Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the floor Wednesday with a 59-point performance, almost singlehandedly carrying Milwaukee to a 127-120 win over the Detroit Pistons. Antetokounmpo has been at the center of trade rumors in recent weeks, but for now, he is still providing for his longtime team.

Competing without Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, the Bucks either had to lean heavily on their big men or look to their bench for production against the Pistons. The team employed the former option, running the offense through Antetokounmpo and center Brook Lopez. The Greek Freak’s 59-point, 14-rebound night grabbed all the headlines, but Lopez also scored 29 points in the win. 

“It’s funny how a coach thinks, though,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game. “We called a timeout and I’m thinking, ‘OK, Giannis has 22 of our 24. This ain’t good.’ I’m thinking the exact opposite. We gotta figure out how to get someone else involved in this game. … And then after the game, you realize how special that is.”

The Bucks did get other players involved late in the game Wednesday, as Lopez proved to be an effective complement in overtime, while Taurean Prince put together a flurry late in the fourth quarter. That being said, only two players besides Antetokounmpo and Lopez scored more than 10 points.

The motivation behind trade rumors involving Antetokounmpo is that the Bucks are no longer an organization that can win a championship. The team now has a 4-8 record, an improvement from a 1-6 start, but it required a near-career-high scoring night from Antetokounmpo for the team to beat the 5-8 Pistons in overtime. It was a nice win and a showcase for Antetokounmpo’s overwhelming style. But without Lillard and Middleton on the floor, it also became even more apparent how dependent the team is on its generational star.

The game against the Pistons was the beginning of a crucial stretch for the Bucks. Eight of their next nine games are against teams that currently have losing records. It will be a golden opportunity to get back to a winning record and lock down Antetokounmpo for another run to the playoffs. Failing to do so could be the deciding factor in the decision to trade Antetokounmpo and effectively end Milwaukee’s years-long run as a perennial contender.

It seems like a massive overreaction. It probably is. But after a poor start to the 2024-25 season for the Milwaukee Bucks, several reports suggest that the team would be open to trading star Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline if things don’t improve. Doing so would dramatically shift the franchise’s focus.

Imaging Antetokounmpo on another NBA team is difficult to comprehend, as the two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Champion is deeply ingrained in the Bucks’ team culture. His brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, is a fixture on the team’s bench. The team acquired star point guard Damian Lillard last season to build around the “Greek Freak,” and abruptly replaced coach Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers during the 2023-24 season to preserve the team’s postseason chances.

But even after all those attempted improvements, Milwaukee’s playoff run last year ended early due to injuries and a lack of team chemistry. The problems have carried over to the 2024-25 campaign. Khris Middleton missed the start of the season with an injury and will not be back until November. Without him, the Bucks have started the season 1-4 and lost two games to the Nets and Bulls, both weaker Eastern Conference rivals on paper. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are playing well, but the team around them is not stepping up.

If Antetokounmpo does not successfully help Milwaukee turn things around, several anonymous executives have told outlets that they expect a blockbuster deal. The team is nowhere near that reality after just four games, but it’s still a clear indicator that people are looking into the situation in Milwaukee and seeing obvious cracks.

With Middleton returning soon, the Bucks figure to improve with their big three in place, at which point they can truly assess their standing within the conference. Last year, the team still managed to finish third despite a number of issues during the regular season, so it’s not unreasonable to expect the team to reach some equilibrium this year as well. Antetokounmpo has repeatedly expressed a desire to win another championship in Milwaukee, and as long as the team has a realistic chance, it will be difficult to foresee any kind of move.

“As long as we are in for a championship … we are all good,” Antetokounmpo said in September 2023. “The moment I feel like people are complacent, and they’re ‘OK’ … I am not.”

As the Milwaukee Bucks stand on the brink of elimination Thursday night, their star players remain questionable to return. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are reportedly working toward a potential return in Game 6 on the road against the Indiana Pacers, but they do not yet have an official status.

“I don’t know how to answer that,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said when asked for injury updates. “I know I hope [to have them on the floor again in the series]. I think they’re very, very, very close.”

Despite finishing the season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks have suffered a litany of injuries to key players before and during their first-round matchup against the Pacers. Antetokounmpo has not yet appeared in the first five games, leaving Lillard and Khris Middleton to lead the team on the floor. Middleton has had to play through a setback he suffered in Game 2, while Lillard was heroic in the first three games before missing Games 4 and 5 with an Achilles strain.

“[Antetokounmpo] didn’t do a lot [at shootaround],” Rivers said during a press conference before Game 6. “Did some shooting again. Did more after I left, but I didn’t see it. Dame didn’t do anything.”

