DUNK STATION

Meet the Air Jordan 3 "Flu Game", An icon in the world of NBA sneakers. Debuted in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals by Michael Jordan, this pair is set for a resurgence in 2025. New Episode of STATION KICKS, Watch it now: https://rumble.com/v4qvuy9-air-jordan-12-flu-game-returns-spring-2025-station-kicks.html STATION KICKS, 2024. All Rights Reserved

WOLVES PUT SUNS IN 3-0 HOLE! ANTHONY EDWARDS SCORES 36 POINTS, TIMBERWOLVES BEAT SUNS 126-109 FOR 3-0 SERIES LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es PHOENIX (AP) Anthony Edwards hit a jumper late in the fourth quarter and snarled as he ran down the court, pounding his chest with his fist for emphasis as Minnesota pulled away for another dominant playoff win. The Timberwolves are the undeniable alpha dogs through three games of this increasingly lopsided series. Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Timberwolves used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round matchup. “We're just embracing the moment,” Gobert said. “We have only one goal in mind and we're trying to make sure we don't get distracted by the success or the ups and downs. We're just locked in.” Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix. The Wolves never trailed on Friday. “This is a team you need to dictate terms with,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “You don't want to get behind big on them because of the way they can shoot the ball. That's been part of our messaging, part of our emphasis, we have to get off to good starts.” It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth. Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23. The rest of the team scored just 33 points. The 7-foot-1 Gobert said he's noticed the Suns being hesitant to drive in the lane when he's there. “That's what I do best,” Gobert said. “I try to be a presence, give confidence to my teammates, making sure I'm there for them. I'm trying to get some blocks, but they don't really try me. So at the end of the day, that's better than any block.” Minnesota had a six-point halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 69-58 early in the third after back-to-back 3-pointers from Mike Conley and Karl-Anthony Towns. Late in the third, Alexander-Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 95-73 lead. The Wolves were also dominant on the glass, finishing with a 50-28 rebounding advantage. Edwards shot 12 of 23 from the field and hit all 11 of his free throws while adding nine rebounds and five assists. “We got killed on the boards. This is a bigger, stronger team,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “We've got to compete and win the 50-50 balls. I thought our guys gave the effort, but it wasn't enough.” Six Minnesota players scored in double figures. Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Alexander-Walker scored 16. The listless Suns could never cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth. Now they're one loss away from what would be a bitterly disappointing season after entering the year with championship aspirations. By the end of the third quarter, there were scattered boos coming from the home crowd. Booker said he couldn't blame them. “We put ourselves in a hole and we’ve got to dig ourselves out of it,” Booker said. “So that’s that.” Phoenix's Josh Okogie, who had eight points, was ejected late in the fourth after a hard foul on Gobert. The Timberwolves led 59-53 at the halftime break following a competitive first half. Edwards led the Wolves with 16 points while Durant had 14 for the Suns. Eric Gordon gave Phoenix a spark with 10 points in the first quarter, but it was short lived. The Suns played without starting guard Grayson Allen, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season. Allen's dealing with a sprained ankle from Game 1 that he aggravated in Game 2. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

LUKA DONCIC AND DEFENSIVE-MINDED MAVS TAKE A CHIPPY 101-90 WIN OVER CLIPPERS FOR 2-1 SERIES LEAD! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es DALLAS (AP) Luka Doncic called out to his coaches during a flurry of 3-pointers from James Harden. The Mavericks superstar and NBA scoring champion wanted to defend the star guard of the Los Angeles Clippers. It's suddenly defense first in Dallas. Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the defensive-minded Mavericks had a chippy 101-90 victory over the Clippers on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA, and won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game loss to the Clippers. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas. “I think we all see that when we’re on the defensive side, there’s a different look in everybody’s eyes,” said rookie center Dereck Lively II, who had all 13 of his points in the first half as the Mavs got their lob game going with 10 dunks before the break. “It’s like being aggressive and being the aggressor even though they have the ball.” Daniel Gafford, Lively's tag-team partner as a dunker and rim protector, had an emphatic block of a dunk attempt by Paul George early in the fourth quarter while Dallas was taking control for good in a game with five technical fouls, a flagrant foul and two ejections. Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but just seven after halftime, while fellow stars George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact. Norman Powell also had 21, and Ivica Zubac had 19 points and eight rebounds. But the Clippers had 19 turnovers and the Mavericks had seven blocks - three of them from Gafford and two from Lively. George dealt with foul trouble and finished with seven points, five rebounds, five assists - and five fouls. Leonard never looked comfortable in his second game back after missing nine games with right knee inflammation and had nine points and nine rebounds. “It just didn’t respond the way we wanted after the first game,” Leonard said about his surgically repaired knee. “But we’re going to get it right. Time will tell. We’re doing all the right things.” Kyrie Irving picked up his fourth foul early in the second half before scoring 19 of his 21 points in the final 13-plus minutes, including eight in the final 1:18 of the third quarter. Doncic's co-star was instrumental in Dallas rebuilding an 18-point lead that had been cut to six. An already testy game reached a boiling point midway through the fourth quarter when Russell Westbrook slung Doncic around after fouling him. Westbrook was called for a technical for that contact and for shoving P.J. Washington after Washington confronted him. Washington also was called for a tech during the sequence, and already had one from an earlier shoving match with Terance Mann. Westbrook, who in the first half got a flagrant 1 foul for excessive contact when fouling Josh Green on a breakaway, and Washington were ejected. Westbrook, who missed all seven shots and scored one point, drew the ire of the crowd one other time when he bowled over Doncic after Zubac was called for a foul as Doncic went up for a shot. Officials reviewed the play but ruled Westbrook's contact incidental. “We’ve got to channel our aggression in other ways,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s getting chippy. I like the physicality. I like the tough possessions. I like all of that. But we’ve got to make sure we’re not getting the technical fouls, we’re not getting thrown out of the game, because everybody’s important.” Doncic, who briefly left the court after limping off while grabbing his right knee in the first quarter, was just 7 of 25 from the field and 3 of 14 from 3-point range. But Dallas held George and Westbrook to a combined 1 of 10 from deep, while Leonard didn't even have a 3 attempt among just seven shots in 25 minutes. “He’s trying to find his way back,” Lue said. “We’re just managing it. Just being smart, making sure we do it right by Kawhi and seeing how he feels and just kind of gauge it from there.” Harden scored 12 of his 14 first-half points with four 3-pointers in a three-minute span starting in the final second of the first quarter. He didn’t score again until the final minute of the third as the Clippers finished with 19 turnovers while also losing their composure. “We’re all competing for each inch to find a way to win,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “This series is going to be more mental as it goes on just because of the physicality. I thought the guys did a great job of protecting one another.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

