Mike Brown non-committal on Knicks' starting lineup ahead of Game 4 vs. Hawks

Mike Brown non-committal on Knicks' starting lineup ahead of Game 4 vs. Hawks

With the Knicks down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs following their loss on Thursday night, head coach Mike Brown said on Friday that the starting lineup for Game 4 on Saturday will be a “game-time decision.”

Brown mentioned that everything is on the table for New York, who has dropped the last two games against the Hawks after a convincing win in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.

The news of a possible change comes on the heels of Mikal Bridges scoring zero points in Game 3 and turning the ball over four times in just 21 minutes. Josh Hart also had a rough game offensively with two points, although he finished with nine rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes.

It was the second straight poor performance from Bridges who was held to 10 points in the Knicks’ Game 2 loss, all of which came in the first half. Bridges also missed the potential game-winning shot in that game and in the last six quarters for New York he’s gone 0-for-7 from the field.

In his second season with the Knicks after getting traded by the Nets for five first-round picks, Bridges scored 14.4 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and added 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. 

The 29-year-old hasn’t missed a game since joining New York and has started every single game he’s played since the 2020-21 season with Phoenix Suns, who drafted him 10th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.

by Editor

Where to watch Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Friday, April 24

Where to watch Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Friday, April 24

The Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of their NBA first-round playoff series. The teams split the first two games in Boston. Games 3 and 4 will be in Philadelphia. The Celtics are favored by 7.5 points in Game 3.

How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Odds

  • Spread: Philadelphia 76ers +7.5

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers +240 (28.2%) / Boston Celtics -300 (71.8%)

  • Over/Under: 214.5

Series schedule

Game 1:Celtics 123, 76ers 91
Game 2:76ers 111, Celtics 97
Game 3: Fri., April 24 at Philadelphia (7 p.m., Prime)
Game 4: Sun., April 26 at Philadelphia (7 p.m., NBC)
*Game 5: Tue., April 28 at Boston (TBD)
*Game 6: Thu., April 30 at Philadelphia (TBD)
*Game 7: Sat., May 2 at Boston (TBD)if necessary

by Editor

Why top basketball prospects returning to NCAA is best outcome for NBA

Why top basketball prospects returning to NCAA is best outcome for NBA

Rather than declare as early entry candidates for the 2026 NBA Draft, several of the top players in college basketball decided to go back to school.

With the significant rise of NIL packages offered to collegiate players to play another season with their college team or use the transfer portal, the basketball world has never seen such little financial incentive to turn pro. In many cases, top men’s basketball players can actually collect more annual money at their university than they would have in the first year of their rookie scale contract.

Prospects have until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 24 to declare as early entry candidates for the 2026 NBA Draft. Those players can remain as draft candidates 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27 if they want to maintain their collegiate eligibility.

It is not uncommon for players to “test the waters” and go through the draft process and attend the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, then decide to go back to school.

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Notable players who have already declared for the draft but may still return to their college team next season include Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas). Some who have declared (e.g. Allen Graves, Flory Bidunga, Tounde Yessoufou, Milan Momcilovic and Juke Harris) also entered the transfer portal and a few have already committed to new schools.

This year, more than ever, several notable players announced they will not even go through the pre-draft process.

Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) are among those who were widely considered potential first-round picks but opted to not enter the pre-draft process. Others, including Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska), Alex Condon (Florida), Joseph Tugler (Houston) and David Mirković (Illinois), made the same decision.

Haugh is reportedly expected to earn what he would have made in his first two NBA seasons combined at Florida next season, according to The Athletic.

Some have argued that NIL is bad for the NBA, but in many cases, the opposite is true. NIL is mutually beneficial for both the NCAA and the NBA at large.

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For college basketball, top players returning can help teams compose the most talented rosters available and keep the product as interesting as possible for fans with old faces at either familiar or new places. Players can build their brands and create a legacy while improving their draft stock in the process.

In the NBA, meanwhile, professional teams can reserve roster spots only for the most ready-to-contribute players. Rather than drafting young players with the hope to develop them over the years, they can use the spots at the end of their bench for veterans who do not need that same on-ramp in the pros.

