The Golden State Warriors eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers from playoff contention in the play-in tournament game.

The Warriors won 126-121. The Warriors scored 43 points in the fourth quarter to mount a double-digit comeback.

With fewer than a minute left, Stephen Curry hit a step-back three to give the Warriors a 120-117 lead. The Warriors held the lead the rest of the game.

Curry led the Warriors in scoring with 35 points. 27 of those points came in the second half. Gui Santos also had a strong game with 20 points and six rebounds.

The Clippers got good games from their trade deadline additions. Benedict Mathurin (23 points) and Darius Garland (21 points) kept the Clippers in the game. Mathurin was acquired in the Ivica Zubac trade, while Garland was acquired in the James Harden trade. 

Along with keeping their playoff hopes alive, the Warriors also got good news regarding Jimmy Butler’s injury. Butler is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. During pregame, he was seen on the court. Although he was moving slowly, he was off his crutches and was able to take a few shots. He also stayed and watched Curry do his warmups, where he showed visible amazement at Curry’s abilities. 

For the Clippers, even making the play-in tournament felt like an accomplishment. They started the season 6-21. They recovered well in January with a record of 11-4. However, Harden’s trade request stunted their momentum. Regardless, the Clippers went 12-6 in March and clinched the play-in spot. 

The Clippers 2026 first-round pick is owned by the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. This means the Thunder will draft in the lottery despite being a top team. 

The Warriors will play the Phoenix Suns on April 16. The winner of that game will get the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. 

Jonathan Kuminga reached a $48 million, two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors.

The deal comes after Kuminga skipped Media Day due to ongoing contract negotiations. He passed up a $78 million, three-year deal to maintain his right to be a free agent next year.

During the 2024-2025 season, Kuminga made 47 regular-season appearances, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.

Stephen Curry spoke about this ongoing negotiation, saying, “When he’s here, ready to work, we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.”

Curry mentioned that he understands where Kuminga is coming from, and he expects him to be ready to go.

The Warriors have had to wait to sign other free agents until Kuminga signs his contract, making their roster incomplete.

Kuminga is now expected to return to training camp this week.

The Warriors will start their preseason with a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry still has plenty left to give to the game of basketball, but that doesn’t mean he’s not looking forward to his future.

Curry has been planning for his retirement and a post-basketball future. On the CNBC special Curry Inc.: The Business of Stephen Curry airing on Wednesday night, Curry discusses his business interests away from the court. Curry also reveals how much he looks up to all-time great Michael Jordan off the court.

“He might be the only one in our generation who has sat in that seat and done it that way,” Curry said. “The idea of being a part of an ownership group and the right opportunity that allows me to have an impact on how a franchise should be operated.”

Jordan bought into the Charlotte Bobcats ownership group in 2006 and became the majority owner in 2010. He sold his controlling stake in 2023.

Curry has already invested in “Unrivaled,” a three-on-three women’s basketball league, and expressed interest in investing in a WNBA franchise.

Curry also expressed his interest in being in the media, hinting at a possible future in broadcasting. He even suggested a potential career in golf.

For now, Curry is still making an impact on the court for the Warriors. He averaged 24.5 points and six assists per game while helping lead the Warriors to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Even as an All-Star, Curry has the foresight to look ahead to when his playing days are done.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry has been ruled out of game two after sustaining a grade one hamstring strain. Curry will be re-evaluated in one week, according to the team.

The Warriors, who won game one of their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely be without Curry until at least game five.

Curry exited the game with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. In just 13 minutes, Curry had 13 points on 5-9 from the field.

“We’re definitely game-planning for him to not be available on Thursday, but we don’t know yet,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Tuesday’s game. “With a hamstring, it’s hard to imagine that he would play Thursday.”

Despite losing Curry early in the game, the Warriors dominated throughout, winning 99-88.

The Timberwolves finished the first half with 31 points, their lowest in the first half this season. Their previous lowest total was 37 points, which also came against the Warriors.

The Warriors led by as much as 23, and despite the Timberwolves cutting the lead to nine points with six minutes left, they were never able to get closer than that.