PACERS PROTECT HOME COURT! HALIBURTON BREAKS TIE WITH 3-POINT PLAY, PACERS BEATS BUCKS 121-118 IN OT TO TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tyrese Haliburton struggled to find his shooting touch Friday night. So he looked for other ways to impact the game - a thunderous slam dunk off a rebound, finding open teammates and patiently waiting for a chance to make a statement. Then in the waning seconds of overtime, Haliburton wanted the ball. The All-Star guard completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. “You know I was going to shoot it, no matter what,” Haliburton said. “What I was going to get was really based off of feel. there. Khris (Middleton) pushed Pascal (Siakam) up to tell Patrick (Beverley) to go under and as soon as I saw Patrick kind of turn his head, I reacted and everything opened up across the middle and I finally made a shot. I couldn't buy a bucket tonight.” Yes, Haliburton was just 8 of 22 from the field and 1 of 12 on 3-pointers. But he did just about everything else right, finishing with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds as two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs, to help give Indiana its first back-to-back postseason wins since taking three straight in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers also have their first lead in the playoffs since Game 3 of a first-round matchup against Cleveland in 2018. Indiana hasn't won a series since reaching the 2014 Eastern Conference finals. “It was a really fun game and overtime, what more could you ask for?” Haliburton said. “It was a really fun atmosphere.” Perhaps not so fun for a Bucks team that has gotten more bruised and battered by the game. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists after missing practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. He forced overtime by making a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to go in regulation, banked in a 3 to tie the score with 6.7 seconds left in overtime and then missed a 3 at the buzzer that could have forced a second overtime. Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists, most coming after he hurt his left knee in the first quarter and then aggravating an Achilles tendon injury late in the fourth quarter. “We've just got to turn the page and get one win after another,” said Lillard, who is playing in his first postseason with the Bucks, who are 2-6 against Indiana this season. It was a wild finish in front of a festive crowed decked out in gold T-shirts for Indiana's first home playoff game since April 21, 2019 - and with many local favorites in attendance. The crowd included Indiana Fever newcomer Caitlin Clark, former Colts coach Tony Dungy, former Pacers forward Derrick McKey and current Colts players Anthony Richardson, Kenny Moore II and E.J. Speed . But these fans never expected to see the experienced Bucks methodically trim a 19-point first-half deficit to 90-83 after three quarters or to open the fourth on a 10-2 run to take a 95-92 lead on Bobby Portis Jr.'s putback early in the fourth. The teams then traded baskets, ties and leads over the final 7 1/2 minutes of regulation, with Siakam's putback with 19.1 seconds left giving the Pacers a 109-106 lead. But Siakam missed the ensuing free throw, Middleton answered with a midrange shot and the 3 to tie it. Siakam's long 3 to win it hit off the back of the rim at the buzzer. “I thought we picked up our energy, I thought we got more physical," Lillard said. “We just kind of got things under control, we got matched up, got into the gaps and thought once we started to do all of those things, the game started to turn. That's something we've got to focus on.” It was more of the same in overtime - until Haliburton broke free for the mid-range shot that drew a foul and led to the decisive three-point play. Siakam had 17 points and nine rebounds. Portis had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Bucks. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

MAGIC OFFENSE ROARS BACK! MAGIC HAND CAVALIERS WORST PLAYOFF LOSS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY, WIN 121-83 TO CUT THEIR DEFICIT TO 2-1 . Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es The Orlando Magic take Game 3 as they defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-83. Paolo Banchero posted a Playoff career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic in the victory. The Magic trail the Cavaliers, 2-1, in this best-of-seven series, with Game 4 taking place on Saturday, April 27 Paolo Banchero joined Tracy McGrady as the only Magic players to record a 30+ point game in the postseason at the age of 21 years or younger. Paolo Banchero becomes the 6th player in NBA history to tally 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game at 21 years old or younger, joining: Lebron James (3x) Tim Duncan Alvan Adams Luka Doncic Magic Johnson Paolo Banchero becomes the 4th player in NBA history to tally 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a playoff game at age of 21 years or younger, joining: LeBron James (3x) Luka Doncic Magic Johnson Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

EMBIID WITH PLAYOFF-HIGH 50! JOEL EMBIID SCORES 50 POINTS TO LEAD 76ERS PAST KNICKS 125-114 TO CUT DEFICIT TO 2-1 . Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid is suffering from Bell's palsy and played Game 3 with a bulky knee brace to sturdy the 7-footer after dealing with injuries all season. The lingering effects of the time off from his most recent knee surgery s ucked him into a depression - and that was before Embiid was hit with a form of facial paralysis. Embiid pushed aside the pain - mental and physical - and embraced the pressure after he vowed the 76ers were “going to win this series” against the New York Knicks. Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-saving third quarter on Thursday night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. After getting punished in New York, the Sixers pushed back. “They want to bring the physicality,” Embiid said. “We can be physical, too.” Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2. They at least have a shot now - the Knicks lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers. Embiid, who scored a franchise-best 70 points against San Antonio in January, became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game. Last season’s NBA MVP, Embiid finally turned the crowd -- which had a distinct New York flavor in South Philly --- into one rocking for the home team. The All-Star center played more like a sharpshooting guard in the third, when he saved the season. The Sixers pecked away at a three-point halftime deficit when Embiid got hot. He hit one 3 and then two more -- the last two with assists from Tyrese Maxey - that gave the Sixers an 82-72 lead. His fourth 3 pushed the lead to 98-85. Not bad for a career 34% 3-point shooter. Maxey added two 3s in the quarter and the 76ers went a whopping 9 of 12 from beyond the arc for 43 points. Embiid mostly kept his cool and was in the mix on both ends of the court all game. Embiid had 17 points, three fouls and he even grabbed Mitchell Robinson and dragged him to the court in a first half where they again weren't good enough to look like a team that could beat the Knicks. Embiid was whistled for a flagrant foul on the play. Robinson suffered a sprained left ankle and left the arena in a boot. “I didn't mean to hurt anybody,” Embiid said. “In those situations, I've got to protect myself.” Embiid said he first started suffering from the affliction about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. “My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye,” Embiid said. “It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything.” The Knicks won the first two games in New York, highlighted by Donte DiVincenzo's go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in Game 2. Against the backdrop of two Villanova national championship banners they helped the program win, the trio of former Wildcats were largely stifled in Game 3. Jalen Brunson did lead the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists. Josh Hart - whose spectacular 3-point shooting in New York was an unexpected bonus for the Knicks - scored 20 points but DiVincenzo had five. Hart said he was “all for tough playoff fouls” but Embiid's foul could have put Robinson out for a “serious amount of time.” The Knicks must have felt at home inside a Sixers' arena that sounded more like Madison Square Garden as chants of "Let's Go Knicks!' echoed throughout the arena for a chunk of the game. John Starks wildly cheered them on from his courtside. The Sixers countered with Allen Iverson, who along with Embiid and Billy Cunningham are the only players in franchise history to hit 50 points in a playoff game. But nostalgia didn't matter much between teams that played each other in a postseason series for the first time since 1989. This one could be shaping up as one to remember. Embiid was serenaded with “MVP! MVP!” chants as he stretched the lead from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. “Joel Embiid has been banned from the Empire State Building,” was posted on the skyscraper's social media account. Maxey finished with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points and showed no lingering effects following his reported involvement in a car crash after Game 2. Cam Payne hit three 3s and scored 11 points. “I think Cam Payne was the MVP of the game," 76ers guard Kyle Lowry said. Outside of a disputed call on Embiid's flagrant, Game 3 was played without any significant disputes with the officiating after the NBA said the referees missed several late calls in Game 2. Embiid's 21 free-throw attempts were more than New York attempted the entire game; the Knicks made 13 of 19. “I'll send my clips in like I do every game,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They'll say marginal contact. Then they'll say marginal contact on Embiid and he'll be at the line 21 times. That's just the way it works.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

