Damon Stoudamire reflects on the Toronto Raptors' upset of the '96 Chicago Bulls

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

On March 24th, 1996, the expansion Toronto Raptors had a March Madness moment of their own when they upset the Chicago Bulls at home by a final score of 109-108. The Raptors improved to 18-49 on the season while the Bulls fell to 60-8. The Bulls would go on to win the NBA championship that season over the Seattle SuperSonics with a regular season record of 72-10.  

Damon Stoudamire led the Raptors with 30 points, four rebounds, and 11 assists while Michael Jordan was the top performer for the Bulls with 36 points and nine rebounds. It was truly a March Madness level upset with the Raptors trailing 83-79 entering the 4th quarter before they outscored the Bulls 30-25 to win by one point. 

With under 1:30 to go, the Bulls led 106-103 as Jordan continued to catch fire, hitting a huge turnaround jumper. The Raptors had the ball, hoping to answer. Stoudamire would knife his way to the basket and draw a foul. Stoudamire would go 1-2 at the foul line, but thanks to an offensive rebound by Doug Christie, the Raptors kept possession as Christie was fouled, sending him to the foul line. Christie would miss both foul shots, but the Raptors scooped up another offensive rebound as Stoudamire hustled to get the ball. 

Stoudamire would get rejected inside by Jordan, but the Raptors were able to keep possession leading to a reset at the top of the key. This time the Raptors would score as Stoudamire penetrated and dished off to Oliver Miller for the slam, tying the game up at 106-106 with under 50 seconds to go. Jordan hit a huge jumper on the next possession to make it a 108-106 lead for the Bulls with 31.8 to go. The Raptors needed to answer once more. 

Out of a time out, the Raptors quickly scored as Miller found Tracy Murray for an easy basket inside, tying it up 108-108 with 30.1 to go. The Bulls would not score on the next possession as Murray was able to block Jordan, leading to a rebound by Miller. Miller appeared to call for time with 21.3 to go, but it turned out Jordan fouled Miller, sending Miller to the foul line. Miller would go 1-2 at the foul line, making the first and missing the second free throw. That made it a 109-108 lead for the Raptors as the Bulls got the ball back thanks to a quick rebound by Scottie Pippen. 

Coming out of a timeout, after Dancing in the Street by David Bowie and Mick Jagger finished playing, the Bulls were unable to score as Steve Kerr fired up a 3-pointer that did not fall. Jordan would get the rebound and bank in a shot from the corner, but time had expired. 109-108 the Raptors survived. 

As you can imagine, the SkyDome went nuts. It truly felt like everyone in Toronto was dancing in the streets after the Raptors knocked off Air Jordan and the Bulls. During one of the ACC men's basketball media availability days, I asked Stoudamire, who was the head coach of Georgia Tech at the time, what he most remembers about that day. 

"It's just, you know, it was a great memory," Stoudamire said. "You know, it was one of the standout things of my rookie season to beat the 72-win Bulls. I think that was one of the things that ignited my career and one of the highlights of playing in Toronto, but it was a great moment. More, you know, do I look back on it now?  You know, it was just more so for the fans. I mean, we were, you know, we only won 21 games that year, but you would have you thought we won the world championship on that afternoon. And for those fans, that was like the biggest moment for them at that time. So it felt really good." 

It's a universal truth across all sports that an underdog victory is often the sweetest of all victories and for the Raptors it certainly was just that. What makes it all the more sweet and memorable now is knowing what the Bulls would go on to accomplish. That 1996 Bulls team is widely regarded as the greatest team of all-time. To be one of the few teams that beat that team and to do it as an expansion team in front of your home fans? Man, not a lot of things outside of literally winning a championship can top that. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Bluesky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406   

 

 

 

 

Could Jimmy Butler give the Golden State Warriors one Last Dance?

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

The Golden State Warriors have won four NBA championships since drafting Stephen Curry back in 2009. They've gone from being a laughing stock to a dynasty. One of the few NBA franchises to make such a transformation. With Curry now at 37 years old, Klay Thompson traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and Draymond Green only a couple years behind Curry at 35, Father Time is catching up. He always does. 

To give them a push for one more title run, the Warriors made a trade to land Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, giving up Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first round pick. The Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons also were involved to help facilitate the deal. 

