RJ Barrett banked in a three-pointer as time expired, and the New York Knicks earned a dramatic, come-from-behind 108-105 victory over the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden Thursday evening.

Evan Fournier tallied a career-high 41 points, and the Knicks erased a 24-point deficit. The teams will close out the home-and-home set Saturday night in Beantown.

Jayson Tatum poured in 36 points for Boston and tied the game up on a step-back jumper with just over a second to play. However, after a timeout the Knicks inbounded before Barrett banked it in for the victory.

“It was a tough shot, but every time I shoot I think it’s going in,” Barrett said. “Honestly, I didn’t even see it because I fell. I didn’t see it go in, but just by everyone else’s reaction I could tell. So that was cool.”

Julius Randle added 22 for New York, Immanuel Quickley 16, and Barrett 13 for the Knicks, who didn’t hold a lead until the final minutes.

Dennis Schroder had 20 points for Boston.

“It wasn’t about the last play again. It was everything leading up to it,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “We need some leadership. Somebody that can calm us down and not get rattled when everything starts to go a little south. I think it snowballs between our guys.”

A Robert Williams tip-in with 1:16 left in the first half gave the Celtics a final 24-point lead, though an 8-0 Knicks run to close it out made it 63-47 at the break.

The Celtics re-established a 20-point lead on a three-point play with 5:33 left in the third quarter, but Fournier followed with consecutive threes and the Knicks pulled to within 82-73 on Quickley’s three-point play with 1:44 remaining.

Randle’s layup brought the Knicks to within seven headed into the final stanza, and they eventually tied it at 96 on Fournier’s jumper with 4:04 left.

Fournier’s three with 2:06 to go gave the Knicks their first lead, 99-98. The teams traded baskets and it was 103-101 Knicks with 44 ticks remaining. A couple of foul shots for each team and it was tied at 105 after Tatum’s jump shot.

“Resilience. It was special for our team,” Randle said. “We kept battling. We obviously didn’t want to get in a hole, but we found a way to win the game.”

The upcoming series between the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks is shaping up to be an absolute barn burner, with anticipation already building for potentially the most competitive first-round series. The Hawks came in first in the Southeast division, with a record of 41-31, finishing a game ahead of the defending conference champions, the Miami Heat.

The path to this point was absolutely fascinating for the Hawks, who fired head coach Lloyd Pierce early in the season, and replaced him with Nate McMillian. McMillian turned out to be the perfect replacement, as the Hawks went 27-11 with him as head coach. If we extend this winning percentage over an entire season, the Hawks would have won over 50 games and been the one seed in the east, a remarkable feat. Do not take this team lightly; they are only the fifth seed because of a rough patch to start the year.

Atlanta is led by star point guard Trae Young, who averaged 25.3 points and 9.4 assists per game. He’s as good of a scorer as he is a distributor, and that should come in handy going into his first postseason. Flanking the star guard are wings Bogdan Bogdanovic and Deandre Hunter. Bogdanovic is a crafty offensive player, as well as a good shooter, with a red hot 43% three-point percentage. He’s the third-leading scorer on the team, averaging 16.4 points per game. Hunter is a three-and-d player, more equipped to spot up shoot and defend the other team’s best perimeter player. He’ll be thrown at Julius Randle a lot in this series. The big men in the Hawks’ starting lineup are John Collins and Clint Capela. Both are excellent roll men for Young, and spearhead a Hawks team that was fifth in rebounds per game. The team’s sixth man is one of the best of all time, scoring guard Lou Williams.

For the Knicks, they finished third in the Atlantic division, but it was their best season in almost a decade, with a record of 41-31. Their coach, Tom Thibodeau, is experienced, having led multiple teams to the playoffs over the course of his career. He’ll garner Coach of the Year praise undoubtedly, and for good reason. The Knicks are certainly not the most talented roster in the league, but the team’s all-around grit, high-level defense and determination have gotten them this far.

New York is led by star forward and Most Improved player of the Year candidate Julius Randle, who’s averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game. The Knicks go as Randle goes, and they’ll need to really get him going if they want postseason success. His ability to rebound against Capela and Collins will be crucial. Plus, he’s the offensive center piece for the Knicks. The Hawks will throw everything they have at him. Expect big nights out of Randle as this series progresses.