GORDON, JOKIC LEAD THE NUGGETS TO THE BRINK OF A SWEEP WITH A 112-105 WIN OVER THE LAKERS IN GAME 3! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es LOS ANGELES (AP) With one championship ring and a tenacious veteran core, the Denver Nuggets are a daunting matchup for any opponent in the NBA. They're clearly a particular nightmare for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are one game away from an early summer after Denver stretched its winning streak in this lopsided rivalry to a whopping 11 games. Aaron Gordon had a playoff career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and the Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a 112-105 victory over the Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series Thursday night. Jamal Murray scored 22 points to help the defending NBA champion Nuggets win their seventh straight playoff meeting with James and the Lakers in dominating style. Denver has rallied from a double-digit deficit in all three games, and the Nuggets went out of their way after Game 3 to praise an opponent they've utterly dominated recently. “I think every game is tougher and tougher,” Jokic said. “They were up 20 in Denver, they were up 12 today in the first half, but I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. ... That’s a really tough team, and every game is really interesting and tough to win. Every game we’re playing catch-up, and they’re really talented. It’s really hard to close a team out.” Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season's Western Conference finals. “It’s fun to win games,” Porter said. “I don’t think anybody besides the media looks at the 11 (straight victories), because it’s hard. It’s not easy to beat this team. Last game, coming back from 20 points, we had to scratch and claw. So it’s not easy. But of course we like winning, and the more times we can win the better.” Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit. Anthony Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and James added 26 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who haven't beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022 - and have rarely looked capable of ending that streak. “You come out with the mindset, ‘Let’s get one, force a Game 5, and then we go from there,’” James said. “As long as you still have life, then you obviously have belief. I just think you play ’til the wheels fall off. That’s what it’s always about for me. That’s a mindset, and I know (Davis) feels the same way.” Austin Reaves scored 22 points for Los Angeles, which surged into the postseason with largely outstanding play since the holidays, capped by an impressive play-in win over New Orleans to snatch the seventh seed. The Lakers had won 12 of 15 heading into this series - but now they're one loss away from failing to win a playoff round for the third time in four years since their 2020 NBA title. “They have a championship confidence,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said about the Nuggets. “That starting group has been together for a long time. Their net rating is off the charts as a starting group. They had guys step up and make plays.” Davis and James were outstanding once again, but they can't do it alone. The Lakers missed 15 of their first 16 3-point attempts in Game 3, going nearly 34 minutes between 3-point buckets. D’Angelo Russell went scoreless in 24 minutes of play for the Lakers, who got only two assists out of their inconsistent third option on offense. Russell missed all seven of his shots, including six 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Gordon had the highest-scoring playoff game of his 10 NBA seasons, highlighted by 10 points in the third quarter while Denver took control. Jokic also made nine of his 13 shots and barely missed his 17th career postseason triple-double. The second-seeded Nuggets began their title defense with two wins in Denver, pulling away late in Game 1 before snatching Game 2 with a furious comeback capped by Murray’s winning jumper at the buzzer. After blowing a 20-point lead in the second half of Game 2, the seventh-seeded Lakers were left feeling frustrated, outmanned - and occasionally confused, according to Davis, who said the Lakers sometimes don’t know what they’re doing when faced with Denver’s offensive versatility. None of those problems had been alleviated in Game 3, and now the Lakers are one loss away from the end of James' remarkable 21st NBA season. Los Angeles hadn't played a home game in 16 days, and it has won just once at home since March 24. “Just last season, I was up 3-0 and ended up in a Game 7,” said Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who played for the Miami Heat last season when they nearly blew a 3-0 lead on Boston. “Crazier things have happened.” But the Nuggets went 16-4 in last season’s playoffs, and they appear capable of another steamroll through the postseason after comfortably handling the talented Lakers through three games. Russell's disappearing act was compounded by another quiet game from starter Rui Hachimura, who had only five points while taking four shots in 28 minutes. Denver turned a small halftime deficit into a 10-point lead with a 24-10 run to start the second half led by Gordon and Murray, who combined for 19 points in the third quarter. The Lakers never got closer than eight points down the stretch in the fourth quarter. While the Lakers' fans left the building in the final minutes, a small group in the Lakers' end chanted “Fire Darvin!” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

THUNDER ROLL TO 2-0 LEAD! SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER'S 33 POINTS LEAD THUNDER PAST PELICANS 124-92 AS OKC TAKES A 2-0 LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Just a few days ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like a young team struggling through their first playoff game together. On Wednesday night, they looked like grizzled playoff veterans. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the top-seeded Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder remained focused instead of worrying about outside issues such as other highly seeded teams struggling at home. “I think it just goes back to us prioritizing winning,” he said. “And all those things are distractions that get in the way of winning. And every night, all 15 of us go to bed and want to win the next game, want to win the next day. And we do everything we can to do so.” Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds and Jalen Williams added 21 points for the Thunder, who shot 59% from the field and made 14 of 29 3-pointers. Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram added 18 each for the Pelicans. In Game 1, Valanciunas had 20 rebounds, including nine offensive, and the Pelicans outrebounded the Thunder 52-44. On Wednesday, Oklahoma City outrebounded New Orleans 37-35 and held the Pelicans to eight offensive boards. The Pelicans continued to struggle on offense without top scorer Zion Williamson, who remained out with a strained left hamstring. Ingram, New Orleans' No. 2 scorer in the regular season, got off just 10 shots in Game 2 as Oklahoma City's Lu Dort harassed him throughout the night. Ingram made just 5 of 17 field goals in Game 1. The Thunder also scored 22 points off New Orleans’ 18 turnovers. Game 3 is Saturday in New Orleans. “Now, the challenge is to continue to grow and learn and improve with the series because the Pelicans are going to improve," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They’re a good team that’s going home and they’re well coached. They’re going to get better. You know so we have to continue to get better.” The pace picked up significantly from Sunday's game, which Oklahoma City won 94-92. The Thunder, who averaged 120.1 points in the regular season, were much more comfortable with it. “In the first game, I thought both teams were kind of calibrating," Daigneault said. "And, tonight we had much quicker recognition of the way that they were guarding us, where we wanted to attack, and we got to those things pretty well.” Valanciunas scored 11 points in the first three minutes, but Holmgren countered with 13 points in the first seven minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander picked up where Holmgren left off. He didn't score for the first nine minutes, then scored seven in the final three minutes of the quarter to help the Thunder take a 35-22 lead. Holmgren's 15 points were the most by a Thunder rookie in any quarter of a playoff game. “I thought they turned up the pressure offensively,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “They got some early 3's and that opened the floodgates up for them.” Oklahoma City led 63-50 at halftime. Holmgren scored 20 points and Gilgeous-Alexander added 16 before the break. The Thunder extended their lead to 92-74 at the end of the third, and Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren went to the bench for good with the Thunder leading 120-86 in the fourth. “Tough one for us,” Green said. “Give them credit, they took care of home court. It was a dominant win for them. So we’ll get home, we’ll regroup and get back after it.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

HEAT SHOOT TO GAME 2 WIN! HERRO SCORES 24, HEAT HIT FRANCHISE PLAYOFF-RECORD 23 3S TO BEAT BOSTON AND EVEN SERIES 1-1. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es BOSTON (AP) The Miami Heat beat Boston with an unprecedented barrage of 3-pointers on Wednesday night to erase the home-court advantage the Celtics worked all season to establish. Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami's 23 3-pointers - the most in a playoff game in franchise history - to lead the Heat to a 111-101 victory over top-seeded Boston and tie the first-round playoff series at one game apiece. “It was a very good response,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then we also made some shots. It always looks better when you make shots.” Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and new Celtics nemesis Caleb Martin also had 21 points for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23 of 43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a Game 1 blowout. That broke Miami's playoff record of 20 3-pointers, set against the Bucks in the 2021 first round. “They obviously made a conscious effort to have free reign to shoot more,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. And shoot and shoot and shoot. Playing their third straight game without playoff stalwart Jimmy Butler, who was injured in the opening play-in game, Miami shot better than 50% from 3-point range in each of the first three quarters (and a still productive 4 of 10 in the fourth). After Boston cut an 11-point lead to six, 102-96, with 3:16 to play, Martin hit a 3 and Boston never got as close as two possessions again. “You have to take ‘em, based on how they were playing us the first two games,” said Spoelstra, who saw Boston hit 22 3-pointers to Miami’s 12 in the opener. “I did not want to get annihilated in that department like we did the game before.” Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for Boston. Jayson Tatum scored 28, showing no ill-effects of Martin’s hard foul that sent him crashing to the floor with under a minute to play in Boston’s 114-94 victory on Sunday. Tatum got up off the parquet floor. But so did Miami. “It seemed we couldn’t get them to miss," Brown said. "They had a record-breaking night. ... They made a lot of shots that usually we’re comfortable with.” The series moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday. “It’s always a good thing if you can get one on the road,” Martin said. “You always look to try to steal one. We were able to do that.” The Celtics won 64 games in the regular season to claim home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, but they didn’t make very good use of it on Wednesday despite a crowd that was still fired up over seeing their star land hard in the series opener. Tatum had his first career playoff triple-double on Sunday, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists in game in which Boston led by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter. But the big question was how he would bounce back after getting undercut by Martin while going after a rebound. Tatum started Game 2 and had 14 points in the first quarter. And Martin was heartily booed every time he touched the ball. It only seemed to energize him and the Heat, who needed to win a play-in game to earn the right to face the Celtics. “He’s a competitor. He’s the ultimate X factor,” Spoelstra said. “He’s the X factor of X factors.” Miami led by five, 55-50, with two minutes left in the first half before Brown hit three straight 3-pointers to open a four-point lead. Brown missed a 3 the next time down, but his layup in the final seconds made it 61-58 at the half. Miami went on a 10-0 run to take an 82-70 lead with under four minutes to play in the third before the Celtics cut it to six. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy," Tatum said. "There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently. ... It’s never going to go exactly as people expect it to go and that’s the beauty of it.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

