#san-antonio-spurs

#san-antonio-spurs

Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images If society devolves into chaos amid a zombie outbreak, you might want to steer clear of Marcus Smart's bunker.During Sunday's 137-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown made the point that Smart may not last long against a zombie horde:
Jay King @ByJayKing
In a zombie apocalypse, Jaylen Brown said Marcus Smart would be the first of the Celtics to go because he would try to take on all the zombies at once.

SAN FRANCISCO Golden State has been teetering the playoffs and play-in line and knew how badly it needed to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, who entered Tuesday just a half-game behind the Warriors in the Western Conference standings.And while the focus wasn't all there in the first half, the Warriors, propelled by Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole, overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to pick up a much-needed 120-109 win over the Pelicans.

Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images Danilo Gallinari is staying with the Boston Celtics.The forward exercised the $6.8 million option on his contract for the 2023-24 season.ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski relayed the news from Gallinari's agent, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management, on Thursday.This will give Gallinari an opportunity to suit up for Boston for the first time after he signed with the team ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that the Washington Wizards will get the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 Draft.The Wizards had the 8th best odds heading into tonight's draft, so they didn't gain or lose position.Who are some of the players whom the Wizards are projected to pick based on mock drafts?Here are some:
The San Antonio Spurs won the No. 1 pick, where they will likely pick Victor Wembanyama.

Celtics BOSTON (AP) - Jaylen Brown scored 41 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 137-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.The Celtics were without star forward and leading scorer Jayson Tatum, who was sidelined with a left hip contusion.But Boston still moved to 1½ games behind Milwaukee for the Eastern Conference's best record with its seventh victory in nine games.

The Miami Heat have finally made a move to improve their roster in a major way.Trading away Dewayne Dedmon at the NBA Trade Deadline, with him now residing in Philadelphia with the 76ers, they would only receive cash in the deal with the San Antonio Spurs that saw them send out the big man and a second-rounder.

The Toronto Raptors are currently in line for a play-in spot that would potentially give them an opportunity to sneak into the postseason.While this is certainly a step down from where they were last season, Masai Ujiri and the rest of the team are very bullish on this roster's potential.Scottie Barnes believes that the Raptors have all the tools needed to make some noise in the playoffs.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is about to find himself back in a familiar, comforting place.Back at the bottom.Back to having to prove himself.Back needing to show he belongs.The small forward who went from fighting for minutes four years ago to one of the most beloved players in UCLA basketball history doesn't harbor a shred of anxiety about making it in the NBA.

Hey, there's a new bench boss north of the border.Sorry this is a bit late, I was watching the new Spider-Man.It was great.The Raptors have hired Darko Rajaković as the leader of the next era.Let's give you the rundown really quickly:


Not that this is a shock, but Darko's spoken ideals on offense run somewhat counter to how the Raptors have played the past couple years.5 players (quick decision makers), teamwork, in pursuit of "beautiful basketball" Scottie Barnes touches going UP https://t.co/IxGOzcGAOG-

Since being acquired by the Toronto Raptors, Gary Trent Jr. has been nothing short of a deadly offensive threat.Scoring 17.4 points per game last season, Trent was an outside threat, shooting 37% from three-point range.He paired this offense with solid defense adding 1.6 steals per game to the box score.

The Toronto Raptors' head coaching search has gone in all sorts of zany directions, with experienced stalwart ( Monty Williams), top assistants (David Adelman), and media figures ( JJ Redick) all getting consideration.Even Becky Hammon was mentioned as someone who could step into that role.Hammon, who spent years as one of Gregg Popovich's top assistants with the San Antonio Spurs, is currently the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

Fate and the laws of probability were not on the side of the Toronto Raptors as the NBA Draft lottery approached.Not only were they outside of the postseason picture, but they had more than a 90% chance of remaining stuck at No. 13 overall and failing to make a miraculous ascension into the top four.