In 20 games with the Warriors, Butler is averaging 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 assists per game. The Warriors are 16-4 in those games, turning them into one of the top teams in the Western Conference. They are currently 41-31 overall and 7th in the Western Conference, but if they keep this up with Butler, they got a legit chance to rise to as high as 4th with 10 games to go. 

If the Warriors do end up getting a top five seed in the Western Conference, it would be foolish to count them out. This is a team that has championship DNA and while he has never won an NBA championship before, Butler did lead the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances, so he knows what it takes to get there. Especially as an under-seeded team (5th seed in 2020 & 8th seed in 2023). 

At this point, it does feel like the stars could be aligning for one final championship run. Much like the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was a player on. The Warriors have had many different eras during their dynastic run: One NBA championship before the Kevin Durant era, two with Durant, and one more post-Durant. If they could win a fifth title and have it be Jimmy Butler's first with him being the catalyst, that would be pretty special. 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

Tomahawk Tuesday: What are the odds we see a Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals rematch?

 

                                             (Credit: Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports) 

The NBA regular season tips off tonight with both NBA Finals teams playing, though not against each other. The Boston Celtics squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers while the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA obviously wanting to feature both of their NBA Finals teams on opening night. In this blog post, I want to address the possibility that we see a rematch of last year's NBA Finals with the Warriors and Celtics facing each other for a second straight year. 

What helps to boost the odds of both teams facing off is the fact that they have their core rosters back. The Warriors with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The Celtics with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. When you bring back a core group that got to the NBA Finals the season before, your odds of getting back are as good as they can get. 

The second thing that helps boost the odds is that the Warriors in particular have been through this rodeo many times before. They've represented the Western Conference in six of the last eight NBA Finals and won four of those six trips. They know what it takes to get back to the NBA Finals. For the Celtics, this is a new journey for them. Whether or not they have what it takes to get back for a second straight year remains to be seen, but if you look at the way things are trending, there's good reason to think they can get back again. 

Aside from injuries, which is always the biggest hurdle to teams getting back to the NBA Finals, probably the biggest hurdle/reason for doubt is the chaos that has surrounded the departure of Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. He was having an improper relationship with a member of the Celtics organization. Whether or not Joe Mazzulla can fill in and guide the Celtics back to the NBA Finals is a big question mark for the Celtics right now. If he can, odds are good Udoka's time in Boston is over. 

On the Warriors side, probably their biggest hurdle is just father time. Curry, Thompson, and Green are all getting older. It's tough to keep playing in June year in and year out and it's possible this last championship was more of a final second wind for the group. But, if there's any group that could navigate this, it's the Warriors. Head coach Steve Kerr does a good job of resting his guys and keeping the eye on the prize. They also have some talented young players who can fill in and take the load off until playoff time. 

Ultimately, if I had to bet on it, I would say we likely won't see both teams back in the NBA Finals in 2023 only because it's just so hard to get back. The Warriors are getting older and it's unclear if they can handle the grind once more while with the Celtics, it's unclear if Mazzulla can get the job done. That said, it wouldn't shock me if we saw a rematch, either. The Warriors do have a lot of experience and the Celtics having now gotten a taste of the NBA Finals are going to be more seasoned and experienced. It'll certainly be fun to see how both teams do and which team does better at getting back for a second straight year. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker on Facebook and Twitter, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Everyone is sleeping on the Golden State Warriors

Due to the departure of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson's torn ACL, many assume the 2020 Western Conference champion will be someone other than the Golden State Warriors, who have won the last five Western Conference titles. While there are a lot of good teams in the Western Conference that could certainly dethrone them, it has been surprising how many people, including myself, seem to have forgotten just how much of a strangle hold the Warriors have had. 

I don't want to undermine the significance of losing Durant and the injury to Thompson. Durant was huge to the Warriors' championship runs and Thompson, the second Splash Brother, is a killer back court mate for Stephen Curry. The road just got harder for the Warriors, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for them to conquer. Below are three reasons why the Warriors can still get back to the NBA Finals in 2020. 