SIAKAM DROPS 37 ON BUCKS🔥 PASCAL SIAKAM LEADS RESURGENT PACERS OFFENSE IN 125-108 VICTORY THAT EVENS SERIES WITH BUCKS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es MILWAUKEE (AP) As a former champion on a team without much postseason experience, Pascal Siakam understands what it’s going to take for the Indiana Pacers to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Siakam’s certainly doing his part. The former Toronto Raptors forward scored 37 points and the Pacers overcame another fantastic first-half performance from Damian Lillard to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-108 on Tuesday night and tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece. Game 3 is Friday in Indianapolis. “We’ve got to be the hungry team," Siakam said. “We’ve got to be the team that’s coming in and wanting to show something. That’s the attitude that we’ve got to have against those guys, because they’ve done it before.” The Pacers had plenty of appetite Tuesday as they snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak that began with a Game 7 loss to Cleveland in a 2018 first-round series. Indiana acquired Siakam in January in part because of his experience as a member of the 2019 Toronto Raptors championship team. He followed up his 36-point performance in Game 1 by shooting 16 of 23 from the floor and finishing with 11 rebounds and six assists on Tuesday. According to Stats Perform, Siakam is the first NBA player to open a postseason with consecutive 35-point, 10-rebound performances since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. “His experience in the playoffs is so valuable,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He's not a guy that's going to get rattled by anything. Never has once since January, since we got him. He's a guy that people confide in and look up to." The Pacers needed Siakam to step up because Lillard was once again coming up huge for the Bucks, at least in the first two periods. Two nights after scoring all 35 of his points in the first half of the Bucks’ 109-94 Game 1 victory, Lillard had 26 by halftime Tuesday and finished with 34. It wasn’t enough. “I think both games we had a lot of success in the first two quarters mainly, and then in the second half we kind of get away from the things we had a lot of success doing,” Lillard said. Lillard didn’t get enough help with the Bucks once again missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a strained left calf. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since he was hurt in an April 9 victory over the Boston Celtics. Even after Lillard's big early onslaught, the Bucks still trailed 60-55 at halftime. Indiana stayed ahead throughout the second half. “We were more consistent, played with more force, played with more attitude,” Carlisle said. “There were some tough stretches in the game. I liked the way we kept our poise and our aggression. We kept attacking.” The Pacers led the NBA with 123.3 points per game during the regular season but posted their lowest point total and field-goal percentage (.396) while shooting 8 of 38 on 3-pointers in Game 1. This time, Indiana looked more like the team that won four of five regular-season matchups with the Bucks while scoring at least 122 points in each. “I thought we struggled execution-wise on the offensive end, and I thought that bled over to the defensive end,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought it was more our offense tonight.” Myles Turner scored 22 points and Andrew Nembhard 20 for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton had 12 points and 12 assists. Milwaukee's Brook Lopez scored 22 points and shot 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Khris Middleton scored 15 points. Bobby Portis had 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucks cut Indiana's lead to one late in the third quarter and got it down to four in the opening minutes of the fourth. The Pacers responded each time and pushed their lead to 23 in the fourth quarter by following Siakam's advice. “He’s established himself on a our team as a veteran leader, as somewhat of a mentor because he’s been there,” Carlisle said. “He’s constantly saying, ‘Keep your edge. Keep your edge. Keep your edge.’ He’s been through these things too many times.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

DONCIC, MAVS EVEN SERIES! LUKA DONCIC AND KYRIE IRVING LEAD MAVS OVER CLIPPERS 96-93 TO TIE SERIES AS KAWHI LEONARD RETURNS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es LOS ANGELES (AP) Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back to take away home-court advantage from the Los Angeles Clippers and newly returned and rusty Kawhi Leonard. Doncic scored 32 points, Irving added 23 and the Mavs won 96-93 on Tuesday night to tie their Western Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece. “Obviously it was a must-win and everybody was locked in,” said P.J. Washington Jr., who had a big fourth quarter and finished with 18 points. “They punched us in the mouth in Game 1 and we just wanted to respond.” Game 3 is Friday in Dallas. Leonard had 15 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of his first game since March 31. He hadn’t played or had any contact practices during that stretch because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. “I felt good,” Leonard said. “We still got more games to play and more time to get better. Just keep trying to get a rhythm back.” The Mavs led most of the game two days after they trailed by 29 points and eventually lost 109-97. “We played 48 minutes of physical basketball,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Both teams were under 100. It was '90s basketball at its best.” Paul George and James Harden led the Clippers with 22 points each. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 12 rebounds. The team shot 37% from the floor and made just 8 of 30 3-pointers. Leonard appeared to pick up steam after halftime and was more active defensively. “Kawhi is one of the best in the world,” George said. “He's going to find his rhythm and we're going to find our rhythm around him.” Plagued by poor shooting and behind for much of the game, the Clippers began rallying in the third. Trailing by seven, they outscored the Mavs 19-10 down the stretch to take a 66-65 lead into the fourth. Doncic tied the game at 65-all before getting called for a technical. Harden’s free throw provided the narrow lead. “It's been a long time since he got a technical, so I think he was just trying to see if he could get a technical,” Kidd said. “He is using that to get himself going.” The Clippers kept it up in the fourth, taking a 73-67 lead. That’s when the Mavs scored 14 straight points to take an 81-73 lead. Washington hit a 3-pointer in front of the Clippers' bench, and Doncic and Irving followed with ones of their own in the spurt. Zubac's dunk cut the Clippers' deficit to 84-81 before Maxi Kleber and Doncic sank consecutive 3s. “The second half is the way we should play the whole game,” Doncic said. “We got to learn from that.” The Clippers trailed 93-90 on Leonard's basket with 20 seconds left. Irving was called for a foul, which the Mavs challenged and got it overturned. Irving made 3 of 4 free throws before George sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer. “I had two timeouts and we felt we could burn one on a challenge,” Kidd said. “Kyrie said he hit the basketball and he was right.” Mavs starting center Daniel Gafford hurt his lower back three minutes into the game, but returned in the second quarter although he was scoreless. Tim Hardaway Jr. sprained his right ankle and didn't return. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