After the press conference, Lillard took the floor for shooting practice, and his status has since been upgraded to questionable.

Milwaukee has managed to claw its way back to a 3-2 series deficit without its major contributors, which is a feat in itself, as the Pacers have done them no favors while trying to spring the upset. Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton has led the team throughout the series, particularly in a Game 3 overtime victory in which he scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and 16 assists.

Even if Antetokounmpo and Lillard return, the Bucks will have to win two straight games, one on the road and one at home, to advance to the second round. A loss in the first round would be an unfortunate result for a team pegged as a serious championship contender before the 2023-24 season.

After an eight-month hiatus from coaching in the NBA, Doc Rivers agreed to a deal to pick up the head coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Rivers left his last coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers in March 2023 after a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semis, and three seasons that  ultimately did not meet Sixers’ fans expectations. Since then Rivers has picked up a gig as an ESPN analyst, commentating and broadcasting games around the NBA. Now, he’ll return to coaching, filling in the shoes of a well-established leader in Adrian Griffin.

Bucks GM Jon Horst originally hired Griffin under heavy expectations filling in the role that Mike Budenholzer played, and despite his parting ways with the team, sources have said that Horst believes Griffin will develop into a good NBA head coach, but has lost faith that Griffin will realize his potential within the Bucks short window to win another championship.

The Bucks were second in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record after 43 games this season when Griffin was fired. Introducing Rivers to this Bucks team brings in a history of coaching star players and tandems around the league, and it seems like Horst might want Rivers’ experience to maximize the potential between their two stars- Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Rivers has had 16 straight winning seasons since he won his one-and-only title with the Celtics in 2008, but he also has ten career Game 7 losses, with an active streak of five straight.

The Bucks are heavily favored to make the postseason, but they want more. Since their first NBA championship in 1971, it took 50 years to get another in 2021. Bucks fans will hope that Rivers can win another title and establish a new standard for this franchise, where they hopefully won’t have to wait another 50 years for a championship.

Ben Simmons wants to be traded by the Philadelphia 76ers and is willing to sit on the sidelines for a year to make it happen. The 76ers have heard his wish but are not willing to give him up unless a better deal comes across their desk.

The Sixers gave rise to Simmons’ career in the NBA after they picked him first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. The 25-year-old, originally from a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, played for LSU for only one season before declaring for the Draft.

After four successful seasons with the Sixers as a power forward, Simmons no longer wants to play for the franchise. He credits the fact that he and Joel Embiid, his superstar teammate, do not jive offensively on the court. He believes he would find greater success with a different offensive setup.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers comment on the situation. “Ben’s not here but I do believe at some point he will be,” he said. “This is not the first time guys didn’t think they could play together. It’s just basketball.”

Simmons believes a trade would better his career, however, his unwavering stance could be financially problematic. If he does not play this season, the Sixers reserve the right to withhold his salary. He has contractual obligations with Philadelphia for the next four years. The upcoming season alone would earn him $33 million if he decides to play. Although Simmons seems set in his decision, it just seems that this is too incredible of a sum to forfeit. We will see in the next couple of weeks how this plays out — the Sixers will be playing their first regular-season game against the Pelicans. 

Simmons is a three-time NBA All-Star. Over the entirety of his career, he has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists. 

Ben Simmons notified the Australian basketball team that he would not be competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Australian coach Brian Goorjian expressed that the Australian team and him “understand and support his decision.”

“The best thing for everybody right now is for him to go on and develop that skill package and improve in a couple of areas for his next season in the NBA, but the Boomers are always here for him. We wanted him to know that in his time of need, the culture and the guys here are behind him and support him,” Goorjian said.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN was informed of Simmons’ decision by several sources. Simmons’ decision was made to allow himself to focus on developing his skills. The Australian team is a medal contender for the upcoming Olympics and will begin training in Los Angeles, with two exhibition games against the United States fast approaching.

The 24-year-old struggled from the free-throw line this postseason, shooting 34.2%, a massive drop off from his regular-season 60%. Simmons appeared to be hesitant on the court, as he never took a shot in the fourth quarter of Game 4 versus the Hawks. The 76ers would eventually be eliminated in seven games, with Simmons totaling an underwhelming 19 points in the final three games of the series.

76ers coach Doc Rivers asserted that they have a plan to address Simmons’ shooting struggles that will include “the right work” and “the right way.”

Last week, sources reported that the management of the 76ers met with Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, to evaluate the next steps in Simmons’ career.