The Toronto Raptors are really unturning every stone in their quest to find the next great coach that can lead this team, as their initial candidates' list featured former head coaches looking for a second chance like Kenny Atkinson, trendy names like Becky Hammon, and unknowns like Darko Rakajovic.

While he may not be the elite two-way wing he once was with the San Antonio Spurs, Danny Green is still an effective role player for any team with playoff aspirations.He proved that down the final stretch of the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.This makes him the perfect target for the Washington Wizards.

With the NBA Finals starting, there are few more landmarks left in the summer before the 2023-'24 NBA season begins.Several of which will feature the Washington Wizards as one of the most interesting teams in the league.The Draft Lottery may have already past, but there are still plenty of events for the Wiz to be excited for.

Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer Chris Miller would normally be happy after a Washington win.But after last Friday's win against the San Antonio Spurs, he had some words for fans, in particular those who are pro-tanking.As someone who is in favor of a full-scale rebuild, you may be wondering if Miller is calling folks like me out.

When: Sunday, March 26 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
How to watch: NBC Sports Washington, League Pass
WIZARDS - Kyle Kuzma, OUT (ankle); Bradley Beal, OUT (knee)
RAPTORS - Scottie Barnes, QUESTIONABLE (wrist); Precious Achiuwa, QUESTIONABLE (hamstring); Gary Trent Jr., QUESTIONABLE (elbow); Otto Porter Jr., OUT (foot)
The Washington Wizards make their one and only trip to Toronto on Sunday to take on the Raptors.

The Washington Wizards play the San Antonio Spurs at 7 p.m. ET tonight.Here are some last-minute things before the game.The odds*
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Wizards are 8.5-point favorites against the Spurs.The over/under is 229 points.Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be the leading scorer for the Wizards with 28.5 points.

The ping pong balls have been picked and the envelopes opened, and as a result of the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, the Toronto Raptors will pick 13th at the 2023 NBA Draft.The Raptors, who finished a middling 41-41 this past season, had the 13th-worst odds heading into the lottery, and just a 1% chance at landing the top pick.

The Toronto Raptors' acquisition of Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs for a first-round pick, second-round pick, and Khem Birch wasn't necessarily met with derision, but there was a good deal of confusion.Why on earth would the Raptors make a move like this when they are nowhere close to competing for a championship?

The Toronto Raptors (26-31) play the Detroit Pistons (15-42) this afternoon at Scotiabank Arena... but don't let those season records fool you.Detroit has won six of the last seven games between these two teams, the sole win coming from the Raptors this past November - snapping a six game losing streak to the Detroit Pistons.

Before White emerged as a starting lineup reliable guard for head coach Joe Mazzulla, things were dicey.White joined the Celtics in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs last season and fell apart in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors.He couldn't buy a basket, shooting 32.7%.Left wide-open on enough to assemble a multi-minute compilation, White didn't rise to the occasion.

As the offseason nears, it is clear that the Chicago Bulls need to make some moves.After being one of only two teams that did not make a move at the trade deadline, the other of which being the Miami Heat, who are on a tear in the playoffs.Currently, the Bulls are in basketball purgatory, where their current roster is not good enough to be a contender but they do not have really any prospects for the future, as two of their three best players are 33 and 34 years old, and they do not own any picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, as well as owing both their 2025 picks to the San Antonio Spurs if they do not finish with a top-10 draft pick.

The Toronto Raptors' treatment of DeMar DeRozan is well known by the general basketball public at this point.He is a franchise legend who remains the all-time leading scorer in club history, but the team hit a ceiling with him as the featured offensive option.After being traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard, DeRozan had to watch as all his old teammates won a title on the back of Leonard's dominant postseason.

After losing four in a row, the Wizards took advantage of a classic NBA "get well" game and beat the San Antonio Spurs by a comfortable enough margin that big man Kristaps Porzingis didn't need to play in the fourth quarter.The lineup that blew the game open: Delon Wright, Jordan Goodwin, Corey Kispert, Anthony Gill and Daniel Gafford.