JAMAL MURRAY SINKS SHOT AT BUZZER TO CAP 20-POINT COMEBACK AND LEAD NUGGETS PAST LAKERS 101-99! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es DENVER (AP) Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't. Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit. Murray tumbled into the Nuggets' bench along with Davis just as his shot fluttered the net and the roar from the crowd shook Ball Arena. “I just lost my balance and fell. I think A.D. was in my way or somebody was in my way and I just heard everybody scream and that's how I knew it went in," said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers. More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night. Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was easily the most flustered, frazzled and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets would lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days. “I told my teammates when I was struggling, ‘I’m gonna look for y'all,' and every single one of them told me to keep shooting,” recounted Murray, who did just in going 6-for-8 for 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points. “They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep hunting and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I had made a couple, the next one should go down, as well.” Nuggets coach Michael Malone chose not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound off LeBron James' missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game knotted up at 99. “We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set?” Malone reasoned. “Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.” Murray faked like he was going to take a 3-pointer, got A.D. to close and then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for the clear look. “That's Jamal Murray right there," Malone said. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he's never shying away from the moment, the spotlight. And that was just an incredible play.” Nikola Jokic said Murray “made the tough shots today and he missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.” Asked to go though that final sequence, Davis demurred, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then standing up, dropping the mic - and not figuratively - and walking off from the postgame podium. Jokic posted a triple-double with 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver. Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 and D'Angelo Russell added 23 with a career playoff-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers build a 59-44 lead at the break. The Lakers stretched their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter. “I don't have a 20-point play,” Malone said. “You've got to just keep chipping away.” That, they did, finally tying it at 95-all on Porter's 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the frenzied final minute. “A 20-point lead in this league, it's not safe, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We've got to do better. But we had our chances.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Today at STATION KICKS, we present to you a HISTORICAL ICON IN THE HISTORY OF SNEAKERS, AIR JORDAN 12 FLU GAME🔥 The Air Jordan 12 Flu Game stands as a historic milestone in the world of basketball sneakers. Worn by the legendary Michael Jordan during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, this iconic shoe has left an indelible mark on both sports and sneaker culture. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating story behind the Air Jordan 12 Flu Game and incredible return for 2025. Follow STATION KICKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #nbaplayoffs #jordan #airjordan #sneakers #sneaker #sneakerhead #sneakernews #basketball #nba #michaeljordan #flugame - AIR JORDAN 12 “FLU GAME” RETURNS SPRING 2025🔥 | STATION KICKS, AIR JORDAN 12 FLU GAME, AIR JORDAN 12 “FLU GAME” RETURNS SPRING 2025, Complex, Sneaker, Sneakers, Sneakers News, “Flu Game”, Chicago Bulls, Air Jordan Releases, Jordan Releases, Jordan Releases 2025, Michael Jordan Flu Game 1997 NBA Finals Game 5, Fresh Pair PH, ANTHONY EDWARDS CHIRPS AT KEVIN DURANT, TORCHES SUNS IN ADIDAS AE1 LOW, JORDAN 4 MILITARY BLUE SNEAKERS, JORDAN 4 MILITARY BLUE, SneakerFiles.com, nbaplayoffs, Sports, Sports News, WeGotKicks Goes Shopping For Sneakers At COOLKICKS, COOLKICKS, Huge SOLD OUT Sneaker Unboxing!, Feet Review, Seth Fowler, YEEZYS Are BACK! Travis Scott Jordan Shock Drop!? & More!, Elliot Page, STATION KICKS,

SGA, THUNDER HANG ON🔥 SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER SCORES 28 POINTS AS TOP-SEEDED THUNDER EDGE PELICANS 94-92 IN GAME 1. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Hours after the NBA announced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected as a finalist for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, Oklahoma City's All-Star guard showed why. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, and the top-seeded Thunder edged the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Sunday night. New Orleans' CJ McCollum missed a leaning 3-pointer in the closing seconds and the Thunder held on to win their first home playoff game since 2019. “I thought we showed great grit down the stretch," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Obviously, that was a tight game. It was a bit of a brawl for both teams offensively. And we made plays defensively down the stretch - big time plays - and had the resolve to go in and win the game.” Jalen Williams scored 19 points and Chet Holmgren added 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday night. Trey Murphy III scored 21 points, McCollum had 20 and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and 20 rebounds for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson, New Orleans’ leading scorer in the regular season, sat out with a strained left hamstring. Gilgeous-Alexander made an off-balance jumper in the paint with 32.5 seconds left to break a 90-all tie and was fouled on the play. With the crowd chanting “M-V-P!” Gilgeous-Alexander made the free throw to put Oklahoma City ahead 93-90. “I set a screen on the ball," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And they switched on Dub (Williams). And then I just caught the ball at the elbow and just tried to be aggressive and make a play that I’ve made before.” McCollum's mid-range jumper made it 93-92. Holmgren was fouled with 14 seconds left. He missed the first free throw and made the second to put the Thunder ahead 94-92 and set up McCollum's final shot. Thunder rookie Cason Wallace forced him to scramble and take a difficult shot. “I got the switch," McCollum said. "I should have attacked a little earlier, a little faster. But credit, it was good defense. ... I thought it was cash and I missed it long.” The energy from the Oklahoma City fans - most wearing white Thunder T-shirts - was off the charts, and Holmgren brought them to a fever pitch by opening the scoring with a 3-pointer. “It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They were exactly what I expected. ... They were perfect.” The game was tied at 17 at the end of the first quarter and tied at 43 at halftime. The Thunder held New Orleans to 34% shooting in the first half, but missed a lot of open shots. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 points before the break. New Orleans led 50-48 in the third quarter before the Thunder went on an 11-0 run over a three-minute span that put them up 59-50. New Orleans recovered to briefly take the lead, but Oklahoma City closed the third quarter strong. Isaiah Joe hit a 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left in the quarter to put the Thunder up 74-68 heading into the fourth. New Orleans missed several opportunities to seize control in the final quarter. “We had quality shots coming down the stretch that we just didn’t make, and it came down to the final play," Pelicans coach Willie Green said. "Our guys fought all night. Defense was solid. Game plan was executed at a high level. We’ve got to knock down some shots.” It was a defensive battle between teams that both averaged more than 115 points in the regular season. “This is what it’s going to be,” Green said. “We’re physical with them, they’re physical with us and that’s a part of the game. That’s a part of playoff basketball.” Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

THE HEAT ARE HEADED TO BOSTON AFTER OUSTING THE BULLS 112-91 IN EAST PLAY-IN FINALE! MIAMI (AP) The chants started raining down in the fourth quarter. “We want Boston,” the Miami Heat crowd kept shouting, over and over. The fans got their wish. And a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference finals awaits in Round 1 this year. Miami - even with Jimmy Butler sidelined for several weeks with a sprained knee - is back in the playoffs. Tyler Herro scored 24 points and was an assist shy of a triple-double, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 21 points and the Heat grabbed the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Chicago Bulls 112-91 in a play-in tournament elimination game Friday night. “I have an appreciation for the things you can’t buy, the things that you have to earn," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had to earn this. You can’t influence it. You can't pay money for it. You actually have to collectively come together to earn it - and we had to do it the hard way, just to get this first ticket punched for the invitation to this dance.” Kevin Love scored 16 and Bam Adebayo added 13 for Miami, which is now set to be huge underdogs against a Celtics team that is the big favorite to win the NBA title. The Heat are the No. 8 seed again, just like last year when they survived the play-in and went all the way to the NBA Finals. “Ultimately, we’ve just got to bring that Miami Heat culture and that toughness,” Jaquez said. “We’ve got two games in Boston. We’ve got to set the tone extremely early, impose our will on them and make it real physical.” They took control over the Bulls with a 19-0 run in the first quarter, and a 14-0 run midway through the second half ended all doubt. Herro finished with 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the Heat eliminated the Bulls in the last East play-in game for the second straight year. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points for the Bulls, who got 16 points, 14 rebounds and five assists from Nikola Vucevic. Coby White scored 13 for Chicago, which was trying to become the fifth team in the last 35 years to make the playoffs after not spending a single day all season over the .500 mark. “It was tough,” DeRozan said. “We missed a lot of easy shots.” Chicago shot only 38%, with the Heat defense carrying the day. “These games, they’re going to be like that,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s going to be ugly, grind-out. Could we have been better in those areas? Probably. I wouldn’t say we were perfect. I thought our guys were trying to compete.” The 19-0 run - which matched Miami’s longest run of consecutive points all season, done two other times - put the Heat on top, turning an 11-6 deficit into an early 25-11 lead. Jaquez and Nikola Jovic combined for 11 points in the burst, which fueled Miami taking a 17-point lead after one quarter and pushing it to 20 in the second quarter. It was a rare stretch of decent offense on a gritty, gutty, win-or-go-home night. The Heat managed only 13 points in the second and still went into the half with a 47-37 lead, because the Bulls were even colder from the field. Chicago started 4 for 5, then went 8 for 39 over the rest of the half. The Heat started 8 for 9, then finished the half by going 9 for 35. This is how bad it was: Chicago missed 14 of 15 shots in one stretch, while Miami had spans of 0 for 8 and 0 for 6. But the Heat had the two big runs - and now are back as the No. 8 seed, the one they rode all the way to the NBA Finals last season. It'll be far more difficult this time against a Boston team that won an NBA-best 64 games this season and is likely still smarting from losing a Game 7 of last year's East finals to the Heat at home. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be in the playoffs," Spoelstra said. “I’m grateful for this locker room to have this opportunity. And I think they’re appreciative of it, as well.” Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