The Atlanta Hawks were effectively cooked in Game 5 of their playoff series against the 76ers, down 26 points and looking at a must-win Game 6 to avoid elimination. By the time the final buzzer rang, though, Atlanta walked away with a victory and inched one step closer to its ultimate goal of an NBA Finals victory.

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan discussed his team’s outlook on each game they prepare for. “We always talk about playing a 48-minute game,” McMillan said. “It’s a long game. And it took all 48 minutes tonight to get it done.”

The victory in Game 5 was more impressive than the fourth matchup between the Hawks and the 76ers, but both were predicated on come-from-behind victories that were spurred by relentless play, regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard.

Trae Young was once again the sparkplug for the Hawks, dropping an offensive hammer with 39 points. Young was greatly assisted by the play of veterans Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams, with the former converting critical late-game threes and the latter scoring 13 (of his 15) points in the final frame of play.

The second straight loss for the 76ers left Sixers head coach Doc Rivers scratching his head for answers. “Listen, we scored 19 points and gave up 40,” he said, alluding to the fourth quarter. “So it’s on us. It’s on all of us. It’s on me. It’s on the players. And we have to figure out how to get back up, which we will, and bring this game back here for Game 7.”

Part of the strategy for the 76ers in the next game absolutely should include free-throw work with Ben Simmons, who is shooting a historically bad 32.8% from the line in the postseason. Joel Embiid was forced to carry the team offensively and defensively most of the night, and the 76ers will obviously look to lighten the burden on Embiid’s shoulders in Game 6.

Game 6 will be a difficult one for the 76ers, who will be on the road in Atlanta with a crowd hoping to see the Hawks clinch their second conference final berth since 1970.

The Philadelphia 76ers closed out their best of seven series against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night with a 129-112 victory. The effort by the 76ers was inspiring after they lost their MVP candidate and leader Joel Embiid in the first quarter of Game 4. The 76ers were led by shooting guard Seth Curry and forward Ben Simmons, as Curry played like his brother and dropped 30 points on 10-17 from the field, including three for six from beyond the arc. Simmons added 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and was a game-high plus 17.

The prize for the 76ers for winning this series is a date with the fiery Atlanta Hawks, with Game 1 on Sunday in Philadelphia. Embiid will have a few days to rest in preparation for a big series opener. He’s currently being listed as day-to day with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, but coach Doc Rivers is hopeful he’ll return soon: “I don’t know when or how early,” he said. “I’m hopeful. I think that’s a better way of putting it.”

The way the 76ers match up with Atlanta is quite interesting, even without Embiid. If he’s not available to go on Sunday, one must wonder if they’ll stay small as they did against the Wizards. They started Simmons, Curry, Matisse Thybulle, Danny Green and Tobias Harris, with no true center in the lineup. The Wizards employ Daniel Gafford at center, and although he’s a promising and upcoming talent, he’s not nearly as talented as Clint Capela of the Hawks. Capela averaged 10 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in Atlanta’s first-round series win over the Knicks. He also led the league in rebounding during the regular season.

The Hawks as a whole were 10th in rebounding and seventh in offensive rebounding. If Embiid can’t go, Dwight Howard will likely be bumped into the starting lineup, in Thybulle’s place. Will it be enough against a front court of Capela and John Collins? Is the sacrifice in spacing with two non shooting players worth the deterrent in rebounding? Rivers has much to decide. If the 76ers want to win this series, they’ll need continued brilliance from their bench as well. Reserve guard Tyrese Maxey is a rookie, and he was plus 14 in Game 5, finishing with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Rookies usually struggle in the postseason, but Maxey can’t afford to have growing pains.

Furkan Korkmaz and George Hill are the only two other players who will get legitimate run for Philly, and Korkmaz must provide serviceable defense against the plethora of wings for Atlanta, while simultaneously hitting open threes and spacing the floor for Simmons and Embiid. Hill has potentially a more important job, as he’ll be tasked with guarding Trae Young in some stretches. Can he handle that assignment?

This series will be fascinating, and it really comes down to the health of Embiid. If he’s too compromised, the series could go seven.

Yesterday’s game four between the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers was an absolute dog fight of a game, because the 76ers lost NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid to what the team called a sore right knee late in the first quarter. With Embiid gone for most of Game 4, Bradley Beal’s 27 points, Russell Westbrook’s 12th career playoff triple-double and Washington’s hack-a-Ben Simmons strategy led to a 122-114 win to cut Philadelphia’s series edge to 3-1.

76ers coach Doc Rivers wasn’t too pleased with the way his guys played down the stretch. “Each guy thought they had to win the game for us, You’ve still got to play right,” Rivers said. “Tonight we didn’t play right, on either end.” When Rivers was asked for more information about Embiid’s knee, he said  “I really don’t know,” and added that some “precautionary” tests will be done Tuesday.