Ideally, these players can become known quantities while in college rather than alluring but risky mystery boxes for the next level. Now that players can hire agents, it is often even more financially lucrative for their clients to stay in school as well.

College basketball provides players from around the world a chance to get mentally and physically ready as they mature, rather than rush, to reach their dreams of playing in the NBA. Big name players staying in the NCAA is mutually beneficial for everyone involved.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top college basketball products return to NCAA. Why it’s good for NBA

by Editor

How MLB All-Star helped Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley squash their beef

How MLB All-Star helped Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley squash their beef

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are on speaking terms again, and Barkley revealed there’s a former Major League Baseball All-Star behind the thawing of the relationship.

Barkley initially said during an interview last week on SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Unleashed” that he and Jordan had a conversation recently and made plans to play golf together soon. It had been 14 years since the two had a falling out after Barkley criticized Jordan’s performance as owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats during an interview with ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

A turning point came last week when former MLB outfielder Vince Coleman called Barkley at his home, Barkley said on Wednesday, April 23 during his latest appearance on ESPN 1000’s “Waddle and Silvy Show,” which is also where he made the original comments that upset Jordan in 2012. Coleman informed Barkley over the phone that he was with Jordan at The Grove XXIII, Jordan’s golf club in South Florida.

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“(Coleman) says, ‘Yo, I’m down here at The Grove. I’m sick of you and MJ’s BS. He’s right here. Y’all need to talk. And we had a conversation,” Barkley recounted to the show’s hosts. “But Vince Coleman’s the person who’s responsible. We talked for a couple minutes. He’s like, ‘Man, let’s get together and play golf,’ and as soon as I get a break, I’m going to fly down there and we’re going to spend a couple days playing golf.”

Jordan and Barkley were rivals and superstars in the NBA and Olympic teammates with the original Dream Team in 1992. Jordan’s Chicago Bulls beat Barkley’s Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals, the same year Barkley won his lone MVP award. Coleman played 13 MLB seasons (1985-97), with the majority of his career spent with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets.

Jordan became the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006 and Barkley has been an outspoken mainstay on “Inside the NBA,” providing commentary on the league since his retirement.

Vince Coleman of the New York Mets looks on during a game at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York in 1992.

Barkley criticized Jordan in 2012 for not surrounding himself with enough people willing to disagree with his decisions as the owner of Charlotte’s NBA franchise, noting that “I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job.”

Jordan sold his majority stake in the now-Charlotte Hornets in 2023 and currently owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR Cup Series team along with longtime NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin.

Barkley said Wednesday the feud between he and Jordan isn’t as bad as it may have seemed, simply because they hadn’t spoken in so long.

“I tell people, it’s not like we’re like Prince Harry and Prince William who hate each other,” Barkley said. “Honestly, I think we both missed each other because we’ve had this conversation with other friends and we were both too stubborn to pick up the phone.”

“One thing we both said,” Barkley added, “I got a lot of love for you and you got a lot of love for me. Like Vince said, this thing has been silly and stupid, but both of y’all are too damn stubborn to pick up the phone, and y’all need to get … together and play golf and bury this thing.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vince Coleman ended Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan’s long silence

by Editor

Thunder's Jalen Williams diagnosed with Grade 1 left hamstring strain, listed as week-to-week

Thunder's Jalen Williams diagnosed with Grade 1 left hamstring strain, listed as week-to-week

The Oklahoma City Thunder had to figure out how to win without Jalen Williams for most of the regular season, they are going to have to do it again, likely for at least the rest of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

Jalen Williams has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and “he will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis,” the team announced Thursday.

On average, a Grade 1 hamstring strain keeps a player out 12 days, according to Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes, who maintains a database tracking NBA injuries. That timeline would keep Williams out for the entire first round of the playoffs, even if the series goes seven games (the Thunder are up 2-0), and if it ends earlier, he might miss the start of the second round.