Jimmy Butler for the Warriors finished with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield, who was the Warriors’ leading scorer in game seven against the Houston Rockets, once again led the Warriors with 24 points.

Anthony Edwards for the Timberwolves finished with a double-double, scoring 23 points and 14 rebounds.

As a team, the Timberwolves shot 39.5% from the field and 17.2% from three. Over the last two games, the Timberwolves are 12/76 from three.

“That’s how it goes. You have stretches where you shoot the ball well and stretches where you don’t,” Edwards said. “Tonight we didn’t shoot the ball well, but tonight is over. Next game we’ll shoot the ball really well.”

It felt like yesterday when LeBron James and Stephen Curry were on-the-court rivals in the mid/late 2010s. James and Curry met in the finals every year from 2015-2018, with Chef Curry’s Warriors winning three of four meetings against King James’ Cavaliers. James’ performance in the 2015-16 finals went down in history as he averaged 29.7 points per game, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists while making a clutch block on Andre Iguodala in game 7. The Cavs completed a 3-1 comeback to win their first NBA Finals in team history.

Fast forward to 2024, and we see the former rivals playing alongside each other on Team USA in the Paris Olympics. Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports that “a resentment” exists between the two.

“It was like a healthy resentment of somebody that’s standing in your way,” Curry remarked. “But through it all, there’s the utmost respect for who he is as a person, player and, like, how good he is and the challenge in trying to beat him every year.”

James admitted that bad blood should have existed between the two but noted that he didn’t want to miss out on the special moments and stated the importance of these rivalries. “The game of basketball don’t last forever,” James said. “You don’t want to waste the opportunity to have a relationship with someone. A lot of y’all grew up in the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson era, and we shouldn’t like each other, but I’m also aware that Isiah Thomas and Magic hugged and kissed on the floor because it was mutual respect.”

The Paris Olympics marks Curry’s debut, while this is James’s fourth appearance. U.S. Men’s Basketball defeated Serbia 105-79. Curry scored 24 points while James dropped 11.

The Golden State Warriors find themselves at a crossroads. Having missed the playoffs despite having a healthy Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the once-dominant dynasty now faces an uncertain future. With Curry at 36 and nearing the twilight of his illustrious career, Thompson heading into unrestricted free agency, and Green recently enduring his longest suspension, the franchise is contemplating its next big move.

Owner Joe Lacob wants to avoid the luxury tax next season, contrasting the hundreds of millions paid during their championship runs. However, the Warriors’ history in roster management suggests they might be considering another significant acquisition: Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler.

Butler, a key figure in Miami’s success over the past five seasons and a two-time NBA Finals participant, is seeking a maximum contract extension—a commitment the Heat are hesitant to make. This opens the door for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and possibly the Warriors to make a play for the star forward.

Landing Butler would be a challenge: Golden State’s most promising young players, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, may not align with Miami’s needs, given their current roster.

Financially, matching Butler’s $48.8 million salary is another hurdle. While Andrew Wiggins’ $26.3 million salary provides a starting point, the gap would likely require including Chris Paul, whose $30 million salary is currently non-guaranteed. However, Miami’s luxury tax concerns might make them reluctant to take on such hefty contracts, potentially necessitating a third team to facilitate the trade.

The Warriors would face substantial luxury tax implications even if a deal for Butler materializes. With Curry, Green and potentially Thompson all drawing significant salaries, adding Butler to the mix would guarantee a continuation of hefty tax bills. This financial burden raises the question: Is pursuing another championship worth the fiscal strain and the potential sacrifice of future assets and flexibility?

The acquisition of Kevin Durant in 2016 led to two championships, a gamble that paid off handsomely. The current situation with Butler presents a similar high-risk, high-reward scenario. Adding Butler could rejuvenate the team’s championship aspirations in Curry’s final years, but it also risks long-term consequences.

The decision hinges on the Warriors’ commitment to maximizing Curry’s remaining prime years. Sacrificing future draft picks and enduring several more years of tax penalties might be a price worth paying for another title run. The potential addition of Butler could be the catalyst for repeating past glory, reinforcing Golden State’s legacy as a perennial contender.

