on Monday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points, and Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 17. The Pacers have gone 29-12 in home games. Indiana is third in the NBA with 29.2 assists per game. Haliburton leads the Pacers averaging 9.2. The Thunder are 32-8 on the road. Oklahoma City has a 54-5 record in games decided by 10 points or more. The Pacers' 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.3 fewer made shots on average than the 13.5 per game the Thunder allow. The Thunder are shooting 48.2% from the field, 0.8% higher than the 47.4% the Pacers' opponents have shot this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Pacers. Haliburton is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games. Jalen Williams is scoring 21.6 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Thunder. Luguentz Dort is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 7-3, averaging 116.2 points, 39.3 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points per game. Thunder: 7-3, averaging 116.2 points, 41.0 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.9 points. INJURIES: Pacers: Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), Jarace Walker: day to day (ankle). Thunder: Nikola Topic: out for season (acl). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. recommended
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Doc Rivers tells Kobe Bryant story from 2008 NBA Finals: 'He put that fear in you, man'
Doc Rivers tells Kobe Bryant story from 2008 NBA Finals: 'He put that fear in you, man' Kobe Bryant, the late Los Angeles Lakers great, was one of the greatest basketball players and overall athletes of all time. He led the Lakers to five NBA championships, and he was not only one of the greatest crunch-time performers ever but, in the minds of some, he was possibly the greatest closer ever. Even when the Lakers were down by double digits in the fourth quarter of a game, fans often thought there was still a chance the team could pull out a victory because of Bryant's exploits under pressure and his lack of fear. Like anyone else, he had his share of lowlights, and one of the worst moments of his career came when L.A. was embarrassed in the 2008 NBA Finals by the archrival Boston Celtics. It lost Game 6, 131-92, in Boston as the Celtics claimed their 17th championship, and although the Celtics were ahead by a wide margin down the stretch, head coach Doc Rivers could still feel the fear that Bryant always put in the minds and hearts of opponents. Celtics defensive coordinator Tom Thibodeau wanted Rivers to take his starters out midway through the fourth quarter, but Rivers refused because he feared that Bryant could get L.A. back in the game. Via Fox Sports: 'Game 6 was terrific,' Rivers said. 'That's a moment that I remember in 2008. The funniest moment, Kobe knows this, but we were up 1,000 [points] in Game 6 and the guy who you would least expect walks over to me during the game -- Tom Thibodeau -- and he asks me, 'Are you going to sub out? There's six minutes and we're up 42 points.' 'Of all the guys to say that, it's Tom Thibodeau. And I looked over there at the Lakers and Kobe was still on the floor, and I actually said, 'When Phil [Jackson] takes that guy out, I take my guys out.' And Thibs said, 'You're safe.' And I said, 'Not with that guy on the floor.' 'I was dead serious. I had obviously lost my mind because it was a 42-point lead. But he put that fear in you, man. He could run off threes. I was obviously not good at math, so I was worried about him. Then finally Phil took him out so I could sub. It was good.' The type of deficit the Lakers faced in the fourth quarter of that game was one even Bryant couldn't overcome. The embarrassment they suffered bonded the team together, and coming into next season, it was clearly on a mission. It won the 2009 NBA title, but it defeated the Orlando Magic and not the Celtics. The Lakers finally got another shot at the men in green in the 2010 finals, and this time, they won it all, as they overcame a 13-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 7. Bryant shot 6-of-24 from the field in that seventh game, but he played very well for most of the second half and especially in the fourth quarter, as he found ways to be efficient offensively while also contributing in other areas. For those who paid attention to his excellent play down the stretch of the game, it reinforced his image as arguably basketball's ultimate closer.