His supporting cast will matter too, and the back court of Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock have an important job. For Payton, secondary playmaking is vital. Randle will receive double teams, and when the ball is swung to Payton, he’s going to need to be aggressive and either score or set up a teammate. Think of a reverse situation of Draymond Green and Stephen Curry. What makes Green so valuable is his ability to make a play when Curry is doubled. Payton will need to do this for Randle. He will also need to harass Young on the other side of the ball. Payton’s role is vital to a Knicks win. Bullock on the other hand, needs to make his threes to provide floor spacing. RJ Barrett is another starter for the Knicks, at the small forward position. His development over the course of his sophomore season has been nice, and he’s the second leading scorer on a team that isn’t that good at scoring. He’s going to need to take advantage of a Hawks team that employs three below-average defenders as starters, and make them pay. Center Nerlens Noel must provide rim protection and help the Knicks stifle the Hawks’ glass attack as well. Noel against Capela will be quite the matchup to watch. For the Knicks bench, veteran Derrick Rose is the sixth man and has to add scoring punch if the Knicks want to advance.

This very well could be the most competitive matchup in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Game 1 is at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Match 23.

The New York Knicks are doing something that they haven’t done in a long time, and that is winning.

New York is currently on a seven-game winning streak, the longest for the franchise since 2014. The Knicks’ win streak is also the longest active streak in the NBA right now. New York is now sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

New York is only half a game behind the fourth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, who the Knicks play against on Wednesday night. If New York extends the streak to eight games, they will overcome the Hawks and hop into fourth place.

The matchup with the Hawks will be vital for the team, but head coach Tom Thibodeau argues that the team should not focus on the streak but the game itself. “It’s important for us to not get lost,” Thibodeau said. “Trying hard to temper what is becoming a staggering story in progress. When you start thinking about down the road, about winning streaks, you can forget about Atlanta,” Thibodeau continued. “It’s easy to get knocked off course.”

“We just go day-by-day, step-by-step, and if we’re taking care of all the things we need to take care of, then all of the other stuff will take care of itself,” Thibodeau explained. “Focus and concentration are everything that gives you your intensity. We have to stay focused on what’s in front of us.”

Regardless, New York is currently on pace to make their first playoff appearance since 2013. With 13 games left in the season, New York can’t miss unless they have a monumental collapse. New York’s rise to playoff contention is something that others did not expect. New York was aided by Julius Randle‘s All-Star performance, RJ Barrett‘s excellent play, and Thibodeau’s coaching style. All of this has revamped the Knicks’ play.

It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the team, something that no Knicks fan has been able to say since the days of Carmelo Anthony.

The New York Knicks find themselves in a spot they are not generally accustomed to.

Sitting with an above .500 record of 18-17 heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The team’s play recently has been particularly strong, as the team was on a three-game win streak and won seven of their last nine games prior to Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Spurs. Following the loss, the Knicks will move into fifth place in the East. That being said, the No. 4 seed through the No. 8 seed are only three games apart.

New York’s run was capped off by a dominant display against the Detroit Pistons this past Sunday, in which the Knicks won 109-90. This season marks their best start through 35 games since the 2012-13 season, in which they finished 54-28 and as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Much of the Knicks’ success this season can be credited to the breakout performance of power forward Julius Randle. Randle first signed with the Knicks in July of 2019, but did not have a particularly remarkable campaign in the 2019-2020 season, and the Knicks finished with a record of 21-45, not making the cutoff to play in the bubble in Orlando. This season, however, Randle has improved his game, averaging 23.4 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.5 APG. Randle is also shooting nearly 50% from the floor and 42% from three-point range. His play has been good enough to merit his first nod to the All-Star Game, which is taking place on March 7. Other notable players on the Knicks are Derrick Rose, who was traded to the Knicks by the Pistons less than a month ago, and RJ Barrett, who is looking to make a jump in his sophomore season.

Although New York’s strong play came to a screeching halt against the Spurs, the Knicks enter the All-Star break better than they could have ever imagined prior to the season.

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Check out the top NBA DFS plays on DraftKings at each of the five main positions. Tonight we have a nine-game slate that begins at 7 p.m. EST. 

Point Guard

Saben Lee, Detroit Pistons (DK: $3,200) @ ORL

There are a ton of great options at the point guard position tonight, but I think the best strategy is fading those stars for cheap backup Saben Lee. Due to Detroit’s undermanned lineup, Lee was asked to shoulder the load at point guard in the Pistons’ previous outing (also against the Magic). Lee delivered 12 points on four-of-seven from the field with five assists, four rebounds, and three steals. If Lee can come anywhere close to producing similar stats this evening, he makes for an intriguing bargain play.