Williams has been plagued by injuries all season and appeared in just 33 games for the Thunder this season. Williams was out for the first 19 games of the season recovering from right wrist surgery, then missed 30 more games due to a right hamstring injury (the opposite of the leg he injured Wednesday).

With Williams out, expect Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins to get more run.

This latest injury occurred in the third quarter of Game 2 on Wednesday night. Williams missed a transition layup, and as soon as he landed, he grabbed the back of his leg. Williams quickly checked himself out of the game and did not return.

In the 33 games he did play this season, Williams averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. In Game 1 of the series against the Suns, he had 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting. The Thunder won without Williams on Wednesday, 120-107, and took a 2-0 series lead as the series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3.

by Editor

Jamal Crawford being pursued by Kentucky Basketball

Jamal Crawford being pursued by Kentucky Basketball

Feb 13, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Peacock analysts Reggie Miller (left) and Jamal Crawford (center) and play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle during an NBA All Star Rising Stars game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Back when Kentucky Basketball lost assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart, rumors began to circulate that Mark Pope was making a push for Jamal Crawford as a potential replacement.

However, nothing came of it, and it appeared that ship had sailed.

Now, KSR’s Jack Pilgrim and Matt Jones are reporting that there’s still a chance that Crawford could become an assistant coach at Kentucky, as a final decision has not yet been made by Crawford, and the Wildcats remain in pursuit.

Crawford, who is currently an assistant coach at his alma mater, Rainier Beach High School, is also an NBC broadcaster who is calling games in the NBA Playoffs. He’s a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year (shoutout Keldon Johnson) and scored 19,419 career points across his 20-year NBA career.

Needless to say, Crawford is a major name in the world of basketball, and getting him would be a massive pull for any coaching staff.

Saying this, between Crawford coaching at his alma mater and the city he was born in while also calling NBA games, it feels like there’s about as much of an uphill climb for Kentucky to get him as there is for Tyran Stokes, if not bigger.

Oh, speaking of, Stokes is spending his final season of high school basketball at Rainier Beach. Safe to think that getting Crawford would be a major move toward getting Stokes.

But again, both of these feel like a long shot. Crawford has too good of a thing going for him in Seattle right now, where he’s also raising his family. He’d have to leave that and his NBC gig to take on a full-time coaching role at Kentucky.

It’s nice to think about, but this feels like a pipe dream for the time being, though one that Pope was right to shoot for.

One other thing to consider: Kentucky already landed former NBA standout Mo Williams this offseason. Perhaps he can help get Crawford to Lexington?

by Editor

Jalen Williams Ruled Out Indefinitely With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

Jalen Williams Ruled Out Indefinitely With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams will miss at least the next three games of the team’s first-round series against the Phoenix Suns after sustaining a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, the team announced Thursday. Williams will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

The injury occurred with 6:26 remaining in the third quarter of Wednesday’s 120-107 Game 2 victory. Williams grabbed his left leg after missing a fast-break layup attempt, subsequently took a deliberate foul to exit the game and went directly to the locker room. He did not address reporters before departing Paycom Center.

Williams is ruled out for Saturday’s Game 3, Monday’s Game 4 and a potential Wednesday Game 5.

The timing is a significant blow despite Oklahoma City’s commanding series position. Williams had been outstanding to open the postseason after a regular season limited to 33 games due to injury. He posted 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Game 1 and followed with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 23 minutes in Game 2.

“He was playing an outstanding game,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “He was on the gas. He had great force. He was hitting shots.”

Williams, a third-team All-NBA selection last season, played through a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist throughout last year’s championship run before undergoing surgery. He also missed extended stretches this season with a right hamstring strain.

Oklahoma City went 39-10 without Williams in the lineup this regular season.

by Editor

Edgecombe makes history with 30-10 to stun C’s

Edgecombe makes history with 30-10 to stun C’s

VJ Edgecombe had 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing through pain after taking a hard fall on his back early in the game, Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, and the 76ers beat the Celtics 111-97 to tie their series at one game apiece.

by Editor