Latest news with #EsBaraheni
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Knicks stayed alive in Game 5, but can they force a Game 7 vs. Pacers?
With their backs against the wall and facing playoff elimination, the New York Knicks rose to the occasion in Game 5 with a dominant 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers to stay alive. As the series heads back to Indianapolis on Saturday with the Pacers leading 3-2, the Knicks will need to replicate the same intensity they showed on Thursday. If the Knicks can grind out a road win, NBA fans will be treated to the mouth-watering prospect of a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Advertisement On the latest episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily,' Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni broke down how the Knicks fought to keep their season alive. They also discussed how Karl-Anthony Towns set the tone from the opening tip, how New York leaned on its rotation to stay fresh for the fourth quarter and whether the Knicks may have finally cracked Indiana's code. DuFour and Baraheni were joined by The Athletic's Shakeia Taylor, who highlighted how New York's suffocating defense kept the Pacers out of rhythm and how the Knicks controlled the pace from start to finish. Despite the loss, Indiana still has a chance to close out the series on their home floor. But after such a flat Game 5 performance, they know they'll need to bounce back quickly. DuFour, Baraheni and Taylor discuss why the Pacers looked so flat, how New York's defensive pressure affected Tyrese Haliburton, whether Aaron Nesmith's ankle injury should be a concern and the postgame reactions from the Pacers' locker room. Watch the full episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily' below or on the YouTube channel or via the 'The Athletic NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Photo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Thunder or Cavaliers? Which team had the most impressive NBA playoff sweep?
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers were the NBA's standout teams during the regular season, and both carried their dominance into the playoffs with first-round sweeps over the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat, respectively. Oklahoma City now awaits the winner of the nail-biting series between the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers, a series currently tied 2-2 and is a candidate to go seven games. Cleveland will face the winner of the Indiana Pacers-Milwaukee Bucks series, which Indiana currently leads 3-1. Advertisement Given how dominant both teams were during the regular season, anything short of an NBA Finals appearance would be a disappointment in the eyes of many. The two teams combined for 132 regular-season wins, compared to only 32 losses. For that to happen, the Thunder first must get past a dangerous, battle-tested Nuggets or Clippers team just to get to the Western Conference finals, while the Cavaliers will have to take down either the Pacers or Bucks, then likely will have to overcome the defending-champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. On the latest episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily,' Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discussed whether the Thunder or the Cavaliers had the most impressive sweep and who the most important player for each team is going forward. They also discussed which of the series currently at 3-1 are over and whether the Nuggets or Clippers will advance. Watch the full episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily' below or on the YouTube channel or via the 'The Athletic NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Have the Mavs found their winning formula at the right time?
It's been a roller-coaster season for the Dallas Mavericks, but their show continues after blowing out the Sacramento Kings on the road to advance in the Play-In Tournament to set up a Friday showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The reward for the winner? A matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished the regular season with a 68-14 record. Despite this, the Mavericks will be desperate to book a spot in the postseason, looking to give themselves a chance — however slim — to defend their Western Conference crown. Advertisement Should the Mavericks overcome the Grizzlies and secure the West's No. 8 seed, they will become the first No. 10 seed out of the West to advance to the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament. Assuming the Miami Heat don't beat them to the punch when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in the first of the two Play-In games on Friday, the Mavericks can become the first-ever No. 10 seed to make the playoffs. On the latest episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily,' Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni were joined by Mavericks beat writer Christian Clark to unpack Dallas' big win on the road. They discussed Klay Thompson coming up big a year after going scoreless against Sacramento in his last postseason game for Golden State, as well as Brandon Williams' impressive 17-point performance off the bench. They also discussed whether Dallas' win showed Nico Harrison's vision for the team as presently constructed. Watch the full episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily' below or on the YouTube channel or via 'The Athletic NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Are the Thunder the best regular-season team ever?
The Oklahoma City Thunder (63-12) have been machine-like this season. Their 145-117 win over the Chicago Bulls extended their record against Eastern Conference teams to 28-1 this season — the best record any team has ever had against the opposing conference. They have already surpassed their previous franchise-best of 60 wins from the 2012-13 season and are just one win away from matching their all-time high of 64 wins, set in 1995-96 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics. Advertisement If the Thunder continue their current winning streak to the end of the regular season, they will become just the third team in NBA history — after the 1995-96 Bulls and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors — to hit the 70-win mark. Both of those teams reached the NBA Finals, and the Bulls lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. On the latest episode of 'The Athletic NBA Daily,' Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni were joined by Anthony Slater to discuss Oklahoma's record-breaking season, whether anything short of an NBA Finals berth would be considered a disappointment for the Thunder and Lu Dort's case for Defensive Player of the Year. Dave and Es also recapped the Lakers' crucial 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets in the nail-biting Western Conference playoff race, the Memphis Grizzlies dropping a third straight game in their 117-103 loss to the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers' 111-109 victory against the Sacramento Kings to strengthen their hold on the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Watch the full episode of 'NBA Daily' below or on the YouTube channel, or via the 'NBA Daily' podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo: Darren Yamashita / USA Today Network via Imagn Images )
New York Times
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
NBA Daily livestream: Join the gang for trade deadline drama
If this week has been anything to go by, nothing is off the table on Thursday's trade deadline. And The Athletic NBA Daily gang is committed to leaving no stone unturned, livestreaming since 7:30 a.m. EST. Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, Zena Keita and Andrew Schlecht have been joined by 28 beat reporters from around the league throughout the day so far… and they're not done yet. You can catch the rest of the day's drama live on The Athletic NBA Daily's YouTube channel below. You can listen to full episodes of NBA Daily for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Top Photo:)
