LEBRON James will be hoping to lead the Cavaliers to a 2-0 lead in their eastern conference semi-finals against the Raptors when the sides face off in Toronto today.
The Cavs escaped with a one-poiny victory in Game 1 on the back of a triple-double from James but Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Co. will be desperate for a change of fortunes.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid need to step up for Philadelphia if the 76ers want to rebound from their Game 1 loss to Boston and keep their hopes of a fairytale championship tilt alive.
Terry Rozier and Al Horford drove the Celtics to a 16-point victory earlier this week and the young Sixers brigade will be out to square the ledger.
Celtics still waiting on Brown
Jaylen Brown’s status for game two in Boston is still up in the air after his on-court workout today.
Brown missed game one with a hamstring strain.
Brad Stevens said Jaylen Brown will meet with training staff after he’s done working out. Says no decision has been made on his status for tonight.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) May 3, 2018
Raptors guards fire early
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 19 first quarter points as Toronto took a 29-26 lead.
Kevin Love regularly found himself in mismatches down low for the Cavs and hit 4/9 shots to lead his team with 10 points.
NBA warns Drake over ‘bad language’
Has anyone seen Drake?@KendrickPerkins TELL US WHERE DRAKE IS pic.twitter.com/QVunNHETvr
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 3, 2018
Drake made a late entrance to today’s game after the NBA warned the rapper over his use of “bad language” following the Cavaliers’ Game 1 win over Toronto.
USA Today Sports reported the league had a word with Drake following his ugly confrontation with Cleveland star Kendrick Perkins.
Drake is a regular fixture at Raptors games and often inserts himself into proceedings by conversing with players and referees.
Perkins clearly didn’t appreciate something that was said and had to be pushed away by teammate JR Smith at halftime of Cleveland’s 113-112 win.
Toronto Star sports columnist Bruce Arthur heard Drake call Perkins a “f***ing p****”.
In a text message to ESPN, Kendrick Perkins says: “What happened was I was talking to my old teammate Serge (Ibaka) walking into halftime telling him ‘We about to win this game,’ and Drake butted in talking shit to me. So I said something back to him.” https://t.co/sJ3Ntx6zVy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 2, 2018
The pair also exchanged more words after full-time.
Drake and Kendrick Perkins exchanged more words postgame pic.twitter.com/Z0rdXDe1uL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 2, 2018
Knicks hire new coach
Former Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale is the new coach of the New York Knicks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported.
Fizdale, a long-time assistant who was part of the Miami Heat during their title-winning years, was sacked midway through his second season with the Grizzlies late last year.
He replaces Jeff Hornacek, who won 31 and 29 games in his two seasons in charge in the Big Apple.
Wojnarowski reported Fizdale had agreed to a four-year contract.
David Fizdale has agreed to a deal to become the New York Knicks coach, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2018
Ingles stars as Utah topples Houston
Joe Ingles starred for the Jazz.Source:AP
The Utah Jazz started strong then held their nerve to beat the top-seeded Houston Rockets 116-108 on Wednesday and level their NBA playoffs second-round series at one game apiece.
Forward Joe Ingles scored 27 points and star rookie Donovan Mitchell added 17 as Utah used a big fourth quarter to thwart a second-half comeback bid by superstar James Harden and the Rockets in Houston.
Ingles drained seven of nine three-point attempts, including two late in the fourth.
Rookie star Donovan Mitchell’s 17 points included an one-handed dunk of the rebound of his own missed shot — an emphatic jam that keyed Utah’s 16-2 fourth-quarter scoring run.
Moments before, Donovan had forced Harden into a 24-second violation, just one solid defensive move from a Jazz team that held the vaunted Rockets offence to 24 per cent shooting in the final period.
NBA scoring champion Harden scored 32 points with 11 assists and seven rebounds for the Rockets, who erased a 19-point first-half deficit to take a five-point lead in the third quarter.
Just when it looked like the potent Rockets had warmed up and might pull away, the Jazz responded and were up 86-85 heading into the final period.
The Rockets, who made 17 of 32 three-pointers in a 110-96 game-one romp, connected on just 10 of 37 from beyond the arc and were 38-for-95 from the field overall.
The Jazz, seeded fourth in the West, will try to grab the series lead when they host game three on Friday in Salt Lake City.
— AFP
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