The Warriors’ pursuit of Butler will be a narrative to watch as the offseason progresses. Balancing immediate success with future stability is a delicate act, but the lure of another championship could prove irresistible for a franchise accustomed to winning.

For the first time since 2005, neither LeBron James, Kevin Durant nor Stephen Curry are in the Playoffs’ second round. As a trio, they combined for ten championships, seven regular season and Finals MVPs, 44 All-Star appearances and 38 All-NBA team selections while highlighting a generation of basketball superstars. Now, a new generation of stars is arriving, and the group of players that dominated in the 2010s decade are finally starting to slow down. 

Curry’s Golden State Warriors lost in the Play-In game to the Sacramento Kings, Durant and the Phoenix Suns were swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost in a five-game series to the defending champion Denver Nuggets. After 20 years of these players highlighting the NBA postseason, their time at the league’s top has seemed to end quickly. 

It represents more than a generation leaving the game; it is also a new era of stars taking their spots. Edwards is one of the brightest young stars in the league, at age 22, averaging 25, 5, 5 in the regular season and 31, 8, 6 in the playoffs as he led the sweep of his idol in Durant. Edwards was the critical reason Minnesota had a top-3 seed in the Western Conference and turned a team with the longest playoff drought into a genuine title contender. However, just in his third season, Edwards has already received comparisons with Michael Jordan for his hard-nosed mentality and willingness to go up against any player in the league. Minnesota is set to match up against the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.  

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is another young star who has quickly risen to the ranks and become one of the most valuable players in the league. He led the youngest team in the NBA to a No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference, averaging 30, 6, and 5 on 53% shooting in the regular season. Gilgeous-Alexander is a tall and long point guard who can defend multiple positions, run the team’s offense, and provide essential experience for the other young players on the OKC roster. Along with him, the team has young stars Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who averaged at least 16 points in the regular season. The Thunder will play the winner of the Clippers vs. Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. 

Though making his first All-Star appearance at 27 years old, Jalen Brunson has quickly become one of the best-loved players in New York Knicks history. Brunson is in his second season with the team after signing a 4-year $104 million deal in 2022 and led the team to a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with regular season averages of 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Brunson has averaged 34, 8, 6, including a record-breaking 47 points and ten assists in their Game 4 victory. This redesigned Knicks team under head coach Tom Thibodeau finished with their best regular season finish in 11 seasons while rejuvenating exciting basketball in Madison Square Garden. 

Reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic is only 29 years old, and the Nuggets still look like the top contender to make a run to the Finals in the Western Conference. Jayson Tatum, 26, is also playing at an All-NBA level, leading the Boston Celtics to the best record in the league and beating the Miami Heat in five games in the first round of the playoffs. 

Luka Doncic is another young player who has seen immense success in the NBA; at 25 years old has the second-most made three-pointers in Dallas Mavericks history and led the team to four playoff appearances and two 50-win seasons. Throughout the season, Doncic averaged a league-high 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game and is putting up similar numbers in Dallas’ first-round matchup against the Clippers.

Without James, Durant or Curry in the conference semifinals, the NBA looks to have finally turned a new leaf. After 20 years of absolute domination, a new era of stars looks to take their place. This does not mean that the careers of these legends are complete, but it at least shows a changing tide after two decades of success.

James is 39 years old and looks to be finally winding down his career. After the Lakers’ Game 5 loss, he hinted that he is just about ready to be done, but in the past, he has also said that he wants to play with his son Bronny James for a never-before-seen father-son duo in the league. It was the Lakers’ best regular-season finish in four seasons, but they did not make it out of the first round. 

Curry, at 36 years old, hasn’t shown the same signs of slowing down compared to teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Curry averaged 26, 4, 5 in the regular season, while Thompson had 18 points a game on 43% shooting, and Green finished with averages of 8.6 points, seven rebounds, and six assists a game. Golden State won the title in 2022 but failed to pass the Play-In tournament this year as their dynasty slowly dismantled itself. 

Durant, at 35 years old, finished the regular season averaging 27 points, 6.6 rebounds, and five assists a game while sharing a roster with All-Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Many had high expectations for this Suns team headed into the playoffs, but after a first-round sweep to Edwards and the T-Wolves, the experiment now looks like a failure. 