Other Options: Luka Doncic, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox

Shooting Guard

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets (DK: $10,700) vs. SAC

Although Harden is only eligible for point guard on DraftKings, I figured it was fair to list him at shooting guard considering his eligibility on FanDuel, plus the fact that on DraftKings, you need to fill another guard and utility spot. With Kevin Durant out of the lineup, the offense runs through Harden and Kyrie Irving. In his last five games, Harden has four double-doubles and a triple-double. Over that same span, he is averaging 29.2 points, 11.8 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks. He has been an absolute beast to the tune of 64.9 fantasy points per game. Against a Sacramento Kings defense that ranks dead-last in defensive efficiency and allows the most overall fantasy points to opponents, Harden should be cooking tonight in Brooklyn.

Other Options: Bradley Beal, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton

Small Forward

RJ Barrett, New York Knicks (DK: $5,500) vs. GSW

The Knicks are playing some of their best basketball recently and play a Warriors team that plays at the league’s second-fastest pace in the NBA. Although both teams have been strong defensively, the Warriors have struggled to stop opposing wings. Golden State has caused point guards to struggle, but wings have gotten the best of Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Barrett’s low salary, combined with his recent high level of play make him a great feature in lineups tonight. The last time these two teams met, Barrett produced 38 fantasy points. Considering how often the ball is in his hands, I’m actually quite surprised how cheap Barrett is on tonight’s slate. I would roster him with confidence. So long as he doesn’t struggle with his jump shit, he’s in for a very strong outing.

Other Options: Buddy Hield, Derrick Jones, Saddiq Bey

Power Forward

Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards (DK: $6,000) @ LAC

The Wizards are on a back-to-back with LA teams after defeating the Lakers in overtime last night. Tonight’s matchup is only slightly easier than last night’s now that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are expected back in the lineup. That being said, the Wizards are on a roll right now. They have won four straight and Hachimura has been a critical piece to the team’s success. Over their four-game winning streak, Hachimura is averaging 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Expect more of the same against the Clippers tonight.

Other Options: John Collins, Tobias Harris, Nemanja Bjelica

Center

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (DK: $10,600) @ TOR

Between the top three centers on the board, the decision for DFS players will likely come down to personal preference and salary available. Personally, I like the idea of rostering Harden with Embiid as my two studs. Vucevic has been playing on another level recently, but the game is against the Pistons and is the lowest point total of the night. Jokic is always an option and is well worth the gamble on most nights, but I like Embiid because he is playing in a high scoring and more competitive game against the Raptors. Toronto does not have a true center who can bump bodies with Embiid in the paint and under the rim. Embiid has been able to make Toronto pay this year, averaging just under 60 fantasy points per game in their two meetings thus far this season. And don’t forget, Embiid is only one game removed from a whopping 91.8 fantasy points when he scored 50 points and hauled in 17 boards.

Other Options: Nikola Jokic, Nikola Vucevic, Julius Randle

The most famous arena in the world is preparing to open its doors to the public again. Madison Square Garden will allow fans to return to their seats.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that large stadiums and arenas could reopen on February 23. In order to be allowed entrance, attendees must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the event. This announcement comes after a successful pilot program at the Buffalo Bills’ playoff game against the Tennessee Titans. 6,700 fans – who showed negative tests and agreed to contact tracing – attended Buffalo’s wild card game in January.

The New York Knicks will host the Golden State Warriors when the Garden officially reopens on February 23. The Knicks have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this year. Showcasing a new young core and a new head coach in Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks currently hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 14-16 record. They have won three of their past four contests and are trending in the right direction. The Knicks have transitioned into one of the league’s best defenses under coach Thibodeau.

Additionally, Julius Randle has emerged as a true All-Star caliber player. Although he had shown signs of strong offensive play, he has never proven that he was an all-around great player until this season. Randle is averaging career highs in minutes, points, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounds and assists. He is the primary reason that the Knicks are in the playoff picture, but he isn’t the only reason. RJ Barrett has also taken the next step in elevating his level of play. The second-year playmaker is producing 16.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Rookie guard Immanuel Quickley has progressed nicely and is exceeding expectations in his first season for the Knickerbockers. The 21-year-old is averaging 12.4 points in 19.4 minutes per game off the bench. New York has six players averaging double-digit points. This exciting team has beaten playoff teams from the West and has brought excitement and electricity back into the building.