#1. Stephen Curry: If there is one player who has had to sacrifice their ego to make this Warriors team work, it's Stephen Curry. Before Durant came aboard, the Warriors were Curry's team and he did a masterful job of running them. Now, once again, the Warriors belong to Curry and you can bet that he is excited. Plus, Curry knows how much he and his team are being overlooked. Look for a very motivated and focused Curry this season. That should scare everyone in the NBA. 

#2. Experience: When you have been to five straight NBA Finals, one thing you definitely have is experience. The Warriors have been through a lot as a team and have always found a way to come out of the West anyways. They know how to dig deep and go to the well better than any team in the NBA. The rest of the Western Conference is much more unproven and until someone comes along and proves that they can beat them, the Dubs deserve the respect that five straight NBA Finals appearances gets you. 

#3. Klay Thompson isn't out for the year: While the Warriors will start the season without Klay, he's not done for the season. He should be back after the All-Star break and help the Warriors make a championship run come playoff time. So long as they have the Splash Brothers as well as Draymond Green, the Warriors should be feeling pretty good. On top of that, they have an amazing head coach in Steve Kerr who can be trusted to make the right adjustments. 

The bottom line: The Warriors have made five straight NBA Finals appearances for a reason and still have a ton of talent and experience. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr have been through the fire before and know what it takes to go all the way. I understand the Western Conference has a lot of interesting new flavors, but that shouldn't make us forget who has been winning the West over these last several years. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Can the Golden State Warriors go all the way without Steve Kerr?

                                          (Keith Allison. Click here for source). 
                   
The Golden State Warriors completed a 4-0 sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, winning by a final score of 128-103. With this upcoming week off as they await the winner of the Clippers-Jazz series, the biggest drama in Golden State deals with the health of their head coach Steve Kerr, who has been experiencing headaches and other symptoms stemming from his back surgery. Specifically, Kerr has dealt with spinal fluid leakage, which has triggered a lot of these symptoms.

Kerr has addressed the media saying that within the next week or two, he will make a final decision of as to whether or not he'll coach for the remainder of the playoffs. He doesn't want to be in and out of the lineup and be a distraction, so he'll either give it a go or Mike Brown will take over the coaching duties as he continues to recover.

The Warriors have gone without Steve Kerr before, but this could be the first time they'll be looking to a win a championship without him at the helm in the playoffs. While I'm sure he'd keep a strong presence if he's unable to go, his absence on the bench would still loom large. Mike Brown would have a ton of pressure on him to keep the Warriors in championship level form.

The good news for the Warriors is that in Kerr's absence, they've done very well. Under Luke Walton, they had the best record in the NBA and finished the season with an historic 73-9 record. During the playoffs this year, they've gone 2-0 without Kerr and seem to still be the same well-oiled machine that they've been during these past three seasons. Playing under Mike Brown will be different, but he's inheriting a great situation and system to work with. If he were to mess things up, one would almost have to wonder if he was trying to do so. All he needs to do is sit back, let the players do their thing, and offer reassuring words of encouragement should a game get close. There are so many leaders on this Warriors team in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. These guys know what to do and really ought to make things as easy as possible for Mike Brown. 

In my opinion, the Warriors can absolutely win a championship without Steve Kerr and their ability to do so should not be taken as a slight to him. It should be taken as a compliment. He has created such an effective system for his players and gotten them to buy in to the point that they run on autopilot this late in the season. At this point, I think you could have Kermit the Frog in a suit and tie on the Warriors' bench and it wouldn't make a difference. They are that good. 

I think the only concern for the Warriors is whether or not Mike Brown makes the right decisions in crunch time, but in such moments, he can rely on the plethora of leaders he has on his team to help him make the right decisions. These guys know what to do late in games and so Mike Brown really shouldn't feel that much pressure when games get close. He just needs to make sure he keeps the Warriors in the same groove they've been in all season and not mess with anything. So long as he does this, I think the Warriors will be in great shape. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Saturday Slam: The Golden State Warriors rested their stars against the San Antonio Spurs. Why?

For the first time all season, the Golden State Warriors do not appear to be a lock to have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. As a matter of fact, they only have have a .5 game lead on the San Antonio Spurs after getting drubbed in San Antonio on Saturday by a final score of 107-85. The Spurs were without Tony Parker (back), LaMarcus Aldridge (heart arrhythmia), and Kawhi Leonard (concussion) and still found a way to pummel the Warriors, who were without Kevin Durant (knee), Stephen Curry (rest), Klay Thompson (rest), Draymond Green (rest), and Andre Iguodala (rest). 

