Crossover World

  With the Boston Celtics' Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday, the 2022 NBA Finals matchup is set. The Celtics, the East's No. 2 seed, with face the Golden State Warriors, the West's No. 3 seed. Game 1 is set for Thursday in San Francisco. The Warriors are favored (-155 to Boston's +135, per Caesars Sportsbook), but I'm taking the Celtics in seven. I think they match up very well with Golden State. Here are three areas the Celtics can work to their advantage to come out with the 2022 NBA championship.  1. Celtics switching vs. Warriors movement Not only is this Celtics defense arguably one of the best in modern history, it is perfectly suited to combat all Golden State's off-ball movement. Boston switches everything, which makes life for Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole difficult as they look to come clean off screens and misdirections. This has been reflected in the numbers.  There’s just not a team more defensively equipped to guard Gold

  The Boston Celtics just won their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2010 in a hard-fought series against the Miami Heat. The Celtics won the series in 7 games, with the Heat not being able to match the offensive pace that the Celtics had set throughout the series. Despite their struggles, Jimmy Butler almost willed them to win this game single-handedly. After being perennial playoff participants for the last few years, even losing a couple of Conference Finals series, this core led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finally will make it to the NBA Finals and face the Golden State Warriors. Fans on Twitter were shocked at the way the game played out. Jimmy Butler's heroics went completely unrewarded before people turned on him for a disastrous final shot to try and cut the deficit down. Meanwhile, the Celtics are being lauded for completing an incredible season turnaround with a trip to the NBA Finals.  the celtics finish off their Postseason Revenge Tour each of the past three

  Bench decorum has been a big issue this postseason. The Dallas Mavericks were fined three teams for violating the NBA's rules regarding it throughout their playoff run, and now the Miami Heat have also been hit with a fine, the league announced on Saturday. Their infraction stems from Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics and is the result of bench players standing too close to the court throughout the contest.  From the NBA:  The Miami Heat organization has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules regarding team bench decorum, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations. On multiple occasions, several players stood for an extended period in Miami's team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on, encroaching upon or entering the playing court during live game action in the Heat's 111-103 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 27 at TD Garden. This was Miami'

  The Miami Heat were the top seed in the Eastern Conference this season. However, they've been an underdog, of sorts, since midway through the second round of the playoffs, and perhaps even before then.  After taking care of the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the Heat jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but both of those early wins came with MVP runner-up Joel Embiid sidelined with a concussion and a broken bone in his face. When Embiid returned to action, the Sixers reeled off two straight wins to even the series up at 2-2.  At that point, there were many that expected the Sixers to go on to win the series. Ultimately, they didn't have enough juice to complete the comeback and Miami closed them out in six games. But, there were still plenty of pundits (myself included) who wondered what the series outcome would have looked like had Embiid been healthy for its entirety. Nonetheless, the Heat took care of b

  The season is now over for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, as they ran out of gas and talent against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. They never led during Thursday night's Game 5, and the end officially came with a 120-110 defeat.  While it was a painful night, this was still a season and a playoff run to remember. Despite being under .500 on Jan. 1, and starting the first round without Doncic due to a calf injury, the Mavericks made it to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011. Along the way, they upset the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with a historic Game 7 win on the road.  There's so much you can say about this team, but it all starts with Doncic, who led the way in spectacular fashion. He averaged 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists during the playoffs, and in the process joined Michael Jordan in an exclusive playoff club. This was the third consecutive postseason in which Doncic has averaged at least 30 points, fiv

  The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as their head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers interviewed a number of candidates, but as the search drew to a close, they focused on three finalists: Ham, former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. In the end, Ham was able to win out over his more experienced competition and will receive a four-year deal to coach the franchise, per Shams Charania.  Ham, a small forward in his playing days, managed to eke out an NBA career that lasted nearly a decade. He won a championship with the 2004 Pistons and participated in the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, but he has since made his name as an assistant coach. After a few years in the G League, Ham's first NBA coaching job came with the Lakers. He worked under Phil Jackson from 2011-2013, just narrowly missing out on Kobe Bryant's last two championships.  His rise to prominence didn't co