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Three days following the Knicks game, fans will be allowed to watch the New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Similar to the Knicks, the Rangers are going through a rebuild with a solid young core. The Rangers are led by Mike Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and rising goaltender Igor Shestyorkin. New York squeaked into the playoffs last season, but they are struggling to get on the same page this year. New York is in second-to-last place in their division with a 4-7-3 record. They are currently on a four-game losing streak. That said, there are reasons to be optimistic. Alexis Lafrenière was the first pick of the 2020 NHL Draft and is still getting used to playing in the NHL. Lafrenière has been described as a generational talent and fans will need to exercise some patience when watching his development. The Rangers also have 2019’s No. 2 pick in Kaapo Kakko. Both young players are expected to be stars so the future may be brighter than what it seems like at the moment. 

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It should be noted that because the state is only allowing arenas to fill at 10% capacity, only 2,000 fans will be allowed at Knicks and Rangers games. So, if you would like to attend a game, it won’t be as easy as it used to be to purchase a ticket. Fans will want to check ticket availability immediately if they would like to attend a game this season.

The former coach of the Knicks, David Fizdale, joined ESPN’s Golic and Wingo Wednesday and said he had “no ill feelings” towards the organization after being fired in December.

The former Grizzlies coach was fired on December 6 after the Knicks were blown out by the Nuggets by 37 points. During that time, the Knicks were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and sitting in dead last in the Eastern Conference at 4-18. The team has gone 6-9 since replacing him with interim coach Mike Miller. Hired as New York’s head coach in 2018, Fizdale went 71-134.

“That’s the business we’ve chosen,” Fizdale said. “I respect those guys greatly. I miss the hell out of them. … I obviously learned a ton from it and I was just really grateful to have that opportunity to say I was the head coach of the Knicks.”

Although the team has showed some improvement, they are on pace to miss the playoffs for the sixth year in a row, which is tied for the second longest streak in franchise history, according to ESPN.

The former coach also discussed various topics such as his time in New York and the trade deadline. When asked about his former players, Fizdale had nothing but praise for Knicks’ rookie shooting guard R.J. Barrett. “I really think he was built for New York City. He is not easily rattled. His work ethic is second to none,” Fizdale said.

He also mentioned how hard it is to coach in New York and mentioned the organization’s level of “patience.”

“It is a team that has struggled for a long time and I think fans really want to get that thing going as soon as possible,” Fizdale said. “It’s unique from that standpoint. There’s other places you can take your time a little more and build more slowly.”

League sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Fizdale still has two years remaining on his four-year, $22 million contract.

The wait is almost over for Knicks fans, as the team is set to open the season on October 24 in San Antonio versus the Spurs. Tickets are available now on StubHub.

This rookie-laden Knicks team will be looking to start the season much stronger than how they ended the preseason: they ended up dropping three games in a row after winning their first. They will be led by former Duke Blue Devil R.J. Barrett, who has had high expectations placed on him in his first season after being drafted third overall by the Knicks last year.

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Complimenting Barrett will be another former first-round pick, Julius Randle, a power forward who comes to the Knicks by way of the Los Angeles Lakers. Those two will be supported by the dynamic guard duo of Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr.

Ntilikina and Smith are seeing a confidence boost after recently having their contract options picked up.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

“Of course, I’m thankful and happy about it to get this done,” Ntilikina said. “On the court, I’m still focusing on the first part of the season and first game. I’m excited about this year and this opportunity.”

When asked about the prospect of directing the Knicks for years to come, Ntilikina stated, “It’s great here in New York to be part of this situation. It’s motivation and a big excitement. It makes me willing to give even more on the court on a daily basis.”

This young Knicks team will get the chance to prove themselves early on. Many fans are eager to see if their offense will be as explosive as predicted and if they can hold down high-powered offenses on the defensive end.

Below is how the New York Knicks will begin the 2019-20 season:

Oct. 23

AWAY @ San Antonio Spurs

Oct. 25

AWAY @ Brooklyn Nets

Oct. 26

HOME vs. Boston Celtics

Oct. 28

HOME vs. Chicago Bulls

Oct. 30

AWAY @ Orlando Magic

NOV 1
@ Boston Celtics
$49
NOV 3
vs Sacramento Kings
$59
NOV 6
@ Detroit Pistons
$8
NOV 8
@ Dallas Mavericks
$12
NOV 10
vs Cleveland Cavaliers
$60
NOV 12
@ Chicago Bulls
$21
NOV 14
vs Dallas Mavericks
$72
NOV 16
vs Charlotte Hornets
$56
NOV 18
vs Cleveland Cavaliers
$44
NOV 20
@ Philadelphia 76ers

$20
NOV 23
vs San Antonio Spurs
$76
NOV 24
vs Brooklyn Nets
$97
NOV 27
@ Toronto Raptors
$40
NOV 29
vs Philadelphia 76ers