Yes, you read that correctly. The Golden State Warriors rested their stars against a San Antonio Spurs team that was banged up and only 1.5 games back of them. The question that I have after seeing this box score is why? 

The following is an explanation of the Warriors' logic courtesy of The Associated Press. 

Already without Kevin Durant due to a knee injury, Golden State opted to rest Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.

“It’s more about May and June than March,” said Matt Barnes, who the Warriors signed after Durant’s injury. “I understand the frustration from people, but we’re working for something bigger right now. So, we’ve got to do what’s best for our players. We apologize. You’ll definitely see our stars when it counts.”

Earning the top seed is important, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said keeping his team healthy is a greater priority. Golden State concluded a stretch of eight games in 13 days, including the second night of a back-to-back that saw the Warriors arrive in San Antonio at 3 a.m. Saturday.

“We had to get through this night. That was the main thing,” Kerr said. “We had to get through this trip and they allowed us to do that. Obviously, we wanted to win, but we didn’t do that but we made it through to this point. Now we can go home, recharge our batteries and get rolling again."

The nuts and bolts of it is that the Warriors are looking ahead to the playoffs and want to do all they can to rest their players for the playoffs. They aren't worried about basketball in March. They are worried about May and June. Hence, if taking a night off in March helps them stay healthy for the playoffs, then that's what they'll have to do. 

The problem I have with the explanation put forth by Kerr and Barnes is that what they are really saying is that home court advantage doesn't really matter and that just seems silly. Home court advantage absolutely matters. History tells us this. As a matter of fact, in a Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs, the home team goes on to win over 80% of the time. You can think that home court advantage isn't worth playing for, but the numbers tell us otherwise. 

Whether the Warriors want to admit it or not, if they find themselves in a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals at San Antonio, they may look back at this game in March and think to themselves, "You know what, we had a golden opportunity to steal one in San Antonio and we didn't take advantage." 

It would be different if the Spurs were at full strength and the Warriors really didn't think the could win. But, with Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kawhi Leonard out, the Warriors should have played Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green. I understand the NBA is a grind and that this was the second half of a back-to-back, but playing basketball is their job and in a game against the one team in the West with a real shot at knocking them off, they have to be on the floor. It's that simple. 

If Steve Kerr is so concerned about resting his guys, that's fine, but he shouldn't do it in such an important game with so much on the line. Typically, he's right  that the NBA regular season doesn't matter much, but a game against the Spurs in San Antonio is as close to being a playoff game as any regular season game can get. To treat this game like the Brooklyn Nets are coming to town is just absurd and ridiculous. 

I think Steve Kerr is a great coach and I don't want to come off as thinking I know more about what's best for his team than him. I don't. But, if I can be real, I don't understand this one. The Spurs were legitimately banged up and probably wouldn't have won if the Warriors had played their stars. By losing this game, the Warriors are now just .5 games up on the Spurs whereas had they won, they would be 2.5 games up on the for the #1 seed in the Western Conference. Giving up that kind of cushion just to rest your guys in March seems like a stupid trade off to make. The stakes are just too high and the Warriors ultimately didn't say enough in the post game to convince me otherwise. 

Note: Both Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are out indefinitely at this time. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Wednesday Windmill: Warriors get win #73; Kobe Bryant plays his last game

     Tonight will go down as one of the most historic nights in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors won their 73rd game of the season with a 125-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, setting a new NBA record for most wins in a regular season and Kobe Bryant played in his final NBA game, scoring 60 points and leading the Lakers to a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz. I couldn't decide which topic to write about so I decided to write about both. 

     

     First, let me address the Warriors' record-setting season. What makes the Warriors' 73-9 season so impressive is that they did it so early into their reign of dominance. When Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls went 72-10 in the 1995-96 season, they did it en route to their 4th NBA championship. The Warriors went 73-9 after winning their first NBA Championship in 40 years!

