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It’s weird, we only played one game last night, but this will soon be the best we can do!
More like ThrillanovaFriendship ?
Knicks go superNOVA in Game 2 win
New York bringing together as many Villanova teammates as possible made life very easy for the Knicks and their fans. In Game 2 against the Pacers, New York got a combined 76 points from Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart in its 130-121 home victory. Hart had a good first half (10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal) before fellow Wildcat alumni DiVincenzo (20 points, four 3s) and Brunson (24 points, four assists) failed. added big performances in the second half to give the Knicks a 2-0 lead in the semifinals. That trio — along with OG Anunoby’s 28 points in 28 minutes before leaving with a hamstring injury — created huge matchup and effort problems for Indy.
While Pacers coach Rick Carlisle feels his only recourse is to blame the officials and file Daryl Morey-style grievances, Indiana’s real problem is staying even with the Villanova guys, without talk about moving forward. The same goes for Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein, which were respectively spectacular. Defense in the second half and execution late in the game were brutal problems for the Pacers. Brunson scored 35 points in this series…in the fourth quarter alone! He had 21 points in the final period of the first game and added 14 to cap the second game. on a pied-à-terreto start.
We’ll see how the Pacers, upon returning home, respond in Game 3 on Friday.
Three thoughts for Game 3 and beyond:
1) Will Anunoby (hamstring) and Brunson (foot) be healthy? Brunson was gone for much of the first half, but luckily he returned for a great second half and finished the game. But this foot will be painful, so we will have to see its effects on it. Anunoby leaving Game 2 without returning is definitely concerning. It was SO good in the first half (22 points, one shy of the career high for any half) and made life difficult for the Pacers. The Knicks will need both guys in Indy.
2) Is it time for the Pacers to start TJ McConnell? It’s clear that McConnell gives them a boost, is one of the few Pacers who plays good defense and has a major impact on the game. He scores and passes, which has helped him be pretty good during of the first two matches. It’s clear Andrew Nembhard has no chance to defend Brunson. Of course, McConnell may not impact the flow of a complete game. I understand they like him better off the bench, but something must change.
3) Can Haliburton use this play to ignite his game? Tyrese Haliburton finished with 34 points, nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and just two turnovers. After shooting just six times in the first game, he went 11 of 19 overall and 7 of 11 from deep in the second game. Haliburton also had 10 in the fourth quarter. This has to be his standard for every game for the rest of the series. Otherwise, it’s over.
Recalibration of the overreaction forecast: I’m worried about the Knicks’ injuries, so I’ll bring it back to the Knicks in six.
.@nyknicks EARN
LIGHT UP THE BUILDING pic.twitter.com/dUjpZBG2aC
– Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) May 9, 2024
Protect the home field 🔒
JB 29 PTS | 5AST | 3STL
Including 28 PTS | 6 RECs
AND 28 PTS | 4 ROPE
Josh 19 PTS | 15 RECs | 7 AST
Hartenstein 14 PTS | 12 RECs | 8 AST pic.twitter.com/5mv8bRkfn7– NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2024
The latest news from Shams
Police investigating Beverley incident
Indianapolis police are investigating a throwing incident involving Bucks guard Patrick Beverley that occurred during Game 6 of the Bucks-Pacers series on May 2.
A police spokesperson told Mike Vorkunov and me that detectives are working with Gainbridge Fieldhouse to review video footage and plan to speak with those involved. The results of the investigation will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, who will decide whether to file charges. The NBA has also looked into the issue.
Elsewhere, Thanasis Antetokounmpo tore his Achilles tendon during practice this week, according to league sources. The NBA veteran, who spent the last five years playing with his brother Giannis on the Bucks, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The injury and subsequent surgery will prevent Thanasis, 31, from competing for a place on the Greek national team for the Paris Olympics.