The next game in this series is Wednesday in Philadelphia. Embiid’s potential absence could loom very large for the 76ers, as he’s the engine and driving force for this team. If we look back to Game 3’s 29-point win for the 76ers, one can see how Embiid’s career-high 36 points in 28 minutes led the charge. Even in Game 4, with Embiid getting run in the first quarter, the 76ers led by 11 points in the frame. With Embiid’s injury came Philadelphia’s downfall. At halftime, their lead was a mere one point.

In the third quarter, Washington led by as much as 92-78. In the fourth quarter, to seal the game, the Wizards utilized the hack-a-Simmons strategy. “Obviously that’s what they’re going to do,” Rivers said about Washington’s strategy to foul Simmons as much as possible. “That’s what they should do, And I’m OK with that.” When asked about potentially taking Simmons off the floor in these situations, Rivers said “You want me to take Ben Simmons off the floor? No. He’s pretty good. I’ll pass on that suggestion.” Simmons ended the game 5 for 11 on free throws. His free throw shooting will be under the microscope even more for the duration of this series, and will be vital if Embiid misses more time with his injury.

On Wednesday night, NBA teams and coaches took it to the court to protest the United States Capitol riot, as well as a decision by a Wisconson prosecutor not to charge the police officer who shot Jacob Blake last year. A total of 11 games were played across the country despite the unrest occurring in Washington D.C.

One of those games took place less than a mile away from the Capitol Building as the Washington Wizards faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena. Both players and coaches from both teams addressed the riot that occurred earlier that day as Congress gathered to certify the results from the 2020 election.

Sixers’ head coach Doc Rivers criticized law enforcement’s response to the Capitol storming to their response against black people who have protested police brutality and racial equality.

“It’s pretty disturbing and sad,” Rivers told reporters. “What it’s not is an ‘attack on democracy.’ It’s not. … Democracy will prevail. It always does. It shows a lot, though.”

Another one of those games was between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat in AmericanAirlines Arena. Players from both teams issued a joint statement before starting their game addressing the Capitol riots and the Jacob Blake ruling. In addition to the statement, players from both teams also kneeled for the national anthem.

“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed,” the Heat-Celtics statement said. “We played [Wednesday’s] game with a heavy heart after [Tuesday’s] decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation’s capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.”

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons faced off at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night. They also kneeled in the act of protest of the riot and the Blake decision right after their game tipped off.

“I stand for change,” Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters. “As my team, we stand for change. Whenever we see something that’s not right, we are going to speak up and use our platform the right way.”

As the league was protesting, NBA players union executive director Michele Roberts also addressed the riot and Blake’s decision.

“All I can say is that I’m grateful knowing that hopefully, nobody who looks like me is going to Capitol Hill to respond to this, because if they do, you’ll see a different response by law enforcement. You know it – and I know it,” Roberts told ESPN. 

Five NBA games are still set to be played on Thursday. The Wizards aren’t scheduled to play a home game until they host the Heat on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles Clippers legendary coach, Doc Rivers has always been a vocal part of the NBA community. In recent months, stars and coaches alike have given their two cents on how they feel about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility of resuming the season in the weeks or months to come.

Rivers took to the media this week to let everyone know that he wasn’t sure about how the league would successfully run if the season were to continue, but he was certainly sure of one thing… that his star forward, Kawhi Leonard would be ready to go.

Rivers laughingly told the media Wednesday, “I know Kawhi’s overworking, I can guarantee you that. And the difference is, during the summer, Kawhi couldn’t work, you know, so now he’s got this break and he’s able to train.”

After Leonard’s legendary one-year run with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, the finals MVP wasn’t able to take the quiet time in the summer to train and sharpen up his game, because he was ending the Warriors dynasty one mid-range jumper at a time. Now, due to the pandemic, Leonard has all the time he needs to work on his skills. And the same goes for his partner-in-crime, star forward Paul George.

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“The Kawhi we’ll see will be in phenomenal shape. PG is another guy that’s gonna be in phenomenal shape.”

The Clippers were on a roll, just before Utah Jazz center, Rudy Gobert shut the league down with his diagnosis of COVID-19.

Rivers stated his confidence in the media, saying he felt the team was destined to continue their run into the playoffs, and having a healthy finals MVP in Leonard, and a star running mate in George, many fans and analysts felt the same way.