$115
DEC 1
vs Boston Celtics
$93
DEC 2
@ Milwaukee Bucks
$18
DEC 5
vs Denver Nuggets
$69
DEC 7
vs Indiana Pacers
$74
DEC 10
@ Portland Trail Blazers
$10
DEC 11
@ Golden State Warriors
$89
DEC 13
@ Sacramento Kings
$23
DEC 15
@ Denver Nuggets
$18
DEC 17
vs Atlanta Hawks
$58
DEC 20
@ Miami Heat
$33
DEC 21
vs Milwaukee Bucks
$118
DEC 23
vs Washington Wizards
$90
DEC 26
@ Brooklyn Nets
$150
DEC 28
@ Washington Wizards
$18
JAN 1
vs Portland Trail Blazers
$149
JAN 3
@ Phoenix Suns
$15
JAN 5
@ Los Angeles Clippers
$18
JAN 7
@ Los Angeles Lakers
$61
JAN 8
@ Utah Jazz
$23
JAN 10
vs New Orleans Pelicans

Even though it is only the NBA Summer League, New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett has gotten off to one of the worst starts imaginable for a rookie as highly regarded as he is.

The third overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft continues to struggle shooting the ball. Against the Phoenix Suns last night, Barrett shot just 3-of-15 from the field including 1-of-5 from three-point range. Barrett also shot just 1-of-4 from the free throw line and finished with eight turnovers. Coming off a season for the Duke Blue Devils where Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while finishing with first-team All-ACC honors, the stat-line by Barrett against the Suns is incredibly underwhelming.

https://twitter.com/AndreasHale/status/1148072699199012864

In the Knicks’ Summer League opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, Barrett finished the game shooting an ugly 4-of-18 from the field including 1-of-8 from three-point range. Through his first two games in the Summer League, Barrett is shooting 7-of-33 (21.2%) from the field including 2-of-13 from three-point range (15.4%).

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

https://twitter.com/ChrisLewisTweet/status/1148060754773344256

Barrett has never been shy about shooting the ball. Last season at Duke, Barrett outshot teammate and the first overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson, by 267 field goal attempts during the season (702 compared to 435). In the early stages of the Summer League, though, Barrett has looked extremely unconfident and nervous while playing. Hopefully, by the time that the NBA season rolls around in the fall, Barrett will be able to shake off these early career jitters that he has shown in Las Vegas.

https://twitter.com/ShervonFakhimi/status/1147336777092538369

“RJ’s figuring it out,’’ Knicks Summer League coach Jud Buechler said. “There’s been a ton of pressure on him, especially the hype of the first game against Zion. He did some great things, a bunch of rebounds, a defensive run. His shooting and all that will come. We’re not worried about that. We’re telling him to stay aggressive and it will come around.”

The first two rounds of the NBA Draft were concluded Thursday night after a night full of excitement, tears, rebuilds and big storylines.

The first three presumptive picks of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett went as expected. Williamson joins a young New Orleans Pelicans squad that is bolstered with exciting talent, while Morant heads to Memphis to join a Grizzlies team that lacks superstar ability, but has an exciting prospect in their hands. Barrett perhaps joins the toughest of the lot with the New York Knicks. The Knicks lack just about everything in terms of back court and front court play, but with an immense amount of cap space to work with this offseason, expect the Knicks to make some major offseason moves to build around Barrett.

https://twitter.com/KyleNYY/status/1141857619621175296

Outside the top three picks, trades were happening left and right with teams moving up or down the draft. The first major trade happened around an hour before the draft, where the Pelicans had the fourth pick, but traded it to the Atlanta Hawks for their respective eighth, 17th and 35th pick in the draft. With the Hawks moving up to make sure they get their guy, they selected Virginia forward DeAndre Hunter.

With this news breaking, Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin has been on fire in terms of bolstering his squad even further. After the Pelicans traded Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, this is what he got in return in the last few weeks:

The Pelicans used their No. 8 pick to draft a much-needed big in Jaxson Hayes from Texas. With Julius Randle opting out of his deal with the Pels, they needed a big to go along with Williamson. They also drafted Nickeil Alexander-Walker in their 17th pick, a 20-year-old guard from Virginia Tech.

Besides the Pelicans having an outstanding night, the Cleveland Cavaliers obtained three new players as well. Back into the lottery, they held the fifth pick and selected Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland. This pick turned a few heads as the Cavs drafted guard Collin Sexton with their eighth pick in last year’s draft. With two stars that need to be on the floor, but are both under 6-foot-2, its unsure what new head coach John Beilein could be planning. The Cavs also had the 26th and 30th pick where they selected Belmont forward Dylan Windler and Kevin Porter Jr. from USC.