INGRAM, VALANCIUNAS LIFT ZION-LESS PELICANS PAST KINGS AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS! NEW ORLEANS (AP) Hustle plays and production from up and down the lineup helped the New Orleans Pelicans overcome the absence of leading-scorer Zion Williamson, keep their season alive and avoid a historically significant loss. Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans booked a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a play-in tournament elimination game on Friday night. “We stayed together. We we supported each other. We played for each other," Valanciunas said. “We all want to get to the playoffs. And we did it by playing good basketball, by supporting each other, helping each other on defense, on offense, sharing the ball, you know, making a right play. It's fun basketball to play that way.” Williamson was sidelined by a left hamstring strain that occurred as he reached the 40-point mark in a play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Undaunted, New Orleans used a balanced approach to improve to 8-5 this season without Williamson. Six players scored 10 or more points, including reserves Larry Nance Jr. (13), Naji Marshall (11) and Jose Alvarado (10). “You get 34 points from your bench, it’s a great night for them, a tough night for us,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. Trey Murphy III, starting because of Williamson's absence, added 16 points for New Orleans, which begins a first-round playoff series on Sunday at top-seeded Oklahoma City. “It feels good. This was a goal at the beginning of the year," Ingram said of clinching a playoff berth. "We had another opportunity today and we came in and everybody contributed.” De'Aaron Fox scored 35 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the ninth-seeded Kings, who set up their matchup with New Orleans by defeating No. 10 seed Golden State in their play-in opener. “We were a little passive offensively and not all of us were aggressive with our play tonight," Brown said, alluding to a combined 4-for-17 shooting from young starters Keegan Murray (4 for 12) and Keon Ellis (0 for 5). “We have to be able to get the ball in the paint,” added Brown, whose team was outscored 58-44 inside and missed seven of 22 free throws. “You’ve got to be able to finish and you’ve got to get to the free throw line and convert.” The game was a test of the Pelicans' ability to handle the pressure of a do-or-die game after squandering two previous chances to lock up a playoff berth at home. New Orleans lost to the Lakers in their regular-season finale on Sunday, missing a chance to clinch the sixth seed, before losing again to the Lakers on Tuesday. They entered their matchup with the Kings facing the possibility of becoming the first 49-win team in more than 50 years (Phoenix in 1972) to miss the NBA playoffs. Instead, New Orleans improved to 6-0 against Sacramento this season, becoming the first team to go 6-0 in a season (without a playoff series) against an opponent since Denver against Minnesota in 1994-95. “We deserved it. That’s how we felt coming into this game,” Nance said. “We deserve to be in the playoffs. You don't win 49 games by accident.” The Pelicans also prolonged a streak of No. 7 seeds never missing the playoffs since the play-in tournament was adopted by the NBA in 2020. Because of their play-in loss to the Lakers, the Pelicans enter the playoffs as an eighth seed. The Pelicans were sloppy early, committing six first-quarter turnovers that led to 11 Kings points. Sacramento, which was missing Malik Monk (right knee) and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder) from its lineup, led 24-17 after a turnover by Herb Jones led to a layup by Fox, who scored 18 points in the first half. CJ McCollum's reverse layup and Murphy's 3 helped the Pelicans quickly closed the gap, and New Orleans built a 13-point lead in the second quarter. Marshall gave the Pelicans a jolt with a 3 and a steal from Murray that he converted into a breakaway dunk. Murray hurt his hip when he fell while losing the ball. He went to the locker room shortly after, but returned for the second half. Valanciunas' short hook shot and Ingram's layup put the Pelicans up 53-40 late in the half before Fox's 3 helped the Kings trim it to 54-45 at halftime. But the Pelicans maintained a lead of 10 or more points for much of the second half, going up by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

TODAY ON STATION KICKS... KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK! Learn about the history of this legendary Sneaker, its participation in the adidas 'Feet You Wear' campaign and the characteristics once known as the KB8 II. Set to release in Spring 2024, the Crazy 98 pays tribute to Bryant's enduring legacy on the basketball court🔥 Follow STATION KICKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #kobebryant #kobe #adidas #adidasbasketball #sneakers #sneaker #snkrs #sneakernews #sneakerhead #sneakerheads #trending #sportsnews #viral - KOBE BRYANT’S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 RETURNS APRIL 2024, “Crazy 98” for the Spring 2024 release, Kobe, Kobe Bryant’s, Kobe Bryant, Adidas Kobe, Adidas KB8 II, adidas Crazy 98 “Core Black” , ADIDAS CRAZY 98, ADIDAS CRAZY 98 RETURNS APRIL 2024, KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK! 🔥| STATION KICKS, KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK!, NBA Playoffs, Playoffs, Nike GT Cut 3 Performance Review, WearTesters, Jordan 4 Military Blue, Unexpected.. Jordan 4 Military Blue Review & On Foot, RANKING Air Jordan 4 ORIGINAL 1989 Sneaker Collection, Sneakers Collection, FIRST LOOK, Top 15 Latest Nike shoes for the month of April 2024, Lakers, Nike, Nike kobe, Ralph Tiama, Sneakers Retro, Retro Kicks, Kicks News, NBA Kicks, Sneakers 90´s, Retro nba, nba retro,AIR JORDAN 1 HIGH 85 BRED 2025, JORDAN 6 OLYMPIC, J BALVIN AJ 3 RIO, KD 4 NERF + MORE, AIR JORDAN 1 HIGH 85 BRED 2025,