All three of these NBA legends are still competing at an extremely high level, but the young stars are competing at an even higher level, one that James, Curry and Durant saw throughout their Finals matchups in the 2010s decade. These stars are still putting up the numbers but are seeing different playoff success than players like Jokic, Tatum, Doncic, Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander and Brunson. It is hard to accept after 20 years of prosperity in the league, these players aren’t the ones we’ll see in May and June, but change has to come eventually. 

It is hard to predict James, Curry and Durant’s future, but even if this was their last collective run as a group of stars, the league’s future is in good hands.

A former NBA player who has played with Kevin Durant did not have kind words to say about Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry.

This is Mike James, who currently plays in the EuroLeague, previously played with Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans.

In an appearance on the Players Choice podcast, James couldn’t get himself to put Curry in his top five list of current active players.  

“Steph, how he plays and how he gets stuff off, it’s just kinda one-dimensional at times,” James said. “He’s not the primary ball-handler a lot, and for a point guard that kinda bothers me.”

Included in Jame’s top five players is LeBron James, Durant, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

He could not name a fifth player. 

But some fans agreed with Jame’s “one-dimensional” remarks, while others strongly disagreed.

“He’s right, tell me what else Steph does at an elite level except shoot 3s,” a fan tweeted. 

Meanwhile, one user responded and said: “His ball-handling, ability to finish, quickness, his off-ball movement (!!!)…Steph is one of the greatest PG of all time. You don’t get to that level by being one-dimensional.” 

“James [is] not necessarily wrong. You’d normally want a bigger, more physically dominant team to build around, and Steph was in the perfect situation with coaches and personnel to accomplish what he has,” another said. 

And others don’t consider James relevant enough to have an opinion. 

“Mike James’ opinion of Steph Curry is no more relevant to me [than Donald] Trump’s opinion of Barack Obama. I don’t understand why his opinion is newsworthy,” a skeptical fan said.

“Sh**t, I have League Pass and watch upwards of 300 games a season and I’ve literally never heard of this guy,” another fan tweeted. 

James last played in the NBA for the Nets 2020-2021, mostly coming off the bench. 

In his four-season NBA career, he averaged a .370 field goal percentage with 8.9 points per game. 

As for Curry, he finished eighth in the MVP voting in his previous season, averaging 25.5 points per game. 

He did, however, win the NBA Final’s MVP award after adding another ring to his collection during the postseason. 

The 34-year-old has won the MVP twice in his career and many consider him to be the best three-point shooter of all time. 

For the first time this series, Stephen Curry was not the leading scorer for the Golden State Warriors, that mantle went to Andrew Wiggins, the unsung hero from Game 5, and the player doing all the dirty work for the Warriors all series long. Wiggins had a stat line of 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Wiggins was the lone starter to pick up the slack for an offense that has been lackluster during the Finals.

In Game 5, Golden State seemed to be missing everything. Only one starter, Klay Thompson, was able to connect on a three-pointer. In fact, as a team, the Warriors shot a ghastly 22.5% from three, a percentage that saw Curry go 0-for-9 from deep. Although a bad game from him was inevitable, this marked the first time in 233 games that Curry did not connect from deep.

The Warriors managed to put up a winning effort despite subpar performances from key players. One of which is Draymond Green, whose offensive ineptitude continues to show face in this series. Green had eight points, eight rebounds, six points and as many fouls in the win. This was the third time this series that Green fouled out. Even more concerning is the fact that Green is shooting a terrible 28% from the field, 58% from the free-throw line, and has yet to connect on a three this series. He has constantly faced backlash in this series due to his inconsistencies with his play, with his own mom even sounding off on Twitter about his lack of production.

