NBA 25-26 - And so it begins..

[goreds2]

NBA Play-In Tournament schedule: Tuesday, April 14

5:30 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT: (10) Miami Heat vs (9) Charlotte Hornets, Prime (stream on Amazon Prime Video)

Winner advances to face the loser of Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers game, while the loser is eliminated.

8 p.m. MT/9 p.m. CT: (8) Portland Trail Blazers vs (7) Phoenix Suns, Prime (stream on Amazon Prime Video)

Winner earns No. 7 seed in Western Conference, while loser faces winner of Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers game.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nb...155232372.html

[Kingspoint]

“I just report the news and the truth can hurt sometimes,” Charania said during a Monday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video links). “… If (the Bucks) spent as much time dealing with their own internal problems as they did responding to accurate reports, they wouldn’t be in the mess that they’re in right now. … I’m just here to document and cover it the right way.”

Eric Nehm of The Athletic shares his own reporting on a disappointing Bucks season, citing multiple league sources who say that Rivers told several veteran players following a March 21 shootaround in Phoenix that he thought they’d “failed him.” The coach also questioned their “commitment, conditioning, focus, and leadership,” according to Nehm, who said those vets didn’t take kindly to Rivers’ remarks. “That’s when I checked out on this season,” one player told The Athletic.

In an interview with Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Bucks broadcaster Marques Johnson said that the Antetokounmpo saga in Milwaukee – including a disagreement between the star forward and the team about his health – is “as toxic as it appears,” referring to it as a “bad situation.”


https://www.hoopsrumors.com/milwaukee-bucks

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I reluctantly signed up for the 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime so I could watch the games.

But, first I've got to watch tonight's REDS' game.

[Kingspoint]

Charlotte should win vs MIA by a dozen, but you can never underestimate Spoelstra.

[Kingspoint]

4:20 left in the 2nd in a tie game and MIA is 0-1 at the free-throw line, CHA 6-6, but CHA has 9 fouls called against them while MIA only 5. Both teams avoiding turnovers and shooting poorly from "3" (30% for both teams).

This is playing directly into Spoelstra's gameplan.

[Kingspoint]

The Rookie, Kon Knueppel has choked, as expected.

Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell and Kel'el Ware not much better. (at the time I posted this, but then they turned it on in the 4th)

Toumani choked tonight for POR Offensively...struggled a bit Defensively. Murray was great (+14 1st Half)...surprised Splitter didn't go with him more in the 2nd Half (of course he was in the last play when they got the Defensive stop...Grant with the great strip at the end and two clutch "3"'s in the last 3 minutes).

[goreds2]

NBA Play-In Tournament schedule: Wednesday, April 15

7:30 PM EST.
5:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. CT: (8) Orlando Magic vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers, Prime (stream on Amazon Prime Video)

Winner earns No. 7 seed in Eastern Conference, while loser faces winner of Heat vs Hornets game.

10pm EST.
8 p.m. MT/9 p.m. CT: (10) Golden State Warriors vs No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers, Prime (stream on Amazon Prime Video)

Winner advances to face loser of Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns game, while loser is eliminated.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nb...155232372.html

[RiverfrontRed]

My Suns choked. They'll likely choke again on Friday.

[Kingspoint]

My Suns choked. They'll likely choke again on Friday.

I think they'll beat the Clippers.

[RiverfrontRed]

I think they'll beat the Clippers.

If so, the reward is to get swept by OKC.

[Kingspoint]

If so, the reward is to get swept by OKC.

Dillon will take someone with him.

[goreds2]

What a great play - in tournament thus far. My 76ers advance. Now Off to Boston. Philly fans were chanting “We want Boston”.

[Kingspoint]

Warriors dominate crunch-time @ LAC.

[texasdave]

What a great play - in tournament thus far. My 76ers advance. Now Off to Boston. Philly fans were chanting “We want Boston”.

Be careful what you wish for.

Warriors just shot 57% for the game, and scored 43 points in the 4th quarter. And this is playoff basketball in 2026. It's not your daddy's NBA.

Who is Gui Santos? Santos is averaging 17.3 ppg in just 29 minutes over his last 10 games.

[Kingspoint]

From ESPN...

"We showed a video this morning, that these guys have all been in the NCAA tournament," Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. "You talk about the 'One Shining Moment.' These guys have all played there, they know you're one-and-done. And that was it tonight.

"You either have a chance to end your season or start a new one. That defense in the first half was probably about as elite as we have seen in a while."

Friday's game was a blueprint for how Orlando is designed to play. The Magic bullied the Hornets with their physicality on both ends, played suffocating defense that forced 14 first-half turnovers, which Orlando turned into 22 points, and looked like the team that entered the season expected to be a top-four unit in the East.

"When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you're either going home or extending your season, that's what it looks like," Mosley said. "There [are] no second chances."

[Kingspoint]

Suns crushed the Warriors (whose era was over before the season began).

The a-wipe Draymond Green appropriately ejected while mouthing off from the bench where he had already fouled out (PHO only got 13 FT attempts from non-technicals).

PHO is the best in the NBA from mid-range with Booker and Jalen Green, both of whom are better Offensively than SGA (who is constantly gifted FT's on fouls he should be charged for or that simply don't occur) right now. Anyone who doesn't think so did not watch Jalen Green the last two games (he kissed most of the season and had to ramp up into NBA playing shape and get to know his teammates without the benefit of practices), or Booker for most of this season.

If you think OKC will dominate the middle, that's not going to happen, either. They suffocated the combination of Clingan/RGIII, a pair that has dominated all other opponents this season other than Jocic.

PHO will win "at least" two games vs OKC with Dillon Brooks leading the physical play for the Suns who can match the depth the Thunder have (as will POR against SA for the same reasons). With ORL embracing playoff basketball last night and matching Bane's intensity, they should also win "at least" two against DET. If only PHI had Embiid I would say the same for them against BOS. BOS lives and dies with the "3", so 20-pt leads disappear fast with them.

It all begins tomorrow as the Road teams all try to Steal Game 1, always the easiest game to win on the road.