“We’re really good… I really thought we were about to make a crazy run down the stretch. And unfortunately, bam, it stopped… I love where we were at. And seeing the way we play and how we were coming together, this team’s good. I think we could beat anybody.”

The Clippers of course are the counter-act to the LeBron James and Anthony Davis led Los Angeles Lakers. Most NBA spectators expected a Los Angeles showdown in the Western Conference Finals, and the winner would probably go on to face the Milwaukee Bucks, spear-headed by last year’s MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now, unfortunately, NBA stars alike are resulted to zoom workouts and some can’t even shoot the ball or workout at all.

“Some guys have an outside hoop right by them. We had one guy who tried to drive all around L.A. to find an outdoor hoop, but all the rims were taken down. Of course crowded cities and parks have opted to remove rims in order to avoid large, sweaty, social gatherings where COVID-19 could continue to infect.

Rivers himself is trying to keep the team and players prepared in these challenging times. He’s admitted to calling players and using Zoom to hold meetings with his coaching staff.

Recently, Rivers sat down to speak with a former player of his; Timberwolves and Celtics legend, Kevin Garnett. Garnett was selected to be a part of this years Hall of Fame class, just days ago, accompanied by Tim Duncan, and of course, Kobe Bryant.

Garnett shared with Rivers that he believes this year could be the greatest playoff race ever, and with this elongated rest period for players, just before the title chase begins, every team should be healthy.

“In typical KG fashion… he basically said, ‘I don’t wanna hear any motherf—ing excuses!.. If we can get back to this, and guys can get their rhythm in time, that’ll be the whole key. It can be the best-played playoffs in the history because of that.’”

Currently, athletes everywhere are offering support through social media and donating money to the healthcare workers and first responders who have been working tirelessly for months. Hopefully, in the end, with consistent social distancing effort from everyone, we can live out KG’s dream and watch the greatest NBA playoffs ever unfold.

In the NBA’s final game before the All-Star break, the Clippers faced the Celtics in a nail-biting double-overtime game that pitted two of the league’s top teams against each other. In the first overtime with the Los Angeles down three, Clippers’ guard Lou Williams spotted Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens telling his team that they had a foul to give before the Clippers could shoot free throws during a timeout. Williams proceeded to tell his teammates, “Once you catch the ball go into your shooting motion before they foul you.”

On the very next play, the Clippers inbounded the ball with 23.6 seconds left down 127-124. Williams caught the ball in the corner with Hayward closely guarding him. He hesitated before pulling up for a contested jump shot as Hayward fouled him. One official, Dedric Taylor, initially counted the basket and the foul but was quickly overruled by the officiating crew who deemed it a foul before the shot.

The Clippers were able to force a second overtime on the next play with a game-tying three from Landry Shamet but they eventually lost 141-133 and coach Doc Rivers was clearly frustrated after the team’s second straight road loss.

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“I thought the one call was huge, the no four-point play,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told ESPN. “I don’t know what you have to do — that’s a shot. The officials are telling us that they had a foul to give so they were trying to foul. When you see the film, they clearly were not trying to foul. You can see Hayward bring his hands back up as the guy is going up. But you can anticipate that they’re going to commit a foul. … That was a big no-call.”

Rivers later added, “I just didn’t like the fact that the guy on the call called it good. The guy that was right on the call called it good. The two other officials, Scott [Foster] from the other side comes running over. I think the guy on the call should have the say. It is what it is.

Williams finished with 35 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two blocks. He also scored 11 straight at one point in the fourth quarter. Williams told the media about his approach before he attempted the three pointer in the first overtime.

“He said they had a foul to give, and I said duh, I know that, too,” Williams said of the official’s explanation of the call. “That’s why I went into my shooting motion. Sometimes in this league you understand the rules and so you try to beat the rules. I think we’re taking away some of that in our game with anticipating the calls or anticipating the scenarios where they’re up three points and we know they’re going to take a foul. I’m watching Brad Stevens tell them that they have a foul to give, so once I saw that I looked over at everybody that I thought was going to shoot the ball and said, ‘Once you catch the ball, go into your shooting motion before they foul you. That’s a heads-up play. It wasn’t a swing-through, it wasn’t any of the things that they’ve banned, so I don’t understand why it wasn’t a good bucket.”

Paul George informed Rivers at halftime that his hamstring was bothering him and sat out the entire second half. George had previously missed ten games in January with hamstring issues and the Clippers decided not to gamble with the six-time NBA all-star’s health.

“He said it wasn’t bad,” Rivers told the Los Angeles Times. “I said, ‘You shouldn’t have told me that.’ I don’t think he wanted to come out. But once you tell me your hamstring, you feel anything, we have an All-Star break coming up, it’s a no-brainer for us.”