The Washington Wizards (33-41) beat the San Antonio Spurs (19-55), 136-124.With the Spurs in hot pursuit of French center Victor Wembanyama and the Wizards not disinterested in the idea of drafting him themselves, the game felt incredibly lethargic and low-stakes.The Spurs surprisingly hung with the Wizards for the first three quarters, a fact that's pretty damning for a team that seems to want to make the play-in so bad.

Feels like I could almost cut and paste the article from the last game because for a third time in the last four games, the Washington Wizards took the court against a team bound for a top four seed in the playoffs.And for a third time, they got demolished.Once again, it was clear from early on that the Wizards were out of their class.

Victor Wembanyama is set to follow in the footsteps of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, and the San Antonio Spurs are ready to welcome the French phenom.It sure seems like an ideal pairing.The Spurs hit the lottery jackpot on Tuesday, landing the No. 1 pick and the right to draft one of the most highly touted prospects in NBA history.

Lonnie Walker IV's first season with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a tumultuous one.He signed in free agency from the San Antonio Spurs and found early success as a starter, averaging nearly 14 points per game in November on 44% shooting from distance while showcasing a defensive discipline that he hadn't exhibited before.

Celtics Derrick White's contributions played into the Celtics' 110.6 defensive rating - the second-best mark in the NBA.After helping anchor one of the top defenses in the NBA this season, Derrick White is getting some well-deserved recognition.The 28-year-old Celtics guard was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team on Tuesday, earning the most total points (99) among all Second-Team players.

Last season, at the trade deadline, the Boston Celtics acquired Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs.By all accounts, the trade was a win for both teams.White was a quality playmaker and great defender, someone who could effectively eat minutes and take some of the load off of Marcus Smart.In the 26 games with Boston, White proved to be a great acquisition.

The Toronto Raptors have finally kicked their head coach search into high gear after the firing of Nick Nurse.Adrian Wojnarowski came out swinging by publishing a list of eight names that Toronto will likely show interest in as they try to find the right person for the job.The list had a good mix of former head coaches like Kenny Atkinson, universally well-regarded assistants like Charles Lee and Chris Quinn, and some out-of-the-box names like Jordi Fernandez and Darko Rakajovic.

The Washington Wizards are in danger of missing the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, sitting 2.5 games out of the No. 10 seed after losing their last four games.Washington is just 2-8 in its last 10, and Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal are both dealing with injuries, leaving them in question for Friday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

When: Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena
How to watch: NBC Sports Washington, League Pass
WIZARDS - Kyle Kuzma, OUT (ankle); Bradley Beal, OUT (knee)
SPURS - Devin Vassell, QUESTIONABLE (knee); Zach Collins, QUESTIONABLE (biceps); Jeremy Sochan, OUT (knee); Romeo Langford, OUT (adductor); Khem Birch, OUT (knee); Charles Bassey, OUT (patella)
The Washington Wizards are at a crossroads entering their Friday night tilt against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Washington Wizards haven't held a Polish Heritage Night since Marcin Gortat was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018.But now, it's back with the man himself since he has been a part-time assistant coach here in D.C.!
Yesterday, the Wizards announced that Polish Heritage Night will be on Friday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.

The Toronto Raptors are one of many teams that will be looking forward to the 2023 NBA Draft, as they will have a premium pick they can use to add a young player who will be a part of the furniture with their respective clubs for the next decade (if they hit on the pick).The winner of this lottery is going to be doing cartwheels down Atlantic Avenue on draft night, as Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in NBA history.

LOS ANGELES - After dropping last night's game against the Knicks, the Lakers are in a four-way tie for ninth-place in the West, but only a game out of seventh, two out of six, and two-and-a-half out of fifth.With 16 more games to go, L.A. has bought themselves a real shot at not just playing an 83rd game, but maybe even making a little playoff run.