      It's hard to think of a team that has risen to success as quickly as this Warriors team. At the end of the 2011-12 season, the Golden State Warriors finished with a 23-43 record. Four seasons later, they are 73-9 with the best record in the NBA history. What the Warriors are doing right now is flat out ridiculous when you consider where they were four seasons ago. Almost overnight, they went from being in the doghouse of the NBA to being a juggernaut that cannot be stopped. 

     Stephen Curry has emerged into a three-point shooting force of nature that makes impossible shots at will. The basketball floor is his canvas and on it he paints whatever he wants to no matter who he is playing. Stephen Curry fires shots from beyond the arc like an archer that hits a bullseye ever single time. He has taken 3-point shooting to another level and redefined the game of basketball in the process. It is fitting that in the Warriors' 73rd win of the season, Stephen Curry went off for 46 points on 10-19 shooting from 3-point range, totaling 402 3-point shots made for the season. The Warriors finished the season the way that they started, which is blowing teams off the floor with their 3-point shooting and suffocating defense. 

     As for Kobe Bryant's last game, this too ended in a fitting way. For one thing, the Utah Jazz asphyxiated themselves in the Staples Center, something that has happened many times during Kobe Bryant's career. It is fitting that for one last time, Jazz fans watched their team self-destruct against Kobe Bryant's Lakers. 

                                                    (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source)     

      In addition, Kobe Bryant went off for 60 points and willed his team to victory for one final time. In the final minutes of the game, Kobe Bryant took over and did what he has done for his entire career, which is crush the soul of opponents though his own array of difficult shots and iron will. Kobe Bryant went off the way every NBA fan would want him to: Victorious and in firm control of the game. Like Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant has been able to do what he wants to on a basketball court without anybody being able to stop him. 

     What makes tonight so special for the NBA is that past, present, and future all came together in one night. Kobe Bryant, one the NBA's greatest players went out on a high note and Stephen Curry, the superstar of the NBA for the present and future, led his team to a record-setting 73 wins doing what he does best, which is drain three-point shots in opponents' faces.  In addition, Steve Kerr, who was on the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team as a player, got to be a part of the best regular season in NBA history again, only this time as a head coach. 

     It's very rare when past, present, and future all come together in one night and on April 13, 2016, all three of these things came together in the living rooms of NBA fans across the world. An NBA hall of fame player concluded his brilliant career, a future hall of fame player led his team to a league record 73 wins, and one man got to be a part of NBA history for a second time. Will such a night ever happen in NBA history again? Probably not, which is why we should all soak this night in. 

Daily Dunks: 10/5/-10/11/15

                                                  (Credit Andy Melton: Click here for source) 

Here is my Daily Dunks page for October 5, 2015 through October 11, 2015. Throughout the week this page will be updated with news from across the NBA until a new  Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The 76ers have a lot of injuries (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks' co-owner made more money by exposing Danny Ferry's comments about Luol Deng (Click here for details).

#3. Thabo Sefolosha's trial regarding his confrontation with the NYPD is underway (Click here for details).

#4. Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will undergo shoulder surgery and be out 6 months (Click here for details).

#5. The Rockets plan to bring Alessandro Gentile over in 2016 (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Andrea Bargnani's MRI on his hamstring came back negative (Click here for details).

Monday's NBA preseason scores: 

Warriors 95 Raptors 87. Kings 109 Trail Blazers 105 (OT). Fenerbahçe Ülker 101 Nets 96.

Tuesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Lakers have some injuries (Click here for details).

#2. Click here for an update on Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao

#3. DeMarcus Cousins hopes to enter the MVP race (Click here for details).

#4. Doc Rivers admits the Clippers may blow up their roster after this season (Click here for details).

#5. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer urged Danny Ferry to resign (Click here for details).

#6. The Pistons are interested in trading for Markieff Morris (Click here for details).

#7. Nets swingman Markel Brown is done for the preseason (Click here for details).

#8. Click here for an injury update on Knicks guard Aaron Afflalo

Tuesday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 77 Fever 71: Final.  Sylvia Fowles led the Lynx with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Best-of-five series is tied 1-1.

Tuesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 124 Olimpia Milano 91. Wizards 129 76ers 95. Pacers 115 Pistons 112. Bulls 105 Bucks 95.
Grizzlies 92 Rockets 89. Nuggets 96 Mavericks 86.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Raptors don't have high expectations for Anthony Bennett (Click here for details).