As a side note, the Celtics were propelled by Jayson Tatum’s 39 points and nine rebounds including ten points in the overtime periods. Boston heads into the all-star break with a 38-16 record sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Clippers fell to 37-18 and are third in the Western Conference.

Doc Rivers made clear on Wednesday he has had it with the NBA’s new coach’s challenge rule after a dubious play call from officials.

The L.A. Clippers coach fumed about the new rule following a foul call against Lou Williams in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 129-124 home loss against Milwaukee. The league’s new rule dictates that coaches can utilize one challenge per game, regardless of whether it results in a call being overturned. All teams are also required to call a timeout following a coach’s challenge, per the new rule.

Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe drew an offensive foul on Williams about midway through the quarter, as Milwaukee led by seven points. While Williams was racing past Bledsoe, the Bucks star’s head snapped back and appeared to come into contact with the Clippers guard’s arm.

Rivers quickly said he believed Bledsoe tried to trick officials into thinking Williams slammed his arm into his head.

“That was awful,” Rivers told ESPN after the game. “It was. They should’ve overturned it. That’s why I hate the rule. Nobody wants to be wrong. Let me just say that. You have to overturn that. Unless Bledsoe fouled Lou with his face, there was no foul on that play.”

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Williams was then called for the foul, and he and Rivers quickly contested the call. The play was reviewed multiple times from different angles, and Clippers fans loudly booed with officials’ final decision after they determined there was contact between Williams’ arm and Bledsoe’s head.

In this case, it appears the facts were not on the Clippers’ side, as clean and conclusive video evidence of foul play must be present in order to overturn a call. Including Wednesday’s call on Williams, 70 coach’s challenges have been used thus far this season and 25 of them (36%) have been overturned.

Rivers must be especially furious because this is his second time losing a coaching challenge this season. On Oct. 26, he unsuccessfully challenged a call with 33 seconds remaining in a loss at Phoenix.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were introduced as official Los Angeles Clippers in their press conference on Wednesday. Owner Steve Ballmer stole the show with his clear excitement for the two stars he has acquired for his franchise.

Leonard joins the Clippers after winning the NBA Title with the Toronto Raptors and obtaining his second NBA Finals MVP. George was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the two are reported to cost over $240 million in their two-year contracts, with an option of a third year.

“We talked basketball for two hours, three hours. I met some other people that he works with,” head coach Doc Rivers said, according to ESPN. “We went over a lot of stuff, especially offensively. But I don’t know Kawhi yet. We’re learning each other. The two things that have stood out for so far — and he actually did it again when he was up on stage, where he talked about, ‘It’s not just us two, all 15 have to buy into their role’ — is his understanding of accepting roles.”

Rivers won a championship back in 2008 with his Boston Celtics, when he had Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce when they were in the latter stages of their career, and sharpshooter Ray Allen.

Rivers has time to mold his team and further get to know his two new superstars. Rivers visited Leonard’s family and his home in San Diego, where Leonard was born and raised. George is also from California, with both superstars coming back to try to win championships in their native state.

“This group is new. This is our creation. I feel like that college coach, when you first get the job and you take all the recruits that are there and try to win with them,” said Rivers, according to ESPN. “And then you get your recruits. That’s how I feel. This is our team. … And we feel really good about it.”

As most NBA fans find themselves giddy while watching the always entertaining NBA free agent frenzy move closer each day, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers seemingly cannot wait either for the fiasco to commence, as he now finds his bank account taking hits after violating the NBA’s anti–tampering rule.

After accepting invitation to join ESPN’s NBA Finals preview as an analyst, Rivers praised Toronto Raptors superstar forward Kawhi Leonard, comparing “the Klaw” to Michael Jordan as he stated, “He’s the most like Jordan we’ve ever seen. Like there’s a lot of great players. LeBron [James] is phenomenal. KD [Kevin Durant] is phenomenal. But he is the most like him. Big hands. Post game. Can finish. Great leaper. Great defender. In-between game. If you beat him to the spot, bumps you off. Then you add his 3-point shooting. I never get into who’s the best player. Magic is the best player, Michael Jordan is the best player, LeBron. But it’s that same group.” Days following the shows conclusion, the fine was issued which surprised numerous figures around the NBA including Rivers himself.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave input on the situation as he commented, “It’s not a fun part of my job ever fining anyone. And I understand the interest of the media in hearing a coach’s view about a current NBA player, but it’s something where there’s a bright line in this league and you’re not allowed to do it.” Tampering remains a league–wide issue, as Silver issued a memo last December advising teams to respect the regulations posted, as the chatter from James regarding potential trade piece Anthony Davis caused the league to begin cracking down on the issue.