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 8: Malachi Flynn #22 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors have made a habit of trading with the San Antonio Spurs in recent years, as Thad Young and Jakob Poeltl were both taken away from the last few years of Gregg Popovich's tenure and placed on a Raptors team that is (allegedly) trying to compete for a championship despite players like Malachi Flynn taking up bench time.

Once upon a time, Deni Avdija was compared to Luka Doncic.He is a very good player but talents like Doncic don't come around too often.But Avdija has shown flashes of basketball brilliance at times this season, and it has been in short spurts.His rollercoaster season has seen him as a starter and has also seen him coming off the bench.

While the Toronto Raptors didn't make as bombastic a trade as shipping Kevin Durant over to the Phoenix Suns, they did manage to make a noteworthy move by acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch, a protected first-round pick, and two second-round picks.San Antonio, who is right in the middle of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, clearly has no interest in retaining Poeltl long-term as they try to get younger and cheaper.

The 2023 Trade Deadline day is here and while most people are still reeling from the middle of the night Kevin Durant trade, we are here to talk the Raptors trades!Talks have been going on all week and the Raptors are expected to make some moves so check back here for the latest until the 3pm EST deadline.

The Toronto Raptors held the title of "biggest trade deadline move" for a whole five minutes before the Brooklyn Nets decided to saunter on over and change the face of the entire league.After Jakob Poeltl was sent to Toronto from the San Antonio Spurs, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Mary Wainwright does not know Ja Morant, but she prays for him, worries about him and wishes she could sit down with the troubled young N.B.A. star to help set him straight.Wainwright, a 64-year-old grandmother, is a community stalwart in Smokey City, the gunfire-strafed neighborhood in north Memphis.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and forward Kevin Love are in the process of finalizing a buyout agreement, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Wednesday evening.According to Charania, the Miami Heat, who have two open roster spots, are expected to have interest for the five-time All-Star."The Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Love are finalizing a contract buyout, with the Miami Heat expected to emerge as a suitor for the five-time All-Star should the sides finalize parting ways, league sources tell The Athletic," Charania wrote.

The Miami Heat appear to be looking to make a move or two as the NBA All-Star Break continues to move along this weekend.With Kevin Love now being headed toward the free agent market after he completes his buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the former champion forward for the Cavaliers will now be able to sign with any other NBA team of his own choosing.

Cody Zeller and Kevin Love both plan to sign with the Miami Heat this week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and the AP's Tim Reynolds reported Sunday.Love's expectatation is to "play a sizable role in the Heat's frontcourt rotation as they push into the Eastern Conference playoffs," per Wojnarowski.

The Chicago Bulls waived former Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic today, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Heat are not pursuing him.At this point, there's no Heat pursuit of Goran Dragic, per source.Dragic was waived by Bulls today.It would be difficult to see minutes for him here, with Lowry expected back soon and Vincent having several good nights as a starter.

The Miami Heat are built on the back of the Miami Heat Culture.To some, this just may be a phrase, a cliché, or something they use to describe themselves when the Miami Heat feel they are playing well or with the brand of ball that they want to play.However, it's none of that, exclusively.While all of that has something to do with it all, it's also the very thing that allows them to play that brand of ball in question.

The Miami Heat have only made one move thus far prior to the NBA's Trade Deadline on Thursday and in that one, they didn't even bring back a player.Sending Dewayne Dedmon to the San Antonio Spurs to relieve a roster spot, the Heat may find it beneficial to actually acquire a guy before Thursday.Looking at the Miami Heat, they have had a need for depth and more quality, at times, along the ranks of their bigs, including both the power forward and center positions if they can help it.

The Toronto Raptors were supposed to be the most important seller at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, as names like Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby were discussed as potential trade chips.However, Toronto made their first move of the deadline as a buyer, acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs.Anunoby and VanVleet had been connected to all sorts of teams in the last few days, as Western contenders like the Pelicans and Grizzlies were trying to pry OG away from Toronto.