  Stephen Curry has won the first Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP award. Curry helped lead the Golden State Warriors to a 4-1 series victory over the Dallas Mavericks by averaging 23.4 points and 7.4 assists for the series. The Warriors closed out the series on their home floor Thursday with a 120-110 win.  Stephen Curry is presented with the FIRST Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy awarded to the Western Conference Finals MVP! #NBA75 The victory sent Golden State back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019, capping a three-year rebuild in which the Warriors reloaded following the departure of Kevin Durant in free agency. Their first season without him was marred with injuries as the Warriors finished with the worst record in the NBA. Last season was better, but Golden State couldn't even escape the play-in round. But now, with a healthy roster and the lessons of two lottery seasons learned, the Warriors are headed back to the mountaintop behind Curry.  Th

  The Golden State Warriors are headed to their 6th NBA Finals in the last 8 years. While that puts into perspective how crazy it was that LeBron James made 8 consecutive Finals, it is also much harder for a single team to enjoy that success over such a long period.  Players switch teams, stars get old, draft assets get depleted, etc. always break down once-great teams into lottery fodder. However, Golden State is in the third era of their core trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green and are going back to the Finals. The first era saw them win the 2015 title and lost the 2016 title in a shocking collapse. The second era was with Kevin Durant when the Warriors were basically unstoppable until injuries got them in 2019. After two years in the lottery led to some smart picks, the Warriors are right back there matching the 90s Chicago Bulls in terms of their proficiency in getting to the NBA Finals. Many people have been comparing these dynasties for years, especially afte

  The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat today, in a convincing win, 93-80. While the game was close for the majority of the time played, the Boston Celtics managed to break it open in the 4th quarter and go on a run. There is no doubt that stealing Game 5 on the road was good for the Boston Celtics, as they will now have the opportunity to close out the series in Game 6 at home. Obviously, playing an elimination game as a home team is far better than being an away team in that situation. A lot of NBA fans reacted to the Celtics managing to defeat the Heat. Some people roasted the Miami Heat for losing, but others were already looking forward to the potential Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. Both those teams are in very good positions to win their Conference Finals and move on. The Boston Celtics are now one win away from the NBA Finals. They have been to the Eastern Conference Finals before, but if they do get to the NBA Finals this season, i

  The 2021-22 All-NBA teams were officially announced by the league on Tuesday. Reigning two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets was named to the First Team, along with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots.  All of the players that were named to the First Team are 27 years old or younger, which marks the first time that has happened since the 1954-55 season, per the league. Based on that stat, it seems safe to say that the future of the league is in good hands. With his selection, Dončić became the fourth player in league history to be named to the First Team at least three times before turning 24. The other three players were Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant and Max Zaslofsky.   The Second Team is headlined by Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who led the league in scorin

  The Miami Heat survived Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals agains the Boston Celtics, but just barely. Miami managed to build a 26-point lead, but it evaporated over the course of the second half in part because the Heat were playing at less than full strength. Star forward Jimmy Butler had to sit out the final two quarters due to knee inflammation.  While we don't know exactly what caused that inflammation, Butler was involved in one particularly notable play in the first half. In the second quarter, he was fouled by Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, who grabbed his leg from the ground. While he didn't attribute Butler's injury directly to that play, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was upset about the incident and argued that it was not a basketball play as he spoke with reporters on Monday.  "We don't know. It could've had an effect," Spoelstra said. "It was not a basketball play. We're not really sure why it was determined as a basketball play,

  Michigan coach Juwan Howard has declined interest from the Los Angeles Lakers to be considered as part of their ongoing search for a new coach, according to ESPN. Howard will instead remain with the Wolverines as scheduled for the upcoming 2022-23 college basketball season. Though Howard did not express interest in the Lakers job, ESPN reports that "his candidacy would've moved quickly" to a formal offer from one of the NBA's most iconic franchises had he been open to coaching in the league next season. Howard plans to remain in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he will coach his sons next season. Jace will be a junior at Michigan, while younger son Jett will be a freshman. There are several strong connections to the current Lakers franchise for Howard, which likely made him an intriguing candidate both for the front office and key members of the roster. Former college teammate Rob Pelinka is the Lakers general manger, and LeBron James was a teammate of Howard's while