Trades continued in the lottery after the Phoenix Suns gave up their sixth pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ 11th and forward Dario Saric. The T-wolves brought home NCAA finalists Jarrett Culver, a guard who will complement well with Andrew Wiggins. The Chicago Bulls had the seventh and went with their guy they’ve been tracking for awhile, North Carolina’s Coby White. One of the more heart-warming surprises of the night was White’s former UNC teammate Cameron Johnson being drafted in the lottery at 11th to the Suns.

The Washington Wizards drafted Rui Hachimura with their ninth pick out of Gonzaga. Hachimura becomes the first Japanese player in NBA history to be a first-round draft pick.

To cap off the top 10, the Hawks drafted Cam Reddish from Duke. Reddish joins an exciting young team like the Pelicans with last year’s NBA rookie of the year contender Trae Young, along with their fourth pick Hunter.

Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets grabbed the first player from Kentucky with their 12th pick, PJ Washington. Washington’s former teammate at UK was picked next at 13th, Tyler Herro, by the Miami Heat.

To cap off draft night, big surprises were the falling of UNC’s Nassir Little going as low as 25 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Along with Little, 7-foot-2 Bol Bol fell to 44th overall to the Denver Nuggets. Both were projected lottery picks before the start of last season.

With the NBA Draft looming on Thursday, the first picks seem cemented, combining with a player’s value and the designated team’s needs.

It’s no question that Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett have sealed the top three picks. With the New Orleans Pelicans acquiring the No. 4 pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, it’s up in the air whether or not the Pels will use that pick or trade it for a future asset. The Pels could get Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver or Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter, or they could sell that pick. It remains to be seen, but Culver and Hunter are destined to be a lottery pick, along with Darius Garland and Coby White. After that, the remaining picks are debatable.

DraftKings has Duke’s Cam Reddish around the seventh pick at over 7.5 -103. Reddish was a top-3 recruit coming out of high school, but with Willamson and Barrett playing alongside him at Duke, the limelight shifted from Reddish. Still, Reddish is visibly at top-10 pick, likely with the Atlanta Hawks hunting for him with their eighth pick. The Hawks also have the 10th and 17th pick, which they could use to bolster their squad around Trae Young and get Jaxson Hayes from Texas, or potentially use their picks to trade up for potentially the No. 4 pick.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Nassir Little (over 10.5 per DraftKings) had an underwhelming freshman season at North Carolina and could fall just outside the lottery. USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch have Little going to Miami with their 13th pick, but could go as low as 11 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Oregon’s Bol Bol is set at over 15.5 from DraftKings, with the 7-foot-2 man falling out of the top-15. Any player that has the combination of his height and quickness proves to be a serious asset.  Multiple mock drafts have Bol Bol going as low as the 21st pick to Oklahoma City, and Rui Hachimura is at under 11.5, while many analysts have him ranging from 12th to 16th.

Just two evenings before the 2019 NBA Draft, the drama continues to unfold league-wide. The latest development, hours before the draft, is that the New York Knicks have decided to fly Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland in for a private workout.

Jonathan Givony, an ESPN NBA Draft Insider, tweeted this news earlier this afternoon. According to Givony, the Knicks are flying Garland out to Tarrytown, NY(a suburb of Westchester and the location of the Knicks practice facility) tomorrow to conduct the private workout. Givony then writes that the Knicks seriously consider drafting Garland with the third overall pick in Thursday’s draft. It has been widely believed for a while now that the Knicks would either use the third pick as a trade piece or draft RJ Barrett. Whether the Knicks are genuinely at the last minute having a change of heart or are just blowing smoke screens will have to be determined later.

Garland, a 6’2″ point guard who played high school basketball in Brentwood, Tennessee, suffered a season-ending torn meniscus injury just five games into his collegiate basketball career for the Commodores. As a player who relies on his speed and quickness, many wondered if Garland would ever be the same player following his devastating injury last fall. Givony has reported though that Garland is back to 100% health at this point and time which definitely can do nothing but help his draft stock come Thursday night.

Garland has already conducted private workouts with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Knicks workout comes as a bit of a surprise. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Chicago Bulls are all also interested in selecting Garland, possibly via a trade on draft night.

With just two days until the NBA Draft, exciting scenarios are set to unfold.