#2. Kevin Love will practice with the Cavaliers on Saturday (Click here for details).

#3. Mark Cuban suggests the NBA has a supplemental draft for undrafted free agents (Click here for details).

#4. Craig Sager has been cleared from cancer according to his son (Click here for details).

#5. Former Rutgers star Kadeem Jack has joined the Pacers for training camp (Click here for details).

#6. Matt Barnes reportedly attacked Derek Fisher for dating his ex-wife (Click here for details).

#7. Jazz forward Trevor Booker punched Lakers center Roy Hibbert and got ejected (Click here for details).

#8. The Suns waived guard Deonte Burton (Click here for details).

#9. Jimmy Butler doesn't like Derrick Rose's work ethic according to a rumor (Click here for details).

#10. Zach LaVine is the Timberwolves' starting shooting guard (Click here for details).

#11. The Grizzlies signed center Alex Stepehson and waived center Michael Holyfield (Click here for details).

#12. The Bucks waived forward Jon Horford and guard Charlie Westbrook (Click here for details).

#13. The Pistons waived forward Eric Griffin (Click here for details).

#14. Pelicans center Omer Asik is out 3 weeks with a right calf stain (Click here for details).

Wednesday's NBA preseason scores: 

Knicks 100 Paschoalotto Beru 81. Thunder 122 Timberwolves 99. Hawks 98 Cavaliers 96. Magic 100 Heat 97. Rockets 109 Mavericks 82. Suns 102 Kings 98.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. LeBron James is investing in a new franchise called "Blaze" (Click here for details).

#2. If you want to here Matt Barnes' version of what happened between him and Derek Fisher, click here.

#3. No criminal charges will be filed against Matt Barnes (Click here for details).

#4. Jimmy Butler says all is well between him and Derrick Rose (Click here for details).

#5. Derrick Rose will rejoin the Bulls on Monday (Click here for details).

#6. 76ers guard Scottie Wilbiken hit the game winning three against the Cavaliers (Click here to watch)

#7. The Cavaliers signed guard Dionte Christmas to their preseason roster (Click here for details).

#8. Rockets center Dwight Howard says he played through a torn MCL and torn meniscus in the playoffs (Click here for details).

#9. Jazz forward Trevor Booker has been suspended 1 game in the regular season for his altercation with Roy Hibbert (Click here for details).

Thursday's NBA preseason scores: 

Celtics 111 Real Madrid 96. Trail Blazers 118 Warriors 101. 76ers 115 Cavaliers 114. Pacers 97 Magic 92. Nets 93 Pistons 83. Nuggets 112 Bulls 94. Raptors 105 Lakers 97. Kings 95 Spurs 92.

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is day-to-day after re-aggravating a left ankle sprain (Click here for details).

#2. Former NBA and UCLA player Dave Meyers has passed away (Click here for details).

#3. The Pelicans have signed center Jerome Jordan (Click here for details).

#4. Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is unsure about an opening night return (Click here for details).

#5. Power forward Greg Smith failed his physical with the Pelicans. He will not join the team (Click here for details).

#6. Dwayne Wade is teaching Heat rookie Justise Winslow post moves (Click here for details).

#7. Former NBA All-Star and champion Bill Bridges has passed away (Click here for details).

#8. Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha has been found not guilty of resisting arrest (Click here for details).

#9. Tony Parker wants to play six more seasons with the Spurs (Click here for details).

#10. 76ers owner Josh Harris says he gives head coach Brett Brown an 'A' for the job he has done (Click here for details).

#11. The NBA and the NBAPA are setting up a cardiac screening for retired players (Click here for details).

#12. The Trail Blazers named C.J. McCollum their backup point guard (Click here for details).

#13. Click here to read Thabo Sefolosha's statement on his vindication.

Friday's WNBA Finals results: 

Lynx 80 Fever 77: Final. Lynx lead series 2-1. Click here to watch Maya Moore's game winner.

Friday's NBA preseason scores: 

Thunder 111 Fenerbahçe Ülker 81. Suns 101 Jazz 85. Hawks 103 Pelicans 93. Knicks 115 Wizards 104.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Doc Rivers corrects himself and says the Warriors weren't "lucky" to win the NBA Finals (Click here for details).