  The Golden State Warriors are one win away from the NBA Finals after beating the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 in Game 3 on Sunday night. Led by a 31-point performance from Stephen Curry, and 27 points from Andrew Wiggins, Golden State once again asserted its dominance over Dallas to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.  Luka Doncic tried to will the Mavericks to a win with 40 points, 11 rebounds and three assists but, once again, despite the combined 46 points from Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas did not have enough in the tank to finish off the win to get back in this series.  The Warriors will try and close out this series on Tuesday, and if they do they'll await the winner of the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat series in the Eastern Conference.  Here are three takeaways from Game 3 in Dallas.  1. Andrew Wiggins, take a bow Let's just take a look at this absurd dunk that Wiggins had on Doncic in the fourth quarter. ANDREW WIGGINS Unreal. That's Dunk of the Year material

  Game 2 of the Western Conference finals between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks on Friday night reached a boiling point during the second quarter after a bizarre incident involving Damion Lee and Davis Bertans.  With just over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, Spencer Dinwiddie swung the ball to Bertans in the corner, and the big man launched a quick-fire 3-pointer. Despite a strong contest from Lee that probably should have been called a foul, Bertans got the shot to go, and was knocked down in the process.  Because no foul was called, Bertans tried to get to his feet right away so he could run back on defense. As he began to stand up, Lee tried to jump over him a la Allen Iverson over Ty Lue in the 2001 Finals. The result was a bizarre collision that saw Lee dumped straight on his back.  Things getting chippy after the Bertans triple 👀 Tempers understandably flared in the immediate aftermath, and players from both teams had words with each other. That t

  Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid did not win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award this season, but he is now officially an MVP: Most Valuable Philadelphian. On Thursday, the Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution to honor Embiid for his accomplishments this season. Here's part of the resolution, per Anna Orso of the Philadelphia Inquirer: Whereas, Joel Embiid has been a dedicated team member of the Philadelphia 76ers for years, has gained numerous accolades, and led the team through numerous games and tough battles on the way to victory, and Whereas, Joel Embiid is deserving of the distinction of MVP, now, therefore, be it Resolved by the council of the city of Philadelphia that it hereby celebrates Joel Embiid as MVP: "Most Valuable Philadelphian." Further resolved, that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Joel Embiid as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. You can understand where the city council w

  While the Dallas Mavericks are currently focused on their Western Conference finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors, the league decided to hand down some punishment from their previous round matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The NBA announced Wednesday afternoon the Mavericks have been fined $50,000 for violating the league's bench decorum rules during their Game 7 matchup against the Suns in the conference semifinals. Per the league's statement: "On multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood for an extended period in the Mavericks' team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on or encroaching upon the playing court during game action in the Mavericks' 123-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of their conference semifinal playoff series May 15 at Footprint Center." This is the second time the Mavericks have been fined this postseason because of their bench. The league issued a $25,000 fine after

  Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry is listed as out for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Lowry has dealt with a hamstring injury since the first round of the postseason, and as a result, has played just five games for the Heat during the playoffs. The Heat also listed Max Strus (hamstring) and Gabe Vincent (hamstring) as questionable for Game 2.  The Celtics have injury issues of their own to contend with. Marcus Smart is questionable with a sprained foot, while Al Horford is doubtful due to being in health and safety protocols.  When asked about the severity of the issue during Miami's second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Lowry responded by saying "I'd put it this way, you don't want to play with it." Lowry still tried to do so against Philadelphia to poor results. In two games against the 76ers, Lowry shot 3 of 14 from the field and 0 for 8 from behind the arc while struggling to move adequately around the floor

  DeAndre Ayton came two games short of winning his first NBA championship a season ago, yet when the offseason arrived, he had to watch his contemporaries from the 2018 NBA Draft get paid before him. Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all got max deals. Ayton was drafted before any of them. The Suns refused to pay him the max, but they did extend teammates Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet. So he went into his fourth season in Phoenix without a long-term deal. That season ended on Sunday when the Suns lost Game 7 of their second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks. Ayton played just 17 minutes. When Suns coach Monty Williams was asked why Ayton's role was so limited, he replied "that's internal." Now, it seems, some of the tension that bubbled underneath Phoenix's success all season is beginning to surface. "Going into the season, Deandre Ayton did not feel valued by this Phoenix organization," Adrian Wojnarowski