Let there be no mistake about it, the only team that prospect RJ Barrett wants to be drafted by is the New York Knicks.

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This pairing makes sense for several different reasons. For starters, Barrett’s former teammate Zion Williamson is the consensus number one draft pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Memphis Grizzlies (who own the second pick of the draft). Thus, it became public knowledge weeks ago that they prefer Murray State guard, Ja Morant, over every other prospect not named Williamson. It makes sense that the Knicks draft the player who is the next best prospect available, which is Barrett.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

“It would be a lot of fun, playing in the Garden, the bright lights,” Barrett told reporters back in May. “They have so much history down there. It would be amazing.”

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Being drafted by the Knicks also gives Barrett to maximize his media potential. On the flip side, playing in New York also comes with potentially more scrutiny if Barrett were to underperform. Barrett, though, reportedly would welcome the scrutiny and additional media coverage and based on what we have seen at Duke, Barrett is not afraid of the spotlight.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

Another potential draft landing spot for Barrett besides the Knicks could be in New Orleans with his former teammate Williamson. Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis over the weekend made it known that the only two teams that he is considering signing a long-term contract with if traded are the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Knicks are interested in acquiring Davis this summer, one would think that the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft is an asset the Knicks would have to surrender to New Orleans. The potential of pairing Williamson with Barrett as they did together at Duke this season might tantalize the Pelicans enough to consider trading Davis to them over the Lakers, who are considered by many to be the favorites to land the All-Star via trade this summer.

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What may have been the sweetest victory in this year’s NCAA Tournament might be the toughest one for coach Mike Krzyzewski to stomach.

At 72 years old and with the age of one-and-done coming to a close, Coach K blew his shot at a sixth NCAA Championship with what may have been his most talented team.

Michigan State To Face Texas Tech In NCAA Final Four

In March Madness, your best asset against the favorites tends to be a good defense. Offenses can sputter out. Defenses rarely do because of the nature of the player a good one needs. No. 2 Michigan State embodied that. On Sunday, they held tight on defense and blocked Duke from advancing to the Final Four with a 68-67 win over the No. 1 overall seed.

Despite coming into the tournament with all eyes on them, Duke had one too many close calls before their elimination. Single-possession wins over UCF and Virginia Tech might have brought the team back to earth. Despite this, they remained the favorites. In the end, the season was a failure.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

However, Michigan State seems to have disappeared in the aftermath. Coach Tom Izzo wasn’t simply pushing a Cinderella squad another day closer to April. He built a better team. For 40 minutes, the Spartans seemed in control and led for 22 minutes. Most importantly, they led at the final buzzer.

While Duke was powered by one-and-done stars Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish, Michigan State fell back on Junior guard Cassius Winston. Despite a lack of press surrounding him, the guard contributed 20 points and dished out 10 assists. Of course, it was the Big Ten Player of the Year who they entrusted with securing the win in the final seconds. Kenny Goins also made sure to hit a clutch shot to lock up the win.

While Williamson and Barrett contributed a combined 45 points and 20 rebounds, they showed the naivety of freshmen. Turnovers, bad shots and missed passes all came back to haunt them. The Spartans were able to score 15 more points than Duke off of turnovers, a large part of it due to the freshman who hadn’t ever gone deep into the playoffs. Now Duke faces the possibility that their team collapses, as Williamson hinted after the game.

The Spartans will appear in their 10th Final Four next week when they face No. 3 seed Texas Tech in Minneapolis.

Duke was supposed to steamroll their way to the NCAA Championship this year. Going into March Madness 2019, the team had 5-to-1 odds to win it all. But things looked like they were about to go south on Sunday when a veteran UCF squad came out and didn’t buy into the hype. Early in the second half, Duke found itself tied with a No. 9 seed.

Duke basketball Edges UCF In March Madness Round 2

The two teams battled it out until the clock withered down to mere seconds. Then, Duke turned Central Florida’s strategy on its head. It’s easy to do when you have the most famous coach in college history. Coach Mike Krzyzewski used a timeout to address his team. It worked.

“When the greatest coach of all time looks at you and tells you that you’re made for this moment, it’s like the most confidence you can be given,” star Zion Williamson said after the game. “So when I went to the basket, I knew it was going in.”

Williamson’s and-one, along with a put-back by RJ Barrett after Zion’s missed free throw, put Duke on top with a one-point lead. However, 11 seconds remained on the clock. The Blue Devils then got ready to defend.
Though UCF guard B.J. Taylor got a great look and Aubrey Dawkins had the chance for a put-back like Barrett’s seconds earlier, neither fell. Guard Cam Reddish used the game as an opportunity to dismiss the critics of Duke who said they were too young a team to succeed.

