In what was an uphill task, the New York Knicks managed to defeat a shorthanded Miami Heat 111-105, evening out their second-round playoff series at one. Thanks to Jalen Brunson. Although Jimmy Butler was out due to an ankle injury, Miami still led for a greater part of the match until Brunson ended the onslaught. He finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and two steals behind 6-of-10 shooting from deep, and his strong presence aided the Knicks in overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to leave the court with a victory. But this was not a one-man event, Julius Randle missed a triple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists) in his return from an injury, and RJ Barrett (24 points) carried the offense in the early going. However, Jalen got most of the adoration from fans on social media for his performance in Tuesday’s Game 2: The Miami Heat could have easily given up and waited for Game 3 with Butler absent. They had home-court advantage no matter the results of Game 2 and were still on the road against a team that desperately needed a win. Still, they went toe-to-toe with New York for the first half and brought a three-point lead into intermission. Caleb Martin was the only player that had double figures at that point, and this balanced approach was a challenge for the New Yorkers for extended stretches. There was lower balance on the side of the home team, as Knicks not named Barrett, Randle and Brunson scored a grand total of seven points at the half. Barrett and Randle shooting outside gave a bright spot, yet the apprehension from the Crowd at Madison Garden was easy to pick up. Miami’s injured players’ list did not end with Butler, Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo, as Max Strus went to the locker room in the third quarter. During Strus’ absence, New York took the lead temporarily, with Randle, Brunson, and Barrett staying aggressive, but there was no separation entering winning time in the fourth quarter. When it looked like Heat were going to pull away with Martin and Gabe Vincent appearing like All-Stars, Brunson delivered multiple threes and a step-back jumper. This plus, Isaiah Hartenstein creating second chances by drawing fouls and grabbing boards and a monster corner three from Josh Hartm and there was enough power to generate a victory. Things may be different if Jimmy Butler comes back for Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami. Related News: Joel Embiid crowned 2022-23 NBA MVP over Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has received the NBA MVP award for the first time in his career. Embiid defeated two-time NBA MVP award winners and finalists, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić. Keith Pompey from the Philadelphia Inquirer provided the voting results which showed that Embiid secured 73 of 100 first-place votes for the historic win. Jokić clinched second place ahead of Antetokounmpo. The 76ers Center averaged a League-high 33.1 points on 54.8 per cent shooting, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this season. He propelled the 76ers to a third-place mark in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record. Embiid did nothing both dominated during the home stretch, with the highlight of this period being a 52-point, 13-rebound game against the Boston Celtics on 4th April. He also had a 10-game stretch from March 2-20 where he averaged 36.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest. Joel proved himself to be the best player in the NBA in the final months, shooting the 76ers into one of the spots for the NBA’s top title contenders. He is the first player from his team to the named MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. He is the third Philadelphia center to receive the award after Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone. Embiid beat out some tough players to get this titled. Antetokounmpo was the best player on the best regular-season team this season. The Milwaukee Bucks finished with an NBA-leading 58-24 to win over the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee felt his impact better this year, especially with three-time All-Star Khris Middleton absent most of the season with injuries. Antetokounmpo needed to play at his top form, and that was what he did and more on the journey to leading the Bucks to a great regular-season run. Giannis averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. Jokić on his own part, according to perFiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR player ratings is No.1 in RAPTOR WAR  (wins above replacement) with 20.4. The second closest to this record is Embiid at 13.3. Based on Basketball-Reference, Jokić lead the league in VORP (value over replacement player), BPM (box plus/minus), PER (player efficiency rating), true shooting percentage and win shares (total and per 48 minutes). Nikola led the Nuggets to their first-ever first-place regular-season finish in the Western Conference after Denver secured a 53-29 mark. Although all three finalists had great records that could win them the award, it was Joel Embiid who win it all this year. Related News: Jalen Brunson fires up Knicks fans after Game 2 win vs. Heat without Jimmy Butler

Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo raced to the basket and took a hard fall.  Antetokounmpo’s fall may have put the championship dreams of the top-seeded Bucks in jeopardy. Giannis slammed the floor with his backside after a foul in the first quarter and left Milwaukee’s Eastern Conference playoff opener for good at the beginning of the second quarter on Sunday. The Bucks lost 130-117 to the Miami Heat. “There was an X-ray that was clear here,” Milwaukee’s coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll monitor him and see how he does, see how he wakes up, how he feels the rest of tonight and tomorrow.” Game 2 of the series happens on Wednesday in Milwaukee, and the Bucks hope that Antetokounmpo will be better by then. “We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly what Giannis says,” Budenholzer said. “Certainly we’ve been blessed with him being resilient and quick to heal, but you’ve just got to take it day by day, see how he’s doing and see how he feels.” When he was taken out of the game, Giannis went to the locker room. He came back with 9:56 left in the second quarter but had to leave again with 8:33 left in the half and did not return. “Didn’t look comfortable, confident,” Budenholzer said. “It felt like the right thing (to keep him out).” Giannis Anetokounmpo had six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The Heat had their own injury concerns. Miami’s Tyler Herro broke his right hand late in the second quarter, putting his status for the rest of the postseason in question. This will be the second consecutive season where a Bucks key player suffered an injury early in their playoff run.  Khris Middleton three-time All-Star, Khris Middleton sprained the medial collateral ligament of his left knee in Game 2 of the Bucks’ opening-round series with the Chicago Bulls last season and missed the Bucks final 10 playoff games. Milwaukee lost a seven-game series to the Boston Celtics in the East Semifinals. Two seasons ago, Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee and was absent for the last two games of the East finals. Giannis came back from the injury to claim the MVP title of the NBA finals after scoring 50 points in the title-deciding Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns that gave the Bucks their first championship in a half-century. Milwaukee hopes that Giannis Antetokounmpo will show strength again. “That’s our guy,” Middleton said. “We hope he’s going to be well, he’s going to be back out there with us Wednesday, but we’ve just got to focus on who’s out there at the same time. They had a guy go down also, and they continued to compete and play well. The same mindset we tried to have. It sucks when our guys go down or can’t return but we’ve still got a job to do out there.” Related News: Ja Morant may be absent for the NBA playoffs with Grizzlies

Ja Morant, point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies has a new injury which is causing grave concern among the Grizzlies fanbase. He hurt his right hand during the 2023 NBA Playoffs loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday and disclosed that his status for Game 2 is ”in jeopardy”. online pharmacy order cymbalta with best prices today in the USA Morant’s injury happened halfway through the fourth period when he tried dunking over Anthony Davis. A foul was called on Morant who grimaced in pain and raced to the locker room. He came back to the bench later but sat out the final stretch of the game. The point guard addressed reporters after the loss, saying he couldn’t undo a pair of socks with his right hand, stating that “it seems like it’s one thing after another. online pharmacy order zofran with best prices today in the USA “ Taylor Jenkins the Grizzlies’ head coach said Morant’s X-rays came in negative, ruling out a fracture, but he was in pain. The Memphis Grizzlies play well without Ja Morant Last season, the Memphis Grizzlies held a 20-5 record in Morant’s absence and went 10-8 without him this year. The Grizzlies were undone after Morant left the game on Sunday, but the Lakers still have to succeed in Wednesday’s Game 2, because there are still many threats. Related News: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo expelled from Game 1 after back injury

Karl-Anthony Towns was confirmed to return Wednesday night for the Minnesota Timberwolves after sitting out 51 games following a right calf strain. The three-time All-Star has been absent since November 28. He was averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 21 games before the injury. “Expectations are that he just kind of settles into the flow of the game, not try to do too much at this point in time,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said before Minnesota hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. “Most importantly, knock the rust off. Certainly want him to be himself but not at the expense of what we’re trying to do out there. And I think that’s pretty easy ask for him.” Finch did say Towns will face limitations, but there were no specifics. He had an update on Anthony Edwards too, who was listed as questionable after missing two games due to a right ankle sprain. Related: NBA Expert Picks: Brooklyn Nets VS Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions Tonight The Minnesota Timberwolves were 10-11 when Karl-Anthony Towns had his injury and did well since he had been out, going 26-26 that period. But, they have been 20-16 since the beginning of 2023, but have faltered lately, going 2-3 in their past five games. Minnesota is No.9 in the West, trailing the Oklahoma City Thunders (36-36) and Dallas Mavericks (36-36) by ½ game for the No.7 and 8 seeds, respectively, and are one game behind the Golden State Warriors (37-36) for the No.6 seed. Towns, after playing 82 games in his first three seasons in the NBA, lost a significant time to injuries and illnesses since then. The Wolves big man is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, winning Kia Rookie of the Year honours in 2016. Related News: Willis Reed Two-time NBA champion and Knicks legend dies at 80