KNICKS SECURE NO. 2 SEED! BRUNSON CARRIES KNICKS INTO NO. 2 SEED IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, SCORES 40 POINTS IN OT WIN OVER BULLS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es NEW YORK (AP) Jalen Brunson didn't know where things stood around the NBA as the Knicks were deep into their final game of the regular season. A win meant the No. 2 seed and a loss was going to keep them at No. 3. But Tom Thibodeau's team doesn't worry about who it plays next week. It just wants to beat the one in front of them that day. “I think when you have competitors, it doesn't matter. Competitors compete,” Thibodeau said. That mentality drove Brunson to one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, which he capped with his 11th 40-point game to carry the Knicks into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 120-119 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Knicks finished 50-32, their best season since going 54-28 and also earning a No. 2 seed in 2012-13. They moved past Milwaukee after the Bucks lost earlier Sunday in Orlando, and will await the winner of the play-in game between Philadelphia and Miami on Wednesday. “It’s a goal to be the best team we can be by the end of the year, and for us now it’s just move on from that,” Brunson said. “It’s something to be crossed off and have to get better from here.” Brunson finished with 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and tied Patrick Ewing for the second-most 40-point games in one season by a Knicks player. Hall of Famer Bernard King did it 13 times in 1984-85, when he set a franchise record with 32.9 points per game. Brunson finished up at 28.7, tying Carmelo Anthony for third. His 36 30-point games tied Richie Guerin (1961-62) and Ewing (1989-90) for the most in Knicks history. Donte DiVincenzo added 25 points for the Knicks while playing all but 30 seconds of the 53-minute game. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points for the Bulls, but one of the NBA's best clutch finishers missed a short jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining in OT. Nic Vucevic added 29 points and 11 rebounds, and Coby White scored 26 points. Chicago finished ninth in the East at 39-43 and will host No. 10 Atlanta on Wednesday. If they win that, the Bulls will have to beat the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game on the road Friday to earn the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. Despite having one of the only playoff scenarios that was determined going into the final day of the regular season, the Bulls opted to play their healthy players throughout the game, and DeRozan said he was angry about his missed shot that ultimately meant nothing to his team. “Everybody out there wanted to win,” DeRozan said. “So I don’t know, it just felt like one of those games like we were playing for something, and we are.” Coach Billy Donovan said Ayo Dosunmu (bruised right quadricep) and Andre Drummond (sprained left ankle) were both still feeling pain and discomfort and was unsure if either would be ready for Wednesday's win-or-out game. Milwaukee and Cleveland both lost when they had a track to the No. 2 seed, with a matchup against the defending East champion Heat or a healthy Joel Embiid and the 76ers not exactly a reward for that finish. But the Knicks played it out and won their final five games, finishing higher in the standings than when they lost All-Star Julius Randle for the season in January. “You don’t have to wind these guys up and that’s what I love about them,” Thibodeau said. “Sometimes we’re not going to be perfect, we’ll make some mistakes, but they’re going to compete and I think that’s important.” The Knicks played the second half without center Mitchell Robinson, who recently returned from ankle surgery. Thibodeau said he was told during the game that Robinson was unavailable for the second half but didn't know the details. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es JAZZ BEAT CLIPPERS 110-109, LA EARNS HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE FOR 1ST ROUND AND LOCKS IN 4TH SEED. LOS ANGELES (AP) Reserve Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored a season-high 27 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Clippers 110-109 on Friday night after playoff-bound Los Angeles clinched the fourth seed in the West. Bones Hyland led the Clippers with 20 points off the bench and Amir Coffey added 16. Dallas' loss to Detroit ensured the Clippers' seeding and put the Mavericks in fifth before the Clippers tipped off. The Mavs and Clippers will meet in the first round for the third time in five years. “Getting the fourth seed in a tough conference - you got four teams that won 50 games - it means a lot to have the homecourt advantage in the first round,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Winning our (Pacific) division for the first time in 10 years says a lot about just staying with it even through tough times.” Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his seventh straight game with right knee inflammation and is not expected back until the playoffs start next weekend. “Hopefully, he will be playing,” Lue said. “That is what we want to see.” The Clippers beat Denver, Utah, Cleveland and Phoenix shortly after Leonard went down. “To win four games in a row against some good teams with Kawhi being out just shows what we've done to progress and get better,” Lue said, “because before it was hard to win without him on the floor.” Already eliminated, the Jazz managed to win their second straight game for the first time since Feb. 4-6. They snapped a 12-game skid Thursday with a win over Houston, another team that's already been eliminated. “Proud of the guys. It's hard to win back-to-back nights,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “We've struggled on the road this season.” Paul George, who played just eight minutes, and Ivica Zubac added 10 points each for the Clippers, who routed the Jazz by 29 points a week ago. Hyland gave the Clippers a 105-104 lead on a drive in the fourth. The Jazz answered with six in a row to go up 110-105. Los Angeles got within a point with 31 seconds to go on Brandon Boston Jr.'s basket. But Xavier Moon missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer. The Clippers led by 13 in the first half. The Jazz scored the first nine points of the third to lead 69-60 and went into the fourth ahead 86-85. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es BRUNSON SCORES 39 POINTS, KNICKS BEAT CELTICS TO KEEP UP PUSH FOR NO. 2 SEED IN EASTERN CONFERENCE. BOSTON (AP) Jalen Brunson scored 39 points in three quarters and the New York Knicks kept up their quest to finish with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 118-109 on Thursday night. “We made shots and made the right plays,” Brunson said. “Obviously, we know they’re the top dog in the East. Whenever you play against them, it’s always a good measuring stick to see where you’re at. We played pretty well, but we know what they’re capable of doing. We just had their number tonight.” One day after clinching a playoff spot, the Knicks pulled within a game of the Milwaukee Bucks for second, with each team having two games remaining. New York would have to win both and have the Bucks lose their games at Oklahoma City and Orlando, because Milwaukee has the head-to-head tiebreaker. Brunson shot 15 of 23 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Backcourt mate Donte DiVincenzo had 17 points and Josh Hart finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds. New York also received a lift off the bench from its primary acquisition at the trade deadline, as Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 points. Playing in his first game against Boston since getting traded to the Knicks in late December, OG Anuoby had 12 points. “We got stops, got out and scored and JB was getting in the paint and doing his thing,” Anuoby said. “We all do it together.” Jayson Tatum scored 18 points for Boston. Payton Pritchard had 16 points off the bench and Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser each had 15. The Celtics were badly beaten on the glass as the Knicks decisively won the rebounding battle (52-36) and had 22 second-chance points compared to Boston’s 12. “It stings to have this loss, but maybe we need this before heading into the postseason with a killer mentality,” center Kristaps Porzingis said after Boston dropped its second straight. “It’s not who we are. This is not the team our fans love. That wasn’t on display. You best believe we’ll show up when we have to. We know what the goal is and make no mistake about it.” Despite having already clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Celtics took the court with their top eight players. With the Knicks up 29, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla opened the fourth quarter with a unit entirely of reserves. Brunson’s night was also done with one quarter to spare as New York denied Boston’s bid of a season sweep of its Atlantic Division rival. “We got out-toughed the last two games and haven’t played to our standard,” Brown said. “The game has shifted and it’s going to shift even more in the playoffs.” The Celtics shot 11 of 19 overall and 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, yet trailed 32-29 after one quarter. Hart set the tone for a productive opening quarter for the Knicks, who at one point were shooting 69% from the field. New York was ahead 47-45 in the second quarter before ripping off 17 straight points as part of a half-closing 22-3 run over the final 6 1/2 minutes that made it 69-48 at the break. Brunson helped the Knicks extend their lead to as high as 31 points as the All-Star guard turned it up several notches in the third quarter, piling up 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. “The ball went in a lot tonight,” Brunson said. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

TODAY ON STATION KICKS... We get into the new introduction of the Air Jordan 3, the A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3 collection will offer a “Black” version. With a launch scheduled for July 18, 2024, will we see this Sneaker on the NBA courts? Follow the STATION KICKS channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #sneakers #basketball #nbakicks #nba #jordan #airjordan #airjordan3 #michaeljordan #firstlook #sneakernews #nike #nikebasketball #sports #news #viral #sportsnews #sneaker #sneakerreview - TAGS - VICTOR WEMBANYAMA X NIKE GT HUSTLE 2 “ALIEN”, A MA MANIERE X AIR JORDAN 3 “BLACK” RELEASES JULY 2024, LANZAMIENTOS DE A MA MANIERE X AIR JORDAN 3 “BLACK” EN JULIO DE 2024, A MA MANIERE X AIR JORDAN 3 “BLACK”🔥 RELEASES JULY 2024 | STATION KICKS, A MA MANIERE X AIR JORDAN 3 “BLACK”, A MA MANIERE, AIR JORDAN 3 “BLACK”, AIR JORDAN 3, first look, AIR JORDAN 9 COOL GREY 2025, A MA MANIERE AIR JORDAN 3 BLACK, NINA CHANEL ABNEY AIR JORDAN 3 + MORE, SneakerFiles.com, They're Bringing Back a Classic and They're Actually Nice, WearTesters, Top 10 BEST Nike Sneakers 2024, TOP BEST SNEAKERS, Elliot Page, STATION KICKS, VIRAL, VIRAL VIDEO, TRENDING, TRENDING VIDEO, SPORTS, SPORTS NEWS, NEWS, Top 10 Most COMFORTABLE Sneakers of 2024, Seth Fowler, SNEAKERS FANS, SNEAKERS LOVERS, SNEAKERS HEADS,

Today on STATION KCIKS... We'll be taking a first look at VICTOR WEMBANYAMA's NIKE GT HUSTLE 2 “ALIEN”, scheduled to release on May 3, 2024. Get ready to take a step into the future with these new sneakers 🚀 Follow STATION KICKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #victorwembanyama #wemby #nba #sneakers #nike TAGS These ARE SELLING OUT INSTANTLY ! EARLY Look at The BIGGEST Sneaker Release of APRIL, WEMBANYAMA, VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, nike, nike basketball, viral, Trending, Sports, Sports News, STATION KICKS, First look,NIKE GT HUSTLE 2 “ALIEN”, Sneakers, Sneakers News, nba Kicks, RELEASES MAY, SNEAKERS RELEASES, ALIEN, ADIDAS, JORDAN, NIKE, Nonstop, NBA TOPS PLAYS OF THE NIGHT, NBA TODAY, NBA TV, NBA LIVE, NBA TODAY, SNEAKERS HEAD, SNEAKERS HEADS, SNEAKERS FANS, SNEAKERS LOVE, SNEAKERS DROP, DROP, RELEASES, SAN ANTONIO SPURS, BASKET, BASQUET, BASKETBALL, VIDEO, VIDEOS, VIDEO VIRAL, STATION KICKS, HOOPS, INSANE ENDING,

