Latest news with #Play-inTournament
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Net Mikal Bridges, Knicks lose to Pacers in 2025 NBA playoffs
Former Net Mikal Bridges, Knicks lose to Pacers in 2025 NBA playoffs The Brooklyn Nets have been off since April after they finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 26-56 record, preventing them from even taking part in the Play-in Tournament. Prior to the beginning of this season, Brooklyn made a bold move by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for a bevy of draft picks and Bridges was trying to help the Knicks win the championship. Unfortunately for Bridges and the Knicks, they were unable to get past Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. On Saturday, New York lost Game 6 of the series at Indiana 125-108 despite Bridges putting up 15 points, four assists, and two blocks of his own to help the Knicks in their quest to beat the odds against the Pacers. As has been the case for the entire season, the Knicks were mostly depending on the duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to will the team to victory, especially after New York pulled off a massive trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire Towns in the first place. Brunson put up 19 points and seven assists, but he notably struggled shooting the ball (8-of-18 from the field) and taking care of the ball (five turnovers). Towns put forth a valiant effort as he produced 22 points and 14 rebounds of his own, but he also had his fair share of issues with shooting efficiency as he was just 8-of-19 from the field, including shooting 0-for-4 from three-point land. The Knicks' best player in Game 6 with all things considered was OG Anunoby as he dropped 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks while turning the ball over just once. The reason that the Knicks will be going back to New York for good is due to how well the tandem of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton played in this contest. Siakam, who came away from the series with the Eastern Conference MVP award, put up 31 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks while Haliburton dropped 21 points, six rebounds, and 13 assists to come just one vote shy of winning the series MVP award over his teammate.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Refs missed 4 late calls in Warriors' Play-In win over Grizzlies, NBA says
Referees missed a series of significant calls during the final 90 seconds of the Golden State Warriors' Play-in Tournament win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, the NBA shared Wednesday in its Last Two Minute Report. The Warriors went on to win 121-116, propelling them to a showdown with the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies can still make the postseason if they beat the Dallas Mavericks at home Friday. Advertisement But for Grizzlies fans, the sting of Tuesday night's loss could linger. In the NBA's report from the game's closing stretch, the league said officials improperly handed over possessions, misidentified fouls and allowed points that should never have counted in Memphis' loss. Among the most significant errors was a missed foul on Golden State's Draymond Green, who should have earned a sixth and exited the game with 1:29 left, the league said, after making contact with Memphis' Scotty Pippen Jr. The report stated Green made 'illegal contact with Pippen Jr.'s wrist after his gather,' but officials didn't blow the whistle. Green earned that ejection about 30 seconds later, however, and finished the game on the sideline. The possession Green fouled Pippen on ended with the Memphis guard stumbling, then tossing up a shot that hit the rim before teammate Zach Edey tipped it in, making the score 114-111. But those two points shouldn't have counted, according to the assessment. Edey touched the ball while it was in the 'imaginary cylinder above the rim,' and the referees should have called him for offensive goaltending. Just under a minute later, with Memphis trailing by four, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski leapt for a block against Pippen, drawing a whistle blew as Podziemski received a foul despite making contact with the ball. That sent Pippen to the line for two free throws, of which he made one. The league later called the contact 'incidental.' Finally, with only one point separating the teams and just under 10 seconds remaining, Ja Morant poked the ball out of bounds while Steph Curry was dribbling by him. The referees awarded possession to the Warriors, but according to the report, the ball last hit Curry and Memphis should have taken control with seven seconds left. Memphis may enter Friday night's game against the Mavericks with a hobbled superstar after Morant hurt his ankle in the third quarter. He returned and finished out the loss to the Warriors, but a Memphis win last night would have given him until Sunday to recuperate. Dallas is coming off a decisive 120-106 win that dashed the Sacramento Kings' playoff hopes. The Warriors will face the Houston Rockets in the first round beginning Sunday night in Houston.
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison stands by Luka Dončić trade to Lakers: 'No regrets'
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison stands by Luka Dončić trade to Lakers: 'No regrets' Show Caption Hide Caption Luka Dončić moved to tears in return to Dallas Luka Dončić was moved to tears when the Dallas Mavericks shared a video tribute of the now-Laker. Fox - LA Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and CEO Rick Welts spoke to select members of the media behind closed doors on Tuesday, just a day before the Mavericks' Play-in Tournament game on the road against the Sacramento Kings. The Mavericks did release a transcript of the conversation later and provided in full by various outlets, including It was just the second time Harrison spoke on the record with the media since the Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis in a trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a package deal on Feb. 2. Dončić was in his seventh season with the Mavericks and had just led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024. Nico Harrison's latest comments on Luka Doncic trade 'There's no regrets on the trade,' Harrison said. 'Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. And some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular, and that's my job, and I have to stand by it.' The decision to move on from Dončić led to a vocal group of the Dallas fan base showing up outside of the arena to express their displeasure. In the following weeks, fans are still heard chanting 'Fire Nico' throughout the arena during home games at the American Airlines Center. ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon asked Harrison about the GM's "three to four-year time frame" where he believes the team is ready to contend for a championship. 'I keep saying the same thing, but defense wins championships,' Harrison said. 'I believe that we have a championship caliber team, not only for now, but also for the future.' MacMahon also questioned the decision behind trading the Mavericks' first-round draft picks from 2027 through 2030 and Dončić. 'Obviously, the future will hold if I'm right or wrong, and ultimately, we're going to be held to the standard of wins and losses, and every executive in every field is going to be held to that same standard.' Dončić is known for his offensive ability, but the trade for Davis is expected to help bolster the Mavericks' defense. Davis has never won defensive player of the year, but has been held in high regard as one of the better defensive players in the league and has been named to an All-Defensive Team five times during the first 12 years of his career. The early results of the trade didn't look pleasing for the Mavericks, who lost several players to injury, including Davis, who was injured during his first game as a Maverick before returning for the last few games of the regular season schedule. The team had also lost star point guard Kyrie Irving for the season shortly after.