Although the Warriors have been inconsistent, no team has been quite as erratic and frustrating as the Boston Celtics. In this game, the only source of “somewhat consistent” offense was due to Jayson Tatum. The 23-year-old had 27 points along with 10 rebounds while shooting 5-of-9 from three. His counterpart Jaylen Brown was dreadful in Game 5. Following up his stretch of good form with an 18-point performance on a poor 5-of-18 clip. The Celtics have also struggled immensely with turning the ball over all series. In Game 5, Boston turned the ball over 18 times, something that the Warriors repeatedly took advantage of, scoring 22 points off of Celtics’ turnovers. Boston’s struggles from the free-throw line also were pivotal in the result in Game 5. The Celtics shot 21-for-31 from the charity stripe, with Tatum especially going 2-of-6. Missing out on ten points at the line when the margin of victory ended up being ten proves how the Celtics have failed to capitalize on their opportunities all game long.

The Warriors will have a chance to put the Celtics away and secure their fourth title in seven years on Thursday night at the TD Garden.

Death, taxes, and Stephen Curry breaking records. These things are all but guaranteed in life, and in the 2002 NBA Finals, Curry is proving no different. With Game 5 on the horizon, the former MVP has been on fire and has continued to break Finals records back to back.

In Game 4 on Friday, Curry’s 43 points helped even the series at two apiece, but it also notched him some records in the process. With his seven three-pointers in that game, Curry earned the record for third-most 3-pointers made in a Finals fame, also becoming the first NBA player ever to make five or more three-pointers in four consecutive Finals. Curry also has made 25 three-point field goals already during these NBA Finals, which is the most ever. He has 139 career Finals threes which leads the all-time list by a considerable margin, LeBron James is second all-time with 101.

Curry has been unstoppable this postseason, and in the NBA Finals, he’s turned it up a notch. He’s averaging 34.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists on an absurd 50% shooting and 49% from beyond the arc. A performance that is Finals MVP worthy. Curry has often been the lone source of offense for the Golden State Warriors during this championship series, with his scoring nearly double that of the Warriors’ second-leading scorer this series Klay Thompson (17.3). His performances have left even his teammates in awe – his Game 4 moves were “heroic” teammate Draymond Green said, “[Curry] put us on his back. Willed us to win. Much-needed win. A game we had to have. Came out and showed why he’s one of the best players to ever play this game, you know, and why, you know, this organization has been able to ride him to so much success. It’s absolutely incredible.”

The Warriors have a chance to go up 3-2 in the NBA Finals tonight at home in the Chase Center and get one step closer to getting the elusive fourth title in seven years for the Golden State Warriors.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors dominated on Monday night, as the Atlanta Hawks continued their west coast road trip.

After an impressive first half, the Hawks once again fell flat in the second half and lost 127-113, dropping their fourth game in a row. There are many takes regarding why the Hawks couldn’t continue with their impressive start, but in reality, the Hawks’ defense didn’t have an answer for Curry, as he had 10 early points for the Warriors.

Atlanta quickly responded with a 9-0 run of their own, calming their nerves and grabbing a 12-10 lead. Trae Young and John Collins both scored double digits in the first quarter. Young had 13 points in the quarter, including a pair of three-pointers and Collins finished the quarter with 12 points.

The Hawks continued to stay in a groove in the second quarter, and two back-to-back threes from Bogdan Bogdanovic gave them a 15-point lead. They continued to move the ball efficiently, attack mismatches, and play good defense. With that, they went into halftime with a 65-61 lead, and Young finished with 21 first-half points.

Sadly, the story of the season repeats itself, and in the second half, the Hawks stopped playing for the win as they went away from moving the ball, missing shots and settling on offense. They gave up 41 points in the third quarter, and 18 points to Steph alone, finishing with 42 points after three quarters.

The Warriors continued to bring the pain upon the Hawks in the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 21 points. The Hawks tried to fight back, but shots still weren’t falling, free throws weren’t falling, and Curry couldn’t be contained as he finished the game with 50 points and 10 assists.

After a hot first-half start from Young, he only scored seven points in the second half, finishing with 28 points and nine assists. Collins only scored one point in the second half, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds.

The Hawks will be playing the Utah Jazz this Wednesday night, we hope the Hawks can rewrite history and stop choking on the second half of the game.

For the first time since 1982, the NBA is not playing with the Spalding basketballs, this has caused controversy among players as they have been using with Spalding balls for most of their professional careers.