Although which comments exactly warranted the $50,000 fine, Rivers’s high praise for Leonard breaches the code which ultimately stands in place to prevent coaches and executives from prematurely advertising themselves to future free agents, such as Kawhi, who’s appears likely to test the market after this season’s ending. The Clippers remain a likely candidate to acquire the Leonard’s talents this summer, as he mentioned Los Angeles as a favorable trade destination during his affair with the Spurs. Los Angeles also finishes out this year poised to attain $54 million worth of cap space, allowing them to not only pay Leonard heartily, but also add other talent to surround Leonard. However, it appears Rivers will need to wait like the rest of us as the NBA Finals roll on, unless of course he plans to dig deeper into his pockets.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers got incredibly lucky on Monday. His Clippers overcame a 31-point deficit against the reigning national champion Golden State Warriors. But prior to that, Rivers dropped $2,000 on a San Francisco street that morning only for a stranger to give it back to him.

Doc Rivers Thanks Stranger For Good Deed

Rivers made sure to thank the stranger in his pre-game press conference. “Last thing,” Rivers said after answering all his questions. “Shout out to the San Francisco person who at the corner today, I was walking down the street — this is a true story — I reached in my pocket to grab my phone, unbeknownst to me I dropped about two grand on the street, kept walking, didn’t know it. A guy tapped me on the back and said, ‘That’s your money.'”

He added, “I don’t know a lot of places that that would happen,” he said. “But it happened today, so whoever that was, you could have had free tickets if you hadn’t have ran away.”

It’s prompted a small search for the good Samaritan.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Here are some of the best reactions to the good deed:

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer on Friday announced that Doc Rivers will stay on as head coach but will be removed from his position as president of basketball operations.

Doc Rivers loses clippers president job

Lawrence Frank — the Clippers’ executive vice president of basketball operations — will replace Rivers, who has served as the team’s coach and president since 2013 after spending nine seasons as coach of the Boston Celtics. Frank previously served as a two-time head coach of the New York Nets and Detroit Pistons.

Ballmer added that Rivers will nonetheless still have a say in front office and personnel issues.

“I’ve owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner’s responsibility is — and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs,” Ballmer told ESPN. “The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn’t the case. To be as good as we can be, to be a championship franchise, we need two functioning strong people building teams out beneath them. There needs to be a healthy discussion and debate with two strong, independent-minded people.”

“There are different relationships that a player needs to have with the coach and the front office,” Ballmer added. “Doc put Lawrence in charge of the non-coaching aspects of the front office last year, and he’s done a fantastic job. I want each of them to dig in and do what they do best. Lawrence has come on so strong in that role, and that has helped us go down this path.”

The Clippers lost All-Star point guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Houston Rockets earlier this offseason, and now have nine new players to incorporate into their roster.

Ballmer’s team is the second NBA organization to make changes in its president-coach structure this year. The Atlanta Hawks removed Mike Budenholzer from his dual president-coach position this spring and placed new general manager Travis Schlenk in charge of basketball operations.

The only three remaining basketball teams that have a coach who also holds a front office role are the San Antonio Spurs (Gregg Popovich), the Pistons (Stan Van Gundy), and the Minnesota Timberwolves (Tom Thibodeau). 

Ballmer bought the Clippers for $2 billion in 2014 after former owner Donald Sterling was fired for making racial slurs that were caught on tape. Ballmer ultimately signed Rivers to a five-year, $55 million contract extension to continue as president and coach after that year. Rivers had originally agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the organization.

Following Sterling’s scandal and departure, Rivers led the franchise two Western Conference semifinals appearances. This offseason, the Clippers re-signed All-Star forward Blake Griffin and made a sign-and-trade deal with the Denver Nuggets to acquire forward Danilo Gallinari in July.

In four years as Clippers coach, Rivers boasts a 217-111 regular-season record and is 18-22 in the postseason. He helped the Celtics reach two NBA Finals, and guided Boston to the 2008 national championship.

The Clippers also hired Jerry West as an advisor in June. 

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers argues with referee Ken Mauer #41 after a technical foul call against the Brooklyn Nets in overtime at Barclays Center on November 29, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Doc Rivers was called for two technical fouls in the first overtime, and the Los Angeles Clippers coach saw his team fall to the Nets 127-122 in double-overtime in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Doc Rivers Ejected As Clippers Fall To Nets 127-122 In Double OT

Sean Kilpatrick scored 31 of his career-high 38 points after the third quarter to lead Brooklyn to the victory, and the Nets snapped a seven-game losing streak.