ZUBAC GETS BIG FOR LA! GEORGE, CLIPPERS OVERCOME JOKIC'S TRIPLE-DOUBLE AND HANG ON TO BEAT NUGGETS 102-100. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es LOS ANGELES (AP) Paul George scored 28 points, James Harden added 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame an early 17-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 102-100 on Thursday night. The Clippers snapped a five-game skid at home despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who missed his second straight game because of a sore right knee. “All in all, it was a good win for us,” Harden said. “The first quarter we got down and didn't panic and the second quarter we made some shots. Defensively, we locked in.” Nikola Jokic had 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists - his 24th triple-double of the season - to lead Denver, but missed a potential winning 3-point attempt as time expired. Aaron Gordon added 18 points. Denver had won two in a row and six of eight. “Kawhi didn't play but they have multiple guys who can defend multiple positions. That's why they're so good,” Jokic said. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ejected with 7:54 remaining in the game. He came on the court to argue with the officials and was hit with two technical fouls. The Clippers took a 75-70 lead into the fourth. They made 9 of 10 free throws while extending their lead to 90-79. George returned for the Clippers and Jokic came back too, and the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 18-8 to trail 98-97. Ivica Zubac made four straight free throws, but Jokic hit a 3-pointer that cut the Clippers' lead to 102-100. Harden missed a jumper and the Nuggets called timeout with five seconds left. Guarded by P.J. Tucker, Jokic's 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed. “It's really hard in those situations, especially because I think the ball was in the worst possible spot,” Jokic said. “Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don't.” Led by nine points from George, the Clippers outscored the Nuggets 17-8 to open the third and take their largest lead, 70-57. Jokic had just four points in the period. The Clippers got back into it in the second behind their bench, which outscored Denver 21-0 in the first half. After starting 0 for 5, Harden hit a 3-pointer and scored his first 14 points in the period to help the Clippers lead 53-49 at halftime. The Nuggets raced to a 17-point lead to start the game. Jokic assisted on early baskets by his teammates before he finally scored for the first time with 5:18 left in the first. Denver's Jamal Murray sat out with right knee inflammation. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Never miss a moment with the latest news, trending stories and highlights to bring you closer to your favorite players and teams. Join now ➡ https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Subscribe to STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks NETS OUTLAST PACERS 115-111, STILL ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON CONTENTION. NEW YORK (AP) Cam Thomas scored 27 points, rookie Noah Clowney had a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Indiana Pacers 115-111 on Wednesday night to split a home-and-home set. The Nets were eliminated from postseason contention when Atlanta beat Detroit at home to wrap up at least a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Brooklyn last missed the playoffs in 2017-18. “We’re trying to build championship character, we’re trying to build competitive character,” Nets interim coach Kevin Ollie said. “And that’s just taking care of one another and competing no matter what the outcome is.” Mikal Bridges added 17 points, and Nic Claxton had 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Nets had lost their previous two games, the last a 133-111 loss in Indianapolis on Monday night. Clowney, who is the second youngest player (19 years, 264 days) in the league after Memphis rookie GG Jackson (19 years, 108 days) and has split time with the Nets' G-League affiliate, shot 7 for 9 from the field and made 3 3-pointers. He scored 14 of his 22 points in the second quarter and became the second-youngest player in franchise history to eclipse 20 points in a game. “I got to play with the same confidence I play with in the G (League) that I do here,” Clowney said. “I don’t want to start playing shy and then I am playing bad.” Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Tyrese Haliburton had for Indiana. The Pacers had won three in a row. “It was an uneven compete level for us tonight,“ Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “You know, the second quarter was our undoing and the second half (we) just left too much to chance,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. Brooklyn fell behind by 14 points in the first half and then led by 13 points in the third quarter. Haliburton sparked a 10-2 spurt with seven points of his own, including a 16-foot jumper that cut it to 88-87 with 37 seconds left in the quarter. The Nets led 100-95 with 5:57 left in regulation, but Siakam outscored them 11-3 and put Indiana ahead 106-103 with. 2:16 to play, After Claxton’s dunk, Siakam answered with a basket before Bridges hit a 3-pointer in front of the Indiana bench to even it a 108 with 1:23 left. Indiana called a timeout and Siakam committed an offensive foul driving to the basket. Dennis Schroder hit a 3-pointer and Clowney made two free throws to make it 112-108 with 40 second left. Haliburton then hit a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining, and Jalen Wilson sealed it with two free throws. Pacer led 31-19 at the end of the first quarter before the Nets responded in the second by shooting 60% from the field and outscoring Indiana 42-31. “That was just a poor defensive quarter,” Haliburton said. “I think it gave them confidence and that allowed them to kind of make their run.”

Never miss a moment with the latest news, trending stories and highlights to bring you closer to your favorite players and teams. Join now ➡ https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Subscribe to STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@UCZaWzRFb_gs3k9LNaPta55Q WARRIORS WIN 5TH STRAIGHT! WARRIORS OVERCOME TRIPLE-DOUBLE BY LUKA DONCIC TO BEAT MAVERICKS 104-100. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points and the Golden State Warriors overcame Luka Doncic's 20th triple-double of the season to beat Dallas 104-100 on Tuesday night, snapping the Mavericks' seven-game winning streak. Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer at 33.9 points per game, finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. His 20 triple-doubles trail only Domantas Sabonis (26) and Nikola Jokic (23). Doncic also recorded his 48th 30-point game of the season, second only to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (50). Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Wiggins for his defense on Doncic, who on Tuesday was chosen Western Conference player of the month for March, winning the award for the second month in a row. “It was our defense that got us the win,” Kerr said. “Holding those guys to 100 points is pretty difficult. I thought (Wiggins) was brilliant. He put in so much effort just trying to make Luka work. Luka was amazing as he always is, but that effort really set a tone.” The Mavericks cut the deficit to 102-100 with 15 seconds remaining, but the Warriors were able to close out the game with late free throws from Klay Thompson. Six Warriors scored in double digits on a night when Stephen Curry shot just 5 for 18 from the floor. Thompson and Chris Paul each had 14 points, Curry scored 13 and Moses Moody had 12 as Golden State won its fifth straight. “Steph and Klay didn’t play particularly well tonight on the offensive end, but a lot of the other guys got going,” Dallas guard Kyrie Irving said. “I think that was the tale of the game today.” Draymond Green made two huge plays down the stretch for the Warriors, blocking Daniel Gafford with 1:30 remaining, before giving Golden State an eight-point lead with a layup on the next possession. He had 11 points. "That was probably the key defensive play of the game,” Kerr said of Green’s late block. “Just a massive play.” The Warriors led by 11 points with 7:28 remaining, but the Mavericks tied it at 92 with 4:28 left. Dallas (45-30) remained fifth in the Western Conference. The Warriors (41-34) are still No. 10 in the West, three games ahead of the Houston Rockets (38-37). The Mavericks started out the game with a 9-0 run but the Warriors finished the first quarter with a 28-27 lead. Curry led a 14-0 run by Golden State in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 13-point lead, but the Mavericks scored the final 13 points of the period to tie the game at 49 at halftime. "It felt like kind of a playoff atmosphere tonight as well, the way we were going back and forth," Irving said. Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (knee) missed his fourth consecutive game, but Kerr said Kuminga is expected to play Thursday at Houston. Before the game, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd announced that rookie center Dereck Lively II could miss up to two weeks while he recovers from right knee soreness. Lively was injured during Sunday’s game against the Rockets. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024