Everyone is having to adjust to the new Wilson balls on the fly, and it might not be going so well. Shooting is down across the board. Entering play on Thursday, the league is shooting a collective .343 percent from 3. That would rank as the lowest mark this century, and the league’s 44.8 overall shooting percentage would be the lowest mark since 2004.

Anthony Davis is shooting 15 percent from 3, Damian Lillard is shooting 23 percent, Bradley Beal is at 24 percent, Luka Doncic sits at 25 percent, Jayson Tatum 26 percent, Devin Booker 27 percent and Trae Young 28 percent.

The league worked closely with Wilson to get the new ball as close to a replica of the old one as possible, but it can’t be the same, and players are noticing.

“Not to make an excuse or anything about the ball but I said that it’s just a different basketball,” Los Angeles Clippers‘ Paul George said. “It don’t have the same touch and softness that the Spalding ball had. You’ll see this year. It’s going to be a lot of bad misses. You’ll see a lot of bad misses. I think you’ve seen a lot of airballs so far this season. Again, not to put any excuse or blame on the basketball. But it is different. There’s no secret. It’s a different basketball.”

Joel Embiid’s case is different, as he was shooting just 41 percent from the field entering the Sixers’ game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday with the lowest points per shot attempt of his career. Last season, Embiid shot 47 percent from the midrange, including 48 percent from the long midrange, which was a better conversion rate than Stephen Curry. This season, Embiid has fallen to 35 percent from the long midrange and 39 percent from midrange overall. He’s not outright blaming the ball.

There is still some adjusting to be done and until the new balls are broken in around the league, there’s no question it’s an adjustment that some players are making easier than others.

The Golden State Warrior’s unbeaten streak since the start of the season has been broken, and it’s all thanks to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. The game went into overtime but ended with a score of 104-101.

The Number 2 pick in the 2019 draft outplayed his illustrious opposite number, Stephen Curry, late on and led his team with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 42 minutes of action. Morant excelled in the closing stages, shooting a deep three over Draymond Green with just under four minutes to play and then did a spin move and layup with 58 seconds remaining in overtime.

“Starting out early, I feel like we didn’t come out ready to play,” Morant said. “We allowed them to get comfortable, which led them to get a big lead, but everybody knows the Grizzlies, man. We play till the end, so we fought back, started locking in on the game plan, came out in the second half, got stops and was able to go on a run and get the lead and we had to battle. We’ve got a great team, a great group of guys. Everybody is capable of doing different things on the floor, which makes us a very dangerous team. You can’t just focus on one guy, and tonight we had a lot of guys that chipped in, helped us out and helped us get this big win on the road to go back home.”

Curry put up 36 points of his own, including a 25-foot three-pointer off one leg, to go with seven rebounds and eight assists, but was unable to register a single point in the fourth quarter or overtime, and for the third consecutive game, missing two huge three-point attempts down the stretch.

The Golden State Warriors have gloriously announced their re-entry into the championship race by taking down the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at Staples Center, 121-114.

Led by Stephen Curry‘s triple-double and Jordan Poole‘s surprising 20-point outburst proved to the world that the Warriors are ready to start winning on the NBA’s biggest stage yet again.

The Lakers, on the other hand, got a whopping 67 combined points out of LeBron James and Anthony Davis but only a measly 47 combined points from the rest of the roster. The Lakers still have a long way to go before they figure out how to make the most of the complete team; meanwhile, the Warriors can only become stronger once Klay Thompson eventually returns.

One of the problems that caused the Lakers to lose against the Warriors was the lack of assists from star player Russell Westbrook. Westbrook, who led the NBA in assists in three of the past four seasons, had only four against the Warriors. Not all of that is on him, some early ball-watching was to be expected when playing with the starters. Westbrook wasn’t in a position to succeed as a playmaker that night, but he didn’t do himself any favors either. Westbrook is so used to dominating possession of the ball that he hasn’t learned how to effectively and consistently move without it.

But on the bright side, for the 19th consecutive season, James is one of the very best players in basketball. With a compromised supporting cast, James still managed to put up 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting with 11 rebounds and five assists. His defense remains near perfect, and that could be easily seen on his off-the-ball defense.