“We’ve been through so much together. Being together during those last couple minutes of the game, they hit some tough shots,” he said. “For us to stay together, obviously we’re a young group of guys and people say a lot of stuff about that. But we had trust the coaches and trust in each other. It’s a good win for us.”

Duke will next face No. 4-seed Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. Here are some highlights:

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

No. 2 Texas narrowly beat out no. 3 Xavier 78-76 to move on. Tyrique Jones led his squad with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. No. 1 North Carolina blew out ninth seed Washington 81-59. Fletcher Magee also failed to build up his NCAA record of most career three-pointers, going 0 for 12 behind the arc. The Wofford Terriers fell to Kentucky 56-62 to cap off an impressive career for Magee.

Duke has definitely slipped up this season. That doesn’t mean that they can’t find their way back. On Monday, the Blue Devils reached the top spot in the AP Top 25 for the third time this season.

AP Top 25 College Basketball Rankings

The 23-2 Duke squad received 58 out of the 64 first-place votes to move up one spot and jump over Tennessee. Tennessee had previously held the spot for four weeks but fell to fifth following a loss to Kansas on Saturday. The highest-ranked team to hold its spot this week was No. 8 North Carolina.

Now, 16 weeks into the season, Duke has spent close to half of it at the top spot. This will be their seventh week. The team shows no signs of slowing down. When its core four freshmen, Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones start, they’ve been unbeatable except for falling to Gonzaga on November 21 in the title game of the Maui Invitational Tournament.

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Coach Mike Krzyzewski has convinced his players to buy into roles and develop as more than just scorers. Though Williamson and Barrett lead the Atlantic Coast Conference with 22.7 and 22.4 points per game, Jones has the second highest assists per game with 5.4 and is a glue guy defender that holds the team together.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Duke first spent two weeks at No. 1 in November but wouldn’t return to the top spot until Christmas Eve. They’d hold the title for four more weeks until a miracle overtime road win by an unranked Syracuse team knocked them down. Both Reddish and Jones missed all or most of that game.

After the news, Duke versus North Carolina ticket prices shot up. The average price for tickets is $46.70. Just to get in the door, you’d have to fork over at least $29.27. As the teams gear up for March Madness, expect to see Duke become even more of a must-see show. It’s only a few weeks before most, if not all of its core will leave for the NBA.

Monday night seemed doomed for Duke from the start. The night began with two Blue Devils starters going down with injuries, most notably Tre Jones, who separated his AC joint going for a loose ball.

Syracuse scores wild first-half buzzer-beater vs. Duke

With Jones on the court, Duke has forced over 200 turnovers. Without him, they’ve forced just 59. Last night, the struggles began to appear as RJ Barrett stepped up as an initiator. The team struggled to create offense out of their defense and advance-pass the ball.

Struggling to replace both guard Jones and forward Cam Reddish, Duke maintained a respectable 49-45 lead going into the half. Then, a last-minute heave from behind half court by Syracuse forward Elijah Hughes became a first-half buzzer beater and the 49-45 lead shrunk to 49-48.

“When that shot went in, it just showed what kind of night it was for them. It seemed like everything they threw up was just bottom of the net. They just hit a lot of shots,” Duke star Zion Williamson said.

As many point to Houston Rockets guard James Harden as the next evolution of basketball, Duke finds themselves following in lockstep. Williamson was forced to play nearly the entire game, setting a new season high by seven minutes.  He’d also walk away with the Duke freshman record for most points in a game with 35.

Like the Rockets, the team also fell in love with three-pointers. Williamson launched 2.3 times his normal amount from behind the arc, yet drained only one. Barrett struggled as well, going 4-for-17 in the game. Duke as a team shot 43 threes but scored only nine in the game.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The No. 1-ranked Duke was 104-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium when in that spot, excluding rival North Carolina. It was their first home loss since 2006. The next power rankings will likely see Duke drop out of the top spot.

“The game plan was to have Tre Jones and Cameron Reddish,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “When you get two guys hurt, there is no game plan anymore. It’s a period of adjustment. You’re trying to find ways to win.”

The game may have been an entirely different story had Jones not been injured. In the six minutes he played, Jones pulled in four steals and altered Syracuse’s shooting. The team went just 1-for-7 with Jones on the court. It also didn’t help that Reddish’s replacement went 0-for-10. Jones is out indefinitely. Reddish should return for Saturday’s home game against No. 4 Virginia.