#2. LeBron James says he doesn't ride motorcycles (Click here for details).

#3. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas wants to be in a Space Jam 2 (Click here for details).

#4. Thabo Sefolosha could make his preseason debut with the Hawks on Wednesday (Click here for details).

#5. The Raptors have unveiled a new court design (Click here for details).

#6. Wizards point guard John Wall says he wants to be the number one point guard in the NBA (Click here for details).

#7. The Cavaliers won't waive guard Joe Harris (Click here for details).

#8. The Cavaliers expect Kevin Love to play on October 15 (Click here for details).

Saturday's NBA Preseason Scores: 

76ers 97 Nets 95. Bulls 114 Timberwolves 105. Pistons 117 Bucks 88. Kings 94 Trail Blazers 90.

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Rockets guard James Harden is day-to-day with a right knee contusion (Click here for details).

#2. The Hawks waived power forward Arsalan Kazemi and point guard Edgar Sosa (Click here for details).

#3. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is out indefinitely following a rare spinal fluid leak occurrence during his firs back operation (Click here for details).

#4. An assault lawsuit  against Scottie Pippen has been dropped (Click here for details).

#5. Clippers point guard suffered a fractured left index finger. He shouldn't be out long (Click here for details).

#6. Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is out  for the remainder of the preseason due to a sprained right ankle (Click here for details).

#7. The Nuggets exercised their 2016-17 options for Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris (Click here for details).

#8. Hip-hop artist Rich Homie Quan will perform on opening night in Atlanta (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA preseason final scores: 

Hornets 106 Clippers 94. Magic 123 Rockets 119. Lakers 126 Maccabi Haifa 83. Wizards 134 Bauru Pashoalotto 100.

WNBA Finals update: 

The Fever forced a Game 5, defeating the Lynx 75-69.


---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news 

Saturday Slam: Should the Golden State Warriors be resting their players?

     The Golden State Warriors have had the #1 seed in the Western Conference locked up for a while and the #1 overall seed in the league for at least the past week. Still, despite having nothing to play for until the playoffs, the Warriors continue to play each game like it's a playoff game. In Saturday's win against the Timberwolves, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both played over 35 minutes and Andre Iguodala played 30 minutes. As for Thursday's win over the Trail Blazers, Curry and Thompson also played north of 35 minutes each.

    While I understand the importance of having your team maintain momentum going into the playoffs, one does have to wonder whether or not Steve Kerr is playing his star players too much down the stretch. With less than two minutes to go in their game against the Timberwolves, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were both still on the floor, and as I saw that, the only thing I could think was "Why are they still playing?" They've played more than enough minutes to get into a rhythm and now all that can happen is something bad. Even if the odds are remote that something bad happens, why risk it? Why risk all the hard work you've done by having those guys play the final two minutes of a meaningless game?

     To be fair, Stephen Curry has sat out the entire 4th quarter of 16 games this year, so it isn't like Kerr doesn't think about resting his guys. But what I don't understand is why he wouldn't be resting them in games like tonight against the Timberwolves or at the very least have them on a 24 minutes restriction. I don't care what excuses you make, 35+ minutes is too many minutes for those guys to be playing in a meaningless game against the Timberwolves.

     It's not even about the risk of injury. It's about keeping them rested and mentally charged for the playoffs. Fatigue is a huge factor in the NBA playoffs, and I'm more concerned about Curry and Thompson getting fatigued in the playoffs than I am about them getting hurt.

     One could certainly reply to me and say "So what? These guys are young. Does an extra 10 minutes per game really affect them?" My reply to this response would be that perhaps it really does affect them more than we think. The risk of injury certainly goes up and they certainly get a little more tired. Either way, I'm surprised more people aren't questioning Steve Kerr for not letting off the gas a little bit.

     Perhaps he will rest them on Monday night against the Grizzlies and in their season finale, but even if he does, it doesn't justify the way he has allocated his minutes in these past couple of games. Even the most fit of athletes can benefit from a little time off and if there is any group of athletes who deserve a little time off, it's the guys playing for the Golden State Warriors.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news