It is only the first game of the season, and the shooting likely isn’t sustainable (James only scored once in the restricted area), but there is reason to believe that the Lakers still have a version of James that is relatively close to the one they had when they won the 2020 championship.

The Lakers have six months to figure everything out, but as long as James continues to excel on the court, they should be considered serious contenders.

Stephen Curry will remain with the Golden States Warriors for the next five years after agreeing to a four-year extension worth $215 million.

At 33 years of age, Curry showed no signs of slowing down this past season. He led the league in scoring with a career-high 32.0 points per game, was named to the All-NBA First Team and finished third in MVP voting behind Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.

The Warriors fell short of the postseason in 2021, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. With Klay Thompson eventually returning from a torn Achilles, the continued development of former No. 2 pick James Weisman and the addition of recent lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, Golden State is confident it can prolong its championship window with No. 30 leading the way.

By signing this extension, Curry becomes the first player in NBA history to ink multiple deals worth at least $200 million. 

He re-upped with Golden State in the summer of 2017 for $201 million. His most recent deal will take him through 2026, where he will be 38 years old, thus setting himself up to play for the Warriors for the entirety of his Hall-of-Fame career.

LeBron James sunk a game-winning three-point shot in the final minute of the contest versus the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

James made the shot from 34 feet to break a 100-100 tie score as Stephen Curry closed out on defense. This was the farthest James had scored from during this season. James claimed that he was also poked in the eye by Draymond Green, which made the shot even more difficult. “After Draymond’s finger to the eye, I was literally seeing three rims out there so I just shot at the middle one,” commented James.

Anthony Davis added that James was sparked by trash talk from Juan Toscano-Anderson, who had the assignment to guard James most of the night.

Curry, who scored 37 points in the loss, called this feat by James a “great shot.” He elaborated, stating that It “was a tough one because you don’t really expect to go in… Everything changes when it goes in. All-time great players make great shots.”

“Our guys really, really just battled and competed, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team for what they’ve become over the last couple of months,”  Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told the media. “This was our game and we couldn’t get it done.”

The game was close throughout, but the Warriors had jumped to a 55-42 lead by halftime. The Lakers had their fair share of offensive troubles, with James and others converting at a low percentage. The Lakers’ defense, however, managed to keep them in the game. The Lakers turned up the heat in the third quarter, as they outscored the Warriors by 11 points.

The win moves the Los Angeles Lakers forward to the playoffs and matches them up with the second-seeded Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are favored to win the series with -300 odds as per Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. This is the first time that a seventh seed is favored to beat a second seed in 30 years, says ESPN.

The Warriors will now contend for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Golden State will face off with the Memphis Grizzlies tonight.

LeBron James and the Lakers look to face the Warriors on Wednesday, May 15. The winner will earn a first-round matchup with the Phoenix Suns while the loser will play either the ninth-seeded Grizzlies or the tenth-seeded Spurs.

“It’s always been level respect that’s even beyond the game of basketball,” James commented on what it means to him to compete with Warriors’ star Stephen Curry after defeating the Pelicans on May 16. “I mean, just look at what he’s done this year,” he added, “I don’t know anything else if you’re looking for an MVP. If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, what are we looking at?” James further commented on Curry, adding “We get caught up in the, OK, who has the best record, instead of just saying who had the best season that year. And Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year.”

Curry has averaged 31.8 points per game and claimed the scoring title in the NBA this year. He further cements his status as an all-time great as he is entered into an elite group of players to win several scoring titles, MVPs, and championships. The only other players to do this are Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Lakers finished the season with a five-game stretch of victories. James posted 24.5 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the last two games he has played after missing all but two of the team’s preceding 28 games. A championship for the seventh-seed Lakers would be unprecedented, as the highest-seeded team to win the trophy was the sixth-seeded 1995 Rockets.

James further commented in the face of this, stating “I don’t look at our seeding. It doesn’t matter. Obviously, we know we wanted to play a lot better this season but the injuries took a toll on our team,” referencing his personal ankle injury along with the calf and Achilles problems of Anthony Davis. James concluded with “But I look forward to the challenge. It’s another challenge for me in the postseason. I’m looking forward to it.”

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal will sit out the team’s next two games, the team announced.

