One week after ending the Bucks’ season with a series-winning shot in the final seconds of Game 5, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton played the hero again on Tuesday vs. Cleveland. Haliburton’s three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left on the clock completed an improbable comeback for the Pacers, who were down by seven points with 50 seconds to play and now have a 2-0 series lead … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Haliburton, Nembhard, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls
Northwest Notes: Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Gobert, Bradds
The Nuggets–Thunder second-round series features a clash between the top two contenders for the Most Valuable Player Award, Denver big man Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It would be a stretch to call it a showdown, Jokic notes, since they played different positions. “He’s a very different player,” Jokic said, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “He’s … [Read more...] about Northwest Notes: Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Gobert, Bradds
Central Notes: Bulls, Garland, Haliburton, Pistons
After a third straight play-in appearance that fell short of a playoff berth, the Bulls face an interesting offseason, as NBA insider Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews. Chicago guard Josh Giddey submitted an encouraging performance during his inaugural season with Chicago, just in time for him to hit restricted free agency this summer. Gozlan notes that a … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Bulls, Garland, Haliburton, Pistons
Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Cavs, Bulls Centers
Speaking to Adam Mares on the All NBA podcast (YouTube link), veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein suggested the Bucks are unlikely to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason unless he specifically asks for a trade. Stein acknowledged that neither side is eager to go down that path, but pointed out that the Bucks don’t have a realistic way to build a legitimate contender around … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Cavs, Bulls Centers
Central Notes: Sheppard, Pacers, Bulls, Strus
After starting Pacers swingman Andrew Nembhard got into foul trouble during Indiana’s Game 3 playoff series loss to Milwaukee, reserve guard Ben Sheppard found himself playing more minutes than he had in the contests prior. Sheppard knocked down a three-point shot during his six first-half minutes and the Pacers outscored Milwaukee by six points during those minutes. He went … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Sheppard, Pacers, Bulls, Strus