The Clippers began the game without Blake Griffin, ended it without Rivers and dropped their third straight by giving up an 18-point lead, which drew great ire from their head coach.

”We were walking around like we done something and that bothers me because we’ve done (nothing). We haven’t done (anything),” Rivers said. ”For us to walk around against a team, that to me is playing their hearts out every night just to win one game, us to walk around like we done something, it bothers me on a basketball level.”

Chris Paul had 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, although the best guard on the floor in crunch time was Kilpatrick, who also had a career-best 14 rebounds.

Brook Lopez added 27 points for the Nets, who trailed 86-68 with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

”We were down 20, then next minute you know we just kept chipping it down,” Kilpatrick said. ”Then next minute I knew we were down four, and I was like yo, it’s on now. It’s game time.”

 DeAndre Jordan had 21 points and 23 rebounds for the Clippers, who rested Griffin, their leading scorer, ahead of Thursday’s game in Cleveland.

 The Clippers (14-5) started 39-year-old Paul Pierce, who has played in just two games, in place of Griffin. Pierce had played just 17 minutes all season but logged 29 minutes in this game.

Los angeles became nervous by the end, however.

Rivers was tossed late in the first OT, and had to be held back by his own players and assistants as he attempted to get at referee Ken Mauer. The coach appeared to be upset over a call on the other end of the floor; he walked out of the coaching box and almost all the way to the Nets bench.

Mauer said crossing over midcourt was an automatic technical, and the second was for language and behavior.

Rivers missed Kilpatrick’s masterful finish, which he capped with a three-point play with 13.5 seconds left.

The Nets, still playing without point guard Jeremy Lin, ended a skid that started with a 127-95 loss at the Clippers on Nov. 14.

The Clippers’ J.J. Redick made a 3-pointer in his 75th consecutive game, thus tying one of Stephen Curry’s streaks for sixth-longest in NBA history.

 The Nets (5-12) will next host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foalwWXJHIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xARUnlfV_c4

 NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers argues with referee Ken Mauer #41 after a technical foul call against the Brooklyn Nets in overtime at Barclays Center on November 29, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

This has already been a crazy NBA offseason with free agents playing Bachelorette with owners, teams blackmailing their fans into new publicly funded arena deals, and the obligatory Summer League speculation from the salivating masses. Lost in all of this madness however has been the stealthy moves by the Los Angeles Clippers to make their team into what promises to be the most amusing, though definitely not the best team in the Western Conference.

Take a quick look at who the Clippers have managed to get together since the end of the playoffs:  uprooting journeyman power forward Matt Barnes and center Spencer Hawes is a smart move for a team looking to upgrade talent and downgrade bodies, while getting Lance Stephenson in return guarantees not only a talented shooting guard but also shenanigans like his infamous ear tactics, his stunning portrayal of a paraplegic or even  his general attitude.

The Clippers also signed free agent Josh Smith to a one year deal at the veteran’s minimum which will not only provide the Clippers with some much needed depth off the bench but also with Smith’s average seven technical fouls per season and his much maligned shot selection issues.

Perhaps as a form of checking their more impulsive guys on the roster, the Clippers also signed NBA veteran/legend/god Paul Pierce, also known as maybe the most cocky shooter in the league. His bluster isn’t unbacked however; Pierce’s game winning credentials are well established already.

Add these guys to an already volatile Clippers roster that stills contains dynamic, short statured and shorter of temper point guard Chris Paul who allegedly was so hard on his now-returning teammate DeAndre Jordan that Jordan wanted to leave LA,  Austin Rivers who keeps trying to convince us he’s NOT there because he is the coach’s son, the unshakably self assured but simultaneously elderly Jamal Crawford and the athletic freakishness of Blake Griffin?

The Clippers have assembled a powder keg of players who are all scorers and big personalities on and off the court; combine this with a criminally overrated and incompetent GM cum head coach and the bright lights of LA and we finally have the Clippers team that we’ve all dreamed of for so long. I can already see Chris Paul’s head exploding.

During yesterday’s Clippers and Rockets game, Doc Rivers seemed to be enjoying himself. His Chris Paul-less team was holding their own against the one-two punch of James Harden and Dwight Howard.

And he was enjoying himself so much that the usually stoic Rivers decided to have some fun with the Rockets’ fans.  “Hey, I don’t hear y’all crying now. I don’t hear y’all crying now,” he joked with them after a call. While some fans looked annoyed, most laughed at the jest.

Either way, Rivers backed up his talk, with the Clippers winning game one 117-101.