NBC Sports
14-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 NBA Play-In Tournament: Schedule, how does it work, which teams are in, how to watch
Adam Silver has hit a few home runs as NBA Commissioner, but none may have traveled further — or been more embraced by fans — than the Play-In Tournament. What do fans want? Teams to face jeopardy — real drama. The Play-in brings that — it's win or go home. This year, some outstanding teams and some of the game's iconic players face that jeopardy. Here is everything you need to know about the NBA's Play-in Tournament. What is the play-in? One of the big issues the NBA has faced (and continues to face) is tanking — teams focused more on their lottery odds and potential draft picks instead of winning. If there's one thing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hates, it's the idea of fans rooting for their team to lose. The play-in was his way of changing that dynamic by giving more teams something to play for and creating some drama. Now, seeds No. 7 and 8 no longer automatically make the playoffs, and seeds No. 9 and 10 can earn their way in. How does the play-in work? It's pretty easy to follow, with four teams competing for two playoff spots in each conference. • Regular season seeds No. 7 and 8 play a single game, with the winner going straight to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed (to face the No. 2 seed). • Regular season seeds Nos. 9 and 10 play a single-elimination game, from which the loser is out and goes home. • The winner of the 9/10 game and the loser of the 7/8 game play a single elimination game to advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed (to face the No. 1 seed). The loser of this final play-in game is done for the season. One of the side benefits of the play-in is that it created an incentive to win enough games to be a top-six seed and avoid the play-in. If not that, at least win enough games to be a 7/8 seed in the regular season — teams only need to win one of two games to make the playoffs. Has any team reached the NBA Finals out of the play-in? Yes. In 2023, the Miami Heat were the No. 7 seed, lost the first play-in game to Atlanta, and then had to come from behind in the final play-in game to beat Chicago and advance as the No. 8 seed. Once in the playoffs, Miami beat Milwaukee, New York, and Boston to advance to the NBA Finals. Which teams are in the 2024 NBA play-in tournament? Some of the biggest names in the game in the play-in this year: Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, and Trae Young with the Atlanta Hawks. Let's break it down by conference and look at the schedule. Eastern Conference play-in schedule, where to watch Tuesday, April 15 • 7/8 Game: Atlanta at Orlando (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT) Wednesday, April 16 • 9/10 game: Miami at Chicago (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) Friday, April 18 • 9/10 winner at 7/8 loser (TBD on TNT) Western Conference play in schedule, where to watch • 7/8 Game: Memphis at Golden State (10 p.m. ET on TNT) Dallas Mavericks (West 10) vs. Sacramento Kings ( 10 p.m. ET on ESPN) • 9/10 winner vs. West 7/8 loser (TBD on ESPN)
Axios
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Hawks back in the NBA's play-in tournament after up and down season
The Atlanta Hawks take on the Orlando Magic Tuesday at 7:30pm in the first game of the NBA's Play-in Tournament. At stake: A first round matchup with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Why it matters: The Hawks find themselves in a familiar place needing more than the 82-game regular season to make it into the playoffs. State of play: This will mark the fourth consecutive year Atlanta has been in the Play-In tournament. They're 3-1 in their previous four games with their only loss coming last year. How it works: The NBA started the Play-In tourney in 2020 during the COVID-affected season. The top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for a playoff spot. Teams ranked seven through 10 have to play their way in. The seventh and eighth seeded teams play for a chance to claim the seventh spot. The loser plays the winner of the nine versus 10 matchup. The winner of that game takes the eighth seed. How we got here: The story of the 2024-25 Hawks season has become a familiar one. Despite selecting No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, the team lacked enough talent around star Trae Young to actually be considered a title contender. They struggled to put together consistent winning streaks looking like a young team that's in development mode instead of contender mode. Case in point: After a wobbly start to the season, the Hawks pulled themselves to 18-15 on the heels of a four-game winning streak. They would go 4-4 over their next couple of weeks before losing eight straight. Atlanta's record hasn't hit the .500 mark since and for the third year in a row they will finish with more losses than wins. The intrigue: The lack of success seems to be taking a toll on the fanbase as early numbers from ESPN show the Hawks will finish dead last in attendance this year. What we're watching: The Hawks have caught lightning in a bottle before and they'll need to again to win Tuesday night in Orlando.