Jokic wins MVP
Third good and bad (?) historically
For the third time in four years, Nikola Jokić is the overwhelming choice for the Most Valuable Player award. Every time he’s won it, there’s been a huge distance between his first-place votes and those of the field. In 2021, Jokić received 91 first place votes. In 2022, he received 65 first-place votes, compared to 26 for Joel Embiid. This year he received 79, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander coming in second in total voting points and first-place votes (15).
Luka Dončić finished third in the voting, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson and Jayson Tatum. Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Durant also received votes on the ballot.
“Thank you goodbye!” 😅
Nikola Jokić expresses his gratitude after winning his 3rd #KiaMVP 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Dlafx7wL42
-NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2024
Shaq straight up tells Nikola Jokic he thinks SGA deserved MVP over him 😯 pic.twitter.com/BsSbkQVspm
– NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 8, 2024
Jokić reached a certain rarity, becoming the ninth player in NBA history to win at least three MVP awards. Moses Malone, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird also have three. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James have won four. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each had five totals while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six eclipsed all others. Although Jokić joins Russell, Chamberlain, Kareem, Bird, Magic and LeBron in winning three MVPs over a four-year span, he is also potentially in less fortunate company with this MVP.
It’s no secret that the Nuggets are surprisingly down 0-2 against the Timberwolves, while Minnesota dominated them in Denver. Since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, 14 of the league’s 47 MVPs have failed to reach the conference finals. The last four MVP winners (including Jokić’s two previous victories) have not advanced past the second round. So, as John Hollinger rightly wondered when we put Jokić in the GOAT conversation (we asked ourselves the same question), he and the Nuggets need to figure out how to get back into their semifinal series over the next two games in Minneapolis.
-NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 8, 2024
“It’s a journey, it’s a process, it’s trusting your teammates, your teammates trusting you. It was a collective effort that put me in the spotlight.
Nikola Jokic on the collective effort to win his third #KiaMVP 💯 pic.twitter.com/xFRbIPwahz
-NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2024
Outside of the NBA?
What does “Inside the NBA” mean to you?
Admittedly, I got a little worried today when I read Andrew Marchand’s article about the future of TNT as the NBA’s broadcast partner. As the league renegotiates with its broadcast partners, there is a risk of bluffing with Warner Bros. Discovery. A few months ago, Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that “TNT doesn’t need the NBA.” Now, however, as it appears the NBA will add Amazon Prime as a partner, and the latter part could go to TNT or NBC or both, we have a potential future in which TNT no longer broadcasts NBA games.
Normally I wouldn’t care which platform streams the games. I watch the hoop, no matter where the plays are. League Pass is activated nightly during the regular season and nationally televised games are broadcast regularly. But what about the demise of “Inside the NBA” if TNT doesn’t have the league rights? There have been reports that Charles Barkley could move to another platform if TNT loses his rights, but “Inside the NBA” has been a staple of NBA coverage for decades. It’s the best basketball show on TV, and it’s not even close. The quartet of Chuck, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal is essential to any basketball week. I want to dig a little deeper into this topic over the next week of newsletters, so I have a request for you, the Bounce reader. 🫵
We want to hear from you! We created a trusty little Google Form with seven questions about “Inside the NBA,” its future, its importance and much more. You can click on this link vote and answer these questions, and we will publish the results. As always, we appreciate your support of Bounce and your participation in this survey.
Shaq introduces the Inside the NBA team to OTBS’n 🤣 pic.twitter.com/8Kao2mFVse
– Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 8, 2024
Bouncing passes
Chris Finch didn’t let a surgically repaired knee tendon stop him from coaching Wolves.
It’s crazy, this is only the first chapter of Victor Wembanyama’s career.
Derrick White’s jump shot kills Celtics opponents.
Screenplay (all times Eastern)
- The funniest : Mavericks – Thunder (9:30 p.m. ESPN). Hopefully we’ll see a close one in Game 2.
- How to achieve pleasure: Cavaliers – Celtics (7 p.m. ESPN). I really don’t know if Cleveland can lose a game in this series by just single digits. Full program here.
(Top photo: Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images)