AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Klay Thompson on scoring 30 points with 8 three-pointers: “I enjoy having big nights, but I don't go into games thinking I have to prove myself. I know what I'm capable of, and as long as I stay in great shape, I'll have plenty of nights like this throughout the season. That's why I'm so attracted to Miami. The culture is real. They really get the most out of you, especially at this stage of my career.” Klay Thompson on facing the Warriors in SF tomorrow: “Hopefully I can continue the same flow because I made a lot of buckets in that building. And it’s fun to beat up on old friends.” (h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA)

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[Chicagojk]

I saw Kristaps isn’t fighting them withholding salary (he’s made over 250 million), the issue for GS is I believe he still counts against the cap for them, so a waste of 20 million. He seems like a guy who just wants to move on from basketball. Another promising career stolen by injuries.

Obviously getting healthy is key.  I hope he can live a normal healthy life.  

When I saw the 250 million total for his career, I thought surely this is wrong.  Nope.   Over 250 million.    31 years old.   While his career didn't go as planned, that pretty remarkable career earnings.  Won a ring too.   Although, health takes precedence over everything else.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Ty Jerome on Isaiah Stewart's leadership by example: "He's huge, man. You got a leader like by example. It's like that kind of piece everyone needs. I mean, for Golden State, it's that Draymond thing that you talked about. He's every bit of that, where, like, you're not going to get punked. And that's half of basketball. I think we took our first loss last night because we finally lost the rebounding battle. But until then, we hadn't lost that in 7 games; we lost it one night. So, I give credit to him, credit to like what he's instilled on this team. The confidence, like, you know, he's behind you every night. It frees you up to talk shit and, you know, I mean, be really free out there."

YouTube

[HoosierDaddyKid]

With his game in a 116-103 win over the Kings, Luka Dončić passed the combined career 40-point games of Dwyane Wade (34) and Hakeem Olajuwon (32). He has 67. Doncic finished with 40 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, and he overcame a slow shooting start to finish with 11 made baskets on 23 field-goal attempts. There is no slowing down the Lakers star right now, and Kings guard Zach LaVine gave him all the praise he could muster for yet another excellent performance. “Luka's one of the most talented players of all time. I don't think people actually give him enough credit for how good he really is. He's one of the best scorers of all time,” LaVine said in his postgame presser, via Oh No He Didn't on X. “The shot-making ability is insane. You really can't contest him. He gets calls. But he plays at his own pace; he creates contact. The dude's averaging 40 right now.”



HoopsMatic


Luka is on a serious roll.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Kendrick Perkins to Domantas Sabonis: "It is not on Darius Acuff to adjust to you, bro. This is Darius Acuff's vehicle. This is his franchise. They have officially handed him the keys. He is the face. You are not anymore. I get it, you are not used to playing with a guy like Darius Acuff. It took a lot of people to be able to adjust to playing with Steph Curry off the top. It took Steph Curry to have to adjust and say, you know what, I have to let Steph be Steph. And there is Darius Acuff; he showed us who he was in college, and he is showing us who he is right now."

YouTube

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Those concerns have faded somewhat in the past week, but league insiders remain highly skeptical of the Adebayo-Antetokounmpo pairing. “I never thought those two were going to fit together,” said the second exec. “I just don’t know how you run an offense with two power forwards. Neither one of them can shoot and operate in the same space.” The Heat badly need more playmaking, shooting, and depth, and they—having sent all of their best role players to Milwaukee—have very little of value to trade … other than Bam himself.

The Ringer

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Steve Kerr on the explanation he has been given for why Kristaps Porzingis isn't around the team: "I haven't been given one, nor am I asking for one." Al Horford says he's been able to text Kristaps Porzingis, but that he has to "respect what's going on and wait for him to say what he has to say."

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