Beal suffered a left hamstring in Washington’s game against the Indiana Pacers last Saturday.

“Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain following MRI testing conducted yesterday,” the team announced on Twitter. “He will miss the team’s next two games before being re-evaluated on Friday.”

Washington will reevaluate Beal on Friday before their home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards will conclude its regular season two days after their Cleveland game with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets.

This is bad news for Washington who is hoping to make the playoffs. The Wizards are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference and are trailing the Hornets by one game for the eighth seed. For Washington to make the playoffs, they must win two games to have a chance to get the last spot. Losing Beal hurts their chance of making the playoffs. Washington will have to rely on their other superstar Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 26.2 points, 16.4 assists and 15.8 rebounds per game in May.

For Beal, missing two games will hurt his chances of winning the scoring title this season. The Wizards star is currently averaging 31.4 points per game. He is currently in a neck-and-neck competition with Stephen Curry, who is averaging 31.9 points per game. With Beal sidelined, Curry now has the edge for the scoring title race.

The NBA Playoffs begin later this month, and with their arrival comes the second consecutive year of the much beleaguered play-in tournament. With the tourney come new and unexpected rules, so here’s everything you need to know about the tourney.

It started last year, during the 2020 NBA playoffs, and was only applicable to the loaded Western Conference. In the league’s first ever play-in game, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers took down Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. This year’s play-in tourney should be even more fun and could feature stars like LeBron James, Lillard, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic.

The play-in tourney is scheduled to start on May 18 and conclude on May 21. As fans, we’re fortunate enough to view six total games, three in each conference. There will be eight teams participating in this tilt. The rules are fairly straight forward. Teams in both the West and East  who finish in the range of the No. 1 seed through the No. 6 seed are guaranteed a playoff spot and don’t have to fight for the ability to continue playing. Teams that finish seventh through 10th will be featured in the play-in tourney. The seven and eight seeds have the largest advantage, as they only need to win a single game to advance, while the nine and ten seeds need to win two games to make the official playoffs.

In the first game of the tourney, the seventh seed plays the eight seed. The winner clinches the seventh seed in the playoffs and will prepare to face the two seed in a best-of-seven series. The loser of this games is still alive, and we’ll get back to them in a moment. In game two of the playoff tourney, the ninth seed and the tenth seed face off, with the winner advancing to game three to face the loser of game one. The loser of the game is headed for the offseason and the draft lottery. In game three, the most high-stakes game of them all, the winner of game two faces the loser of game one. The winner of this game, clinches the eight seed, and the loser clinches a trip home to watch the playoffs.

This new format is fascinating and should shape up for an amazing playoffs this season.

The irony of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr complaining about his team’s lack of proper box outs and all around struggle to crash the glass effectively in Thursday night’s 126-114 loss to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, is quite hilarious. Was it not Kerr and the Hampton’s five, the lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Igoudala, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green that pummeled the NBA into oblivion for two consecutive championships and almost a third, had it not been for injuries? They fundamentally altered the NBA, making the use of traditional centers almost obsolete. Curry himself has almost single-handedly destroyed the center’s position in the modern NBA, with his ability to destroy any big man in a five one switch on the pick and roll.

Kerr didn’t just come for his own team on Thursday night, he came for the entire league. “It signals to me a modern team,” Kerr said. “This is the modern NBA; guys don’t box out. It’s just the way it is. Every night on League Pass, I see the same thing. Players let guys come in from the weak side, and they think, ‘I’ll just get the rebound.’ It’s a disease that’s rampant in the NBA. The problem is, if you’re a real small team like us, then it’s going to hurt you more than it will hurt other teams.”

The Warriors are playing smaller than normal at this point in the season due to injuries and lack of proper team building. James Wiseman, the second overall pick and starting center, is sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn meniscus. Backup forward Eric Paschall, a key player on the glass for the reserves, has been on the injured reserve for quite some time as well. The backup is Kevon Looney, who stands at 6-foot-9, undersized for a center. Looney excels on defense and in his ability to switch on smaller players, not in rebounding. The Warriors appear to resemble most teams after a long period of dominance, older, worn out, and improperly constructed due to win-now moves that stripped them of future assets and potential.