Willis Reed, the player who emerged from the locker room some minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to give the New York Knicks their first championship and deliver one of the most inspiring examples of playing through pain, died on Tuesday at the age of 80. The National Basketball Retired Players Association announced Reed’s death, which was later confirmed by his family. The cause of death was not released, but Reed had been sick recently and could not travel to New York for the Knicks’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship team during their game against New Orleans on February 25th. Read: LeBron James increases stake in Liverpool owners FSG following ‘lifetime deal’ after Nike agreement New York posted a photograph of Reed walking onto the court as his teammates warmed up for the 1970 finale, one of the most memorable moments the NBA and Madison Square Garden have ever witnessed. “As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind — the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions,” the New York Knicks wrote. “His is a legacy that will live forever.” Dubbed “The Captain’’, Reed played the role of a centre and emotional leader during the Knicks’ two NBA championship teams, he had a soft shooting touch from the outside and a toughness to tussle with the era’s superstar big men on the inside. He was remembered at his death, maybe for the way he captained the Knicks more than how he played for them. “Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader. My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks championship teams in the early 1970s,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of the sports.” Willis Reed’s achievements – seven All-Star selections, and two NBA Finals MVP awards amongst others, would have gotten him a Hall of Fame induction. In the 1969-70 season, Reed became the first player to gather the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals. Related: Milwaukee Bucks defeat Phoenix Suns to become first team in play-off place However, this legend secured his place in history by merely walking onto the floor on the final night of the season. Reed injured a thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series between the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, stumbling out on the court in pain. He sat out Game 6 as Wilt Chamberlain had 45 points and 27 rebounds in a Lakers’ spree that caused a deciding game at Madison Square Garden. His Knicks teammates didn’t know his status as he was still getting treatment shortly before Game 7. The Lakers and Knicks were warming up when Reed showed up, fans rose and roared when they saw him coming out of the tunnel leading to the locker room. “And here comes Willis and the crowd is going wild,” radio announcer Marv Albert said. Los Angeles stopped to watch Reed, who did two quick jump shots in the early minutes of the game and ran back down the court with a noticeable limp after two of them. He would not score again, but the Knicks did not need him to. With their captain coming back and Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists spurring them to a 113-99 romp and their first NBA title. Frazier for his team delivered one of the most impressive performances ever in a deciding game, but it remains a footnote to Reed’s return. In 2006, in line with the NBA’s 60th anniversary, it finished third in voting for the league’s 60 greatest playoff moments, after Michael Jordan’s championship-winning jumper for his sixth title in 1998 and Magic Johnson ending his rookie season by stepping in for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at centre in Game 6 of the 1980 finals to lead the Lakers to a championship. In subsequent moments, what Reed did at Game 7 during Knicks VS Lakers, became a point of reference sometimes when a player came back from injury. One instance is when the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce was lifted off the floor with a knee injury in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against Los Angeles before returning. But Phil Jackson, Reed’s teammate and then Lakers coach has dismissed that comparison because of the severity of Reed’s injury. “If I’m not mistaken, I think Willis Reed missed a whole half and three-quarters almost of a game and literally had to have a shot — a horse shot, three or four of them — in his thigh to come back out and play,” Jackson said. Reed could not recover that fast from injuries in the years to come. He was restricted to only 11 games in 1971-22 but came back stronger the next season to lead the Knicks to their second title in what was the last full season he played. Although his comeback made the ‘70 title the more celebrated one, it was the ‘72-73 squad, who were fortified by Hall of Famers Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas that stood out to Reed. “That, to me, in my mind was the best team,” he said during its 40th-anniversary celebration. Willis Reed will go on to play 19 more games in 1973-74 before retiring due to a knee injury after only 10 seasons. This 10 season was enough time for The Captain to collect over 12,000 points and 8,400 rebounds, two of which still rank top three on the Knicks’ career lists. Reed had a successful post-playing career as a coach and executive with 76ers coach Doc Rivers remember playing for the Atlanta Hawks when Reed was an assistant coach. “He was simply a great person, A man!!! A leader!!!

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been suspended for eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league. Ja Morant was suspended in regards to a live stream video by an intoxicated Morant on March 4 in which he was holding a firearm while visiting a Denver area nightclub. He will be cleared to return for the team’s game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 20. See similar story: Ja Morant suspended from 2 games by the Memphis Grizzlies after gun video Ja Morant and the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had a meeting in the NBA’s New York offices to discuss Morant’s conduct. The meeting was attended by NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, and NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio, among others. An investigation was conducted on the incident that took place on March 4. Based on the information that was obtained, the league did not affirm that the gun at issue was Morant’s, was brought to him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period.  They also did not confirm that Morant had the gun with him while travelling with the team or in any NBA facility. The Colorado Authorities did not find enough cause to charge him with a crime. “Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” said Silver.  “It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him.  He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behaviour.  Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court.” Related News: Milwaukee Bucks defeat Phoenix Suns to become first team in play-off place